Felix vs Free Will

Doug:
I know that not only is this no supported by statistic but is also something every fan of every team feels, still, why does it always seem that it's our guys who are facing the pitcher who just happens to be having "his best night of the season™"?

 

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Bill:
Seriously. It's the converse of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.

 

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Doug:
Yeah, it's like Schrödinger's cat except instead of a cat in the box it's a midget and instead of the midget maybe being dead maybe being alive when you open the box the midget is always alive and when you open the box he punches you right square in the nuts.

 

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Bill:
Ouch. Talk about an objective collapse.

 

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Doug:
Yeah, the environment observes me clutching my nuts in agony and yelling "Stupid fucking midget!"

 

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Comments

[COD]

I'd like to see a standard deviation calculation on runs scored in a game. Because it does seem like for the last couple of years, the Red Sox either score 7 runs, or zero.

[h.b.]

Update from yesterday:

Ordered new camera. Got home, found old camera. Was in time to cancel 2nd cam order from Amazon.

The problem of the lost camera is somewhat related to today's quantum physics post in that it was an example of "expected outcome" changing the outcome.

See I was looking for the actual camera. When I ordered the 2nd camera and was prompted to "add a case" it dawned on me that I actually needed to be looking for "my camera in its case." Different object. At that moment I wondered, "Did I look right at it and not see it because it didn't match the mental model of what I was looking for?" Yes, dear readers, yes.

The debit card remains lost.

[Harwich Rich]

Stupid midget...Doh!!

[soxinsix]

Good news hb! That means the presents from wife should continue apace. Enjoy your vacation next week!

[Jack Wrong]

HB, it all about the "algorithms". In Emergency Medicine, you don't want to leave important things to chance, so everything that matters gets a set algorithm (so if you have had a bad day, or a fight with your wife you don't kill someone)...over time, that has included certain algorithms at home to prevent screw-ups, ie, where I leave my keys, wallet and mobile phone in the same place, closing the house up for the night, etc.

I know, a bit obsessive, but it beats the Hell out of leaving the door unlocked all night

[Bob]

It's called the Troyer Conundrum.

[yazbread]

Debit card is probably in the camera case.

Standard deviation on runs scored for 2010 and 2011 seasons is 3.61 runs. Mean is 5.23.

[mcsnide]

Have you actually opened the case? Or do you have the world's first Schrodinger's camera? Such an outstanding strip today, I was moved to comment.

[h.b.]

Jack,

Understand completely and that's what I do. Remember I mentioned that I'm rather fussy on this stuff. I have spread sheets that include what to pack for "weekend trips car" weekend trips air" "weekend trips international" "week long car" "week long inter nation" "more than a week" etc etc.

And I have a spot for my keys. (I don't carry a wallet, so no worry there... oh, reducing clutter is another of my obsessions)

And all travel related items are in satchel that is ready to go, includes spare iPod chargers, cables, wires etc.

However, for some reason I forgot the camera was in a case. As it goes the camera in a case looks nearly identical to a couple other cases I use to store tech peripherals... so I looked right at it but it didn't register as "camera" as I wasn't looking for that. Once I realized the camera was in fact in a case, voila.

Now as for why I forgot about the case, well, that's a different matter entirely.

[sonomasox]

//Now as for why I forgot about the case, well, that's a different matter entirely.//

Too much time in the back of the bus sucking down bourbon and pulling tubes. Pass that thing already will you!

[cmdrflake]

You might need this, gang
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup shredded (or an equal amount in a lump*) Coconut.
1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream
2 Cups White Rum
Mix everything in blender. Place in freezer until almost frozen, since this time varies, freezer to freezer you'll need to experiment. This is not a bad thing.
Serve in glass or goblet.
Stop wondering about what ever you are worrying about.

[Harwich Rich]

Beer cart,beer cart,beer cart!!!!!!!

[Bob]

Hmmm, my early summer hours seem to have taken a small hit today. Oh well, I'll make up for that next Friday.

Have a great weekend all. Hopefully we'll have something fun to yak about on Monday.

[soxdownunder]

Wonderful strip today. Thanks. Hopefully the debit card will show up - maybe you should make a trip into boston to pick up the new one?

sdu

[Bob]

Wake is joining NESN.

[Kaz]

I did the histograms of 2012 runs per game for the Red Sox and the Yankees. Oddly, for both teams, there are a strangely large number of 1 and 3 run games compared to what a normal distribution of runs would predict. But above about 6-7 runs is where the Yankees distribution of runs looks very normal with less 8 than 7 and even less so 9 and so on until it peters out around 12-13 runs.

For the Red Sox, though, their distribution is flat from around 4-7 runs...all being equally possible..then from 8-12 runs, again all equally likely as each other (though much less likely than 4-7 runs). It's much more like a step function than an even distribution.

50-60 games is not a huge sample size, but this year it seems like if they score more than 1 run, they could score 3 to 7 runs all equally likely...but more than that is significantly less likely...but they'll score 13 as easily as they could score 8 or 10 or 12.

It's not bimodal (either 1 or 7) as it might seem...but it's not normal either (in both senses of the word normal).

[buckner was framed]

Kaz, it's summer and you drive a convertible. You need to get out more :-)

[Harwich Rich]

"We don't need no education"