Theory of Aces: High Score by Skill or Luck?

"The legend of Manfred von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron, has taken a knock. The victories notched up by him and other great flying aces of the first world war could have been down to luck rather than skill."

"...while the first paper was mildly controversial with Red Baron fans, the new one is tantamount to dropping an insulting note tied to a spanner, right smack dab into the middle of their aerodrome."

"Throughout human history, people have debated whether success is determined by luck or talent. A new analysis of the performance of the Red Baron in World War I offers an interesting addendum to this debate."

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Theory of Aces: Fame By Chance or Merit?

"With the newspapers filled with stories about minor celebrities, you might think it is easy to become famous. But a theory of fame developed by statisticians suggests people are far more likely to languish unrecognised while a few become more famous than they deserve."

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