Jack Peacock and Joshua Maxey

In 2014 Jack Peacock and Joshua Maxey undertook a BSc project supervised by Vijay Tymms to look into aspects of statistics in the game of darts. By use of computer modelling and analysis of a sample of several players’ throwing styles they concluded that the standard dartboard, by way of its left-right asymmetry, slightly favoured right-handed players. This prediction was tested and confirmed (or, rather, not refuted) by comparison with professional players on the darts circuit with the proportion of right-handed players being significantly higher than the proportion of right-handed people. Their work was written up for publication and appeared in the April 2015 edition of Significance magazine.