Charlie teaches his class “Math for Non-Mathematicians” the Monty Hall problem, where a game show contestant must decide whether to change their minds if given the option of 3 cards.
Numb3rs: Ultimatum Game
Charlie explains the Ultimatum Game to Nikki and why some people are willing to hurt themselves for revenge. When Nikki gives him $30 out of $100, she’s showing that concerns for equity lead people to act differently than what’s “optimal.”
Survivor — 21 Flags
Survivor: Thailand played a unique game for an elimination challenge by having contestants remove flags until a team has the final flag. This game illustrates the concept of backward induction in game theory, by having teams think backward from the final move. Once the optimal strategy is acquired, we realize that there is a first mover’s advantage.
Numb3rs: Prisoners Dilemma
Charlie explains the effects of the Prisoner’s Dilemma and how they can “trick” the prisoners into confessing the crime. It’s a little different than the traditional set-up, but still fun to watch.
Freakonomics: Potty Training
Levitt’s incentive scheme for potty training his daughter, Amanda, backfires.
Freakonomics: Cheating Teachers
This is a great clip to introduce the concept of unintended consequences. While not all students are familiar with the struggles of potty training, nearly all of them can relate to the incentives of cheating on a standardized test.
ABC News: Mission Impossible: Lost in New York
12 strangers, divided into pairs must find the other person in New York City with only $100 and no idea who they’re looking for. This simultaneous game gives student a peek into a different type of game compared to what is traditionally taught in a principles course. The idea of common perceptions is that even though we all come from different backgrounds, we tend to focus on the same landmarks when trying to make decisions.
Read the full story from ABC News