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Calimero
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What were the chances that Paul the octopus predicts winners in 7 matches in a row? Assuming that teams are of equal quality, and that first 3 matches could have been tie, and that he didn't have 'tie' option to choose.
Office_Shredder said:I suspect that he picked the countries based on how much red is in the flag... all the times Germany won, they had more red in their flag with the exception of Ghana, which was equal. Both times Germany lost it was to countries with as much or more red in their flags
Paul Octopus was trained by his handlers at the Sea Life Aquarium in Germany to select between two boxes of food, each marked with a different team's flag. The box he chose first was considered his prediction for the winning team.
Paul Octopus correctly predicted the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup seven times in a row, giving him a 100% success rate.
No, Paul Octopus did not have any previous experience or training in predicting sports outcomes. He was simply trained to select between two food boxes based on visual cues.
Some experts suggest that Paul Octopus' predictions were purely based on chance and that his success was a statistical anomaly. Others argue that he may have been influenced by subtle cues from his handlers or the environment, such as differences in the scent or temperature of the food boxes.
Yes, there have been several other animals and creatures that have been used for predicting sports outcomes, such as Shaheen the camel, Achilles the cat, and Fred the ferret. However, none have achieved the same level of success as Paul Octopus.