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The last banana: A thought experiment in probability - Leonardo Barichello

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TEDEd Animation

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Imagine a game played with two players and two dice: if the biggest number rolled is one, two, three, or four, player 1 wins. If the biggest number rolled is five or six, player 2 wins. Who has the best probability of winning the game? Leonardo Barichello explains how probability holds the answer to this seemingly counterintuitive puzzle.

If we roll 40 times, how many rolls would you expect to win? Leave your calculations here showing how you solved the question.

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Leo Barichello
  • Director Richard O'Connor
  • Animator Taisiya Zaretskaya, Marisha Falkovich
  • Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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