Coin Toss

or heads! :-)

it falls down

The answer is a coin.

Falls to the ground one side up the other side down.

good answer wirelessguy!

I cannot recall seeing any coin that was not two sided so I guess the two possible outcomes would be,

1, It lands on its edge once in a blue moon
2, It lands on one of its two sides any other day

So my answer is option 2

I'VE SEEN A COIN WITH 3 SIDES...

The two possible outcomes could be,

1, While the coin is in the air there is a very small possibility that it may be withdrawn from circulation and cease to be legal tender.

2, It may not be withdrawn from circulation and continues to be legal tender.

So I go for option 2

It lands heads or tails.

"It landed one atop my hair."

(hey - what the hell - with a little poetic license, it begins like a poem.)
:-}

"the answer" is the last two words of your question.

The answer is what is painted on either of the sides of the coin.

Fond of 'poetics' I take jugs_monthly #1 alternative:
Answer: edge

Happens more than admitted in football game on a soggy turf if camera not on the spot for concientiousness.

"what is" the answer!

Agree also with halfcent50 verticality:
Answer: Pelican got it and thanks you with a smile

Saw that in a 'toon, and I not only like to watch them, I know toons to be good leaning materiel.

does it have to be a pelican? ;o)

I bear witness to da_smart1 alternative observation as well.
Since at least Ceasar time, one side had bust (heads).

Once caught one of them fellers who always called out heads
Answer: I caught coin in mid-air, it had bust on each side.

(Why say "heads" if only one bust?)

Then there was the time that the coin had her bust on one side,
.................................................................. and her tail was on the other.
So answer is ............. (ummmmmmmmmmmmmm)

"does it have to be a pelican?"

Naw, seagulls and hawks do the swooping part better, but they're built for sprinting, and have a long way to go to store their newly acquired shiny thing before they can bandit about again. Pelican, OTOH, is low mileage long distance model, can swoop around overhaed collecting all day long from the gullible flipper who keeps flipping more coins until outcome meets personal desire.

It can also be that practical joker blind-date someone had. I was there on the sidelines to see one reach and catch the coin and then pretend later to retrieve it from halfcent50's hair. I didn't hang around to see the followup of getting a coin from the other's ear.

The answer is tails:

REASON 1 = Fnord
The phrase "two sided coin" is an anagram for "coded in twos".  Since people usually pick heads when they flip a coin, lets consider heads to be the first choice.  Then tails would be the second choice.  Since the secret message "coded in twos" is embedded in the phrase "two sided coin", I must conjecture that the answer is tails.  This also make sense when you consider the fact that Heads is an anagram for Hades which is a place most people consider a poor travel destinations.

REASON 2 = Argument by Holy Grail
Let assume the asnwer is not tails.  Then the asnwer is heads.   Since heads are not made of wood then heads must not float because if it floated then you could make a boat out of it.  Since we know we can not make a boat out of a a bunch of heads then we know that our initial assumption is false.  Therefore the answer is tails.

Best,

Integer

Either you catch it in your hand, or you drop it. You don't seem the clumsy type, so I say you catch it.

integer makes a lot of sense. Do you have a cult I can join?

Is there a secret password or symbol to get in the door? How's about if I find that coin with that tail. Would that get me "in"?

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Since when has "two sided coin" been an anagram for "coded in twos".?

You are right, it is "I Coded In Twos"  My typo.  Sorry.

Heads I win, tails you lose.

What is the question?

And I thought I was crazy!

da_smart1>I'VE SEEN A COIN WITH 3 SIDES...

In a way all coins have 3 sides; front, back and edge. to have just two sides it would have to be very sharp like a cutting wheel. What do you call a one sided coin? A marble.

are marbles solid or hollow?  If they are hollow then they are only one sided if they have a hole in them with no edges.

They are solid. If they were hollow they would break and kids would cut their hands on them and bleed to death in the playground.

Greetings,

> I flip it up into air.

If you meant to flip your thumb up into air, the answer would be you, landing on your head.

Imagine!

andyadler, good point.  You have provided insight into the mysterious playground deaths going back hundreds of years.  

Right and wrong..

Hmmmm...

> (not a riddle)
So it's a puzzle?

> ?What is the answer?
No dispute.  It's always 42.

Ahh, the hitchhikers answer :)

answer = what.

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

2 options:
1 - it lands (somewhere)
2 - it does'nt

it lands, somewhere

Good point, drn: that's almost certainly the answer.  SunBow?

If C(n, k) is the number of ways to get k heads in n tosses, then


C(n,k) = C(n-1,k) + C(n-1,k-1).

Wow, interesting reading ;)

Well it was that or it's a double headed coin.

In which case Heads

Well it was that or it's a double headed coin.

In which case Heads

I think it was two-sided and not double-sided.  So, don't all coins have 2 sides?

Maybe this is just a play on words.  That would mean the the two possible outcomes are; heads or tails.  


But, if you look at this using spatio-temporal entities then;

"If the coin itself is a synchronic entity then its two sides would be two places in the one space and the answer would be in the affirmative."

"If the coin is itself a diachronic entity, the answer would be in the negative as there would be two differentiated instants in time and so the original context would have changed by the time the coin was turned back on its original side."

-----------------------------------
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~djhmoore/report3/report3.html
-----------------------------------

The coin is face side up. On the face side of the coin we have an entity in the form of its representation - representation of all that is known about the entity. The hidden side of the coin provides the context for that representation. The hidden side contains the compliment of the side up and embraces all that is unknown and unrepresented on the face side.

The other side of the coin is of different type to the face side. If face side of the coin is always of type representation . The hidden side is of opposite type.

The coin is then turned over face side down. This does not result in the compliment of the first representation coming into view. Instead, only a representation of the compliment comes into view. In this situation we have the context entity as a representation only. Since all representations only embrace one aspect of reality and leaves the rest unresolved and unexplained, there will still be unknown stuff on the hidden side of the coin. This is where the unknown stuff always resides - on the hidden side of the coin.

Turning the face side over, does not result in the representation on the face side being turned over to the other side. On the other side, the representation is hidden and can no longer be considered as being a representation. It becomes the "real thing" so to speak. The act of turning the coin over is synonymous with a change of typing of the two sides. What was a representation entity becomes the representant - either as a value of the representation or as that which has for value such a representation. In the case of the face side (when up) the representation in view acts as the value of that which is on the other side. It is the context entity as value. Correspondingly, when the representation of the context is on the side up, is not a representation playing the role as a value, but the representation which has a non represented value on the other hidden side.

--------------------------------

OR you could say both sides are "entagled".
--------------------------------


What we have here is a two sided coin-like entity (which will have its own context). The answer to the question depends on the type of this coin (and hence the nature of its own context). If the coin itself is a synchronic entity then its two sides would be two places in the one space and the answer would be in the affirmative. However, there would be an insurmountable difficulty in turning this coin over, as that requires two differentiated instants in time. If the coin is itself a diachronic entity, the answer would be in the negative as there would be two differentiated instants in time and so the original context would have changed by the time the coin was turned back on its original side. However, this operation would be impossible because, despite the fact that we have differentiated time instants in which to carry out the operations, we don't have the necessary differentiation in spatiality that would endow our coin with two sides. You can't turn over a one sided coin, no matter how much time you might have.

The above can be seen to be an intuitive, informal statement of a rather complex time-space riddle. The synchronic and the diachronic don't mix, but somehow they must combine. The answer to this riddle, as we shall see, requires some considerable nuances. It involves a combination of the synchronic and the diachronic that is achieved in such a way that they never mix but somehow combine in order to produce composite spatio-temporal entities. The keyword for this type of combination will be that of entanglement. The two sides don't mix, they simple entangle.
---------------------------------

Upon review of the content at the link provided by ecims, one is reminded of the wisdom embodied by the a priori epistemological axiom "Do not take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time."

But then, I revel in my autodidacticism, so what do I know...

<phew>

There is no answer because this is not a question, or a riddle , or a puzzle to be solved. look at the last sentence. "?What is the answer?" has inappropriate structure to be considered as a question, not even a complete sentence. Notice how the question mark at the front part of the sentence( or a string, or whatever SunBow intended to type) ruin the whole sentence. Therefore, I recommend SunBow to modify the question if the last sentence was supposed to be a question, or accept this comment as an answer.

Your GrandMa(read grammar),

ps- Hey, no offense kiddo... heheh!

There is no answer because this is not a question, or a riddle , or a puzzle to be solved. look at the last sentence. "?What is the answer?" has inappropriate structure to be considered as a question, not even a complete sentence. Notice how the question mark at the front part of the sentence( or a string, or whatever SunBow intended to type) ruin the whole sentence. Therefore, I recommend SunBow to modify the question if the last sentence was supposed to be a question, or accept this comment as an answer.

Your GrandMa(read grammar),

ps- Hey, no offense kiddo... heheh!

mickeynoear,
I see we must have a multi-national multi-regional linguist in our midst.  How can you be certain SunBow isn't using appropriate grammar from whatever country/region SunBow is from?  Perhaps SunBow doesn't want to be fettered with grammar and feels it our responsibility to try to understand SunBow.  We are in SunBow's territory now. Those that make leaps while wearing a blindfold, should not be surprised when they find themselves in unknown teritory.

Wow!!

You guys take this very seriously.

Ok, lets call heads side 1 and tales side 2.  Now I will prove (using basic algebra) the matrix principle, that is, there is no coin.

let a = b

a² = ab                         Multiply both sides by a

a² + a² - 2ab = ab + a² - 2ab   Add (a² - 2ab) to both sides

2(a² - ab) = a² - ab            Factor the left, and collect like terms on the right

2 = 1                            Divide both sides by (a² - ab)

As you can see, we have a contradiction therefore there must not be a coin.

twalgrave, in reference to y our comment to mickeynbear: Jesus H. Christ, is everything relative and is everything valid? I mean, is any assertion valid if you change  your reference point to some imaginary vantage point?  Not everyhting is a parallax problem.  Or maybe it is.

HHOK,

Integer

integer,
LOL. Good to see you (even if invisibly). The reference point is only imaginary if you refuse to see it.  A wise man once told me there are no wise men (I guess I was missing the point on that one)

integer

besides that it proves the matrix principle, why are you letting a equal b? a cannot equal b, or there would be no practical reason to call heads or tails, which really negates tossing it. unless you just like the way it sparkles in the sun, assuming it isn't dark anyway.  perhaps a may be complementary to b, in that a is the part of the coin that b is not. so maybe a+b=1.

having said that, maybe the answer is that the coin either sparkles in the sun, or it doesn't. shiny things are awesome, so i vote for that.

Donc dieu existe!  But god does't play dice: perhaps it's coins...

---------------------------------
http://www.math.okstate.edu/~millerd/Probabilitypart1.htm
http://www.dean.usma.edu/math/people/old_faculty/strickland/MA206Web/MA206LessonLinks/Probability_Models.htm
---------------------------------
If a random phenomenon has k possible outcomes, all equally likely, then each individual outcome has probability 1/k.

Therefore, the probability of any event p(A) for heads or tails is;

p(a) = 1/2 or   P(a) = .5

So, of the two possible outcomes the answer is there are two mutually exclusive possible outcomes. The outcome is either a head or a tail. The probability of each outcome is .5 (1/2 = .50)

(This assumes you are not using a loaded (double sided) coin.)


Hey, if you were in outer space (eg: on the moon) then the two outcomes would be 1: the coin never returns or 2: it does.

Or you could be flipping the coin into a fountain and in that case the 2 possible outcomes would be 1: your wish comes true or 2: your wish doesn't come true.

I think I may be violently ill if the answer has anything to do with "gingerly place upon thumb".

>>Divide both sides by (a² - ab)
a=b
Division by zero.
Runtime error - operation not valid in algebra or arithmetic either
1 not equal 2 today

Not toss is not random, it is totally determined from any starting point.  But the starting point is random!

We place the coin one way up on our thumb and LOOK at it. What does that mean?  Nothing, it only means we have upped the ante of our little games, we allow ourself some PARTIAL knowledge of the world as a WHOLE.  It says heads.  So what?  Is that the starting point?  NO!  The game did not start then.  The dice are already loaded, the bullet is in the chamber.  When did this game start?  Undetermined.  Undeterminable.

(silence)... it's not a riddle ... (silence)

Greetings,

>I have a two sided coin I gingerly place upon thumb.
>I flip it up into air.

Did you mean, your thumb exists in a vacuum?

What energy would one need to flip anything up into air, from inside a vacuum (cleaner) (hose)!

I guess the coin gets stuck, sucked into the black hole, never to be seen again.

Imagine!

Bust Sample:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/agrippa.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/caesar_coin.gif
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/carausius.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/didia_clara.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/faustina_elder.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/flavius_victor.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/hannibal.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/geta1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/helena.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/labienus.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/lepidus.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/livia.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/images/Vespasian_coin.gif

Note that prior to US coinage, it was acceptable to place engraving of female bust on a coin, representing a current popular personage.

Coins with three sides? Hmmm,
How about coins with three halfs?

"The Half-Shekel on the 15th of Adar During Mincha (This year March 10th  is Shabbos)  It is customary to give three halves of the coin that is the basis of the local currency.  The money is turned over to the poor.  This contribution is made in memory of the half-shekel given by Israel when the Bais Hamikdash still stood, and whose forthcoming collection was announced on Rosh Chodesh Adar.  This memorial act is performed before the  reading of the Megillah because all Israel gather for the Megillah reading in the shuls.  Those who seek to observe the mitzvah with enhancement give the half-shekel for each member of the household and even for the unborn child as well. The Observance of The Day   There are four mitzvot that are prescribed for Purim, and which were promulgated by the Sanhedrin and by the prophets."

(sorry, no jpeg at this time)

In another EE thread:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Math_Science/Q_20334839.html

It was determined that dice are pre-loaded by nature of holes upon each side that actually impact observed outcome of roll.

With coinage a similar lopsided event may bear witness concerning protruding busts on one side that may prefer to remain in view?

Yes, but the Yak factor has yet to be discussed.  He stomps, snorts, falls to the ground and dies.  This also MUST be taken into consideration lest we eliminate the obvious.

Vespasian is gorgeous, doncha think?

The once anciente and superstitious practis of exchanging dwarves to seal a transaction has now been abandoned, as the dwarves took objexion to a comment by Eiron the younger at one occaision who mistakenly and stupidly referred to the use of dwarves as currency, and lead to the introduction of the phrase in Olden Tymes  "Toss a dwarf and see thy Lucke".  Henceforth be mindful of this invocation when next in the companey of those who might seek to revive such practices with moderne currencies, be it at thy own perile.

I thought dwarf-tossing was outlawed, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2285348.stm

Either heads or tails. The question never states that both sides of the coin are the same only that it has two sides. thereupon the answer is heads or tails

You think that is the end of it?  
I smell a recursive rat here!

Ah, in that case I choose "heads or tails".  
Now what are you going to choose?  Nothing?  
Oh, you complain that this is unfair?  
I shouldn't go first?
Ok well I am not letting you go first either then.
Why dont we toss to see who can choose first?

This is crazy! Go for credit cards next time. And do not flip them!!!!

SunBow - Respect!

"Of the two possible outcomes,
?What is the answer? "
Question is incmplete. State "the two possible outcomes".

it could be
1) "tails/heads"
2) "lands on side/ on edge"
3) "comes down due to gravity/ never comes down becuase u flip it with a greater force (coin achieves escape velocity)" [or maybe u flipped it in moon or mars or even outer space where gravity is 0]
4) "you find the coin/oops i can't find it (got lost somewhere in the floor) !!! :-) "
5)......

:-) Makes you think !

Gravity is not zero, just small. So coin takes a very very very very very very very long time to.....

The answer is the side that is facing up.

It flips you, the earth and the rest of the universe equally in the opposite direction.

Dammit, just give the points to ecims...

Mark
(I think it's navia)

"not a riddle"

...

koan?

I have a two sided coin I gingerly place upon thumb.
I flip it up into air.
Of the two possible outcomes,

Which one happens? Do I care?

m-w?> navia

> "Viviana, a high school junior at the Da Vinci school in the northern Italian city of Trento, won the right to start her final year of school despite a failing grade in math"

This thread is still alive and well? Well! I guess I ought to take the 20 point initial offer and double that for best comment then. Since responses indicate it may not be simple easy question, but perhaps more difficult, I'll put up the 200 points for that level and split at least, um, perhaps four ways.

Please feel free to continue, making comments, responses, recommendations, revisions, whatever. I am quite appreciative of so much here.

In nostalgia, I recall a number of people who not only called "heads" too frequently, but laid claim to having a personal affinity to enforcing the outcome. I bear witness to their success. I did try to reduce impact of magicians pulling rabbits out of hats, by switching from plain coin toss with the flip. But as "scientist having impact on experiment" can interest some, have at it if inclined.

                                             -20/40-

I see, so it is about the thumb;
http://www.youth.net/nsrc/sci/sci031.html#anchor686781

Are you employing any coin manipulation techniques in your flip?
http://members.iweb.net.au/~kith/juggling/Micro/coin/coin_s.htm

Does this involve the MARS equation?
http://www.0dd5.com/mathmars.shtml

Coin toss,

The answers could be win or loss, or yeas or no.
And is this an I ching or taosism...

Oh I forgot, the  actual answer is "what was the origional question?"

Wow, I can't spell.

Viviana, a high school junior at the Da Vinci school in the northern Italian city of Trento, won the right to start her final year of school despite a failing grade in math"

That is a really funny storie about a phobia of math. I realy can't beieve that. If she were doing the coin toss as a math experiment, she would run away after tossing or flipping the coin, as she would be flipped out.

Or is this a physics question: Do the laws of gravity apply. If not then the coin will contiune on it's path. or if gravity applys then the coing will fall.

OR

do you catch the coin or let it fall.

So If what I read is correct does this mean that the bust side is heavery and wants to remain face down or face up. I believe you said face up or bust since the face or bust is usually the heavier side.

Now question I read the thread about roll the bones. were you saying that the side with the most indentation the boxcard side was lighter due to the holes and wanted to remain face up. Or that due to the number of holes it snagged or caught and wants to remain face down?

I have a pair of hand card stone dice, that are trick in the fact that the endentations or number are not in the classic 1-6 or add up to seven. When rolling the dice you are more likely to roll high numbers due to the dice being carved differently. I believe the 5 is on the opposite side.

Is the ecomoy good or bad in this flip? If it is good then you will get your coin back If it is bad you may find that the coin dissappears.

Tossing money around usually ends up in the loss of money.

doainball, that all depends on inflation.

If inflation occurs too rapidly then there is a chance the coin may crush us by the time it lands, however if we enter a period of rapid deflation then there is the possibility the coin may lose mass until a light breeze carries it away whereupon it hits a butterfly in japan causing a thunderstorm in houston.

Aha!  The riddle is why this question is *still* attracting interest.

mind over matter
I dont mind, it doesnt matter.

Doesn't work because the reverse would then be true.  If I mind it does matter.  I mind.

yeah, there are three kinds of matter in the universe.
1:  dark matter
2: brain matter
3:....does it matter????

if it falls with heads on top then it is head. if it falls with tails on top then it is tail.

a coin always lands "up", but in the event of a coin toss, you could always get a highly paid superbowl referee to tell the teams "heads they win, tail you lose", in this case the answer is "they win".

it better fall tails, cause that's my lucky side

?What

That's the answer as stated: ?What is the answer?

If it's not the answer then here is mine. The two possible outcomes are that it lands on its "head" or on its "tail". Unfortunately, this is not a correct assumption. There are more than two possible outcomes as others have already stated.
1. It will land on its "head"
2. It will land on its "tail"
3. It will land on its edge
4. It will not land as something can grab it in mid-air

obviously, since the author specifically stated there are two outcomes possible, I'm assuming that they are either than it will land on "heads" or "tails" OR it will land or not land. Since we also must assume that they tossed it in an environment with gravity and it's not in a vaccum (since it was tossed in the air), then obviously it must land barring the unforeseen pelican. So if it must land, then it must be on its head, tail, or edge.

Problem is...the problem itself. Has anyone actually TRIED to put a two sided coin on their thumb. Even gingerly, the damn thing falls off before I ever get it flipped. Now if I place it on the flat of my thumb, there is a 50% probibility that it will land on its head and 50% tails. IF the coin doesn't bounce when it lands, the side that was UP on the thumb - will be the side that is UP when it lands. Since just lifing your thumb enough to make the coin jump off does not give it any kind of spin. So I ask the author, what side is up on your thumb? That is the side that will be up when and if it lands.

errr you put it on the back of your thumb

it depends on which thumb you put the coin and what you may have flipped into the air with the thumb that did the flip

Another list of 5 possible outcomes for the little fishies:
1) Did the coin have a hole in it, thereby causing a whistling sound and inviting all the neighborhood dogs to have a look?
2) Did you do this in church and a quick-thinking usher tossed the offering plate underneath it like a frisbee with a mission?
3) you hurt your thumb because of the alternate meaning of coin.  Coin (koin), n. [F. coin, formerly also coing, wedge, stamp, corner, fr. L. cuneus wedge; prob. akin to E. cone, hone. See Hone, n., and cf. Coigne, Quoin, Cuneiform.]
4) Were you on the top of the empire state building and an officer saw you (perhaps you were as you've been absent from this question for a while...serving time?)
5) Was this a coin that responds to magnetism and strong magnets surrounded the area of the flip such that the coin was suspended in mid air?

Well,

I see the two outcomes as being it landed, or you walked away as the coin fell. If that is the case why do you tease us like this? It's cruel.

First of all, it would help to know what 'it' is. (Flip IT into the air)

Second of all, it never says who's thumb the coin is placed on (It could be my thumb or the thumb of a statue of George Washington)

Third of all, the question mark in the front of the question shouldn't be there. We are not speaking Spanish, in which the question mark should be upside down anyway.

Fourthly, the question doesn't ask you anything about the coin. It doesn't say

"Out of the two possible outcomes, Which is the right one"

Fifthly (is that a word?), it doesn't tell you which are the two possible outcomes (It says just 'one of the two possible outcomes', out of maybe thousands of possible outcomes, it could be any two SunBow is talking about

SO: I conclude that either the question is unsolvable
    OR
    The answer can be either BLANK (not the word, the representation)
        OR
    The answer can be Question History

Why is that?

Almost everywhere I look (in a book, a math worksheet), the answer always goes right after the problem or beneath it. The BLANK is right after the question and 'Question History' is right beneath it.

tedjn

I would also like to add the when it says 'of the two possible outcomes', it also never says the two possible outcomes of the IT that was flipped.

Therefore, I conclude this problem is unsolvable.

You had to have been there.  

It was a perfect night in June, the kind of night that happens only twice in a lifetime. The kind of night that fills your nostrils with nostalgia for the dream orchards of childhood.  Patches of cloud drifting across the sky carried effortlessly by the lightest of breezes.  Effused with irridescent glamour of moonlight, skirting behind cloudish wisps, catching fickers of nocturnal zipper birds as they hunted for the daytime equivalent of lunch. Sunbow the coin man, prestidigitor extraordinaire, balanced the glimmering Duozentalian on his thumb, his life would be spared if the emperor's head did not land face down, such an intolerable insult amongst such a sensitive people.  

The delicate vibrations we know as thermal body energy warmed the coin gently as if in anticipation of its fate, and like a seasoned actor needed no cue, as the gallium metal within the coin obligingly softened, drooped, as Dali alone might have foreseen, and melted into shiny globules.  But already his thumb was in motion, and the flick sprayed molten metal skyward, embraced welcomingly by intersecting shards of moonlight from the two moons, and fell in a silvery splatter at the feet of the emperor.

The emperor smiled.

Ummm, 42?

The answer 42 if from "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" Read it. It's a good book.

we are the smartest programmers in the world and yet we are arguing over heads and tails on a coin. i am temped to start the "why did the chicken cross the road?"

What do I care? it's not my quarter.

Who are the smartest programmers in the world?

garri3l, that's pretty funny

and MarkSteward, i was generalizing that the people here were programmers. i am sorry if you come here for the hardware section or if you just like trying to solve puzzles :p

Smart programmer. Another oxymoron?

Well maybe some of them are.  These guys patented falling over.
http://www.animats.com/

Here's how programmer's toss coins:
http://www.fourmilab.ch/hotbits/how.html

Sorry for the confusion, nexusnation - I was trying miserably to be sarcastic, which, as a programmer, I felt I was free to do.  Besides, have you ever read a book on cryptography (complexity, pseudo-random numbers, bit commitment, etc.)?  All the best progammers, mathemeticians, gamblers and physicists find coins sexy (well, almost).

>>coins sexy

um, no comment :|

>>kaller: smart programmer. another oxymoron?

that is too funny!

>>www.animats.com

that is hilarious!

>>how programmers toss coins

too... many... numbers...

The answer is "YES"

Let me explain....
If you place a coin on your thumb, you can only flip it my raising your thumb in the vertical position.
The rest of your fingures must be curled in a fist because otherwise it won't go "up in the air" it would go sideways :)

So the result is you have a fist with a raised thumb which is a "thumbs up" which means "YES".

Of course "GOOD" could be substituted for "YES"

I think TurnipFish got it right with stating "What" is the answer

Re read with the last line as
What: Is the answer

It lands.

We choose to receive!!!

Jeeves has the answer

http://www.ask.com/main/askjeeves.asp?ask=I+have+a+two+sided+coin+I+gingerly+place+upon+thumb.I+flip+it+up+into+air.+Of+the+two+possible+outcomes%2C%3FWhat+is+the+answer%3F+&o=0&x=21&y=13

My god it was that simple.

Speaking of which, of course:

http://www.googlism.com/index.htm?ism=the+answer&type=2

?What is the answer?

what is not a valid command.

and your tags are incomplete

<?  ?>

tsk tsk
The xml police will be onto you

the outcome is whatever side it lands on.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=1544

Ochlocracy!
Just when I thought I knew all the words in the dictionary.  

Done?
Make BAFO quick, looks like time to cleanup and close out. I just noticed my last comment made this 40 pt-er but it don't show, so will up that now and review the rest (and any last minute submits here).

-----------------------------------

Here's one I thought to add but apparently didn't:

there's an old game of tossing coin to wall, closet one to wall gets to pick up the coins tossed.  There are times that the coin will bounce on ground and end in rolling on an edge. And times .... the result is that the coin will lean against wall. Not on head or tail side, but on edge, at higher frequency than one might think. I do not recall that as being as high a frequency as a similar 'leaner' in game of horse-shoes (toss horse-shoe towards stake in ground attempting to 'ring' the stake). But I not well-versed in either. per News, such games can still end in lethal disputes.

ecims 01/23/2003> I see, so it is about the thumb;

I read most of that, two things missed was (1) which side of coin is up in the first place? This is not clear, tho' it is typically heads. (2) upward motion of hand when making flip, and elevation when released. While not so clear, nice job in there of playing with surface to reduce the seeming randomness. I've seen many go for bed with tight flat cover, to reduce effects of bounce and range.

> Are you employing any coin manipulation techniques in your flip?

No. I didn't read all that, but while very interesting, I think less relevant than the prior link
 
> Does this involve the MARS equation?

No, and btw that link sucks chewing up my meager computer resources like that.

-----------

<argh> I hate getting lockups! no more time here for me this week, will at least leave it open for the weekend then, for any last comments

doainbali>  And is this an I ching or taosism...

no. mybe yin/yan duo-ism though

F@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ckIt!!!!!!!!!!!

DammmmmIt, ecims,  that blankety blank link of yours, do give fair warning next time. I keep getting popups and closing windows trying to make me a millionaire (right!), they steal focus and KB and mouse and it pisses me off that I have to shut down to stop the crap.

d o n e ?

Well, I think everyone's finally done, so it can now close. Not so easy to pick one, so here are five, let's say categories that many participated in, selecting one representative each. No special order.

(1) Award for Sticking to the problem as asked:

jugs_monthly> So I go for option 2

(2) Award for D'Choice Variety:

twalgrave> 6) Were you in downtown Detroit at the time?  If so, I'd say you're out a coin.
+ "Those that make leaps while wearing a blindfold,"

- Reminds me of Dali's Fool

(3) Award for Most Thorough Explanation:

ecims> The two sides don't mix, they simple entangle.
+ link to sites where studies take the flip rather serously

- Now, tell me which end is up if no one has yet reviewed that condition?

(4) Award for thrift:

doainbali> Tossing money around usually ends up in the loss of money.

- and never play with what you cannot afford to lose

(5) Award for adding magic:

halfcent50> "It landed one atop my hair."
 
- so after it disappears, the coin is found in coiffured one's ear. But is it left or right ear....?

---------------------------- PLZ add comment to collect your split of points:

Title: Coin Toss (Points for jugs_monthly only)
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Puzzles_Riddles/Q_20545469.html

Title: Coin Toss  (Points for ecims only)
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Puzzles_Riddles/Q_20545481.html

Title: Coin Toss (Points for doainbali only)
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Puzzles_Riddles/Q_20545488.html

Title: Coin Toss (Points for halfcent50 only)
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Puzzles_Riddles/Q_20545513.html

------------------------------

Thanx to all for enjoyable thread. Opened at 20 pt and now splitting 200 evenly.

Thanks Sunbow!  Another fine topic to stretch the imagination on.