Comments on: Episode 9: I Consider Concision to be One of My Principal Virtues http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/12/18/tft-episode-9/ Overthinking It subjects the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:05:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: Sean Nixon http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/12/18/tft-episode-9/#comment-13979 Sean Nixon Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:14:03 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=12136#comment-13979 Well actually, In the prisoners, if neither of you snitches you do 6 months, but if both of you snitches you do 2 years. If only one of you snitches, he gets off free and the other gets 10 years. (On the third listen, I could kind of see that maybe you had it right in your head but it was unclear. So, sorry if I was just being a douche there) You are right, that no matter what the other person does, you are better off snitching. (As much as the Wire has taught us the contrary) The interest is that the Nash Equilibrium is not the globally optimal. If no one talks the two of you together only go to the hoosegow for a year. In fact, in a system where that same choice occurs multiple times (you and your crony suck at crime, but not enough that the cops have you cold). The optimum (unproven) solution is to do whatever your partner did last time. Well actually,

In the prisoners, if neither of you snitches you do 6 months, but if both of you snitches you do 2 years. If only one of you snitches, he gets off free and the other gets 10 years. (On the third listen, I could kind of see that maybe you had it right in your head but it was unclear. So, sorry if I was just being a douche there)

You are right, that no matter what the other person does, you are better off snitching. (As much as the Wire has taught us the contrary) The interest is that the Nash Equilibrium is not the globally optimal. If no one talks the two of you together only go to the hoosegow for a year.

In fact, in a system where that same choice occurs multiple times (you and your crony suck at crime, but not enough that the cops have you cold). The optimum (unproven) solution is to do whatever your partner did last time.

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