National Poll: Are you first or last to wake-up in your home?

First to wake: 49.0%
Last to wake: 51.0%
Men: 48.5% 51.5%
Women: 50.1% 49.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 70.4%

AWOL

Rest assured that even though it takes me a week or so to get stuff posted, I'm still recording it. College life has a tendency to make you really busy when midterms start. Anyway, enjoy the results from the last few polls.

National Poll: During dinner, is your TV usually On or Off?

On: 67.8%
Off: 32.2%
Men: 67.7% 32.3%
Women: 68.2% 31.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 76.0%

National Poll: Which is more unlucky? Friday the 13th or a Broken Mirror?

Friday the 13th: 45.4%
Broken Mirror: 54.6%
Men: 47.0% 53.0%
Women: 41.4% 58.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 39.5%

National Poll: Where do you like to sit on a bus? Near the front or Near the back?

Near the front: 39.0%
Near the back: 71.0%
Men: 35.4% 64.6%
Women: 47.9% 52.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 71.0%

National Poll: When lost, which are you more likely to do? Ask for directions or Find it without help?

Ask for directions: 59.8%
Find it without help: 40.2%
Men: 54.3% 45.7%
Women: 73.9% 26.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 62.4%

Worldwide Poll: If you had a time machine where would you go? To the futuer or To the past?

To the future: 57.9%
To the past: 42.1%
Men: 59.3% 40.7%
Women: 54.5% 45.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 72.0%

Liars!

The last poll brings me to an interesting idea and question. Do you lie when you vote? Don't take the question too personally, otherwise you'll miss the point that I'm trying to make. Do you think that 70% people actually "smile and say hello" when they approach someone or just wish that they would? I have no problems saying that I generally avoid eye contact with most people as I'm walking to and from my classes--most of the time because I have my face stuffed in some book--but really, I just don't generally smile and talk to people I don't know as I'm walking about. I don't consider myself an introvert, either. It just isn't the best time in the world to start having a conversation. Don't get any wrong ideas about this. I don't shun people I don't know and I do, on occasion, smile and greet people as I'm walking around. Just not most of the time.

So, the main point is do people vote the actual truth or the idealized truth? I tend to think the latter at times. What do you think?

National Poll: When approaching someone, which are you more likely to do? Avoid eye contact or Smile and say hello?

Avoid eye contact: 30.4%
Smile and say hello: 69.6%
Men: 31.9% 68.1%
Women: 26.3% 73.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 66.5%

I call shenanigans. I spend much of my time on a college campus and this does not prove accurate (for my life at least). In fact, I would say that the percentage normally runs quite the opposite. The world would be a much nicer place if 70% of people smile and say hello as you walk by.

Does anyone else disagree with the results or do you believe that they are true? Why or why not? Discuss! I would be interested in what you have to say about it.

National Poll: Someone has knocked over a store display. Do I... Stop and pick it up or Continue to walk past?

Stop and pick it up: 56.6%
Continue to walk past: 43.4%
Men: 54.9% 45.1%
Women: 61.2% 38.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 45.4%

National Poll: Which will happen first? Time travel or Finding life on Mars?

Time travel: 23.9%
Finding life on Mars: 76.1%
Men: 23.7% 76.3%
Women: 24.6% 75.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 77.0%

I always find it funny when one state is noticeably different from the rest. So, what does this say about Wyoming?

National Poll: You have plans when it starts raining. What do you do? Keep my plans or Change my plans?

Keep my plans: 67.1%
Change my plans: 32.9%
Men: 67.2% 32.8%
Women: 66.9% 33.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 49.5%

Was this question poorly framed? I kind of think so, but maybe that's the bitterness of loosing the prediction still talking. When I read this, I was thinking outdoor plans because they're the only type of plans affected by rain, aren't they? Apparently not, since I was not in the majority. Or was I? According to the Prediction Accuracy, this was an upset. Most people think that plans would change, even though they wouldn't be the ones to change them. So, poorly framed question or poorly predicted answer?

National Poll: Which do you spend more time doing? Surfing the internet or Watching TV?

Surfing the Internet: 53.8%
Watching TV: 46.2%
Men: 56.5% 43.5%
Women: 47.3% 52.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 50.3%

What does this say about how TV is marketed to the general public? Who knows?

National Poll: Is there such a thing as a stupid question?

Yes: 80.5%
No: 19.5%
Men: 81.2% 18.8%
Women: 78.9% 21.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 80.0%

I can understand where the adage came from. Sometimes, people are embarrassed or ashamed to share their thoughts with others, so they need to almost excuse themselves by saying "This might be a stupid question, but..." Those questions aren't the stupid ones. So what constitutes a "stupid question" then? That's a tough question to answer. I suppose saying something like, "I know one when I hear one" isn't enough for the argument at hand. If I had to place it somewhere, I would say it's one part irrelevance and another part inexcusability. But then, I don't know if I fully understand what that even means. Any thoughts?

National Poll: Which sound irritates you more? Chewing or Snoring?

Chewing: 42.9%
Snoring: 57.1%
Men: 42.0% 58.0%
Women: 45.1% 54.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 68.2%

New Label and Such

I'm still getting used to the fact that Blogger takes what I know to be "tags" and calls them "labels". Anyway, I've made a new label for a phenomena I've found among the EV results. I call them "Upsets" because that's what they are. When the majority of the people (read: >50.0%) predicting get the answer wrong, I will label it as an Upset. This is just another way for you to better search all of the results that have been posted here.

Speaking of things like this, if there is anything that you think might be helpful for searching through this stuff or enhancing the experience (if you will), let me know! Drop me a line! Again, I just find this stuff fascinating and I hope that perhaps at some future point we can start discussing these polls a little in the comments.

Worldwide Poll: Do you believe in fortune-telling?

Yes: 30.1%
No: 69.9%
Men: 24.6% 75.4%
Women: 41.9% 58.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 60.6%

As with the other worldwide poll, I have to edit the individual country results all together. I haven't gotten around to it, but I will. I promise.

National Poll: How do you see a zebra? Black with White Stripes or White with Black Stripes?

Black with White Stripes: 21.8%
White with Black Stripes: 78.2%
Men: 21.6% 78.4%
Women: 22.2% 77.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 80.1%

Just in case you're having difficulty deciding on what you would say, here's a reference picture for you:

I'm a Zebra. Click me.