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How to outsmart the Prisoner’s Dilemma - Lucas Husted

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TEDEd Animation

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Two perfectly rational gingerbread men, Crispy and Chewy, are out strolling when they’re caught by a fox. Instead of simply eating them, he decides to put their friendship to the test with a cruel dilemma. He’ll ask each gingerbread man whether he’d opt to Spare or Sacrifice the other. What should they choose? Lucas Husted dives into the classic game theory scenario: the Prisoner's Dilemma.

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The prisoner’s dilemma is a fictional example of strategic interaction. Can you think of some other settings that look like the prisoner’s dilemma. How do (or would) repeated interactions change the nature of these “games”?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Lucas Husted
  • Director Ivana Bošnjak, Thomas Johnson Volda
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Ivana Bošnjak
  • Art Director Ivana Bošnjak, Thomas Johnson Volda
  • Compositor Ivana Bošnjak
  • Animator Ivana Bošnjak, Thomas Johnson Volda
  • Composer Adam Alexander, Gavin Dodds
  • Sound Designer Adam Alexander
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Script Editor Cella Wright
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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