A Stick of Rock
As of the 23rd May 2022 this website is archived and will receive no further updates.
understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.
Many of the animations were produced using Flash and will no longer work.
In the 1980's I worked in an engineering office in Central Scotland and it was the custom for anyone on holiday to bring back some sweets to pass around at tea-time. One year I was on a break and purchased a few sticks of rock from Brodick on the Isle of Arran and, when I returned on the Monday, I placed the rock on the communal table. As I was doing this one of my senior colleagues wandered over, picked up one of the sticks and pointed to the badly printed black and white photo on the label, specifically at one of the tiny figures thereon and said - "That's me". And it was! The story goes that 20 years earlier he played in a Pipe Band and at one event a random photographer took their photo marching and playing. They never heard any more until 2 years later when their image started appearing on shortbread tins, calendars and... sticks of rock. He had one of the former to prove his case and was clearly still peeved that no royalties ever came his way.
Date submitted:Fri, 30 Mar 2012 01:00:29 +0000Coincidence ID:6207
