A Problem You'll Never Solve
Description
Watch my newest video, "The Game You Win By Losing (Parrondo's Paradox)": https://youtu.be/PpvboBJEozM
Curiosity Box: https://www.curiositybox.com
MrBeasts $1,000,000 Dilemma: https://youtu.be/NkYCWqzBc7M
Newcombs Paradox has confounded philosophers, mathematicians, and game players for over 50 years. The problem is simple: You can take Box A, which contains $1,000, *and* Box B, which contains either $0 or $1,000,000, or you can just take Box B. The right choice seems obvious -- but theres a catch.
Before you play, an omniscient being has predicted whether youd take both Box A and Box B or *only* Box B. If hes predicted that youll take both, hes put $0 in Box B. If he predicts that youll only take Box B, hes put $1,000,000 inside. So what do you do?
I explore the two approaches to this problem, one based on the math of expected utility and the other based on a logical dominance principle. Newcombs Paradox raises questions about free will and determinism as it explores whether a problem with no solution might be easier than a problem with two perfectly valid contradictory solutions.
*** SOURCES ***
Newcomb's Problem And Two Principles Of Choice, by Robert Nozick
http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/rjohns/nozick_newcomb.pdf
Newcombs Paradox poll results from The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/alexs-adventures-in-numberland/2016/nov/30/newcombs-problem-which-side-won-the-guardians-philosophy-poll
*** LINKS ***
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Hosted, Produced, And Edited by Kevin Lieber
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kevlieber
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevleeb
Research And Writing by Matthew Tabor
https://twitter.com/matthewktabor
Huge Thanks To Paula Lieber
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Craftality
Get Vsauce's favorite science and math toys delivered to your door!
https://www.curiositybox.com/
Select Music By Jake Chudnow: http://www.youtube.com/user/JakeChudnow
MY PODCAST -- THE CREATE UNKNOWN
https://www.youtube.com/thecreateunknown
Curiosity Box: https://www.curiositybox.com
MrBeasts $1,000,000 Dilemma: https://youtu.be/NkYCWqzBc7M
Newcombs Paradox has confounded philosophers, mathematicians, and game players for over 50 years. The problem is simple: You can take Box A, which contains $1,000, *and* Box B, which contains either $0 or $1,000,000, or you can just take Box B. The right choice seems obvious -- but theres a catch.
Before you play, an omniscient being has predicted whether youd take both Box A and Box B or *only* Box B. If hes predicted that youll take both, hes put $0 in Box B. If he predicts that youll only take Box B, hes put $1,000,000 inside. So what do you do?
I explore the two approaches to this problem, one based on the math of expected utility and the other based on a logical dominance principle. Newcombs Paradox raises questions about free will and determinism as it explores whether a problem with no solution might be easier than a problem with two perfectly valid contradictory solutions.
*** SOURCES ***
Newcomb's Problem And Two Principles Of Choice, by Robert Nozick
http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/rjohns/nozick_newcomb.pdf
Newcombs Paradox poll results from The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/alexs-adventures-in-numberland/2016/nov/30/newcombs-problem-which-side-won-the-guardians-philosophy-poll
*** LINKS ***
Grandayy Links
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/grandayy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/grandayy
Vsauce2 Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VsauceTwo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VsauceTwo
Hosted, Produced, And Edited by Kevin Lieber
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kevlieber
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevleeb
Research And Writing by Matthew Tabor
https://twitter.com/matthewktabor
Huge Thanks To Paula Lieber
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Craftality
Get Vsauce's favorite science and math toys delivered to your door!
https://www.curiositybox.com/
Select Music By Jake Chudnow: http://www.youtube.com/user/JakeChudnow
MY PODCAST -- THE CREATE UNKNOWN
https://www.youtube.com/thecreateunknown
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