Randomness is Random - Numberphile

Numberphile · explainer · Watch on YouTube

What it is

Numberphile with Simon Pampena on how humans misunderstand randomness, including coin-flip sequences, run lengths and the gambler's fallacy.

Recommended as an accessible demonstration that people are bad at producing or judging random sequences.

“about playing the odds on predicting elements of a nominally-random coin-flip sequence using the expected run length.”
Accessible video on predicting coin-flip sequences
reidacdc, 2019-01 · Recommendation · in “Perceptions of Randomness: Why Three Heads Are Better Than Four (2009) [pdf]”
“Here's a great video demonstrating how people tend to misunderstand randomness”
Shows how people misunderstand randomness
codesushi42, 2019-06 · Recommendation · in “Interview on ”Bayesian Statistics the Fun Way””
“There is also a good Numberphile video on what we think random really is (it is not)”
What humans think random really is
wruza, 2019-09 · Recommendation · in “A New Algorithm for Controlled Randomness”
“We don't pick numbers at random. At all. We're so bad at it that you can make money off this fact.”
People are bad at picking random numbers
throwamon, 2022-02 · Recommendation · in “Some neurons are active when adding, others when subtracting”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: coin flips, gambler's fallacy, probability, numberphile, human bias