Here’s another brain basher: Newcomb’s Paradox

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?

For some reason, I can’t see the paradox in this. I would 100% choose the closed box, because that would net you $1 million. There is apparently an argument that if were to take both boxes, you would always gain $1k more because it is guaranteed in the open box (read the above linked essay for more details). Am I missing something here? Comments?

Posted by Kevin in Blogs Tags: brainteaser, dumb