Apparently 17 pennies placed in a row or stacked-up measures one inch. For this demonstration, take one of those seventeen pennies and mark an “X” on Lincoln’s face. No disrespect intended, but X-ing out his memorial may be too sacramental.
Check the winner’s odds for your state lottery, if your state has one. Most of them are around 14 million to 1. Math Time: 14 million pennies, divided by 17 converts to 823,529.4 inches; divided by 12 equates to 68,627.4 feet; and everyone knows 5,280 feet makes a mile, which brings us down to 13 miles of pennies… Most likely in a row.
To get a better understanding of how lottery odds work for you is to think about driving past all 14 million of those pennies for a distance of 13 miles. Zooming along at 60 miles per hour, gives you 13 minutes time to reach out and pick just one penny. If you grabbed the penny with the “X” on it… You Win!!!
To really drive the point ta-home, (no pun intended) hold out your stack of 17 pennies. You’ll have that stack handy because it’s the same pile you just used to prove to your friend that 17 of them actually equals an inch.
Now, ask your friend to pick one. Even at 17 to 1 odds chances are your friend will more than not, not pick the penny with the “X.”
Fact is, if you don’t play the game, you can’t win anything, and you don’t lose anything. It’s best not to think about it.