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\centerline{\bf STANFORD UNIVERSITY \& UC BERKELEY}
\centerline{\bf DEPARTMENTS OF STATISTICS}
\centerline{\big BERKELEY-STANFORD COLLOQUIUM}
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\centerline{4:15 p.m., Tuesday, December 2, 2003}
\centerline{3:30pm Coffee in 361 Evans Hall, UC Berkeley}
\centerline{4:00pm Talk in 60 Evans Hall, UC Berkeley}
\centerline{5:30pm Reception in 1011 Evans Hall, UC Berkeley}

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\centerline{\sl Persi Diaconis}
\centerline{\sl Stanford University}
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\centerline{\bf A statistician flips a coin}
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Abstract:

Is coin tossing "random" or physics? In joint work with Richard
Montgomery, we have carefully done the physics and can prove that coin
tossing is biased to come up the way that it started. Assessing the
practical size of the bias involves an excursion into inverse problems
and the working of high-speed slow motion cameras.

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