Is is POSSIBLE to be 100% sure?
For instance:
I'm thinking of a # between 1 and 10.
What is the probability my # is between 1 and 10?
Did you get 100%? Are you 100% sure?
If you said yes for both, you are wrong. The first time I said between 1 and 10. The second time I said between 1 and 10. Since I was thinking of the #1, it is not true. Allow me to explain.
I NEVER specified whether or not the set of #'s included 1 and 10. The first time I meant between and including 1 and 10. The second time, I meant between, but not including, neither 1, nor 10. If you answered 100% both times, you probably ASSUMED i meant the same thing both times. Furthermore, if you were 100% sure, you did not account for the chance that you misinterpreted the question. Since you are a human (I hope), you are fallible, and always have a chance of making a mistake. Since there is always a chance a mistake in the question was made, it is NOT POSSIBLE to be 100% sure, but it is possible to be 99.9999% sure.
2007-06-04
00:32:26
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9 answers
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asked by
alex
2
in
Mathematics