lottery

Website Plays the Lottery Every Second, Puts the Pitiless Nature of Probability on Full Display

But you will definitely get lucky.

Powerball Told a Man He Won $340 Million. He’s Suing After Getting Nothing

The operator of the D.C. lottery stated that the numbers were posted to the lottery's website in error as part of a quality assurance test.

Canada’s ‘Random’ Immigration Lottery Uses Microsoft Excel, Which Isn’t Actually Random

Last year, Canada introduced a new lottery system used to extend permanent-resident status to the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens. The process was designed to randomly select applicants in order to make the process fairer than the old first-come, first-served system. There’s just one problem: the software used to run the lottery isn’t actually…

6 Charged With Exploiting Electronic Loophole in Lottery Vending Machines

In Connecticut, six individuals have been charged with exploiting a bug in electronic lottery machines that allowed them to select winning tickets last year. In November 2015, Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection noticed an abnormal uptick in dispensed winning tickets, and suspended the 5 Card Cash machines, pending an investigation. The six men arrested, the…

Powerball Math: $1.3 Billion Divided By 300 Million Is Actually $4.33

There’s a lottery meme on Facebook claiming that if we just divided the current Powerball jackpot evenly, every American would get $4.3 million. But that’s not right at all. Why? Simple math: When we take $1.3 billion and divide by 300 million we get $4.33. As in, four dollars and 33 cents. Not $4.33 million.…

Math Says: Play the UK Lottery Today

Statistically speaking, the lottery is an exciting way of separating you from your money. Except today in the United Kingdom. For the first time ever, playing the lottery is the mathematically sensible choice. Lottery tickets in the UK are £2 per play. Usually the expected payoff on a ticket is 95p. In the long term,…

The Powerball lottery jackpot soared over $500 million last week, leading bright and broke minds everywhere to wonder if math could be deployed to get ahold of some of that cheddar. Here’s a handy, graphics-heavy strategy guide … and hey, invite us to your mansion party when you win, won’t ya?

This Week’s TV: 3 New Series, Including A Crazy Ridiculous Hacker Show

Fall TV is back! You may have already decided whether you’re watching the Batman prequel show Gotham or the immortal medical examiner Forever, but what’s up with supergenius show Scorpion? Plus, info on the season premieres of Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Person of Interest, and a frozen Once Upon a Time! Tonight Gotham (8…

This Week’s TV: Your One Chance To Watch Bryan Fuller’s Lunar Adventure

Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller also adapted a classic novel of extraterrestrial discovery for television — and tonight, we’ll get our one and only chance to see High Moon. But also, two incredibly weird comedians are bringing you a new spin on the Twilight Zone. And that’s not all television has in store for you this…

This Week’s TV: Can Syfy’s Zombie Show Stack Up Against Walking Dead?

This week, Syfy debuts its new zombie show Z Nation, set three years into the apocalypse, and brings back Haven with a new Audrey personality and a new set of Troubles. Plus, Teen Wolf gets ready to end its season—but who will survive? Get all the details below! Tonight Teen Wolf (10 PM, MTV) In…

This Week’s TV: Psychological Tests Judge Who Gets Earth’s Only Embryos

The summer TV season is winding down with The Leftovers season finale, while The Lottery subjects its embryo-seeking finalists to psychological interviews. Outlander approaches a major moment in Scottish history and Doctor Who visits Sherwood Forest—and Robin Hood. Get all the details below! Tonight Teen Wolf (10 PM, MTV) This week’s episode description is very…

This Week’s TV: A Doctor Who Alum Stars In The Year’s Weirdest New Show

This week is all about endings and beginnings. Peter Capaldi begins his tenure as the curmudgeonly new Doctor on Doctor Who while True Blood meets its true death. And amidst the season finales of Korra and The Last Ship, we get two oddball premieres: Bojack Horseman and the profoundly strange Intruders. Tonight Teen Wolf (10…

This Week’s TV: Adventure Time Reveals Finn And Jake’s Parents’ Past

This week, Discovery hosts its celebration of all things shark, but which specials are worth watching? We’ve got you covered. Plus, we’re nearing the end of True Blood; mini golf gets serious on Gravity Falls, and we get to see the mystery-solving past of Finn and Jake’s parents on Adventure Time. Top image from the…

The Latest Batman V. Superman Rumor Has A Surprising Wonder Woman Twist

Now we know when we’ll learn the truth about Peter Quill’s father. Peter Mayhew makes bold claims about Star Wars: Episode VII. The premiere of Agents of SHIELD will bring back a old foe. And 12 Monkeys, The Flash, and Bitten all add new characters and cast. Spoilers now! Top image: Batman v. Superman: Dawn…

This Week’s TV: A Time-Travel Romance Is This Summer’s Must-Watch Show

Battlestar Galactica producer Ronald D. Moore returns to television this week with his adaptation of the hit Outlander novels—and you won’t want to miss it. Plus, True Blood goes on a drug-fueled search for a dead character, Teen Wolf deals with a mysterious outbreak, and someone is targeting the Candy Kingdom elite on Adventure Time.…

This Week’s TV: It’s Sharktopus Vs. Pteracuda Vs. A Second Sharknado!

While the world prepares for the onslaught of a second Sharknado movie, Conan O’Brien is about to die at the tentacles of a new Sharktopus. Plus, Gravity Falls is back for more paranormal hijinks and The Strain gets its hands bloody with a vampire autopsy. See all the details below! Syfy has declared this Sharknado…

This Week’s TV: Will The Manhattan Project Show Have West Wing‘s Magic?

While childhood secrets are revealed on this week’s Masters of Sex, another behind-the-scenes science drama debuts on Sunday: Manhattan, which takes us inside the secret city that helped create the atomic bomb. Plus, Phineas & Ferb takes on Star Wars—and it’s bound to be goofy. See all the details below! Tonight Teen Wolf (10 PM,…

Does a Set Photo Reveal a Walking Dead Reunion?

Rumors add more villains to Batman v. Superman. Guillermo del Toro gives a timeline for Pacific Rim 2 and the chances for his adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness. Arrow’s season premiere casts its villain and heralds the return of Vertigo. Plus, Once Upon a Time gets its Elsa! Spoilers now! Top image: The…

Meet the world’s luckiest unluckiest man who cheated death 7 times

The story of Frane Selak is so unbelievable that you’d walk away from a movie, heck, a documentary of his life thinking it was too unrealistic. But it’s not. It’s a true story. Selak cheated death seven times. He survived a train crashing into a frozen river, a plane crash by getting sucked out of…

Sequel Roundup: Hints for James Bond, Planet of the Apes and Avengers!

Michael B. Jordan says he’s not signed for Fantastic Four. Travolta wants to be a Bond villain. Does LEGO reveal a key Guardians of the Galaxy scene? Lifetime’s picked up a series from the Children of Men writer. The original Flash joins the CW’s Flash show. Sansa’s becoming a “powerhouse” on Game of Thrones. Spoilers…