What is the difference between probability and possibility?
In: Mathematics
Probability is the mathematical calculation of how likely something is to happen. Depending on the situation how a probability is calculated can vary.
A possibility is simply the abstract concept of the unknowable future and all the paths it can possibly take. For example if I’m driving and I’m coming to an intersection there is a possibility that someone will just blast through a red light and T bone me. The probability is low but the possibility is not non existent so I should adjust my speed to give me enough time to brake before crossing and once I pass the threshold where braking is impossible and visibility allows me to ascertain whether something like that is indeed going to happen or not I can safely accelerate and ensure I spend the least possible time in that danger zone.
To put it in another way when you’re doing something like rolling dice or pulling cards out of a deck there is the possibility that you get any one of the available numbers/cards, but the probability can theoretically be calculated and defined.
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