The issue was decided by a 50:50 chance in the meiosis taking place in my father’s body in November 1886 and producing the spermatozoon which a few days later was to be effective in begetting me. Exactly the same story could be repeated about chromosomes Nos. 1, 2, 3, …, 24 of my paternal set, and mutatis mutandis about every one of my maternal chromosomes. Moreover, all the 48 issues are entirely independent. Even if it were known that my paternal chromosome No. 5 came from my grandfather Josef Schrödinger, the No. 7 still stands an equal chance of being either also from him, or from his wife
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