I dunno - I once calculated the odds of a 1000000:1 shot actually succeeding. I can't remember what it worked out at, but it wasn't good. | [reply] |
Usually this only happens when that "nearly impossible thing" is something that you don't want to happen. Like, there's only a 1000000:1 chance that whatever magic you are trying to do will rip apart the fabric of reality and let unspeakable things from the dungeon dimensions in...
"Believe me, Mike, I calculated the odds of this succeeding against the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid… and I went ahead anyway." (Crow in "MST3K The Movie")
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In the story it's something they do want to happen. The chance that the shot will succeed so they make things harder and harder 'til they reckon they have made the odds right.
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