Expected value Memes

The ultimate math troll! The St. Petersburg paradox is that beautiful mathematical trap where your brain short-circuits between theory and reality. 🧠💥 In theory, you should bet your entire life savings on this game because the expected value is literally infinite! But in practice? That quarter lands on tails and suddenly you're explaining to your spouse why the house belongs to a troll face with a coin. It's the perfect illustration of why mathematicians shouldn't be allowed to manage your investment portfolio. Sure, the equation says "infinite value," but Step 4 says "crushing disappointment and a quarter."

The math nerds are cackling right now. Anyone who paid attention in stats class knows the green button is worth $25 million in expected value (50% × $50M), while the red gives you a guaranteed $1M. Yet most humans grab that red button faster than a tenure committee rejecting new ideas. It's the perfect illustration of why casinos exist—our monkey brains would rather have one banana now than a 50% chance at 50 bananas later. The same reason your research grant proposal got rejected in favor of something "practical."