# Innumeracy **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [November 17, 2020, 4:32am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153 "2020-11-17T04:32:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SteveWhite)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/262 "2022-07-06T02:24:45Z")
> [@twig93](#): > > How do you figure? Baffled me, too. I suspect a typo, and that there are 26^5 permutations you could enter as guesses, some of which would not be valid guesses since not in the word list. ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/deeppurple/32/1551_2.png) [@DeepPurple](https://community.goactuary.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/263 "2022-07-06T14:06:08Z")
> [@twig93](#): > > How do you figure? Quite poorly evidently! Honestly, I am good at math. I am poor at typing. 26^5. Shame on me! ---
**Author:** ![twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/twig93/32/527_2.png) [@twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/u/twig93)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/264 "2022-07-06T14:33:41Z")
Fair enough, but really far fewer possibilities since you cannot input a guess that is not a valid word in the Scrabble dictionary, I believe. I’m not sure about plurals. They’ve said the answer will not be a plural but you can certainly input plurals. I don’t know if they’re in the Scrabble dictionary. Like the answer will never be “BIKES”, but you are allowed to guess “BIKES”. ---
**Author:** ![SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SteveWhite)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/265 "2022-07-06T16:21:02Z")
> [@twig93](#): > > I’m not sure about plurals. They’ve said the answer will not be a plural but you can certainly input plurals. I don’t know if they’re in the Scrabble dictionary. Like the answer will never be “BIKES”, but you are allowed to guess “BIKES”. Ambiguous wording in any case. BIKES is a plural, but it is also a third person singular verb. So could the answer be the third person singular verb? ---
**Author:** ![twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/twig93/32/527_2.png) [@twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/u/twig93)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/266 "2022-07-06T16:38:49Z")
Hmmm, not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/267 "2022-07-06T16:54:21Z")
I’d say that a word like CACTI could be a possibility. So would SHEEP and MOOSE. And all of these are plurals. ---
**Author:** ![soyleche](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/soyleche/32/42_2.png) [@soyleche](https://community.goactuary.com/u/soyleche)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/268 "2022-07-06T16:55:08Z")
RADII was on sedecordle the other day ---
**Author:** ![knoath](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/knoath/32/65607_2.png) [@knoath](https://community.goactuary.com/u/knoath)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/269 "2022-07-06T17:07:11Z")
> [@Vorian\_Atreides](#): > > I’d say that a word like CACTI could be a possibility. > > So would SHEEP and MOOSE. > > And all of these are plurals. MEESE should be a word. What’s good enough for the goose, should be good enough for the moose. ---
**Author:** ![Gonzo](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/gonzo/32/834_2.png) [@Gonzo](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Gonzo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/270 "2022-07-06T18:27:41Z")
how many five letter words exist? My guess would be a small fraction of 26^5 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/ranger/32/185_2.png) [@Ranger](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2022, 12:29am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/271 "2022-07-07T00:29:05Z")
> **[Contingencies Archives - Actuary.org](https://actuary.org/publication/contingencies/web-exclusive-an-actuary-takes-on-wordle/)** > > Explore the actuarial world with the Academy’s bi-monthly magazine, offering captivating stories, insightful commentaries, interviews, practical how-to columns, and more. ---
**Author:** ![SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SteveWhite)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/272 "2022-07-07T13:35:15Z")
> [@twig93](#): > > I’m not sure about plurals. They’ve said the answer will not be a plural but you can certainly input plurals. I don’t know if they’re in the Scrabble dictionary. Like the answer will never be “BIKES”, but you are allowed to guess “BIKES”. If I were sure “no plurals” was also a rule for Octordle, maybe I would have gotten today’s Octordle with a guess to spare. (Got this word with 2 to spare, but I still had 2 to go after it, and ended up with at least two valid possibilities at guess 13, and guessed right.) ![Screen Shot 2022-07-07 at 9.30.05 AM](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/e/d/ed34bc39371e95d6bb6be5c665217bb0c17a1916.png) ---
**Author:** ![Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Actuary321)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 10:53pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/273 "2022-07-19T22:53:56Z")
> **[Why what happened to Devon Allen is the ‘kind of moment that alienates track...](https://www.deseret.com/sports/2022/7/18/23268394/what-happened-to-devon-allen-is-kind-of-moment-that-alienates-track-fans-world-track-and-field/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=dn-social&utm_campaign=facebookpage&utm_content=deseretnews&fbclid=IwAR201bGnpYZP-E15IIc7wtJdR3ECheQAD6pGP2JTFwUd97zQS1Q3tma0O6Y)** > > The DQ of Devon Allen based on reaction time is problematic and wrong. What??? > World Athletics — the governing body for international track and field — has a rule that stipulates any reaction at the starting line that is faster than .100 of a second (a millisecond) is considered a false start and therefore a disqualification. Allen’s reaction time was .099 — one one-thousandth of a second under the allowable limit. ---
**Author:** ![twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/twig93/32/527_2.png) [@twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/u/twig93)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/274 "2022-07-20T00:51:46Z")
This part seems pretty convincing to me that the limit is not in the right place. > [@](#): > > The study — which examined seven sprinters who took part in the program — revealed reaction times as fast as .080, much faster than Allen’s. The study recommended that the 100 millisecond limit be lowered to 80 or 85 milliseconds. ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/deeppurple/32/1551_2.png) [@DeepPurple](https://community.goactuary.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/275 "2022-07-20T15:46:23Z")
How about, if you leave early (before 0 milliseconds) then you are DQ’d. If you leave before 100 milliseconds but after 0 milliseconds, you get at least 1 more try, maybe 2 before you are DQ’d. ---
**Author:** ![twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/twig93/32/527_2.png) [@twig93](https://community.goactuary.com/u/twig93)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/276 "2022-07-20T15:50:15Z")
Change 100 to 80 and I’d agree. ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/277 "2022-07-20T15:52:51Z")
> [@DeepPurple](#): > > If you leave before 100 milliseconds but after 0 milliseconds, you get at least 1 more try, maybe 2 before you are DQ’d. I think this would not be logistically viable. Leaving before the gun is fired is pretty clear w/o any aids and the starter can end the race quickly. The latter isn’t as clear and might require “instant review” capabilities; and ending a race “half-way through”–or after completion–and saying “oops, contestant in Lane 3 was ‘early’” isn’t going help competition in any manner. However, adding 100 milliseconds (or whatever threshold is established) to that contestant’s time could be a reasonable “offset” to facilitate competition w/o unnecessarily impacting a contestant’s abilities. ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/deeppurple/32/1551_2.png) [@DeepPurple](https://community.goactuary.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/278 "2022-07-20T15:56:29Z")
I don’t know much about track competitions, but isn’t the false start signaled almost immediately? And then everyone restarts the race? Or did this guy run the whole race, seemingly win the race, but then got DQ’d after the fact because of his 99 millisecond reaction time? ---
**Author:** ![P\_Utonium](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/p_utonium/32/821_2.png) [@P\_Utonium](https://community.goactuary.com/u/P_Utonium)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/279 "2022-07-20T17:00:30Z")
> [@DeepPurple](#): > > isn’t the false start signaled almost immediately? And then everyone restarts the race? Yes ---
**Author:** ![Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Actuary321)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/280 "2022-07-20T17:32:22Z")
And as the article states, at one point they had a rule that said you are not disqualified until your second false state. Then they changed it to the first is assessed to the field and after that anyone who false starts is DQ’d. Now you are DQ’d at your first false start. But the false start is measured by sensors in the blocks that go off if there is a reaction within 1/10 of a second after the gun fires. But the innumeracy was that they said, “.100 of a second (a millisecond).” But they meant 100 milliseconds or 0.1 seconds which is 1/10 of a second. ---
**Author:** ![SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SteveWhite)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/281 "2022-07-20T17:36:18Z")
> [@Actuary321](#): > > But the innumeracy was that they said, “.100 of a second (a millisecond).” > > But they meant 100 milliseconds or 0.1 seconds which is 1/10 of a second. Is the innumeracy that they did not put a 0 before the decimal, or put two zeroes after the 1? [Previous page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153.md?page=13) [Next page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153.md?page=15)