Bertrand's Paradox: When Every Spider-Man Is Right

Bertrand's Paradox: When Every Spider-Man Is Right
mathematics-memes, probability-memes, paradox-memes, geometry-memes, bertrand-memes | ScienceHumor.io

When mathematician Joseph Bertrand asked "what's the probability a random chord is longer than a triangle's side?" he broke probability theory by getting three different answers (1/2, 1/3, and 1/4) depending on how you define "random." The Spider-Man pointing meme perfectly captures the mathematical chaos that ensues when your seemingly innocent geometry problem creates a full-blown paradox. It's basically the mathematical equivalent of opening a portal to the multiverse where every answer is simultaneously right and wrong. Probability theorists are still having existential crises over this nearly 150 years later!

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