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The math problem that stumped thousands of mansplainers

Estelle Caswell

On September 9, 1990, a reader of Marilyn vos Savant's Parade Magazine column, "Ask Marilyn," posed a question. Here's the original clipping of the question from the magazine below.

Parade Magazine, September 9, 1990

(Parade Magazine, September 9, 1990)

Vos Savant answered the question correctly, but her answer struck a chord with statisticians, mathematicians, and everyday problem solvers around the world. They didn't believe her, no matter how many different ways she explained her answer. The video above explains the problem and tells the story of one of the worst cases of mansplaining in statistics history.