Joe Levi:
a cross-discipline, multi-dimensional problem solver who thinks outside the box – but within reality™

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock

“Rock, paper, scissors,” sometimes called jan-ken-pon, rochambeau, or roshambo, is typically a two-person game of chance used to help with decision making. Unlike truly random selection methods (such as coin-flipping), a player can often recognize and exploit the behavior of an opponent, tipping the odds in their favor.

To help combat this, the cast from That 70’s Show adds Nuclear bomb and cockroach to the choices.

A geekier version involved Sheldon, a physicist on the CBS sitcom Big Bang Theory, making his own variant of the game that adds two options to the standard three: lizard and Spock.

In this variant, the rules are extended such that:

  • Scissors cut paper
  • Paper covers rock
  • Rock crushes lizard
  • Lizard poisons Spock
  • Spock smashes scissors
  • Scissors decapitates lizard
  • Lizard eats paper
  • Paper disproves Spock
  • Spock vaporizes rock
  • and as it always has, rock crushes scissors

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2 Responses

  1. zohner says:

    The Big Bang Theory is one of my favorite shows. Sheldon has got to be the most funny character in all of television right now.

  2. joelevi says:

    Agreed. He's the geek we all love to hate… 🙂

    Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

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