More or Less: Behind the Stats The numbers behind Squid Game
Oct 24, 2021
Dive into the cultural phenomenon of Squid Game as the podcast unpacks Netflix's claim of its unprecedented popularity. Explore the chilling odds of surviving the infamous 18-step bridge challenge, complete with mind-bending probability calculations. The conversation delves into the staggering viewer metrics and the recent changes in Netflix's reporting, questioning the authenticity of these figures. It's a captivating blend of entertainment and statistics that reveals the darker side of what makes this series such a hit.
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Expected Loss in a 50/50 Game
- In a game of 18 steps with a 50% chance of losing a life at each step, the expected loss is 9 lives.
- This is calculated by multiplying the number of steps (18) by the probability of losing a life (0.5).
Distribution of Losses
- While the average loss is 9 lives, the probability of losing exactly 9 lives is around 18.5%.
- There's a 40.7% chance of losing fewer than 9 lives and a 40.7% chance of losing more than 9.
Netflix's Viewing Metric
- Netflix's metric of "140 million accounts" viewing Squid Game uses "two minutes watched" as the criteria.
- This differs from their older metric of 70% of an episode watched and makes comparisons difficult.
