Are politicians bad at math? Probably.

[Lorizael]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19801666

A total of 97 MPs were asked this probability problem: if you spin a coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?*

Among Conservative members, 47% gave the wrong answer, which is disappointing enough. But of the 44 Labour MPs who took part, 77% answered incorrectly.

Now, what are the odds that the results of the survey/test are a fluke?

[Aeson]

... no matter how many times you spin a (normal) coin, it will never have two heads.

[Lorizael]

Are there any coins out there with hydras on them?

[Ben Kenobi]

Conservative members, 47% gave the wrong answer, which is disappointing enough. But of the 44 Labour MPs who took part, 77% answered incorrectly.

So Conservative ministers are smarter than Labour ministers?

[rah]

Personally I'd be interested to hear their wrong answers. It would be entertaining.

[Lorizael]

I would argue that they're less dumb (on the issue of probability).

[Lorizael]

If you click the link, there's a table of their answers.

[Ben Kenobi]

Given the sample size and 7 options, monkeys could replace the Labour ministers and score higher. In most trials the Labour ministers would successfully defeat monkeys, occasionally the monkeys would win. If the monkeys were only permitted to answer one of the five options (no option to refuse), the monkeys and Labour ministers are statistically insignificant.

[rah]

Thanks Lorizael .

[Elok]

You can't generalize from "politicians are bad at probability" to "politicians are bad at math." Probability is mainly used by scientists to give complicated answers about real-world problems. Why would politicians be interested in that? They may, on the other hand, be very strong in other parts of math. For example, I bet most of them are very good at counting money.

[snoopy369]

Probability is, however, probably the most important subset of math for politicians... counting money is not that important in the scheme of things, they don't balance the budget anyway so who cares how much one side is more than the other?

[Lorizael]

Probability is, however, probably the most important subset of math for politicians... counting money is not that important in the scheme of things, they don't balance the budget anyway so who cares how much one side is more than the other?

For example: "If news of my extramarital homosexual affair gets out, I probably won't be reelected!"

[DinoDoc]

They may, on the other hand, be very strong in other parts of math. For example, I bet most of them are very good at counting money.

Given the sovereign debt issue, can we even be sure of that?

[Elok]

Given the sovereign debt issue, can we even be sure of that?

Yes, because our nation isn't financed by ordinary money. We use high-tech quantum money, which simultaneously exists and doesn't exist. Our pols know this, and wisely refrain from looking at the math surrounding the budget for fear that by observing it they'll collapse the wave function (or whatever it's called) and destroy our economy.

Their campaigns, on the other hand, are fueled by traditional cash, which they count with great skill.

[DinoDoc]

Yes, because our nation isn't financed by ordinary money. We use high-tech quantum money, which simultaneously exists and doesn't exist. Our pols know this, and wisely refrain from looking at the math surrounding the budget for fear that by observing it they'll collapse the wave function (or whatever it's called) and destroy our economy.

Ok, I have to give you credit on that one. I when I read it.