So when trying to decide whether fluctuations in the quantity of neutrinos are related to anything else, statistical techniques have to be used to rule out the possibility that any observed correlation is a fluke.

ECONOMIST: Particle physics

The algorithm could be of great interest to Twitter, which could charge a premium for ads linked to popular topics, but it also represents a new approach to statistical analysis that could, in theory, apply to any quantity that varies over time: the duration of a bus ride, ticket sales for films, maybe even stock prices.

FORBES: Twitter Trending Prediction Algorithm: Possibly Of Most Use To Journalists

"By the end of the semester, my students know they're normal, but not because their quantity, quality or frequency of sex falls within some statistical range, compared to other people, " she says.

CNN: Are you 'normal' in bed?