Ask Marilyn
In 1990 the Monty Hall problem was presented to the readers of Marilyn vos Saavant’s colmn “Ask Manlyn” in Parada magazine.
Vos Savant, who according to the Guinness Book of World Records has the world’s highest IQ told her readers to switch .
She said that sticking with the first choice give a one-third chance of winning but switching doubles the odds to two-thirds.
Her answer was met with outrage.
she was besieged by mail from readers who disagreed whit her answer and maintained that the odds were only fifty-fifty. At one point the deluge of mail was nine to one against her .
Many of those disagreeing with her answer were professional mathematicians and statisticians.
According to some mathematical experts, her answer was indicative of the national crisis in mathematical education.
She was accused of contributing to the Mathematical illiteracy in this country.
She was about to be run out of town by pitch fork wielding mathematicians and torch bearing statisticians