Newcomb's paradox, named after its creator, physicist William Newcomb, is one of the most widely debated paradoxes of recent times.
The paradox goes like this:
A highly superior being from another part of the galaxy presents you with two boxes, one open and one closed. In the open box there is a thousand-dollar bill. In the closed box there is either one million dollars or there is nothing. You are to choose between taking both boxes or taking the closed box only. But there's a catch.
The being claims that he is able to predict what any human being will decide to do. If he predicted you would take only the closed box, then he placed a million dollars in it. But if he predicted you would take both boxes, he left the closed box empty. Furthermore, he has run this experiment with 999 people before, and has been right every time.
What do you do?
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My Answer18% Voted for by Diemgordon, Makessenseright, Dead Kennedy Rolls, WhiteShadow, jonesz12. (7 total)
I’d take the closed box: either I prove him wrong or get a million dollars. Either would be nice. Besides, the thousand dollar bill isn’t legal tender. So to hell with that.
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sell your story, get information from alien!8% Voted for by redbrita, pirandello, happysassycassie.
whatever you do, you could sell your story for lots, so ask to get a photo and live footage! and maybe a few tips on technology and philosophy
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Take a chance..8% Voted for by Elise, ohsweetie2788, looking4realtruth.
I would take the closed box only. Because, with it there is a 50 percent chance at a million dollars. And even if you are the person the being is wrong about, the open box only has a thousand dollars. And a thousand dollars really isn’t that much money. So, I’d risk it for the chance at a million. Besides, it would be a random event, possibly coming into this money, so not getting any wouldn’t be a huge deal. Because it’s not like you earned it or anything.
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Cannot leave God out of itIf God is real; He is always the final solution, so God must appear in every thread on Philosophy, or My God would not have power. The answer to this silly paradox is an absolute answer:5% Voted for by Glamorous, frndofyaweh.
There is nothing to choose, The alien needs the money more than I. -
silly, but5% Voted for by Glamorous, frndofyaweh.
I take nothing and God will give me double that amount for refusing to play this folly
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Well..5% Voted for by LoveTripper, justonewish.
If you know everything about the situation (everything you told us) then the obvious answer is to take the closed box. Had he not said that he left the box empty if a being will choose both boxes then there is not one specific answer. If one is very poor.. I would think they should take the thousand dollar bill. If one has lots of money and a thousand dollars would be considered insignificant compared to their wealth, then the choice should be to take the closed box only. Again, both of those actions are in the situation that the higher being has NOT said that he puts a million dollars in the closed box if the subject chooses to take only the closed box rather than both.
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Not quite Newcomb's paradox5% Voted for by andyourname, MindsEye.
The question was asked incorrectly. In Newcomb's paradox you don't know the accuracy of the predictor, and the boxes are set on the previous day... thus providing the paradox. If you assume that the predictor is accurate you will just take the closed box and get a million dollars, or nothing. However, if you assume the predictor is inaccurate you take both boxes and may get a thousand dollars, or one million one thousand dollars. What I find interesting about this paradox is that people typically answer the question immediately, and believe that their response is the only "correct" answer, but the responses are split almost exactly fifty -fifty for each response!
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Hm...5% Voted for by p b without the j, The Blind Bandit.
I'd just say to hell with it, and play scrabble or something...and try to find out the meaning of life. And also, I don't want or ever have a need for a million or a thousand dollars...or nothing. I need pudding or batman...and yeah...he's not giving me any.
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duh5% Voted for by WhiteShadow, jonesz12.
If he is always right, take the closed box and get the million dollars. Besides, 1,000 dollar bills do not exist or at least aren't in production anymore. You'd have a hard time explaining where you got it to a bank I think.
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Donate the Closed Box5% Voted for by crazimyke, gwee.
I'll take the Closed Box and donate it to the Tibetan monks or something. If there's a million, good, they get to build a new temple, get some ipod shuffles etc. If not, I am sure their Zen training will ensure they can smile about the irony of it all and go back to their lives as per normal.
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I think it's obviousVoted for by absynth-dream.
I would just take the closed box, and then I would be a millionare.
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Isn't It Obvious?Voted for by ChubbysLady71.
Or maybe I'm missing something here...
Of course, I'd choose the closed box, on the assumption that the alien's prediction, always right so far, would be right this time, too.
Maybe I'm not getting this? Anyone??
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Clever little alien...Voted for by crazimyke.
I would take both boxes. The alien claims to be able to predict what decision people will make.. this is because he knows that people are greedy and don't like taking risks. Obviously, they'll take the sure-shot for 1,000,000 instead of risking it for 1,001,000. Either way, I would give at least the vast majority of the money to charity (I might sneak a few hundred for video games or something), but if it turns out that I'm right, then I just proved that bitch wrong, and if it turns out that I'm wrong.. no big loss, just some money.
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You think too much into itVoted for by cerokhol.
If I was in that situation I would simply knock the alien out and take alll the money he had with him not just the 2 boxes
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Newcomb's paradoxVoted for by Beena.
Look at it from this angle: If the being is superior and can predict or know what I think then this being will also know that the one person who chooses the empty box is the one after money. True, the really greedy will choose both boxes and will lose, but the one who chooses the empty box will lose too, because the being being superior will know what greed is. So, the person who chooses to let the money remain with the superior being out of concern for him, even though he/she needs the money will win both boxes full. The one who chose not to choose any box out of greed for making it double, will lose too. The reason is because, if the being is that superior, that being has to be God, and if He ran the experiment, it would be more to see who refuses the money even though there was a need. Not one of you imagined that if you refused the money and not expected anything at all, would get it all. I know someone is going to come and call me nuts, I just know it.
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out of sheer curiosity...Voted for by ohsweetie2788.
i would just take the closed box. though theoretcially using the numbers and me being the 1000 person to do it i should take both to get money i would want to know if he were right or not and i would end up with 1 million if i he were right. plus he has never guessed wrong. at the same time too prove him wrong i might take both boxes and be the first person he got wrong…it would be a tough decision cuz on one hand he could have predicted wrong with me and i could get a lot of money and on the others hand he could be right and i only get 1000, this is tough. i would just take the closed box…like i am sure most people would…we are all greedy on the inside where it counts…i’m sure he expects that.
Ash
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The closed boxVoted for by Scrap.
Regardless of his ability to predict. Even if I heard the opposite, that he’d put nothing in the closed box if you you took it, I’d STILL take it out of sheer chance to see if the whole thing was a rumor. It’s not like I’d be LOSING 2,000 dollars, I never had it in the first place.
Plus I don’t think there’s such thing as a two-thousand dollar bill.
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easyVoted for by eightball.
tell him you don't need his money. if all he does in life is give people the choice between $1,000 and $1,001,000 he needs the money more than i do. tell him to get a life and go home and play halo or something.
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May 5, 2005
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P.S.
Even if you replace the thousand-dollar bill with ten hundreds, making it a legal tender $1,000, I'd take the closed box. Proving this arrogant clown wrong is worth a lot more to me than $1,000. So is $1,000,000.December 21, 2006
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