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🕑 Added 2025-05-05 09:18:31 +0000 UTCThe Supreme State of Science
Chapter 50 - Mathematics
Connie, Sheldon’s grandmother, was also sitting on the couch watching the live game. She seemed more focused than George. She even forgot to drink the beer she was holding.
“God almighty, I don’t care what the process is, please let your miracles bless the Longhorns so they can win in the end…” Connie prayed aloud.
“Mom, are you betting again?” Mary asked, surprised, while knitting a scarf.
Jimmy, interested in the game, never would have imagined that the old lady enjoyed betting so much. The thought led him to believe that, if she put her mind to it, she’d probably be good at playing cards.
As a mathematical genius, Jimmy was capable of doing truly amazing things with ease.
Connie, who loved to bet, wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip now that she could watch the games live on the giant screen set up at her son-in-law’s house. The experience seemed simply wonderful to her.
However, her luck hadn’t been on her side lately. Not only had she lost all her money, but she had also accumulated some debts.
When she heard Mary’s question, she firmly replied, “No, I didn’t.”
But the truth was, this time, she had bet on the Longhorns simply because the name sounded nice to her.
Connie wasn’t good at games of chance where probability played a key role.
Outside of the couch, Sheldon had sat in front of the TV, pretending to be interested to seem sociable. However, his attention was on the science book he was holding in his hands.
Hearing the commotion from the rest, he looked up to watch the game.
At that moment, the Longhorns’ kicker was already on the field, preparing to make his play.
Seeing the scene, Sheldon paused for a moment and commented, “From a statistical point of view, it’s very reckless to opt for a punt on fourth down…”
In front of the TV, George—who was also concerned about the Longhorns—shared the decision made by the coach. To him, it seemed completely reasonable.
But hearing Sheldon’s opinion, George Jr. turned to his brother and said, “Now you think you know better than everyone else? You just want attention.”
According to George Jr., Sheldon—who had never shown interest in American football—had no right to speak up.
Sheldon, however, wasn’t affected by the comment. Instead, he analyzed the situation seriously:
“The data shows that when a team is attacked by the opponent from their own five-yard line, there is a 92% chance that the opponent will score.”
“And when the team decides to punt from that same position, the opposing team still has a 77% chance of scoring. But if the team decides to risk it and continue attacking, then they have a 50% chance of getting another set of four downs.”
“Therefore, the data suggests the Longhorns shouldn’t punt.”
Sheldon’s analysis was so logical that it left everyone on the couch in silence. Even George Jr. seemed to reconsider his existence.
Then Connie, looking at the little genius, smiled and whispered in her daughter’s ear, “Mary, tell me the truth… Who’s his real father?”
From a genetic perspective, George and his oldest son had average IQs, but Sheldon’s was exceptionally high.
Mary rolled her eyes at her mother’s comment and continued knitting without saying a word.
George, the team coach, finally reacted and said to Sheldon, “I’ve been into football my whole life, and my experience tells me you’re wrong.”
“Really? One moment…” Sheldon responded, lifting his gaze after his father’s challenge. He thought for a moment and then said, “My calculation is correct. If the Longhorns lose the ball, the opponent will only score another 6 points…”
As Sheldon explained, on TV, the Longhorns did the punt… and indeed, the opposing team scored 6 points.
Amidst the lamentations, Connie leaned toward Mary again and murmured, “Tell me the truth, is the optometrist with glasses his real father?”
“Mom…” Mary looked at her without saying anything, clearly not intending to play along.
George, humiliated by the reality, didn’t comment on the game in front of Jimmy for the rest of the afternoon.
Half an hour later, the Longhorns were defeated by a wide margin.
Connie, furious, almost took out the betting ticket to tear it up, but noticing Mary’s gaze, she restrained herself.
George hadn’t enjoyed the game since that punt. His mind kept dwelling on Sheldon’s words. Although the game had ended, he couldn’t help but say, “Sheldon, even though the Longhorns lost, the decision to punt in the third quarter was absolutely correct…”
George Jr., not missing an opportunity, confronted Sheldon again. He blamed him for the loss.
Sheldon, who didn’t want to argue with them, turned his head to Jimmy: “Jimmy, as a more advanced mathematical genius than me in this field, please tell them if my analysis was correct.”
Under the gaze of everyone, Jimmy hesitated. He really wanted to tell Sheldon that there was no need to ruin the enthusiasm of those who enjoyed the sport and the betting.
So, after thinking for a moment, he said, “Sheldon’s analysis is correct, but he didn’t take into account the strength of the players on the field.”
After the first two quarters, it was clear that the Longhorns were significantly inferior to their opponent.
By the third quarter, whether they punted or not wouldn’t have changed the result.
Throughout the entire game, the Longhorns’ chance of losing was 99.9%.”
“Thanks for the addition.” Sheldon closed his book and added, “Next time I’ll consider other factors.”
After that, Sheldon went to his room with his thick book in his arms.
Seeing him leave, Connie also got up, caressing the betting ticket in her pocket.
A while later, George, still thoughtful, said to Jimmy seriously, “I don’t think probability can overshadow the effort of the players.”
“Of course, that’s the charm of the sport.” Jimmy nodded with a smile.
He had calculated before that the Longhorns had a 99.9% chance of losing, which still left a margin of uncertainty.
After hearing his approval, George seemed relieved. He then mentioned something he considered minor: “Jason, the guy you hit, will be back next week.”
Although Jason wasn’t the most pleasant personality, he was a veteran of the football team and had played many games. If he didn’t return in time, Jimmy could take his place as the starting running back.
But now that Jason was back, George, as the coach, couldn’t just leave him out of the starting lineup for personal reasons.
“I understand.” Jimmy nodded with maturity, understanding the coach’s position. Seeing George’s uncomfortable expression, he added, “I’ll respect the team’s decisions.”
Moved by his sensibility, George hesitated for a moment and then promised, “Don’t worry, Jimmy. I promise you’ll have the chance to play.”
Melford High’s football team wasn’t particularly strong, and in most tournaments, they were eliminated in the first round.
That was why George didn’t dare to put Jimmy—who still lacked experience—on the field so soon.
All for the sake of achieving better results.
