http://www.metafilter.com/tags/crookedtimber Posts tagged with 'crookedtimber' at MetaFilter. Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:21:02 -0800 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:21:02 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://www.metafilter.com/58875/Best%2Dopenings%2Dof%2Dessaysacademic%2Dworks <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2007/02/19/the-challenge-of-affluence">Best opening (or closing) paragraphs of academic works,</a> a discussion at Crooked Timber. (This is of course different from first lines of novels, as discussed <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/35257/Call-me-Ishmael">here</a>, <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2004/09/08/favorite-first-line">there</a>, and <a href="http://www.litline.org/ABR/100bestfirstlines.html">elsewhere</a>. tag:metafilter.com,2007:site.58875 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:21:02 -0800 academic article best book crookedtimber favorite lines opening openinglines paragraph LobsterMitten http://www.metafilter.com/29346/Economists%2Din%2Dhell <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Erasoren/papers/Infinitedecisiontheory.pdf">Problems in infinite decision theory [pdf].</a> You are in hell and facing an eternity of torment, but the devil offers you a way out, which you can take once and only once at any time from now on. Today, if you ask him to, the devil will toss a fair coin once and if it comes up heads you are free (but if tails then you face eternal torment with no possibility of reprieve). You don’t have to play today, though, because tomorrow the devil will make the deal slightly more favourable to you (and you know this): he’ll toss the coin twice but just one head will free you. The day after, the offer will improve further: 3 tosses with just one head needed. And so on (4 tosses, 5 tosses, ….1000 tosses …) for the rest of time if needed. So, given that the devil will give you better odds on every day after this one, but that you want to escape from hell some time, when should accept his offer? More discussion <a href="http://www.crookedtimber.org/archives/000763.html">here</a>. tag:metafilter.com,2003:site.29346 Mon, 03 Nov 2003 10:05:27 -0800 crookedtimber decisiontheory economics gametheory monju_bosatsu