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Awesome. Thank you for sharing this. I love the fact that Penn & Teller, along with Rob Pike & Dennis Ritchie (!), knew that Arno Penzias (!!) would choose to

by cs702 3y ago

Awesome. Thank you for sharing this. I love the fact that Penn & Teller, along with Rob Pike & Dennis Ritchie (!), knew that Arno Penzias (!!) would choose to watch clips of Penn & Teller over clips of some soap opera star and some daytime show host. At all times, Penzo thought he had made a choice, but he actually hadn't!

irrational 3y ago
If I had to make this choice in front of another person, I’d always choose the one that came with higher social standing than whatever I really wanted to watch. In other words, I think he did make a choice, but it wasn’t between what he wanted to watch and didn’t want to watch, but between what would look better in front of another person and what wouldn’t.
sumtechguy 3y ago
In magic if there really is a free choice then the choice does not mater and something is marked/tagged in some way. Also many times there is a forced choice but it looks fair.
- bombcar 3y ago
  What gets really fun is when you have a magician who's good enough that which trick you're going to see depends on your choice. It's a free choice, but each option is a force.
- RationalDino 3y ago
  A fun version of the forced choice is that your patter makes it come out the same. "By your choice this animal is doomed!" versus "By your choice this animal is spared!" The person still feels that they made a choice, even though they didn't..
dfxm12 3y ago
Did they know what he would pick, or did they know they could have feigned some computer error in case Arno made the wrong choice and made it seem like he picked Penn & Teller straight away in post? The "magician's choice" wasn't a psychological trick like what you're suggesting. Penn & Teller were the only real people of the choices given.
irrational 3y ago
What would have been a better test of choice would be between Penn and Teller and a science show (I'm not sure what was on TV back then, maybe Carl Sagan and an episode of Cosmos?)

by cs702 3y ago

irrational 3y ago

If I had to make this choice in front of another person, I’d always choose the one that came with higher social standing than whatever I really wanted to watch. In other words, I think he did make a choice, but it wasn’t between what he wanted to watch and didn’t want to watch, but between what would look better in front of another person and what wouldn’t.

sumtechguy 3y ago

In magic if there really is a free choice then the choice does not mater and something is marked/tagged in some way. Also many times there is a forced choice but it looks fair.

bombcar 3y ago
What gets really fun is when you have a magician who's good enough that which trick you're going to see depends on your choice. It's a free choice, but each option is a force.
RationalDino 3y ago
A fun version of the forced choice is that your patter makes it come out the same. "By your choice this animal is doomed!" versus "By your choice this animal is spared!" The person still feels that they made a choice, even though they didn't..

dfxm12 3y ago

Did they know what he would pick, or did they know they could have feigned some computer error in case Arno made the wrong choice and made it seem like he picked Penn & Teller straight away in post? The "magician's choice" wasn't a psychological trick like what you're suggesting. Penn & Teller were the only real people of the choices given.

irrational 3y ago

What would have been a better test of choice would be between Penn and Teller and a science show (I'm not sure what was on TV back then, maybe Carl Sagan and an episode of Cosmos?)