Can someone please explain the elevator paradox?

[Nerdydude101]

I tried searching it up but the only good place i found was wikipedia that actually talked about it and i hate wikipedia because it tries to explain complex things in complex ways instead of making them simple. Thanks!

 

[micromass]

What is the elevator paradox?

 

[UltrafastPED]

Are you looking for something like this?
http://io9.com/the-elevator-paradox-proves-the-elevator-always-goes-th-1480904195

 

[Nerdydude101]

Yeah

 

[OCR]

... i hate wikipedia because it tries to explain complex things in complex ways instead of making them simple. Thanks!

Which "elevator paradox" did you search for...?

This?... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_paradox

Or this?... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_paradox_(physics)

 

[Dale]

This paradox really isn't complicated. Assume that when you arrive and begin to wait for the elevator the elevator is on a random floor in the building (for simplicity assume equal probability of being on each floor). If the elevator is randomly above you then it will have to come down to get you, if it is randomly below you then it will have to come up to get you. If there are more floors above you than below you then the probability of it being above is greater than the probability of it being below and therefore the probability of a downwards elevator is greater than an upwards elevator.