By our best estimates there is a 1 in 500 chance betelgeuse will go supernova in my life time. I really hope I beat the odds on this one!

@freemo You know that only works if it is a one-in-a-million chance!

@trinsec The way it works is simple really.. 1) Our current best estimates state that Betelgeuse will go supernova at some point in the next 100,000 years (other than that we can pin down when it will start and when it does start it will all happen rather fast)... Next we know on average our galaxy experiences 2 supernova a year. So if you have a life span of ~ 100 years that works out to ~1 in 500.

@freemo Well, I was referring to http://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Million-to-one_chance ;)
Don't forget to utter that phrase as well! Then you have actually got a chance of 9 in 10 of witnessing that supernova!

@trinsec Man... now i need to reread some discworld stuff! It really is one of my favorites series and writer.

@freemo He is one of my faves too. I particularly like The Watch series, but The Witches (especially when some Wizards get involved as well) can amuse me a lot too.

@trinsec I dont even think I have favorites, but I do really like the rincewind character. The guy is the hero everywhere he turns but is convinced it is all just coincidence, which in discworld is the best way to invoke luck in the first place and why he gets into the scenarios he is in,a nd out of it.. it is a take on the stereotype of the fool that is just so perfect.. him being the fool and oblivious to his extreme luck is why he is lucky at all and why he doesn't just die :)