wow
everyone should know about this as well:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecutor's_fallacy
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 13:17, 1 reply)

It really does bother me sometimes
Imagine if 4 people won the euromillions jackpot and then one of them tried to claim the others had copied their numbers or cheated in some way becuase the odds of 4 people winning were so low that the only explanation could be that the others had cheated.

They'd be laughed out of court, yet this is actually a more sensible conclusion than the one drawn by the prosecutors investigating Geen's case.
( WormuIus, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 13:22, closed)

You'd think the lessons would have been learnt about relying on adverse pattern statistical evidence in the Sally Clark case
yet here we are.

See also: Colin Norris, very similar case to Geen.
( WormuIus, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 13:24, closed)

And this is why everybody in the legal system should be subject to random maths tests with a penalty of DEATH for scoring below 85%.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 15:37, closed)

What would happen if you really DID copy someone else's lottery numbers and they won?
Is there a law against that?
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 13:31, closed)

Not in a lottery where getting the numbers is guesswork, no
but if you copied someone's answers for a prize crossword that could support a charge of Fraud.
( WormuIus, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 13:43, closed)