Philosophy
When it comes to games of chance, there's usually a fairly easy way to win: cheat. Of course, if you get caught, the price you pay might be your knee-caps...
Another way is to be up to date on your probability theory, play a game of non-transitive dice, and be careful about which dice you choose to play with.
Transitivity is a property whereby if A bears some relation to B, and B bears the same relation to C, then A also bears that same relation to C. For instance, if A>B, and B>C, then A>C. But not all games are transitive. Rock/ Paper/ Scissors would be an example of a non-transitive game because rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats rock (don't ask why).
Now, you might not think so (I certainly didn't), but it turns out you can make non-transitive dice, and if you play your cards right, or dice, I suppose, you can beat two different players at the same time. Here are two Cambridge professors explaining this mathematical insanity that's sure to stimulate your noodle:
And if that was too fast for you, check out a more detailed explanation that you can read as slowly and carefully as you need.
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We picked up a great game, bananagrams. Don't let the cutesy name fool you, it's a good one. It's really just two sets of scrabble tiles with no point values. Each player gets 21 random tiles and it is a race to make a complete board out of...
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Had a student in my logic class mude with some friends about the universality of games. It turns out that kids in the US, Burma, and Nepal all play both hide and seek and freeze tag. Their question was whether that was an indication that these games were...
- What Is Evidence?
Over at Beep! Beep! It's Me!, BeepBeep asks a good question -- what is evidence? It gives me an excuse to dust off the old philosopher of science hat... Evidence-for vs. Evidence-that Rudolf Carnap (the patron saint of rigorous philosophy of science)...
- Christine O'donnell And Logical Transitivity
For her latest debate, Christine O'Donnell was trained by the same inimitable experts who prepared Sarah Palin for those interviews and debates that will consign her to eternal fame among rhetoricians. In the process, O'Donnell provided an...
Philosophy
Non-Transitive Dice to Blow Your Mind
When it comes to games of chance, there's usually a fairly easy way to win: cheat. Of course, if you get caught, the price you pay might be your knee-caps...Another way is to be up to date on your probability theory, play a game of non-transitive dice, and be careful about which dice you choose to play with.
Transitivity is a property whereby if A bears some relation to B, and B bears the same relation to C, then A also bears that same relation to C. For instance, if A>B, and B>C, then A>C. But not all games are transitive. Rock/ Paper/ Scissors would be an example of a non-transitive game because rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats rock (don't ask why).
Now, you might not think so (I certainly didn't), but it turns out you can make non-transitive dice, and if you play your cards right, or dice, I suppose, you can beat two different players at the same time. Here are two Cambridge professors explaining this mathematical insanity that's sure to stimulate your noodle:
And if that was too fast for you, check out a more detailed explanation that you can read as slowly and carefully as you need.
.
- Should Managers Have Their Own Baseball Cards?
The shorter of the short people has started collecting baseball cards. It's been a real hoot for me, seeing some of the old cards I used to have back when I was a kid. It's also provided ways to parent covertly because many cards give me a chance...
- What Is Style?
We picked up a great game, bananagrams. Don't let the cutesy name fool you, it's a good one. It's really just two sets of scrabble tiles with no point values. Each player gets 21 random tiles and it is a race to make a complete board out of...
- Universality Of Games
Had a student in my logic class mude with some friends about the universality of games. It turns out that kids in the US, Burma, and Nepal all play both hide and seek and freeze tag. Their question was whether that was an indication that these games were...
- What Is Evidence?
Over at Beep! Beep! It's Me!, BeepBeep asks a good question -- what is evidence? It gives me an excuse to dust off the old philosopher of science hat... Evidence-for vs. Evidence-that Rudolf Carnap (the patron saint of rigorous philosophy of science)...
- Christine O'donnell And Logical Transitivity
For her latest debate, Christine O'Donnell was trained by the same inimitable experts who prepared Sarah Palin for those interviews and debates that will consign her to eternal fame among rhetoricians. In the process, O'Donnell provided an...