Quincunx - The Probability Machine

Boy genius Connor MacDonald presents his science fair project: The Quincunx - a mechanical probability device for creating Bell Curves. Connor explains the connection to Pascal's Triangle, and demonstrates how the Quincunx works.

Quincunx probability bell curve statistics Blaise Pascal Pascal's Triangle Galton Royal Society science fair math geometry

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Quincunx
• probability
• bell
• curve
• normal
• distribution
• Gauss
• Gaussian
• function
• statistics
• Blaise
• Pascal
• Pascal's
• Triangle
• Galton
• Royal
• Society
• science
• fair
• math
• binary
• calculator
• central
• limit
• theorem
• robot
• electronics
• computer
• physics
• experiment
• mechanics

[irthenoes]

Great video, great project!

[TreefeKualCrisock]

Hello irthenoes, thank you for the kind words. I was looking at you 8-Bit-Trip video. It is absolutely brilliant! I have never seen such clever and elaborate Lego animations. I'll be sure to flag your comment and videos for Connor. Thanks again.

[LordTwinklesmith]

perhaps Connor can explain this to my PhD supervisor in the fine arts who doesnt understand probability because it can't be painted or danced...

it's bad that someone can have a doctorate in fine arts and be upstaged in simple probability and statistics by a kid. rock on dude, for making one mean bean machine.

[TreefeKualCrisock]

Hi LordT, I wonder if probability can be explained through painting or dance. It's an interesting thought. Thank you for the comment and the encouragement.

[onelove312]

good job conner

[TreefeKualCrisock]

Hi OneLove. Thank you for the kind words. I was lookingat your YouTube channel and noticed that you have have viewed over 13,500 videos. It seems to me you must be better versed in video lore and YouTube storytelling techniques than anyone I have ever encountered. Thanks for viewing this one!

[88cator]

"OVA HEAA!"

[adric137]

very scientific!

[coolsrijan]

Why are u getting a large number of marbles on the extremes/ why not getting a bell curve?

This is because you have not made the triangle to its complete width and now all marbles which should have gone into those non existent bins + all the marble which could have gone these shown bins by following a path outside the boundaries will fall into these rightmost/leftmost bins. What's interesting is the stark asymmetry!

[Anonymystik]

Hi. I wouldn´t call it a Bell curve, because it refers to curve which is described by Gauss Normal Distribution. This is, on the other hand, binomial distribution, described by a mathematician called Bernoulli. Even though, thanks for nice and inspirating video, which gave me a couple ideas to think about.

[rockychat3]

awesome -- gave me lots of ideas before teaching a statistics class on normal curves!

[thegeek132]

That is true even if it took more time you should have put it one by one......

[TreefeKualCrisock]

Hello xiiaolovely. Thank you for offering to put Connor's Quincunx in your project acknowledgements. You do him great honour. I checked out your own video. It looks to me like you have some really great friends. Thanks again for your note - and good luck with your studies.