'One in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion'

Dr. Jeffrey Rosenthal presents "The Curious World of Probabilities." (Joseph Marranca Photography)

The numbers didn't quite add up. A probe of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's security measures was ordered last year after an improbable number of inside retailers won prizes of $50,000 or more since 1999.

The probe was ordered following an investigation by CBC's the fifth estate. At the heart of the piece was University of Toronto professor Jeffrey Rosenthal, who conducted a statistical analysis for the program. His numbers suggested the odds of 214 insiders claiming major prizes in those years were "one in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion."

This Friday, Dr. Rosenthal will present "The Curious World of Probabilities," part of the Distinguished Speaker Series, presented by the Dalhousie University Department of Mathematics and Statistics. It takes place on June 8, 2007 at 7:30 p.m., at Alumni Hall, New Academic Building, King's College. A reception will follow the talk at 9 p.m.

The discussion will delve into the topics of randomness, uncertainty and probability. Jeffrey S. Rosenthal is the author of Struck by Lightning and a professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Toronto.