Ever noticed how in a crowded lift going up, the people getting off on the lower floors are at the back of the carriage and the people going to the top are next to the doors? Thos going the furthest are in a poition to get out first, before those going a shorter distance.
And when you finally finish off the carton of juice or bottle of coke from the fridge, the last drop always fills the glass to the top, without overflowing.
I started wondering about these things while watching a boring movie at the cinema (yes, it was that bad).
Well, like most mysteries of the universe, the answer is in the maths.
The volume of juice in the carton or bottle is a function of the volume of the average glass size. Since most people will either fill the glass most of the way, or fill it half way when taking a drink, (when was the last time you saw someone pour themselves two-thirds of a glass), the volume of drink left at the end is usually exactly one glass full.
And the lift? Well, in a shocking discovery this week, I found out that if people are waiting for a lift to arrive in the morning to go up to work, those going to the higher floors arrive after those going a shorter distance. They then fill the lift carriage in the order they arrived.
But exactly why this occurs remains a mystery…
