wug7a Red or blue, right or left—we have plenty of ways to identify our politics, and they don’t usually include the anterior cingulate cortex. But what if political leanings are actually hard-wired? Political thought is the latest space for nature/nurture debate—with implications for the future of bipartisanship. If genes determine politics, is compromise really possible? A … Read more
THE ODDS AN ADULT WILL MAKE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION ARE 1 in 2.56 The odds are the same that: A high school honor student will not cheat on a test in a year A non-citizen has employment-based health insurance A woman uses swear words in conversation at least a few times a week An adult has ever eaten cold pizza for breakfast … Read more
MacGyver kept tape in his back pocket. Socrates may have jury-rigged a piece of it with hide and sap. There’s even some on the Moon. Whether duct, masking, packing, Scotch®, surgical, or electrical, it seems like there’s a roll in every garage and under every sink in America. What can’t it fix? As it turns out: your … Read more
Many of the 2010 Best Picture Oscar nominees had something in common: a focus on language. Much of The Hurt Locker (the winner) is spoken in Arabic; some of District 9, in Afrikaans. The plot of Inglourious Basterds hinges on characters’ ability (or inability) to understand multiple languages. Up gives dogs the ability to speak, and both District 9 and Avatar feature made-up languages. District 9’s is … Read more
Here is a quick, sportsmanlike guide to killing your opponents in Monopoly. Many thanks are due to Phil Orbanes for permitting Book of Odds to develop probabilities based on his definitive guide, The Monopoly Companion, a vade mecum for players of all levels. The following tactics are derived from the Master himself. His book contains many more strategies. … Read more
The deadliest tornado in history was invisible. In 1925, the Tri-State Tornado ravaged a mile-wide path for 219 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana at 60 miles per hour—twice the forward speed of the average tornado. It lacked the classic funnel cloud, but the damage was catastrophic: nearly 2,000 people were injured, property losses totaled … Read more
A football is often referred to as a “pigskin,” though it’s been a long time since that term was accurate. Modern day footballs are made out of cow leather, which is manufactured from the hides of slaughtered cattle. That got us at Book of Odds wondering: Forget human beings, what are the odds a cow will … Read more
Nothing ruins a trip like the sight of a police car about to pull you over. One minute you’re blissfully cruising along, and the next you’re miserably watching other cars go by while you wait to find out if the officer will write you a speeding ticket—and how much it will cost you. And tickets … Read more
In 2007, Gabourey Sidibe was studying for a nursing exam in Dobbs Ferry, NY, when her phone rang. Ms. Sidibe had been chosen out of hundreds of young women to play the leading role in a movie called Precious. She’d never acted on film before. Today, she is up for an Academy Award. Just how unlikely … Read more
It is a story almost too good to be true. Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, accompanied by Linda Ruth Tosetti, granddaughter of legendary slugger Babe Ruth, visited New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital on May 15, 2009, to read books to sick children. The visit was sponsored by Project Sunshine, and when 18-year-old Alyssa Esposito heard … Read more