Is the probability that today is monday is 1/7?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the probability of today being Monday, exploring the implications of context, knowledge, and time zones. It touches on concepts of probability in relation to specific days of the week and the nature of randomness in this scenario.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that the probability of today being Monday is 1/7, assuming a random selection of days.
  • Others argue that knowing the current day makes the question non-random, leading to a probability of 0 if it is not Monday and 1 if it is.
  • A later reply suggests that context matters, proposing a hypothetical scenario where one could forget the day, leading to a 1/7 probability regardless of the actual day.
  • Another participant points out that individuals in different time zones may disagree on what day it is, complicating the determination of probability.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of the probability question, with no consensus reached on whether the probability is 1/7 or conditional based on knowledge of the current day.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the dependence on context, such as knowledge of the current day and the effects of time zones, which are not resolved within the conversation.

ArielGenesis
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Is the probability that today is monday is 1/7?

open for arguments and happy discussing:smile:
 
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cant think of ne otr answer but yeah d probability wil b 1/7
 
Asking whether a specific day is Monday or not is not a random thing since you know beforehand whether this is the case, so the answer is 0 if it isn't Monday when you ask the question and 1 if it is.
 
daveb said:
Asking whether a specific day is Monday or not is not a random thing since you know beforehand whether this is the case, so the answer is 0 if it isn't Monday when you ask the question and 1 if it is.

Depends on the context. If you, let's say, get teleported from Earth to another planet and forget about everything, including time, and then get teleported back, the probability for you to guess which day it is is 1/7, no matter which day you assume it is.
 
Two people standing toe to toe across the date-line may disagree on what day today is. Indeed two people in any pair of differing time-zones may disagree. About anything.
 
Last edited:

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