"I've come from the future...

[Tricky]

Re: Upon the Lottery:

I am sorry, but you are wrong about the Lottery. It is NOT a 'random event', at all. And I know what you are thinking,...I am not going to suggest it is a conspiracy, wherein 'they' know whatich numbers are going to come up, and deliver the winning ticket to a pre-sellected winner.

However, what I WILL contend is that all of those balls are NOT equal in weight and form. In fact, I contend that given the more times you run any lottery with the same balls, the more accurate my 'predictions' will become.

This is true, inasmuch as it is impossible to build a true random number generator (I have Stimpy's expertise to back me up on this), however the differences in ball size, shape and weight are so insignificant as to have negligible effect on the number selection. I also suspect they are replaced regularly, so discerning a long-term pattern is even more unlikely, unless you could also predict the behavior of the new equipment.

Everything repeats itself, given enough time.

Even the "Big Bang"? I would have to say this is mere hypothesis on your part.

'Beating the Odds' quite badly would be easy, given enough resources.

Well, there are lottery syndicates which pool their resources in return for smaller gains, and many use numerical analysis to select the numbers based on past results. Guess what. They are no more successful (proportionally) than anyone else.

Yes, given hundreds years and many millions of dollars to spend, and assuming no change in equipment, you might beat the odds of the average player. You would still lose money though, because the lottery takes a cut of all the proceeds. The game is designed to make money for its operators, and if it ever failed to do so, it would be changed. But you knew this.

 

[headscratcher4]

What's all this fuss about coming from the furniture? How can anyone come from the furniture? It is an inanimate object, for god's sake! Oh wait, you said "the future" --- Never mind....

 

[King of the Americas]

I'd say this...

...State Lotteries make lots of money for themselves, and small fortunes for less than .01% of the general population. However, with enough wealth, it would be possible to secure more wins than losses.

The State would still make their money, but less 'common people' would win the lottery, or at least mor eof them would be forced to share the winnings...

The more 'varibles' and the more accurate those facts, the more accurate the predictions.

'Beating the Odds BADLY', would only be a matter of VERY detailed study of the entire lottery system and all of its working parts, IF such a thing would even be allowed...

 

[Furterfan]

I am sorry, but you are wrong about the Lottery. It is NOT a 'random event', at all. ..........However, what I WILL contend is that all of those balls are NOT equal in weight and form. In fact, I contend that given the more times you run any lottery with the same balls, the more accurate my 'predictions' will become. ....................'Beating the Odds' quite badly would be easy, given enough resources.

The balls are not equal in weight or form. - true, but only at a microscopic (and insignificant) level.
Will the balls change over time.- yes, they would all be subject to wear-and-tear.
IF the same balls were kept in use, would the differences become more significant. - No, not noticably. The gross wear-and-tear would affect all the balls (almost) equally and - although grossly worn) each ball would only have a microscopic (and insignificant) difference to the other balls.
Could you beat the odds "Quite badly - Define 'quite badly'. No, don't bother. The simple answer is, you could not.

Everything repeats itself, given enough time.

I suppose you're thinking of the 'Infinite monkeys typing Shakespeare' hypothesis.
In the real world, given finite resources, this is bollocks. Unless you're suggesting that the lottery balls have a memory...?

Anyway, if we can get away from the lottery for a moment, my comment still stands.
Giving the information which is output by a random generation device, may be considered prophesy. If you think you have this particular 'gift of prophesy', don't bother spending time on these boards, get yourself over to Las Vegas.
FF

 

[CFLarsen]

KOA,

It was Cassandra.

Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam of Troy. She had a love affair with Apollo, who in return for her favors gave her the gift of prophecy and the power of foreseeing the future. Since Cassandra didn't keep her side of the bargain, Apollo asked for a single kiss and breathing upon her, took from her the ability to make her prophecies sound convincing, so no one would believe her.

When she foresaw that the Trojan horse was a trick, nobody listened. She was later "assigned" to Agamemnon as part of the spoils of Troy. Both her and Agamemnon were killed by Aegistus, who was screwing Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra at the time (Agamemnon himself had killed Clytemnestra's first husband, Tantalus).

For someone who is supposed to be well-versed in ancient myths, you are not making a very good impression.

 

[King of the Americas]

NOT in a million years...

....would you find me in such a city.

Nor, will you find me with a lottery ticket in hand.

Using such 'system beating tools' would amount to cheating/lying under my personal belief system, and to NOT use such tools would be just like throwing 3 out of every 5 dollars in your pocket, out the window.

'Gambling' by nature is someone stealing money from someone else, and that is something I am just not interested in...

 

[Tricky]

Re: NOT in a million years...

Using such 'system beating tools' would amount to cheating/lying under my personal belief system, and to NOT use such tools would be just like throwing 3 out of every 5 dollars in your pocket, out the window.

'Gambling' by nature is someone stealing money from someone else, and that is something I am just not interested in...

Perhaps your belief system prevents you from taking money in this way, but believe me there are plenty of people more clever than you or I who would not hesitate to do so. But observe that lotteries and casinos are still in business.

I don't gamble either, because my personal belief systems forbids me to give money to swindlers.

 

[King of the Americas]

Mr. CFLarsen...

...I am glad to see your search engine works.



Oh, give me a break, it's Monday. I knew it was a chic who could foretell the future, but was cursed to have no one believe her. I would have guessed her name was Cass-something-or-other. Depending on the essay question, I could have easily scored better than 7 out of 10 points.

 

[davidhorman]

Using such 'system beating tools' would amount to cheating/lying under my personal belief system

It's a good job that absolutely everyone in the world thinks the same way, or the Lotteries would have gone down the pan a long time ago. Or, perhaps, the system is too chaotic to make any kind of prediction based on the initial position, did you think of that? In fact, funnily enough, it's designed that way.

Besides, we don't need you to win the money to convince us - just post your prediction here. And, if you think that might affect the outcome itself, well we've got that covered too, because you can encrypt your prediction, then only give us the key to decoding it after the draw.

'Gambling' by nature is someone stealing money from someone else

No, because if you win you are given the money.

The more 'varibles' and the more accurate those facts, the more accurate the predictions.

I suggest you read up on chaos theory (and perhaps a little Heisenberg).

David

 

[King of the Americas]

I have...

...NEITHER the time nor the inclination to partake in the kind of investigation it would take to achieve any such numerical success. We're not talking about putting all the 'previous winning numbers' in a hat and drawing out a few to generate winner, but rather an absolute scientific examination of the lottery system, and all of its working parts, ASWELL as a detialed review of the previous winning numbers.

Such a thing would take months, even years to perfect, AND it may not even be allowed by the gaming commision.

In so much, I must humbly decline your challenge.

 

[davidhorman]

I think you missed my point, which was that it simply can't be done. You could never know the initial variables accurately enough (and I won't even mention Heisenberg) to run an accurate simulation and thus determine which balls would be drawn.

Think about it - you would need to know, to essentially infinite accuracy, the following (and more):

(NB the following is based on the UK Lottery machines, but the same argument is still applicable)

a) the position of every ball inside it's "launch tube"
b) the exact position of the paddles at the time the balls are released (something you could NOT know until it happened)
c) the exact molecular structure of each ball - in order to determine how it collides with other balls
d) the exact shape and strength of the earth's gravitational field at the location of the machine

...

and so on.

David

 

[De_Bunk]

K.O.A....

Its funny...even though you're a bit insane...i cant help but read your posts....

You're an intelligent Kook / Troll...and thats unerving....

Why..Oh ..why....must i drink and get all sentimental....

You fruitcake...

 

[King of the Americas]

Sure...

...and it is also 'technically impossible' to make a machine that flys...

What kind of ASSBACKWARD thinking is THAT!?!?

EVERYTHING is possible given unlimited resources. Are you ignorantly suggesting that man is somehow 'limited' in what he can see, understand, and record!?!?

I think you speak only for yourself.

 

[CFLarsen]

Re: Mr. CFLarsen...

...I am glad to see your search engine works.

Unlike you, I use other sources too. Try these, if you want to learn about greek mythology from other sources than dubious websites:

M. V. Seton-Williams: Greek Legends and Stories
Alexander S. Murray: Who's Who in Mythology
Thomas Bulfinch: The Golden Age of Myth & Legend
Sir James Frazer: The Golden Bough
H. A. Guerber: Greece And Rome
Michael Grant: Myths of The Greeks and Romans

Oh, give me a break, it's Monday. I knew it was a chic who could foretell the future, but was cursed to have no one believe her. I would have guessed her name was Cass-something-or-other. Depending on the essay question, I could have easily scored better than 7 out of 10 points.

Cassandra wasn't cursed, she had her credibility taken away from her. A curse is something a mortal cast upon another mortal, invoking god-like powers. Deities have no need for this, they already have the power. The concept of curses does not exist in Greek mythology. Bad luck is solely the work and whims of the gods.

You "would have guessed her name was Cass-something-or-other"? You could easily have scored better than 7 out of 10? You sound like a bad psychic - or someone trying desperately to appear smarter and more knowledgable than he really is.

 

[davidhorman]

...and it is also 'technically impossible' to make a machine that flys...

I would love to see your references for that one.

Are you [ad-hom deleted] suggesting that man is somehow 'limited' in what he can see, understand, and record!?!?

Yes.

Are you ignorantly suggesting that it would be possible to exactly (and I mean exactly) simulate a lottery draw and every variable that could affect it? To do so you would have to simulate pretty much the entire of reality (including your own simulation).

Once again, read up on chaos theory (although perhaps searching for "butterfly effect" would yield results nearer your understanding).

David

 

[King of the Americas]

ALRIGHT CFL...

...are you just pissed because I didn't give you the same kind of glowing report as I did "Flatworm"!?

Geez, you are awful harsh this morning. Okay, so you got me, I have NOT read any of those books you mentioned, and I only briefly remember 'a' story from either Greek or Roman mythology about a woman who's first name started with a "C" who could foretell the future, but that people didn't believe her. It is not like I claimed to be an 'expert' or even well-read in Greek & Roman Mythology...

Besides, naming the character and noting historical details was hardly the point of focus in my post.

Would you be willing to re-read the original post, and render a response to what is and is not 'prophesy'?

 

[Furterfan]

Just Curious

When someone starts off saying 'I can do' such-and-such, and then counters an argument by saying 'Everything is possible given unlimited resources' blah-di-blah. What kind of logical fallacy would you call that?
FF

 

[King of the Americas]

Yo De_Bunk...

*hits chest twice*-"I feel Ya Bra!"

 

[King of the Americas]

To Furterfan

Hold the slinging and sightation of assigning the term logical fallacy at My Work, kind sir.

If I can show you 'on paper' how I can build a craft that could propel man into the stars, you can't just write off the possibility simply because it would require more capital than any sum every imagined!

Well, actually that's just about what you did by submitting that "I can do' such-and-such, and then counters an argument by saying 'Everything is possible given unlimited resources' blah-di-blah" is a false assumption.

Give me a goal, and a deep pocket, and I will prove man an accomplisher.

 

[King of the Americas]

To davidhorman

Are you suggesting that there was never a time when Man believed it was impossible to fly?

OR

Are you saying that Man was RIGHT when he thought so limitedly?