How To Use Science To Win At Rock-Paper-Scissors?
Mathematics + Decision Theory + Psychology = Win
Rock-Paper-Scissors is a children’s game. What does it have to do with science? Well, there are branches of science that figure out how games work. One such branch happens to be game theory.
And that’s where our story begins. Game theory researchers have been trying to figure out a winning strategy for the typical rock-paper-scissors game, and have come up with intriguing results.
The results turn out to be surprisingly counterintuitive, yet simple. If you are interested in winning a random game of rock-paper-scissors at a party or two, read along. But remember to credit science if you do indeed end up dominating your friends.
Rock-Paper-Scissors — The Rules
For starters, it makes sense to revisit the rules of the most common version of the game. It involves 2 players, and 3 elements — rock, paper, and scissors. Each player calls one of the three available elements simultaneously. And the stronger element wins over the weaker element. Typically, the cumulative best out of 3 rounds wins.
Rock is superior to scissors, scissors are superior to paper, and paper is superior to rock (illustrated by the triangle in the image above). You’ll…
