If You Rock, You'll Roll

Is the popular hand game "Rock-Paper-Scissors" a simple and a fair way to decide who has to take out the trash?

Not exactly. Tim Neuschwander '00 reports that choosing ROCK might give you a considerable advantage. As part of a psychology class on statistical analysis, Neuschwander asked 31 subjects to complete a questionnaire and personality test, then challenged them to the game. Test subjects who claimed that they chose their first move randomly actually picked scissors twothirds of the time, succumbing to their opponents' rock selection. "You can double your odds of winning by choosing rock," says Neuschwander.

"If your opening move is always rock, you will win at least 55 percent of the time rather than the expected third."

There is one catch. "If your opponent reads this article, you're out of luck," Neuschwander warns. For more game tips, read Neuschwander's article in the new student publication DartmouthUndergraduate Journal ofScience or click on www.dartmouth.edu/~dujs.