# 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:** 71
**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:** [May 29, 2026, 12:42pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1413 "2026-05-29T12:42:54Z")
Technically, it’s still accurate . . . but still funny ---
**Author:** ![Klaymen](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/klaymen/32/194_2.png) [@Klaymen](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Klaymen)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 3:27am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1414 "2026-06-02T03:27:19Z")
Jerry and Marge go large is a 2022 movie (67% on Rotten Tomatoes) about retirees who realize that under certain circumstances they can profit from the mass-purchasing of lottery tickets. But it didn’t sound like the script writers knew much math… @17:01 “If you take a coin and you flipped a coin 1,000 times you might still get 60% heads. But if you flipped it 5,000 times the probability gets closer to 50%” The principle in the second statement is true, but red warning sirens went off in my head regarding the first statement. If we do a binomial approximation of the normal distribution with no continuity correction 1,000 coin flips would have X heads where X is normal with mean 500 and std dev 15.81 and managing 600 heads has a Z score of +6.32. Excel tells me that the word “might” relating to 60% is true in the sense that you could get 600 heads about every 1 in 7.875 billion attempts. There were several other cringeworthy math statements. A charming one-watch. In real life they won spent $26M and profited $8M [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TTYnHr_-wcY/maxresdefault.jpg "Jerry and Marge Go Large: 60 Minutes' original story on the Selbees' lottery loophole") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTYnHr_-wcY) ---
**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:** [June 2, 2026, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1415 "2026-06-02T12:45:26Z")
> [@Klaymen](#): > > you could get 600 heads about every 1 in 7.875 billion attempts ![So Theres A Chance GIFs - Find & Share on GIPHY](https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyOXQ0MWpoZ3JuZ214dzZidGZ4ZWhxYzFlM2hjN2VjZDZiZzZxdjZnbSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/8vDbvPMP3tGF2/source.gif) ![image](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/0/b/0b9e37af13badb32ecf8e85235d604b5f67b43d7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![quoll](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/quoll/32/81747_2.png) [@quoll](https://community.goactuary.com/u/quoll)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1416 "2026-06-02T14:46:57Z")
You will never get this, la la la la la. ---
**Author:** ![SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@SteveWhite](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SteveWhite)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 9:09pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1417 "2026-06-19T21:09:58Z")
The Innumeracy Thread is typically about incorrect numerical values/calculations, but what is this if not innumeracy? From “His Perfect Crime” by Alex Sigmore. The protagonist’s thoughts upon waking up in a dark hotel room: “And surprisingly, the room doesn’t even have a digital clock. Just one of those old kinds, that flips down the numbers as the minutes count down.” ---
**Author:** ![dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/dr_t_non-fan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1418 "2026-06-19T21:42:02Z")
Malnumeracy?? It is incorrect verbiage. So illiteracy ---
**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:** [June 23, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1419 "2026-06-23T12:51:37Z")
Technically, that kind of clock is still a digital clock. Display may not be electronic, but it’s time keeping is definitely digital and not analog. ---
**Author:** ![Maphistos\_Sidekick](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/maphistos_sidekick/32/84973_2.png) [@Maphistos\_Sidekick](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Maphistos_Sidekick)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1420 "2026-06-30T16:12:14Z")
Seen on /r/actuary, click to embiggen: ![image](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/4/c/4cf25eb563413fe06112fcf6481ded2472b323b7.jpeg) ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1421 "2026-06-30T16:39:53Z")
😆 at IA for Dec 2025 & Mar 2026! ---
**Author:** ![Klaymen](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/klaymen/32/194_2.png) [@Klaymen](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Klaymen)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1422 "2026-06-30T16:44:34Z")
I was so flabbergasted at the 90%+ pass ratios I didn’t have the composure to even look for innumeracy. I understand these are meant to cover some basic background material but still… ---
**Author:** ![quoll](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/quoll/32/81747_2.png) [@quoll](https://community.goactuary.com/u/quoll)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1423 "2026-06-30T16:50:07Z")
Getting up towards 110% at the end there. ---
**Author:** ![Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Actuary321)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1424 "2026-06-30T17:47:56Z")
My first thought was “where did all the test takers go?” Seems March numbers are wrong on many levels. ---
**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, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1425 "2026-07-06T20:44:51Z")
![image](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/a/f/afd8e6fe86797f0fd919ab810198680ed337f98a.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/dr_t_non-fan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1426 "2026-07-06T23:11:30Z")
“Math class is tough!” – Governor Nicki Barbie ---
**Author:** ![Breadmaker](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/breadmaker/32/83065_2.png) [@Breadmaker](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Breadmaker)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1427 "2026-07-07T01:26:44Z")
Is bread a traditional 4th of Jooleye food item? Or did she mean hot dog buns? 🤷‍♂️ If the addition was incorrect, that woulda been hilarious!!! ---
**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 7, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1428 "2026-07-07T12:22:21Z")
> [@dr\_t\_non-fan](#): > > “Math class is tough!” – Governor Nicki Barbie She apparently did read this book . . . ![image](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/6/0/60e40439b37f35480ddab16fc901dc2e9cc34384.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![PatientZombie](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/patientzombie/32/391_2.png) [@PatientZombie](https://community.goactuary.com/u/PatientZombie)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 2:58am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1429 "2026-07-08T02:58:12Z")
![Screenshot_20260707_225342_Facebook](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/8/7/8799421b67a8c991ff377d3e37bd12560c0fd3aa.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Klaymen](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/klaymen/32/194_2.png) [@Klaymen](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Klaymen)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1430 "2026-07-08T17:05:41Z")
They were doing so well calculating that batting average until the final total where hits (90) was divided by games (324) instead of at bats (441). ---
**Author:** ![dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/dr_t_non-fan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1431 "2026-07-08T17:59:57Z")
Does this mean we need to recalibrate “The Mendoza Line”? Also, was this ever corrected and thus this is a “rare mistake” card? ---
**Author:** ![tommie.frazier](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@tommie.frazier](https://community.goactuary.com/u/tommie.frazier)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153/1432 "2026-07-08T18:00:37Z")
“…and that’s why a guy hitting 0.275 is said to be hovering near the ‘Mendoza Line,’ Jimmy.” [Previous page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153.md?page=70) [Next page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/innumeracy/1153.md?page=72)