This wooden box sits on top of my dresser, and every afternoon when I come home, I dump the change from my pockets into it. It's getting close to full, as you can see:
I've got a couple of extra galley proofs kicking around, so here's a contest:
Guess the total dollar value of the change in this box.
Leave your guess in the comments. I will take the box to the bank next Monday, and have the change converted to folding money. At that time, the commenter whose guess is the closest to the actual dollar value of the change in the box (above or below) will receive a galley proof copy of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog (I'll announce the winner Monday afternoon, and will contact the winner to get a mailing address).
All coins in the box are US currency. (Well, ok, I see a chip of ceramic from something else in the picture, but everything else in the box is US coinage...). Guesses should be presented as a decimal number, to the nearest cent. In the unlikely event of a tie, I will choose a winner, or let SteelyKid pick.
One guess per comment, please.
Physical Science
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
I could, I suppose, attempt a quantitative estimate based on the size of the box. Instead, though, I'll make a wild-assed guess based on what I see and say that it will come to $73.19.
Posted by: Nick | August 14, 2009 11:18 AM
OK, based on past experience with buckets of change, I'll go with $120.94
Posted by: Tim Eisele | August 14, 2009 11:20 AM
The prospect of doing this analytically is appealing, especially since it would keep me from doing my job for quite a while.
In a move that will make my employer happy and me sad, I'll just guess. $60.42
Posted by: JohnV | August 14, 2009 11:23 AM
I'll go with $82.47. I used to put my spare change in an old glove and it always wound up around $40.
Posted by: Stephen | August 14, 2009 11:24 AM
$53.27. Just because.
Posted by: fizzchick | August 14, 2009 11:24 AM
But...but the ruler doesn't start at 1! What am I supposed to do, subtraction? Know how big a penny is? You're asking an awful lot from me, man.
In my experience, boxes full of change never come out to as much as you want them to. $35.
Posted by: Aklex | August 14, 2009 11:25 AM
Having recently dealt with a similar amount of change, I'm going to guess $71.63.
Posted by: Dave W. | August 14, 2009 11:28 AM
Is this Price Is Right rules? If so, $1. If not, $25.
Posted by: ed kupfer | August 14, 2009 11:33 AM
I recently cashed in a 24 oz. beer mug full of change before a trip, and it came out to somewhere around $70. I can't tell from the picture what the volume of the box is in fluid ounces, but it looks like it is probably bigger. I'll guess $95.37.
Posted by: Justin | August 14, 2009 11:42 AM
$90.43 'cause I just got a feeling.
Posted by: bio613 | August 14, 2009 11:46 AM
My intuition says $135.06.
Posted by: Rob | August 14, 2009 11:51 AM
105.04
Posted by: Ryan | August 14, 2009 11:56 AM
$73.58 based on estimated cubic inches (5" x 9" x 1.5") times a SWAG number of $1.09 per cubic inch.
Well, at least there's a method to my madness.....
Posted by: theCase | August 14, 2009 11:59 AM
I'm going with $110.25.
Posted by: Jonny | August 14, 2009 12:00 PM
Hmmm. That bit of Tootsie Roll wrapper or whatever in the upper left corner makes me worry that there could be other pocket detritus in the box, but I'll be optimistic and bet that most of the box is coins of about the same denominations I see on the top layer, and that there's maybe, say 4 or 5 layers like this in the box. So.... still a pretty rough guess, but I'll say $124.
Posted by: Joel Bass | August 14, 2009 12:00 PM
$83.20
Posted by: Dr. Kate | August 14, 2009 12:09 PM
Hmmm...I'm gonna go with 99.99.
Posted by: Blaine | August 14, 2009 12:09 PM
$87.87
Posted by: Change | August 14, 2009 12:11 PM
I'll go with $68.27
Posted by: Tony P | August 14, 2009 12:21 PM
based on theCase's estimate of the size of the box, and on a slightly larger completely arbitrary number for the dollar value per cubic inch ($1.11 -- all ones!) I come up with $74.93
Posted by: dg | August 14, 2009 12:23 PM
I think that the penny density is pretty high. $42.42
Posted by: Lauren | August 14, 2009 12:24 PM
$81.54
Posted by: MRW | August 14, 2009 12:30 PM
116.53, maybe?
Posted by: Kate from Iowa | August 14, 2009 12:32 PM
$63.79 in my guess.
Posted by: Charles | August 14, 2009 12:37 PM
$150.92
Posted by: Mike | August 14, 2009 12:37 PM
$59.40. I actually approximated the various coin ratios, found out the diameters of each coin to determine average diameter, used the same ratios to determine average coin value, etc.
And yet, after all that, when some of the numbers didn't look right, I changed one of them completely ad hoc. The number of significant figures is definitely much less than to the nearest cent.
Posted by: Waterdog | August 14, 2009 12:43 PM
$48.72
Posted by: Eric | August 14, 2009 12:47 PM
87.63
Posted by: shirley | August 14, 2009 12:50 PM
$80.81
Posted by: Anthony | August 14, 2009 12:52 PM
$86.96. Method not revealed, but I promise to reveal it if I win :)
Posted by: Sam K. | August 14, 2009 12:57 PM
$100.00
Posted by: Nicole | August 14, 2009 1:04 PM
$87.52 - I used to be quite good at this for UK coinage (Used to count the takings at PTA fundraisers) but am not familiar with the US coins, so I could be way out!
Posted by: CB | August 14, 2009 1:07 PM
$57.13
Posted by: Chris | August 14, 2009 1:07 PM
My guess: $98.76
Posted by: tslg | August 14, 2009 1:08 PM
$144.
Posted by: Bob | August 14, 2009 1:10 PM
$64.90
Posted by: John | August 14, 2009 1:13 PM
83.50
Posted by: Marcus | August 14, 2009 1:14 PM
66.66
Posted by: Salad Is Slaughter | August 14, 2009 1:22 PM
94.33
Posted by: Alex | August 14, 2009 1:26 PM
One Dollar!
Posted by: BobBarker | August 14, 2009 1:26 PM
There's a largish gap between the 14th and 15th largest numbers, 74.93 and 80.81, which is just below the average of 83.30, so, 77.87. My analysis is foolproof, ha!, unless there are any more entries.
Posted by: Peter Morgan | August 14, 2009 1:27 PM
$21.56?
Posted by: rfguy | August 14, 2009 1:28 PM
SWAG: $93.41
Posted by: OmegaMom | August 14, 2009 1:31 PM
$57.75
Posted by: axn | August 14, 2009 1:37 PM
82.28
and 17c Canadian that got given to you on accident
Posted by: Galen Fletcher Evans | August 14, 2009 1:37 PM
$45.70
Posted by: Dan Miller | August 14, 2009 1:40 PM
$135.93
If I win, I'll explain my reasoning.
Posted by: Mary | August 14, 2009 1:40 PM
$166.32
Posted by: Michael Day | August 14, 2009 1:45 PM
$108.01
Posted by: cisko | August 14, 2009 1:46 PM
$200
Posted by: Alex | August 14, 2009 1:50 PM
$68.29
Posted by: Rajesh | August 14, 2009 1:53 PM
$60.87
Posted by: Luke | August 14, 2009 1:56 PM
$60.50 is my estimate.
Posted by: VolcanoMan | August 14, 2009 2:04 PM
Here's a harder question:
Does this picture contain enough information to accurately determine the exterior volume of the box?
Posted by: Johan Larson | August 14, 2009 2:06 PM
Similar method to Case #13, but I disagree with his numbers. I get $84.60 with my best estimates of the numbers.
Posted by: Eric Lund | August 14, 2009 2:07 PM
$77.43 my guesstimate.
Posted by: Paul | August 14, 2009 2:19 PM
I'll throw my hat in the ring and say $36.11.
Posted by: Benjamin Geiger | August 14, 2009 2:24 PM
I'll venture $37.43. Judging from the guesses, some people must think you've got a few gold doubloons buried in there.
Posted by: Kurt | August 14, 2009 2:31 PM
$57.37
The banks around here won't do that any more :)
Posted by: JT | August 14, 2009 2:37 PM
$72.72
:D
Posted by: Muse142 | August 14, 2009 2:47 PM
62.9...
Posted by: jcc | August 14, 2009 2:47 PM
Forty seven bucks
Posted by: Anna K. | August 14, 2009 2:47 PM
Whoops, I'm sorry, I've been in check writing mode and missed your specification re decimal.
My guess is $47.00
Posted by: Anna K. | August 14, 2009 2:50 PM
Doesn't look all that many layers deep but I could be wrong....$15.82
Posted by: Clay B | August 14, 2009 2:51 PM
We'll begin with theCase's estimate of the size of the box, for a volume of 67.5 cubic inches, or 1106 mL. Assume that the box is filled only with quarters, and further assume that each quarter is a 1 mL sphere. (The actual volume of a quarter is 0.8 mL -- we overestimate the value of each coin, but underestimate the number of coins, and hopefully this cancels out.) Since a random packing of spheres is about 64% space-efficient, we expect the box to contain 707.84 coins, worth $176.96.
Posted by: Justin Goo | August 14, 2009 2:55 PM
For absolutely no reason, or employment thereof, I'll say $147.42. Because I like the number.
Posted by: Gray Gaffer | August 14, 2009 3:00 PM
I posted this on Livejournal's RSS feed instead of here, but I'll repost -- $53.09. Which is remarkably close to one up there for $53.27! It looks like about the same composition and density of coins I gave to the bank aboot a month ago.
Gally copy or no, I am still preordering the book.
Posted by: Kenneth Cavness | August 14, 2009 3:01 PM
I'd say $63.19
Posted by: Chad | August 14, 2009 3:02 PM
Not correcting for the oblique POV and assuming the top layer represents the remaining mass (by the way there seems to be a selection process against quarters in your coin box and you seem to be retaining pennies and dimes ... just sayin').
Depth of box ~ 42 mm, thickness of top layer of coins ~ 4.5 mm and value of top layer of coins $ 5.35.
I'm guessing $ 49.95 which to my eyes will be a bit light 'cause the oblique view underestimates the depth.
Posted by: Mel Schriver | August 14, 2009 3:05 PM
$127.13
I estimated an inside volume of 45 cubic inches, with a filling fraction of 0.9 (a perhaps-too-high estimate based on strong smectic ordering and polydispersity). It seems as if you have more pennies and quarters than other coins, which is often the case for me, but that turns out not to affect things much. The average coin has a volume of 0.036159 cubic inches and a value of $0.11350.
Posted by: Erica | August 14, 2009 3:08 PM
77.88
Posted by: Johan Larson | August 14, 2009 3:15 PM
Twenty-four dollars and seventy-eight cents.
Posted by: Chuk | August 14, 2009 3:18 PM
$78.97
Posted by: Brent Castle | August 14, 2009 3:19 PM
I also do not pay attention closely enough. $ 24.78 is my one and only guess (even though it's repeated here twice).
Posted by: Chuk | August 14, 2009 3:21 PM
$46.23.
My bank doesn't count change any more. If they like you they'll loan you their sorter box, so you can stack on the money more easily. I hope this is a west-coast only customer-hate thing.
Posted by: beth | August 14, 2009 3:26 PM
It's $ 98.40 because the Volume of the heap equals 2.46 old gloves (actually mittens) with a capacity of $ 40, according to comment #4.
Posted by: Matthias | August 14, 2009 3:27 PM
I guess the volume is about 500 cc, so the mass is about 2.5 Kg. Nickles are worth 1 cent/gram and dimes and quarters about twice that. There look to be more quarters than pennies, so I say $31.07
Posted by: Tom Spencer | August 14, 2009 3:32 PM
My telepathetic powers tell me there is $50.00 in that box.
Posted by: Daniel Trombley | August 14, 2009 3:39 PM
So, there's ~$6 in quarters on the top layer, looking at the box, there's probably room for 13 'layers', if packed perfectly. Add in another $2 for dimes on each layer and $0.25 for pennies on each layer.
Each layer, assuming the top is representative, which it should be unless you shook it up a lot, that's $8.25/layer or $107.25
Packing is probably only 70% efficient so chop that by 30% to get our SWAG: $75.07
Posted by: Roger | August 14, 2009 3:41 PM
$140.05
Posted by: Jim T | August 14, 2009 3:43 PM
$32.57
Posted by: cicely | August 14, 2009 3:45 PM
$327.32
I'm wagering that there's a stack of twenties hidden at the bottom (for no good reason).
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | August 14, 2009 3:46 PM
I'm going to go with $65.00 :)
Posted by: PeterBB | August 14, 2009 3:49 PM
$105.69
Posted by: Jen E | August 14, 2009 3:57 PM
Your contest reminded me of a rather famous experiment in which a couple of game theorist auctioned off a coin jar to their MBA students, which I posted about here:
http://albanyareamathcircle.blogspot.com/2009/08/coin-estimation-contest.html
Posted by: Mary | August 14, 2009 4:03 PM
$115.22
Posted by: speedwell | August 14, 2009 4:06 PM
$60.54. Well, each student in class guessed and that's what the average was. As good a system as any, yes??
Posted by: Chase | August 14, 2009 4:07 PM
Hmmm. I store my loose change in a Pringles can. This looks a little less than half the volume, and a Pringles can regularly yields about $110, so I'm going to guess... $52.37.
Posted by: --E | August 14, 2009 4:08 PM
50.85 $
Posted by: Tinna G. Gígja | August 14, 2009 4:11 PM
127.18
Posted by: rob | August 14, 2009 4:13 PM
aaand, just on the off-chance that the box is considerably deeper than it looks: $210.14
Posted by: Tim Eisele | August 14, 2009 4:16 PM
$80.07
Posted by: Tim | August 14, 2009 4:18 PM
22.59
Posted by: jbk | August 14, 2009 4:40 PM
$67.54
Posted by: Chris | August 14, 2009 4:42 PM
$98.45
Posted by: beatriz | August 14, 2009 4:54 PM
$28.52
total guess
Posted by: Virginia | August 14, 2009 5:12 PM
$90.87
Posted by: Brenda | August 14, 2009 5:15 PM
$37.55
Posted by: aren | August 14, 2009 5:25 PM
$117.00
Posted by: Kevin Reid | August 14, 2009 5:28 PM
$64.80
Posted by: Scott Spiegelberg | August 14, 2009 5:36 PM
$126.00 (Really rough but I counted around 40 quarters in what I called the top 1cm. Looks to be about the height of a tape measure (2"-3") so we'll say 10cm. 40Q + ~20 dimes + ~10 nickels + ~10 pennies = 12.60/cm)
Posted by: Nat | August 14, 2009 5:53 PM
$56
Posted by: Sergey | August 14, 2009 5:54 PM
$67.56
Posted by: Matt | August 14, 2009 6:14 PM
183.31
Posted by: foole | August 14, 2009 6:20 PM
$68.71
Posted by: onymous | August 14, 2009 6:25 PM
$123.47
Posted by: Eric Johnson | August 14, 2009 6:33 PM
The sorted list of values so far, up to comment 102 and up to data entry errors, is: [1, 15.82, 21.56, 22.59, 24.78, 24.78, 25, 28.52, 31.07, 32.57, 35, 36.11, 37.43, 37.55, 42.42, 45.7, 46.23, 47, 48.72, 49.95, 50, 50.85, 52.37, 53.09, 53.27, 56, 57.13, 57.37, 57.75, 59.4, 60.42, 60.5, 60.54, 60.87, 62.9, 63.19, 63.79, 64.80, 64.90, 65, 66.66, 67.54, 68.27, 68.29, 71.63, 72.72, 73.19, 73.58, 74.93, 75.07, 77.43, 77.87, 77.88, 78.97, 80.07, 80.81, 81.54, 82.28, 82.47, 83.2, 83.5, 84.60, 86.96, 87.52, 87.63, 87.87, 90.43, 90.87, 93.41, 94.33, 95.37, 98.4, 98.45, 98.76, 99.99, 100, 105.04, 105.69, 108.01, 110.25, 115.22, 116.53, 117, 120.94, 124, 126, 127.13, 127.18, 135.06, 135.93, 140.05, 144, 147.42, 150.92, 166.32, 176.96, 200, 210.14, 327.32]
99 entries, the mean is 82.4, median 74.9. The median difference between entries is 1.09. Just one duplication. Have also done some work.
Posted by: Peter (you can work out which one) | August 14, 2009 6:38 PM
$92.38
Posted by: Wayne Baker | August 14, 2009 6:40 PM
$141.28
I assumed the total volume of 9"x5"x1", a typical individual coin volume of 0.042in^3 (roughly that of the nickel), and equal parts penny, nickel, and dime, with twice as many quarters as pennies.
Posted by: mollishka | August 14, 2009 7:15 PM
$103.57 or, for those of you who use the metric system, $103.57
Posted by: John McKay | August 14, 2009 7:18 PM
$70.16. Just 'cause, really.
Posted by: Electric Landlady | August 14, 2009 7:21 PM
$47.98
Posted by: Bjørn Østman | August 14, 2009 7:33 PM
$96.88
Posted by: Dallas Krentzel | August 14, 2009 7:35 PM
$134.36 is my guess
Posted by: Alex Kozak | August 14, 2009 7:36 PM
55.71
Posted by: Jack | August 14, 2009 7:54 PM
$138.26
I decided to estimate things on my own before reading any comments (and then was amazed to see 114 comments ahead of me), but my method, and most of my math came out remarkably close to that in #70
Posted by: KNA | August 14, 2009 8:19 PM
ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!$
Posted by: Skattered Kitten | August 14, 2009 8:39 PM
81.20 dollars
Posted by: IBY | August 14, 2009 9:29 PM
Uncle Al goes for $81.81.
Posted by: Uncle Al | August 14, 2009 9:30 PM
$65.43
Posted by: Dan | August 14, 2009 9:32 PM
$54.40
Posted by: Ernesto | August 14, 2009 9:49 PM
$120.22
Posted by: Mike | August 14, 2009 10:13 PM
$37.37
Posted by: Stuart Coleman | August 14, 2009 11:07 PM
The link in post 84 gives an experimental rate that MBA students averaged an estimate of $5.13 for a jar of coins worth $8.00. Taking that ratio with the statistics in post 107 (mean 82.4 median 74.9) gives 116.80 to 128.50 as a range of guesses. Splitting the largest gap in that vicinity (127.18 to 134.36) puts my guess at: 130.77.
Posted by: dzdt | August 14, 2009 11:18 PM
$61.50.
I will explain my method if I win.
And probably if I don't.
Posted by: John Novak | August 14, 2009 11:40 PM
Well, I calculate that the average coin should have a value of 10.5 cents and diameter of 20.7 mm. Estimating the volume and packing fraction, I get a fairly high value close to another guess. I'll round it up a bit to take a region of parameter guess space that is sparsely sampled: $182.72
Could work if there are some Sac dollars in there.
Posted by: I.P. Freeley | August 15, 2009 12:16 AM
@67.74
Posted by: IndiScigrl | August 15, 2009 12:44 AM
89,53
Posted by: Michael Bo | August 15, 2009 6:42 AM
$29.80
Posted by: js2004 | August 15, 2009 7:42 AM
Assuming the visible ratio of the various coins is representative, and there's an inch layer of coins (hard to estimate depth), $77.77
Posted by: Jason A. | August 15, 2009 10:11 AM
$79.68
Posted by: osborne | August 15, 2009 10:13 AM
Excuse me, something I didn't consider. Change my guess to $63.37
Posted by: Jason A. | August 15, 2009 10:15 AM
I scoff at actually trying to estimate! Favorite numbers for the win!
10*e*pi=85.40
Posted by: eNeMeE | August 15, 2009 11:45 AM
$101.78, by arguments to be revealed if I win.
Posted by: Evan Berkowitz | August 15, 2009 11:55 AM
$37.52
Posted by: Brian | August 15, 2009 12:06 PM
36.42.
Posted by: betsyl | August 15, 2009 12:11 PM
$137.00
Posted by: Excited state | August 15, 2009 12:17 PM
$17.46
Posted by: Meredith Schwartz | August 15, 2009 12:37 PM
$33.65
Posted by: PixelFish | August 15, 2009 12:43 PM
The sorted list of values so far, up to comment 139, up to data entry errors, and excluding the 1E6 outlier, is: [1, 15.82, 17.46, 21.56, 22.59, 24.78, 25, 28.52, 29.8, 31.07, 32.57, 33.65, 35, 36.11, 36.42, 37.37, 37.43, 37.52, 37.55, 42.42, 45.7, 46.23, 47, 47.98, 48.72, 49.95, 50, 50.85, 52.37, 53.09, 53.27, 54.40, 55.71, 56, 57.13, 57.37, 57.75, 59.4, 60.42, 60.5, 60.54, 60.87, 61.50, 62.9, 63.19, 63.37, 63.79, 64.80, 64.90, 65, 65.43, 66.66, 67.54, 67.56, 67.74, 68.27, 68.29, 68.71, 70.16, 71.63, 72.72, 73.19, 73.58, 74.93, 75.07, 77.43, 77.87, 77.88, 78.97, 79.68, 80.07, 80.81, 81.2, 81.54, 81.81, 82.28, 82.47, 83.2, 83.5, 84.60, 85.40, 86.96, 87.52, 87.63, 87.87, 89.53, 90.43, 90.87, 92.38, 93.41, 94.33, 95.37, 96.88, 98.4, 98.45, 98.76, 99.99, 100, 101.78, 103.57, 105.04, 105.69, 108.01, 110.25, 115.22, 116.53, 117, 120.22, 120.94, 123.47, 124, 126, 127.13, 127.18, 130.77, 134.36, 135.06, 135.93, 137, 138.26, 140.05, 141.28, 144, 147.42, 150.92, 166.32, 176.96, 182.72, 183.31, 200, 210.14, 327.32]
The mean is 83.72, standard deviation 44.90, geometric mean, 71.65, median 77.43 (hey, that's only 44 cents less than my guess, a lifetime ago, which was a deliberate attempt to follow the wisdom of the crowd as it existed at the time, in lieu of being able to ask steelykid to please count). The duplicate I thought was present was in fact the same number entered twice by the same person, so there were no duplicates and there still are not.
The median difference between entries in the sorted list is now 0.95. In the center two quartiles the average difference between entries in the sorted list is 0.69. A curious property of the list is that the median value has a difference of 2.36 from the entry immediately below it, which makes that gap currently a very good bet, on the dubious statistical hypothesis that the a priori probability density mirrors the crowd. My subjective choice is to define my Bayesian prior in terms of the crowd's current wisdom, and update when more crowd arrives. Not that I'm a good Bayesian.
If my impeccable statistical analysis contributes to someone winning, I want half of it.
Posted by: Peter again | August 15, 2009 1:28 PM
i've counted pigs and boxen full of coins for vacation many times... my guess is $182.21
Posted by: alumiere | August 15, 2009 1:56 PM
Ah heck, I'll play.
$83.94
-kat
Posted by: katster | August 15, 2009 2:15 PM
$119.77
Posted by: Tim G | August 15, 2009 3:00 PM
$60
Posted by: CJV | August 15, 2009 3:34 PM
$53.83
Posted by: McB | August 15, 2009 3:59 PM
Hmmm...
$105.95 is my total off the wall guess.
Posted by: Tanya D | August 15, 2009 4:33 PM
$ 77.01
Posted by: Mary Aileen | August 15, 2009 6:17 PM
$ 128.91
Posted by: PP | August 15, 2009 6:23 PM
$61.52
Posted by: CQ | August 15, 2009 7:02 PM
$62.26
Posted by: Ian Preston | August 15, 2009 9:03 PM
$75.35 as a pure guess.
Posted by: Neilos | August 15, 2009 10:20 PM
$128
Posted by: umvue.blue | August 16, 2009 12:04 AM
27.00
Posted by: Anna | August 16, 2009 12:05 AM
97.80
Based on number of coins of diff. values on top layer and number of layers.
Posted by: dschreib | August 16, 2009 12:34 AM
$74.01
The first four digits in my Air Force serial number 61 years ago. Now why do I remember that and cannot remember what I had for lunch yesterday?
A 79-year-old veteran. "Hi Mom!"
Posted by: Dick Johnson | August 16, 2009 10:05 AM
$30
Posted by: Mike from PA | August 16, 2009 12:43 PM
$84.09
Posted by: Ron | August 16, 2009 12:44 PM
$77.22
Posted by: Paul | August 16, 2009 12:59 PM
I'm a sucker for this sort of game:
$110.88
Posted by: red rabbit | August 16, 2009 1:15 PM
47$
Posted by: Maitreyi | August 16, 2009 4:45 PM
$93.80, twice what my last change haul brought at the bank.
Posted by: Craig | August 16, 2009 4:49 PM
$27.35
Posted by: adexterc | August 16, 2009 5:39 PM
When faced with a tough decision, I always ask myself "What would Bill and Ted do?" $69.69
Posted by: Clark | August 16, 2009 7:01 PM
76.20.
>If my impeccable statistical analysis contributes to someone winning, I want half of it.
But Peter, how'm I gonna give you half? It's a manuscript.
Posted by: Sue VanHattum | August 16, 2009 8:12 PM
102.67. From years of using quarters for laundry.
Posted by: Jon | August 16, 2009 8:26 PM
$112 because no one else had guessed it so far
Posted by: Melanie | August 16, 2009 9:12 PM
67,18... how deep is the box anyway, the angle of the picture make it hard to guess :o
Posted by: Adam | August 16, 2009 9:16 PM
I am going to skew the median - my guess is $12, 398.41
Posted by: scott fanetti | August 16, 2009 11:34 PM
$123.71
Posted by: Kathleen Blank | August 17, 2009 12:08 AM
$51.23
Posted by: CCPhysicist | August 17, 2009 12:15 AM
Ah, the move @168 will not skew the MEDIAN value much at all.
Posted by: CCPhysicist | August 17, 2009 12:17 AM
$100 even.
Posted by: Colin M | August 17, 2009 8:50 AM
$47.23
Posted by: Tom | August 17, 2009 10:15 AM
$52.53
Posted by: Amber S | August 17, 2009 10:27 AM
We have a winner. Congratulations to Michael Day, comment #48.
Posted by: Chad Orzel | August 17, 2009 1:50 PM
$88.10
Posted by: James H | August 17, 2009 8:50 PM
I don't know how trackbacks work, so I just wanted to tell you I put this in the Math Teachers at Play #14, over at Math Mama Writes
Posted by: Sue VanHattum | August 20, 2009 11:51 PM