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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Watch for Falling Ice

Myth: 4 Russians die from falling icicles every year.
Fact: 5 Russians die from falling icicles every year.

From the Associated Press story entitled "Killer Icicles Terrorize Russians":
"Walking along a Saint Petersburg Street immersed in music, Milana Kashtanova, became the latest victim of falling icicles and ice blocks that have killed five people and injured 147 in the city following Russia's coldest winter in 30 years... [D]uring Russia's springtime thaw, residents are forced to run the gauntlet of snapping icicles and blocks of ice falling unexpectedly from roofs, as well as the ground-level hazards of slippery slush and puddles."
This just goes to show you that if you have enough opportunities, events with extremely small (but non-zero) probabilities can happen.

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For those fans of the Office out there, my intro was inspired by Michael Scott's comments on the dangers of rabies, which you can listen to below.

2 comments:

  1. That's funny Nick. Great quote from the Office.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh that's good! My favorite Michael Scott quote? "I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little stitious."
    I think that perfectly captures the concept that even the most rational person holds onto some irrational beliefs.

    ReplyDelete

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