By Ainissa Ramirez and Salima Koroma
The coin flip is so synonymous with randomness that the phrase has become a metaphor for unpredictability itself. We even trust the coin toss with our nation’s most popular sport: Every NFL game begins with a flip to decide which team will kick or receive.
But while everyone intuitively knows there’s a roughly 50-50 chance the coin will land on either side, few understand exactly what makes a coin toss random in the first place.
Watch the video to find out the answer.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Introducing TIME's 2024 Latino Leaders
- How to Make an Argument That’s Actually Persuasive
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- The Ordained Rabbi Who Bought a Porn Company
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
- The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024
Contact us at letters@time.com