Here is a concise summary of the text:
**Title:** Marilyn Vos Savant and the Monty Hall Problem
**Summary:**
* Marilyn Vos Savant, with an IQ of 228, was listed as the world's smartest person in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1985.
* In her column "Ask Marilyn", she sparked a heated debate by correctly solving the Monty Hall Problem, a probability puzzle.
* The problem: On a game show, a contestant chooses one of three doors; the host opens one of the other two, revealing a goat. Should the contestant switch their choice?
* Vos Savant's answer: **Yes**, switching doors increases the probability of winning from 1/3 to 2/3.
* She faced intense backlash, with many (including math professors) disagreeing, but was eventually vindicated by experts and simulations.
* The controversy highlighted the importance of understanding probability and the dangers of assuming a 50/50 chance when additional information is available.
* The text also touches on Vos Savant's background, her criticism of compulsory schooling, and promotes an online learning platform, Brilliant, which offers courses on probability and critical thinking.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences:
1. **Marilyn Vos Savant's IQ**: Marilyn Vos Savant has an IQ of 228.
2. **Birthplace and Date**: Marilyn Vos Savant was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 11, 1946.
3. **Parental Background**: Her parents were immigrants from Germany and Italy.
4. **Parental Treatment**: Her parents never told her she was exceptional.
5. **Guinness Book Record**: In 1985, she topped the Guinness Book of World Records as the smartest person in the world.
6. **"Ask Marilyn" Column**: She started a Sunday column called "Ask Marilyn" in Parade Magazine, which still exists today.
7. **The Monty Hall Problem**: In 1990, she addressed the Monty Hall problem in her column, sparking a fierce debate.
8. **Initial Public Reaction**: Approximately 90% of the thousands of letters she received in response to her answer claimed she was wrong.
9. **Expert Criticism**: Initially, experts including mathematicians like Professor Robert Sachs of George Mason University, publicly disagreed with her.
10. **Verification of Her Logic**: MIT and others eventually verified that her answer to the Monty Hall problem was correct.
11. **Switching Doors Increases Odds**: Switching doors in the Monty Hall problem increases the probability of winning from 1/3 to 2/3.
12. **Education**: Marilyn Vos Savant never graduated from university, dropping out of Washington University in St. Louis after two years.
13. **Career Path**: She started a career in investment before pursuing writing.
14. **Criticism of Compulsory Schooling**: Vos Savant is critical of compulsory schooling, believing it promotes passive learning over independent thinking.