everyone does know that there is now an official
Monty Python channel
More like this
Here is an interesting variation on the Monty Hall problem. For now I will simply present it cold, without indicating the context of where I saw it. Feel free to leave your proposed solutions in the comments. Everything from vague intuitions to hard-core Bayesian analysis is welcome.
Sorry for the sporadic blogging. For the past week I've been working on the Progressive Monty Hall problem, and it has proven to be considerably more complicated than I at first realized. I had expected to polish it off with a few hours work.
tags: Monty Python meets Darth Vader, humor,
Speaking of the Monty Hall problem, I recently came across this terrific essay (PDF format), by Jeffrey Rosenthal, a professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Toronto.
So, where did "we had to walk backwards uphill both ways in the snow with no shoes" come from then? I thought it was this sketch. Maybe it was the TV show version - this clip is from The Secret Policeman's Other Ball IIRC. Which is in itself worth a watch if only for Sting's remarkable solo performance of Roxanne.