# A real paranormal poll... What number am I thinking of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456 "2010-01-11T01:18:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/41 "2010-01-17T21:09:18Z")
> [@Mojo\_Pin](#): > > As soon as I read the title I thought ‘62’, but then I saw the poll, so 6 it is. No no no, that’s not how it works. It could be 6/2=3; it could be 6\*2=12=1+2=3; it could be 6+2=8…wrong, all wrong! 6, indeed. :dubious: Time for my bi-annual re-watching of ‘Pi’, I am thinking! ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/42 "2010-01-18T01:32:28Z")
Ok. It has been a week and the poll is not closed. The number I was thinking of for the past week is… 6 As for the results, I will have to look at the data and give my impressions. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/43 "2010-01-18T01:50:20Z")
Ok. My impressions of the data received. I am not a statistician, so if I misinterpret the data, please be gentile To have a statistically significant result, I would say that more than 50% of those who guessed a number would have had to have guessed correctly. Only 19 out of 192 guessed (just under 10%) correctly. I found it interesting that numbers on either side of the middle were most picked(4 and 7), but not the middle two numbers themselves (5 and 6), and that the east picked numbers were toward the ends (2 and 10). I see that the most guessed number was 7 which had 52 votes (27%), but it has been my experience that when asked to pick a number between 1 and 10, the majority will pick 7, so this fits in statistically with what I would have expected and may have skewed the results. I think if I were to try this again, I would try it with different objects instead of numbers and see how it goes then. Anyone else care to make any observations of the data? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/44 "2010-01-18T02:16:52Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > I think if I were to try this again, I would try it with different objects instead of numbers and see how it goes then. Using what method? Just thinking of any object would have billions of possibilities. Maybe you could find a picture with an assortment of objects ([like this](http://www.menadolobowsky.com/color2/color_jpgs/10-objects-pizza-etc.jpg)) and concentrate on one of them to narrow the field? ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/45 "2010-01-18T02:29:07Z")
And the Amazing Psychic Synesthete goes off to get her equipment fixed. I was right next to six, though. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/46 "2010-01-18T02:59:11Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > The number I was thinking of for the past week is… > > 6 I can’t speak for the others, but I was standing on my head when I picked 9. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/47 "2010-01-18T03:17:53Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > Anyone else care to make any observations of the data? Well sure, you were thinking of the number 6 when you _made_ the poll, but apparently you got distracted during the week and thought of other numbers as you went about your life. For example, I’m quite certain you were thinking “2” when I voted. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456/48 "2010-01-18T06:51:23Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > Ok. It has been a week and the poll is not closed. > > The number I was thinking of for the past week is… > > 6 > > As for the results, I will have to look at the data and give my impressions. My impression is that you’re not very good at this. The Amazing Kreskin would have got something like 95% or more. Stick to your day job, kid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-real-paranormal-poll-what-number-am-i-thinking-of/524456.md?page=2)