"Gus" wrote:

Probabilities are measured on a scale of 0 to 1.

Even a "zero" probability is not an indication that an event will never
happen.

A zero probability states that an even "almost never" happens. A
probability of one states that an event "almost always" happens.

Therefore, probability theory would state that, while the probability
of rolling a 7 is zero, there is still a chance (however small) of it
occuring.

That's a pretty novel understanding of probability theory! How large
does the chance of something happening have to be before its
probability gets to be non-zero? G

Let me put this another way. Prior to 9/11/2001, most Americans would
have said that the probability of two airliners striking both towers of
the World Trade Center within minutes of each other and destroying
both, was zero.

Yet, it DID happen.

Which is dramatically different from what you said before. You seem to
be confusing the probability of an event with what most Americans
would say the probability of that event was.

LRod actually did make a cogent point in one post that he was willing
to settle for a "reasonable estimate". That is actually a good way of
explaining the situation.
yep. And maybe that "reasonable estimate" is 1/1000th of the
probability of all life on Earth being destroyed in an asteroid hit.
Risks like that I can live with!

The lesson to be learned here is to refrain from making absolute
statements like "zero chance".

I agree.
--
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