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Q: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant? ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   5 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
Category: Reference, Education and News
Asked by: lijin-ga
List Price: $15.00
Posted: 18 Apr 2005 03:33 PDT
Expires: 18 May 2005 03:33 PDT
Question ID: 510729
I read about "Monty Hall's Door Puzzle" recently and Marilyn vos
Savant's solution to it ("always switch"). It seems she was violently
critized before her answer was proven correct.
Among the critics were the following professors:
Mary Jane Still, Palm Beach Junior College
Robert Sachs, George Mason University
E. Ray Bobo, Georgetown University

Did any of those ever apologize for being rather rude in their wording
and most of all, being wrong?
Thank you!
Answer  
Subject: Re: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
Answered By: rainbow-ga on 18 Apr 2005 10:43 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi LiJin,

Thank you for accepting my findings as an answer to your question. I
am reposting it here for your convenience.

After researching your question, I was only able to locate one
confirmation of an apology by Robert Sachs,Ph.D., George Mason
University, after saying, "I'm very concerned with the general
public's lack of mathematical skills. Please help by confessing your
error...."


""So her answer's right: you should switch," Mr. Hall said, reaching
the same conclusion as the tens of thousands of students who conducted
similar experiments at Ms. vos Savant's suggestion. That conclusion
was also reached eventually by many of her critics in academia,
although most did not bother to write letters of retraction. Dr.
Sachs, whose letter was published in her column, was one of the few
with the grace to concede his mistake.
 
"I wrote her another letter," Dr. Sachs said last week, "telling her
that after removing my foot from my mouth I'm now eating humble pie. I
vowed as penance to answer all the people who wrote to castigate me.
It's been an intense professional embarrassment.""

Parent-Directed Education
http://www.parentdirectededucation.org/Thinking%20Parent/thinking%20parent/Vos%20Savant.htm


These sites may interest you:

http://www15.brinkster.com/manowar/curious.htm

http://isaac.blogs.com/isaac_laquedem/2005/02/lawrence_summer.html

http://members.aol.com/garypos/vos_Savant.html


Search criteria:
"Marilyn vos Savant" apology
"Marilyn vos Savant" "Mary Jane Still"
"Marilyn vos Savant" "E. Ray Bobo"
"Marilyn vos Savant" Sachs

I hope this is helpful.

Best wishes,
Rainbow
lijin-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
Thank you! :)

Comments  
Subject: Re: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
From: rainbow-ga on 18 Apr 2005 04:24 PDT
 
Hi lijin,

After researching your question, I was only able to locate one
confirmation of an apology by Robert Sachs,Ph.D., George Mason
University, after saying, "I'm very concerned with the general
public's lack of mathematical skills. Please help by confessing your
error...."


""So her answer's right: you should switch," Mr. Hall said, reaching
the same conclusion as the tens of thousands of students who conducted
similar experiments at Ms. vos Savant's suggestion. That conclusion
was also reached eventually by many of her critics in academia,
although most did not bother to write letters of retraction. Dr.
Sachs, whose letter was published in her column, was one of the few
with the grace to concede his mistake.
 
"I wrote her another letter," Dr. Sachs said last week, "telling her
that after removing my foot from my mouth I'm now eating humble pie. I
vowed as penance to answer all the people who wrote to castigate me.
It's been an intense professional embarrassment.""

Parent-Directed Education
http://www.parentdirectededucation.org/Thinking%20Parent/thinking%20parent/Vos%20Savant.htm


I hope this helps.

Best regards,
Rainbow
Subject: Re: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
From: lijin-ga on 18 Apr 2005 06:32 PDT
 
Hi Rainbow,

Thank you for researching the matter! It seems decency wasn't
widespread in the mathematical community at that time. ;)


Best Regards,

LiJin
Subject: Re: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
From: rainbow-ga on 18 Apr 2005 06:38 PDT
 
Hi LiJin,

Would you like me to post the above information as an answer to your question?

Best wishes,
Rainbow
Subject: Re: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
From: lijin-ga on 18 Apr 2005 07:40 PDT
 
Hi Rainbow,

As I consider it unlikely that somone else will find what isn't there,
I might as well resign and accept the truth. Post your answer. :)

BTW: Any related trivia, not mentioned in that article, that you run
across during your research is welcome.

Thank you!

Best Regards,

LiJin
Subject: Re: Did they ever apologize to Marilyn vos Savant?
From: ipfan-ga on 18 Apr 2005 12:56 PDT
 
There is a fun simulator at
http://www.grand-illusions.com/simulator/montysim.htm that permits you
to replicate the problem.

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