Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 2]

[marshalla]

Brother D said:

SpeckledJim said:

V41LEY said:

SpeckledJim said:

marshalla said:

V41LEY said:

Are Lucky Dip picks on the Lottery unique combinations per draw ?

What do you mean by "unique combinations per draw"?

They're random numbers, set at time of purchase.

It's actually a better question than it sounds.

Persuading a computer to do something genuinely random is either very difficult, or impossible (I forget which!).

To put it another way - if I buy a LD ticket for Saturday's draw will I be the only person with that set of 6 numbers or could someone who also asks for a LD pick get the same sequence. I appreciate that someone who picks their own numbers might by co-incidence pick the same six numbers as my LD pick.

Good question. I don't know.

But if the second LD selection is affected by what was chosen for the first, then by definition it's not random.

It would also give a statistical advantage to LD tickets over 'conventionally' chosen numbers, as a small element of exclusivity is granted to LD numbers that isn't available to others.

So I'd imagine not.

I thought I read (deep in some terms and conditions) that the lucky dip generated numbers consisted of generating pseudo-random numbers not yet already chosen to reduce the odds of a roll-over?

Euromillions Lucky Dip is as random as a computer can make it : http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/assets-uploaded/docum...
So is Lotto : http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060715...

There is no dependence on which numbers (or combinations) have already been chosen by others - if there was, it would no longer be a completely fair lottery and there would be chance that the pool of Lucky Dips could reduce to 0, resulting in someone not being able to get a ticket.

And https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/games/in-store/... Rule 3.3c says that you (the player) is responsible for :
"(c) checking that Your Ticket has the correct Entries, Games and Draw dates and that it doesn’t include duplicate Lucky Dip® Entries for the same Draw. Any raffle number given for a Draw should be unique – You should let the Retailer or Camelot know if this isn’t the case for Your Ticket; "

So - they believe it may be possible (although very unlikely) for a Lucky Dip to generate the same numbers as already allocated on the same ticket, though this shouldn't happen - but Lucky Dips on different tickets for the same draw may have the same numbers - even if they belong to the same player.

[V41LEY]

marshalla said:

Brother D said:

SpeckledJim said:

V41LEY said:

SpeckledJim said:

marshalla said:

V41LEY said:

Are Lucky Dip picks on the Lottery unique combinations per draw ?

What do you mean by "unique combinations per draw"?

They're random numbers, set at time of purchase.

It's actually a better question than it sounds.

Persuading a computer to do something genuinely random is either very difficult, or impossible (I forget which!).

To put it another way - if I buy a LD ticket for Saturday's draw will I be the only person with that set of 6 numbers or could someone who also asks for a LD pick get the same sequence. I appreciate that someone who picks their own numbers might by co-incidence pick the same six numbers as my LD pick.

Good question. I don't know.

But if the second LD selection is affected by what was chosen for the first, then by definition it's not random.

It would also give a statistical advantage to LD tickets over 'conventionally' chosen numbers, as a small element of exclusivity is granted to LD numbers that isn't available to others.

So I'd imagine not.

I thought I read (deep in some terms and conditions) that the lucky dip generated numbers consisted of generating pseudo-random numbers not yet already chosen to reduce the odds of a roll-over?

Euromillions Lucky Dip is as random as a computer can make it : http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/assets-uploaded/docum...
So is Lotto : http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060715...

There is no dependence on which numbers (or combinations) have already been chosen by others - if there was, it would no longer be a completely fair lottery and there would be chance that the pool of Lucky Dips could reduce to 0, resulting in someone not being able to get a ticket.

And https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/games/in-store/... Rule 3.3c says that you (the player) is responsible for :
"(c) checking that Your Ticket has the correct Entries, Games and Draw dates and that it doesn’t include duplicate Lucky Dip® Entries for the same Draw. Any raffle number given for a Draw should be unique – You should let the Retailer or Camelot know if this isn’t the case for Your Ticket; "

So - they believe it may be possible (although very unlikely) for a Lucky Dip to generate the same numbers as already allocated on the same ticket, though this shouldn't happen - but Lucky Dips on different tickets for the same draw may have the same numbers - even if they belong to the same player.

Thanks for the research. So does rule 3.3c mean that if by the smallest probability I ask for two LD picks (on the same ticket for the same draw) and the numbers are the same and I win - a) the ticket is invalid or b) I get 'two shares' of the win whether it be a three number win or six number win ?

[SpeckledJim]

V41LEY said:

marshalla said:

Brother D said:

SpeckledJim said:

V41LEY said:

SpeckledJim said:

marshalla said:

V41LEY said:

Are Lucky Dip picks on the Lottery unique combinations per draw ?

What do you mean by "unique combinations per draw"?

They're random numbers, set at time of purchase.

It's actually a better question than it sounds.

Persuading a computer to do something genuinely random is either very difficult, or impossible (I forget which!).

To put it another way - if I buy a LD ticket for Saturday's draw will I be the only person with that set of 6 numbers or could someone who also asks for a LD pick get the same sequence. I appreciate that someone who picks their own numbers might by co-incidence pick the same six numbers as my LD pick.

Good question. I don't know.

But if the second LD selection is affected by what was chosen for the first, then by definition it's not random.

It would also give a statistical advantage to LD tickets over 'conventionally' chosen numbers, as a small element of exclusivity is granted to LD numbers that isn't available to others.

So I'd imagine not.

I thought I read (deep in some terms and conditions) that the lucky dip generated numbers consisted of generating pseudo-random numbers not yet already chosen to reduce the odds of a roll-over?

Euromillions Lucky Dip is as random as a computer can make it : http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/assets-uploaded/docum...
So is Lotto : http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060715...

There is no dependence on which numbers (or combinations) have already been chosen by others - if there was, it would no longer be a completely fair lottery and there would be chance that the pool of Lucky Dips could reduce to 0, resulting in someone not being able to get a ticket.

And https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/games/in-store/... Rule 3.3c says that you (the player) is responsible for :
"(c) checking that Your Ticket has the correct Entries, Games and Draw dates and that it doesn’t include duplicate Lucky Dip® Entries for the same Draw. Any raffle number given for a Draw should be unique – You should let the Retailer or Camelot know if this isn’t the case for Your Ticket; "

So - they believe it may be possible (although very unlikely) for a Lucky Dip to generate the same numbers as already allocated on the same ticket, though this shouldn't happen - but Lucky Dips on different tickets for the same draw may have the same numbers - even if they belong to the same player.

Thanks for the research. So does rule 3.3c mean that if by the smallest probability I ask for two LD picks (on the same ticket for the same draw) and the numbers are the same and I win - a) the ticket is invalid or b) I get 'two shares' of the win whether it be a three number win or six number win ?

I think it means that if you buy 2 LDs on one ticket, and by a 14,000,000 to 1 fluke, you get the same numbers twice, you can hand it back and ask for another set.

[TREMAiNE]

mattdaniels said:

Armourfend?

Nice to see the name pop up!

My dad owned Armourfend (at least half of it) until recently.

Still wouldn't let me coat my car for free though!

[gazchap]

I've just found out that Ironbridge B power station (in Ironbridge, funnily enough) is due to close this year or next.

It got me wondering.

I live in a small village just outside Shrewsbury. I'm not sure if Ironbridge B provides any power for this area or not, but when it closes where will my power come from? I can't think of any power stations around here other than that one.

Or does it literally all just go into one big pot (the national grid, I guess?) and just gets distributed from there - so power generated in Ironbridge could conceivably end up being used in the far reaches of Scotland etc?

[gazchap]

marshalla said:

So - they believe it may be possible (although very unlikely) for a Lucky Dip to generate the same numbers as already allocated on the same ticket, though this shouldn't happen - but Lucky Dips on different tickets for the same draw may have the same numbers - even if they belong to the same player.

It (very nearly) happened to me just a few weeks ago. I put two lines on one ticket - one lucky dip and one with manually selected numbers.

5 out of the 6 numbers picked by the lucky dip matched the ones on my manual line.

[john2443]

gazchap said:

I've just found out that Ironbridge B power station (in Ironbridge, funnily enough) is due to close this year or next.

It got me wondering.

I live in a small village just outside Shrewsbury. I'm not sure if Ironbridge B provides any power for this area or not, but when it closes where will my power come from? I can't think of any power stations around here other than that one.

Or does it literally all just go into one big pot (the national grid, I guess?) and just gets distributed from there - so power generated in Ironbridge could conceivably end up being used in the far reaches of Scotland etc?

I believe that it all goes in one big pot, you don't get local electricity for local people, which is a bit odd if you buy it from eg Ecotricity, "Britain's leading green energy supplier", theirs must get mixed up with everyone elses in the wires!

[MissChief]

gazchap said:

marshalla said:

So - they believe it may be possible (although very unlikely) for a Lucky Dip to generate the same numbers as already allocated on the same ticket, though this shouldn't happen - but Lucky Dips on different tickets for the same draw may have the same numbers - even if they belong to the same player.

It (very nearly) happened to me just a few weeks ago. I put two lines on one ticket - one lucky dip and one with manually selected numbers.

5 out of the 6 numbers picked by the lucky dip matched the ones on my manual line.

I'd assume that, if you want to, you could make up a ticket with the same numbers on it as many times as you like?

[fomb]

gazchap said:

I've just found out that Ironbridge B power station (in Ironbridge, funnily enough) is due to close this year or next.

It got me wondering.

I live in a small village just outside Shrewsbury. I'm not sure if Ironbridge B provides any power for this area or not, but when it closes where will my power come from? I can't think of any power stations around here other than that one.

Or does it literally all just go into one big pot (the national grid, I guess?) and just gets distributed from there - so power generated in Ironbridge could conceivably end up being used in the far reaches of Scotland etc?

Electricity is electricity. It's all in the system and consumed pretty much instantly. It's all about maintaining the frequency (generation vs supply)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0G9F42puY

[Willy Nilly]

gazchap said:

I've just found out that Ironbridge B power station (in Ironbridge, funnily enough) is due to close this year or next.

It got me wondering.

I live in a small village just outside Shrewsbury. I'm not sure if Ironbridge B provides any power for this area or not, but when it closes where will my power come from? I can't think of any power stations around here other than that one.

Or does it literally all just go into one big pot (the national grid, I guess?) and just gets distributed from there - so power generated in Ironbridge could conceivably end up being used in the far reaches of Scotland etc?

Ironbrige power station is in Buildwas innit?

[gazchap]

Willy Nilly said:

Ironbrige power station is in Buildwas innit?

Technically I think you're right, yep, although I'd say it's closer to Ironbridge than Buildwas going by the "welcome to X" signs on the sides of the road

[Willy Nilly]

gazchap said:

Willy Nilly said:

Ironbrige power station is in Buildwas innit?

Technically I think you're right, yep, although I'd say it's closer to Ironbridge than Buildwas going by the "welcome to X" signs on the sides of the road

It was Buildwas Power Station for a long time. I went around there on an open day as a kid, it was great. Drove past in on Boxing Day an' all.

[anonymous-user]

Guy at work is a seriously good martial artist, according to the videos of him on youTube. He's good at standing looking relaxed, then all of a sudden being alert and ready to punch fk out of someone. That is the extent of my knowldge of martial arts. Now, recently (in the last 6 months) he has changed his surname from something anglo-saxon, to Liu. Is there a reason to do this? Is it required to be a grand master or sensei or Splinter or something?

(Can't ask him, don't know him that well, and he's on the night shift so see him once a month)

Thanks.

[singlecoil]

What I want to know is has anybody, ever, spat coffee or anything else over a keyboard because of something funny they read on a forum?

[MissChief]

singlecoil said:

What I want to know is has anybody, ever, spat coffee or anything else over a keyboard because of something funny they read on a forum?

Someone said they did on the internet so it must be true?

[anonymous-user]

I can't take a drink or a puff on a cig when reading "You Only Had One Job" on twitter. If I did, it would be sprayed or splurted everywhere. I sit at my desk quietly choking the laughter away but I always get caught.

[goldblum]

OpulentBob said:

Now, recently (in the last 6 months) he has changed his surname from something anglo-saxon, to Liu. Is there a reason to do this? Is it required to be a grand master or sensei or Splinter or something?

No, absolutely not.

He's 'immersing himself in the role' a little too much, lol. Mostly this sort of obsession involves people holidaying in China/Japan and maybe living there to train/compete with a known 'Master' or training camp for a short while. Taking a foreign name is going waaay too far.

[Nimby]

gazchap said:

... or does it literally all just go into one big pot (the national grid, I guess?) and just gets distributed from there - so power generated in Ironbridge could conceivably end up being used in the far reaches of Scotland etc?

The mains is A.C. so the electrons just go backwards and forwards a few millionths of a metre. They don't "come from" anywhere as such.

[Dr Jekyll]

Is there any particular advantage in building power stations closer to where the power is needed? I presume there must be.

[singlecoil]

Would certainly help to keep transmission losses (due to the resistance in the conductors) to a minimum.