25 KiB

Raw Blame History

created_at

title

url

author

points

story_text

comment_text

num_comments

story_id

story_title

story_url

parent_id

created_at_i

_tags

objectID

2017-02-16T15:07:58.000Z

When intuition and math probably look wrong (2010)

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/when-intuition-and-math-probably-look-wrong

Tomte

1487257678

story

author_Tomte

story_13660391

13660391

Source

When intuition and math probably look wrong | Science News

[Menu][3] [Search][3] [Science News][4]

Donate

[Donate][5]

Account

[Log In][6]

The Society

[The Society][7]
[Science News][8]
[Science News for Students][9]
[Student Science][10]

![Science News][11]

[Science News][12]

MISSION CRITICAL

Support credible science journalism.

Subscribe to _Science News _today.

[SUBSCRIBE][13]

[ Menu ][14]
[ Topics ][15]
- [ Atom & Cosmos ][16]
- [ Body & Brain ][17]
- [ Earth & Environment ][18]
- [ Genes & Cells ][19]
- [ Life & Evolution ][20]
- [ Humans & Society ][21]
- [ Math & Technology ][22]
- [ Matter & Energy ][23]
[ Blogs ][24]
- [ Context | Tom Siegfried ][25]
- [ Growth Curve | Laura Sanders ][26]
- [ Scicurious | Bethany Brookshire ][27]
- [ Science Ticker | Science News Staff ][28]
- [ Science & the Public | Science News Staff ][29]
- [ Wild Things | Sarah Zielinski ][30]
[ Editor's Picks ][31]
- [ Top stories of 2017 ][32]
- [ Favorite books of 2017 ][33]
- [ Gravitational waves ][34]
- [ Eclipse 2017 ][35]
- [ Cassini mission to Saturn ][36]
- [ See More ][31]
[ Magazine ][37]

![3/03 cover][38]][39]

In the March 3 SN: Redefining dinosaurs, minibrain recipes, how flu spreads, lions vs. zebras, Venus prospects, a whale speaks and more.

[Current Issue][39]

Explore

Topics
- [Atom & Cosmos][16]
- [Biology][40]
- [Chemistry][41]
- [Doing Research][42]
- [Earth Sciences][43]
- [Environmental Science][44]
- [Other Disciplines][45]
- [Physics][46]
Blogs
- [Context][25]
- [Growth Curve][47]
- [Scicurious][27]
- [Science Ticker][28]
- [Science & the Public][29]
- [Wild Things][30]
- [Culture Beaker][48]
- [Gory Details][49]
Editor's Picks
- [2017 Top 10][32]
- [Favorite books of 2017][33]
- [Gravitational waves][50]
- [AGU 2017][51]
- [Scientists to Watch][52]
- [Nobels 2017][53]
- [Cassini mission to Saturn][36]
- [Eclipse 2017][35]
SN Magazine
- [March 3, 2018][54]
- [February 17, 2018][55]
- [February 3, 2018][56]
- [January 20, 2018][57]
- [December 23, 2017][58]
- [December 9, 2017][59]
- [November 25, 2017][60]
- [November 11, 2017][61]

[Latest][62] [Most Viewed][62]

All News

Sort by Published atMost Viewed

News

[Two-way communication is possible with a single quantum particle][63]

February 23, 2018

by Emily Conover

Science Visualized

[New mapping shows just how much fishing impacts the world's seas][64]

February 22, 2018

by Carolyn Gramling

Science Stats

[Global Virome Project is hunting for more than 1 million unknown viruses ][65]

February 22, 2018

by Laurel Hamers

News

[Cave art suggests Neandertals were ancient humans' mental equals ][66]

February 22, 2018

by Bruce Bower

News in Brief

[The last wild horses aren't truly wild][67]

February 22, 2018

by Erika Engelhaupt

Society Update

[Congratulations to the 40 Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists!][68]

Editor's Note

[Building a bright future for science journalism][69]

February 22, 2018

by Nancy Shute

Letters to the Editor

[Readers weigh in on human gene editing and more][70]

February 22, 2018

by Science News Staff

50 Years Ago

[50 years ago, early organ transplants brought triumph and tragedy][71]

February 22, 2018

by Bethany Brookshire

Feature

[New fossils are redefining what makes a dinosaur][72]

February 21, 2018

by Carolyn Gramling

News in Brief

[An amateur astronomer caught a supernova explosion on camera][73]

February 21, 2018

by Lisa Grossman

Society Update

[Changing toothpastes? Change your toothbrush][74]

Growth Curve

[A new study eases fears of a link between autism and prenatal ultrasounds][75]

February 21, 2018

by Laura Sanders

News in Brief

[A fake organ mimics what happens in the blink of an eye][76]

February 20, 2018

by Maria Temming

Feature

[How to build a human brain][77]

February 20, 2018

by Ingfei Chen

Science & the Public

[Are computers better than people at predicting who will commit another crime?][78]

February 20, 2018

by Maria Temming

It's Alive

[The flowers that give us chocolate are ridiculously hard to pollinate][79]

February 20, 2018

by Susan Milius

Society Update

[Congratulations to the 2018 Regeneron Science Talent Search Top 300 Scholars][80]

Exhibit

[Modern tech unravels mysteries of Egyptian mummy portraits][81]

February 19, 2018

by Howard Wolinsky

Mystery Solved

[Mix of metals in this Picasso sculpture provides clues to its mysterious origins][82]

February 19, 2018

by Kate Travis

News in Brief

[Babies can recover language skills after a left-side stroke][83]

February 18, 2018

by Laurel Hamers

News in Brief

[This stick-on patch could keep tabs on stroke patients at home][84]

February 17, 2018

by Maria Temming

News

[Americans would welcome alien life rather than fear it][85]

February 16, 2018

by Maria Temming

Society Update

[Top 10 Society stories of the year][86]

News

[Ants practice combat triage and nurse their injured ][87]

February 16, 2018

by Susan Milius

How To

[James Webb Space Telescope challenges artists to see in infrared][88]

February 16, 2018

by Lisa Grossman

News

[To hear the beat, your brain may think about moving to it][89]

February 16, 2018

by Dan Garisto

News in Brief

[Strong winds send migrating seal pups on lengthier trips][90]

February 15, 2018

by Carolyn Gramling

News

[Household products make surprisingly large contributions to air pollution][91]

February 15, 2018

by Laurel Hamers

Society Update

[Broadcom MASTERS 2017 awards $100,000 in prizes][92]

News

[Fossil footprints may put lizards on two feet 110 million years ago][93]

February 15, 2018

by Helen Thompson

News in Brief

[In Borneo, hunting emerges as a key threat to endangered orangutans][94]

February 15, 2018

by Bruce Bower

News

[Look to penguins to track Antarctic changes][95]

February 14, 2018

by Carolyn Gramling

News

[Study debunks fishy tale of how rabbits were first tamed][96]

February 14, 2018

by Tina Hesman Saey

News

[Cutting off a brain enzyme reversed Alzheimer's plaques in mice][97]

February 14, 2018

by Aimee Cunningham

Society Update

[Congratulations Broadcom MASTERS 2017 finalists!][98]

News

[Quantum computers go silicon ][99]

February 14, 2018

by Emily Conover

Science Ticker

[Shipping noise can disturb porpoises and disrupt their mealtime][100]

February 13, 2018

by Dan Garisto

News

[Genes could record forensic clues to time of death][101]

February 13, 2018

by Erika Engelhaupt

News

[New technique shows how 2-D thin films take the heat][102]

February 13, 2018

by Maria Temming

News

[Elongated heads were a mark of elite status in an ancient Peruvian society][103]

February 13, 2018

by Bruce Bower

Society Update

[Conversations with Maya][104]

News

[What will it take to go to Venus?][105]

February 13, 2018

by Lisa Grossman

Science Ticker

[Even after bedbugs are eradicated, their waste lingers ][106]

February 12, 2018

by Laurel Hamers

How Bizarre

[14 cattle eyeworms removed from Oregon woman's eye][107]

February 12, 2018

by Aimee Cunningham

News

[5 ways the heaviest element on the periodic table is really bizarre ][108]

February 12, 2018

by Dan Garisto

News in Brief

[Ancient ozone holes may have sterilized forests 252 million years ago][109]

February 12, 2018

by Carolyn Gramling

[View More][110]

Math Trek

[Numbers][111]

When intuition and math probably look wrong

A twist on the Two Children Problem shows how information can steer what looks probable

[Julie Rehmeyer][112]

12:07pm, June 28, 2010

[Facebook][113]
[Twitter][114]
[Google][115]

I have two children, one of whom is a son born on a Tuesday. What is the probability that I have two boys?

This article is available only to subscribing members. [Join][116] the Society today or [Log in][117].

![][118]

Get Science News headlines by e-mail.

Submit

The Society

[The Society][7]
[Science News][8]
[Science News for Students][9]
[Student Science][10]
[Comment Policy][155]
[RSS][156]
[My Account][157]
[Newsletter][158]

Contact Information & Copyright

* [__Home][4]
* [__Topics][15]
    * [__Atom & Cosmos][16]
    * [__Body & Brain][17]
    * [__Earth & Environment][18]
    * [__Genes & Cells][19]
    * [__Humans & Society][21]
    * [__Life & Evolution][20]
    * [__Math & Technology][22]
    * [__Matter & Energy][23]
* [__Blogs][24]
    * [__Context | Tom Siegfried][25]
    * [__Growth Curve | Laura Sanders][26]
    * [__Scicurious | Bethany Brookshire][27]
    * [__Science Ticker | Science News Staff][28]
    * [__Science & the Public | Science News Staff][29]
    * __[Wild Things | Sarah Zielinski][30]
* __[Editor's Picks][31]
    * __[Top stories of 2017][32]
    * __[Favorite books of 2017][33]
    * __[Gravitational waves][50]
    * __[Eclipse 2017][35]
    * __[Cassini mission to Saturn][36]
    * __[See all Editor's Picks][31]
* __[Science News Magazine][37]
* __[Like us on Facebook][153]
* __[Follow us on Twitter][152]
* __[Visit us on YouTube][159]
* __[Subscribe via RSS][156]

![][160]

![][161]

25 KiB

Raw Blame History

When intuition and math probably look wrong | Science News

Donate

Account

The Society

[Science News][12]

Explore

Topics

Blogs

Editor's Picks

SN Magazine

All News

When intuition and math probably look wrong

A twist on the Two Children Problem shows how information can steer what looks probable

More from Science News

Follow Us

The Society

Contact Information & Copyright

25 KiB Raw Blame History Unescape Escape

When intuition and math probably look wrong | Science News

Donate

Account

The Society

[Science News][12]

Explore

Topics

Blogs

Editor's Picks

SN Magazine

All News

When intuition and math probably look wrong

A twist on the Two Children Problem shows how information can steer what looks probable

More from Science News

Follow Us

The Society

Contact Information & Copyright

25 KiB

Raw Blame History