A thought experiment

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Dupeo

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Mar 10, 2009
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Put your self in a position I found myself in today.

You are in a lab having agreed to an experiment studying the brain. They have instruments set up reading your brainwaves and monitoring your neuron activity. Their hypothesis is they can predict everything you will do based on what your brain does for the seven seconds preceding your decision. About a half hour passes of being uncomfortable at the idea that the scientists in the room with you are predicting every spoken word, nose rub and eye movement seven seconds before it is actually said, rubbed, or moved.

A thought entered my head and a second later I stand up, slap one guy in the face, punch another in the gut, and try to kiss the girl standing next to them. I stand on the couch and point at the vacant air and shout: Watch out! The aliens are coming! The I pee in a plant and leave.

I decide that it was one of the most satisfying experiences I've had in a while. I've start sharing this story and advising people who feel like they're in a rut to do something very unpredictable while people are trying to predict their actions.

Hypothetically, what would you do?
 

Veylon

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Aug 15, 2008
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Yeah, doing something insane would almost be mandatory in this kind of experiment. They aren't going to learn anything if all the predictions involve you continuing to sit there for the next seven seconds.
 

Twilight_guy

Sight, Sound, and Mind
Nov 24, 2008
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I'd sit there and not do anything. It's obviously a psychological experiment designed to test how people react when they think that someone is predicting there behavior.
 

ChickenZombie

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May 25, 2011
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They will show up at your house with a cookie and say "Congratulations, you won science. Here's a cookie" Then you will have a casual get together with big holywood stars (not the stuck up ones, the nice ones) and have a wonderful evening.

Then you will be run over by a semi carrying 300 crates of oranges.


Hm, tough luck.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
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TheDarkEricDraven said:
Sleep with the girl. She KNEW it was coming seven seconds earlier, so that should count as consent...I think.
Hopefully the whole act doesn't take less than seven seconds. ;)

Myself, I'd try and screw with the experiment. Hell, curiosity alone would drive me to see what would create false positives, and my mischievous nature would kick in from there.

Even if I couldn't outsmart the system, it'd be fun to try.

And since:

Veylon said:
Yeah, doing something insane would almost be mandatory in this kind of experiment. They aren't going to learn anything if all the predictions involve you continuing to sit there for the next seven seconds.
I pretty much owe it to them to try.

Or that's my rationale for being my usual self. >.>
 

MegaManOfNumbers

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Mar 3, 2010
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Say the FIRST thing that comes to mind, if they really can predict my thoughts, lets see them predict my impulse thoughts!

Example: COOKIES!!!
 

ShindoL Shill

Truely we are the Our Avatars XI
Jul 11, 2011
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well, at least you helped find the part of the brain that controls punching.
TheDarkEricDraven said:
Sleep with the girl. She KNEW it was coming seven seconds earlier, so that should count as consent...I think.
i dont think so.
but the OP could try out this:
"Hey baby do you want me to wire some electrodes to the pleasure centres of the brain, or should we do it manually?"
i'm wondering what its success rate would be...
 

midshipman01

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Jul 22, 2011
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Twilight_guy said:
I'd sit there and not do anything. It's obviously a psychological experiment designed to test how people react when they think that someone is predicting there behavior.
As a psych man by education and practice, this guy's on the ball. Anything you are told about any experiment before it starts is intentional. If they just wanted to test what they were testing, they wouldn't tell you anything...well, we will, but only at the end when it's traditional to ask if the subject has any questions. Then we'll tell you what was up. Doing so beforehand kills the validity of the test from the get go.

Back in school, even after I'd actually worked in labs myself running experiments, I was still required to be a subject in a certain number of the same each semester. I'd always spend the entire time thinking about what the test actually was and how I might be able to skirt it. Really tough to do if the staff is even halfway competent. I'd usually get it wrong.