Strange

Here are three surprising things which defy "common sense."

If you are unconvinced of the answers, look them up at strange2

1. Suppose the earth is a perfect sphere and there is a rope tied tightly around it at the equator.

Now add exactly one foot to the rope's length and support it above ground equally around the globe.

How far is the rope above the ground?

Surprisingly, almost two inches! (1.90985...).

Let's wrap a rope around a orange, then lenghten it by one foot. How far is the gap?

Again, about two inches!

Try a ping pong ball. Same result!

Strangely believe it! The answer is independent of the size of the sphere.

2. You are on the TV show, "Let's make a deal."

The host shows you three doors and tells you the there is a million dollars behind one and a single dollar behind the other two.

The doors are marked A, B and C. You choose A.

The host then opens door B which reveals a dollar bill.

He then asks you if you want to stay with your first choice, door A, or switch to door C.

What do you do? Well, the odds of winning the million dollars if you stay with A is 1/3. But the odds of winning if you switch to door C is 2/3!

Strangely believe it..

3. In 2003, a Chinese lady named Ma Li Hua, spent six weeks setting up 303,000 dominos.

On August 18, 2003, a South Korean politician knocked over the first. The 303,000th domino was the last to fall, six minutes later.

Does this speed seem credible? How would you test it (without setting up 303,000 dominos)?

John Burgeson

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