Simeon-Denis Poisson is a renowned mathematician http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisson_distribution. He explored probability theory and has several things named after him. Most famously, he studied the statistics of the stables of the Prussian Army and counted the number of soldiers kicked to death by horses in each year over a long period of equine military technology.
He developed powerful theorems that cover both "bad" and 'good" luck, in the case of rare events (e.g. winning the lottery, being kicked to death by a horse while clearing out a stable, or being struck by lightning). His statistics show that there is nothing unusual about years where two or three or five people are kicked to death, if the average is about one or two per year.
Some people win the lottery twice
Some people get struck by lightning twice, and survive.
There are probably not enough people on the planet for someone to score 3 hits...
Off Topic » in reply to And you think your luck is bad??
probability Theory and "bad luck"
The whole thread (83 posts)
- And you think your luck is bad??
- No puns, this time. Just more bad luck.
- probability Theory and "bad luck"
- re: And you think your luck is bad?? - Yes, he was lucky. (n/t)
- Was he lucky?
- Shouldn't this be on Current Events? (n/t)
- This story sparks my interest. (n/t)
- Shocking! (n/t)
- I certainly got a charge out of it. (n/t)
- He might find it Re-Volting (n/t)
- Nah, it was just a flash in the pan (n/t)
- That suggestion might meet with some resistance. (n/t)
- I don’t think I deserve a battery of charges. (n/t)
- Just pray if you're convicted, you get a dry cell. (n/t)
- I might short-circuit in such limited capacity (n/t)
- Only without the proper insulation. (n/t)
- Of course the current situation can alternate and become direct. (n/t)
- Do you mean like the series of parallel puns now making the circuit? (n/t)
- You win. I have become static. I feel drained :) (n/t)
- I feel re-generated! (n/t)
- Watt-ever. (n/t)
- In fact, I'm positively recharged. (n/t)
- I bet he had to change his short(s) after that (n/t)
- Do you think he has a loose wire now? (n/t)
- his new mantra: Ohm....Ohm . . . (n/t)
- Do you think he has a loose wire now? (n/t)
- I bet he had to change his short(s) after that (n/t)
- I feel re-generated! (n/t)
- You win. I have become static. I feel drained :) (n/t)
- Do you mean like the series of parallel puns now making the circuit? (n/t)
- Of course the current situation can alternate and become direct. (n/t)
- Only without the proper insulation. (n/t)
- I might short-circuit in such limited capacity (n/t)
- Just pray if you're convicted, you get a dry cell. (n/t)
- I don’t think I deserve a battery of charges. (n/t)
- He might find it Re-Volting (n/t)
- I certainly got a charge out of it. (n/t)
- Perhaps he's just well grounded in reality. (n/t)
- Clearly the guy pissed off Zeus
- Na, just a stroke of bad luck. (n/t)
- he's living up to his potential, though. (n/t)
- As long as the unfortunate victim doesn't die electric. (n/t)
- Maybe he was negative all the time (n/t)
- He was known to blow a fuse. (n/t)
- Because he failed to conduct himself properly. (n/t)
- Before the incident he was quite the energetic person. (n/t)
- Unfortunately, he's pretty static now. (n/t)
- but well grounded (n/t)
- I wonder if he'll make the talk show circuit. I bet they would get a charge out of him. (n/t)
- but well grounded (n/t)
- Unfortunately, he's pretty static now. (n/t)
- Before the incident he was quite the energetic person. (n/t)
- Because he failed to conduct himself properly. (n/t)
- He was known to blow a fuse. (n/t)
- Maybe he was negative all the time (n/t)
- As long as the unfortunate victim doesn't die electric. (n/t)
- he's living up to his potential, though. (n/t)
- Na, just a stroke of bad luck. (n/t)
- Clearly the guy pissed off Zeus