tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37798047.post6794522483785671734..comments2024-01-16T05:48:33.523-05:00Comments on Errata Security: Powerball lessons for infosecDavid Maynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09921229607193067441noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37798047.post-48287196253535258412016-01-15T06:50:00.982-05:002016-01-15T06:50:00.982-05:00All in all, no matter how slim the chances are, th...All in all, no matter how slim the chances are, there were three ticket matching the required numbers. They state they there were 1.5 billion tickets sold (<a href="http://localotto.com/thelotter-review" rel="nofollow"> thelotter review</a>). Supposed that each player bought one ticket than it accounted for one forth of the Earth population.Georgie Lyntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10369530810063002245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37798047.post-70421428533565323492016-01-13T09:18:49.650-05:002016-01-13T09:18:49.650-05:00Because of this huge jackpot, I even changed to my...Because of this huge jackpot, I even changed to my favorite lottery! Tomorrow, instead of checking <a href="http://australian-lotto-results.com/wednesdaylotto" rel="nofollow">Wednesday Lotto results</a> I'll wait for the results of Powerball!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12105359513064036965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37798047.post-35692785318534411362016-01-12T17:27:02.260-05:002016-01-12T17:27:02.260-05:00"But you've got twenty times more chance ..."But you've got twenty times more chance of getting eaten by a shark or becoming president, so don't go for it."<br /><br />Perhaps it's a bit pedantic, but I have a 0% chance of getting eaten by a shark and a near-zero percent chance of becoming president. The shark bite won't happen because I've never been a part of the population exposed to that risk (ocean swimming, aquarium employee, etc). I can't claim with 100% certainty that I won't be president because even though I'm not part of the population of people _running_ for the office, there is a snowballs chance in hell that one year, everyone can put me down as a write-in. It would still be legit. Therefore I'm still a participant in the group of people with the potential to become president. <br /><br />The lottery is more like the shark example. Buying a lottery ticket makes me a part of people with possible exposure to winning. Not buying a ticket guarantees that I'm definitely not a part of the group who can become a winner. It's analogous to your shark example - surfers, people on boats, swimmers, oceanographers, aquarium employees, etc have some tiny risk of getting bit by a shark. All things equal however, there is a zero percent chance of a shark walking to my *very* land locked house in MN to bite me and run away. <br /><br />I get the other points your making though. I just think it's entertaining to read all of these "you chances are better at 'X' than winning" stats in the MSM when not all of their analogies hold up. Thought I'd throw this out there as food for thought. In reality I also do have some exposure to risk of getting a sharkbite since I fly in planes over the ocean, etc. :-) Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384789167372551001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37798047.post-4005517511772586532016-01-12T11:15:08.577-05:002016-01-12T11:15:08.577-05:00Great post, but I'm curious about the data bac...Great post, but I'm curious about the data backing your claim that lottery sales cash is why most shops aren't just "break even"? Ericlawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629629616618375542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37798047.post-85448982043940308222016-01-12T10:54:01.817-05:002016-01-12T10:54:01.817-05:00FWIW USA Today quoted the MSLA as saying that 75% ...FWIW <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/07/as-powerball-jackpot-grows-to-new-us-record-10-burning-questions-about-the-big-lottery/78401800/" rel="nofollow">USA Today quoted the MSLA</a> as saying that 75% of tickets are computer-picked, and 75% of winners are computer-picked tickets.Ben Karelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14236046337661750590noreply@blogger.com