They sure know how to pick 'em!

[42]

Odd news story from yesterday: Monday morning tragedy of the crash of flight 587 in New York. Monday evening winning lotto numbers in New Jersey: 587. Coincidence. But ... the payout is only $16 instead of the usual $275, supposedly because 17 times the normal number of people picked the number 587 that day. Explanations?

1. People are just plain sick.
2. Pure coincidence / random fluctuation.
3. People believe that there is a natural balance in the world, and that if the number 587 had already been associated with something bad that day, it was overdue to be associated with something good too.
4. The power of suggestion - after hearing the number 587 so much that day, people picked the numbers subconsciously without them ever making a conscious connection.
5. None of the above.

D

[Oracle]

The correct answer is F, all of the above. Inclcuding E, of course.

I just heard the other day that it is common practice in some South American country (Columbia?) to play lottery numbers based on license plates of cars that are bombed. Perhaps the New Yorkers heard this, too, or were from that area.

[Numbers Nerd]

Does anybody else think that it is mathematically inappropriate to lower the payout on numbers where a lot of people play? After all, on this type of lottery, the payout doesn't increase when there are few than expected winners!

I vaguely recall a similar situation where there was a number in the news that many people tried to play in the lottery. The system in that state was set up to only allow a number to be played X number of times - after that, the gambler would be told on-the-spot to choose something different. This way of limiting liability before the drawing does seem fairer to me.

[Patience]

I thought this seemed strange and looked into it and those were the winning numbers, put stranger yet is that the midday drawing (they now have two daily) was 578, also a low payout of 81.50 (numbers can be boxed)

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/2001...tery_dc_1.html

[Floyd Nootson]

Stranger yet is this Quatrain that Nostradamous wrote:

In the city of great commerce, after the twins have fallen, there shall be a tragedy in the 11th month of the year. Many people will profit from, but not at the proper amount, the name of the traveler.

[E. Blackadder]

Not quite. He wrote

And under the Dark of the Moon, a dillatory library patron shall mangle my words, to no effect.