Coin flips may seem random, but the outcome is governed by predetermined forces like gravity and the strength of your finger flick. So physics formulas could be used to calculate how a coin will land.

Katie has a PhD in maths, specializing in the intersection of dynamical systems and number theory. She reports on topics from maths and history to society and animals. Katie has a PhD in maths, ...

Johnny Hamlin isn’t sure what happens if a strange three-way tie occurs during the May 24 Republican primary for Clay County Sheriff. Less than four years ago, his two opponents – James “Jim” Studdard ...

Flipping a coin may not be the fairest way to settle disputes. About a decade ago, statistician Persi Diaconis started to wonder if the outcome of a coin flip really is just a matter of chance. He had ...

Through the close of trading Wednesday, the Russell 2000 has been up nine days in a row. If it can hold on to its midday Thursday gains, that would be 10 days in a row. That might seem like a rare ...

As it turns out, we tend towards the same cognitive errors with coin flips. Despite being pretty much the iconic example of “random” – well, that and dice rolls – we can’t help but feel like there’s ...