Yesterday’s Questions

Let’s review, answers in italics:

1. What are the total number of possible outcomes with each roll of a six sided dice, each side uniquely numbered 1-6?
   There are six possible outcomes.
2. What are the chances of getting a “3” on a roll of this dice?
   Since “3” is on one of the six sides and there are six possible outcomes, then 1/6 is the answer.
3. What are the chances of getting a “3” and a “3” on two rolls of this dice?
   1/6 chance of getting a “3” on first roll.  1/6 chance of getting a “3” on second roll.  So 1.6 * 1/6 = 1/36.
4. What are the chances of getting a “4” and then a “6” and then a “2” on three rolls of this dice?
   1/6 chance of getting a “4”; 1/6 chance of getting a “6” on second roll; 1/6 chance of getting a “2” on third roll.  So 1/6 * 1/6 * 1/6 = 1/216
5. What are the chances of getting three Heads on three tosses of a coin?
   1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 = 1/8.  Let’s write out all possibilities so you can visualize it:
   HHH  HHT  HTT  TTT  TTH  THH  HTH  THT

The main takeaway is that each flip of a coin, each roll of a dice…is independent of all other flips and rolls.  Coins and dices don’t have memories.  It’s possible to flip a coin a million times and get Heads on all of them.

In next lesson we explore math in music.

Eliminate wordiness exercise

Possible answers to previous lesson’s editing exercise in italics:

1. I want to utilize my skills to help grow your organization.
   I want to use my skills to grow your organization.  (“utilize” means to use something that’s not normally used so that’s not the appropriate word; “help” is redundant, no point in it being there). 
2. She opened the envelope, which contained a confidential document inside.
   She opened the envelope, which contained a confidential document.  (no shit it’s inside, already pointed out with word “contained”).

3. After reading it with close scrutiny, she discovered it was written in the exact same handwriting as the mysterious note she’d received before.
   After reading it with scrutiny, she discovered it was written in the same handwriting as the mysterious note she’d received.  (“close” is redundant as “scrutiny” already means “close examination.” “Exact” is redundant and unnecessary adverb to modify “same.”  “Before” is redundant, we already know that the “mysterious note” preceded the opening of this document before the “before.”

4. The reason she knew this was because of handwriting studies in her past history.
   She knew this because of past handwriting studies. (“The reason” is redundant, as is “history,” we already know it’s in the past).

5. There is currently a lively, ongoing controversy among many sociologists and other professionals who study human nature : theories are being spun and arguments are being conducted among them about what it means that so many young people—and older people, for that matter—who live in our society today are so very interested in stories about zombies.
   (This is written by a fucktarded narcissistic social science academic.  This shit is the norm nowadays).  The controversy among those who study human nature is why so many people are interested in zombie stories.  

I’ll let Paul Fussell comment on number 5:

The middles cleave to euphemisms not just because they’re an aid in avoiding facts. They like them also because they assist their social yearnings towards pomposity. This is possible because most euphemisms permit the speaker to multiply syllables, and the middle class confuses sheer numerousness with weight and value.