numbees
numbees are people whose brains go numb when they see numbers. heh. i just made that up. what's the difference between drunk drivers and gamblers? how they combine large and small numbers. human brains are really good at guessing. big number times big number is a big number. little number times little number is a little number. so far so good. what's a big number times a little number? hmm... hard to say. depends on the numbers. for the drunk driver it's a small number. ie the chances they kill someone is very small. the penalty however is an infinitely valuable human life. ergo they decide to drive. for a gambeler it's a big number. ie the chances they win the jackpot is very small. the payoff is a hundred bazillion jillion dollars. ergo they put the money in the slot. most people however use a different criteria. something like minimizing the worst possible outcome. ie don't drive drunk. and don't gamble. some people actually work out the math. most likely they do whatever they feel like doing. but knowing the "right" answer is at least an interesting exercise.