Dude wheres my car12/3/2023 You might think that the obvious thing for them to do is to split the difference between their probability estimates. Now you might have already had the thought that it’s quite obvious what Jesse and Chester should do - and that they, and you, can skip the philosophy class. But, surprising as it is, perhaps this is precisely what they ought to do. If only Jesse and Chester had taken a philosophy class! Despite the frequency with which people forget where they left their cars, not many people have thought of turning to philosophy for a practical resolution of this problem. Jesse and Chester’s disagreement threatens to be an impediment to action - the danger is that, if they can’t agree, they’ll sit at home watching Animal Planet on TV all day and make no progress finding the car! But let’s assume their disagreement persists after such a discussion, or that their memories are so fuzzy that their probability estimates are more like hunches rather than being based on any evidence that they can cite. Of course, if they had evidence and reasons for their probability estimates, then they could discuss them and see if that leads them to arrive at agreement. And suppose that each thinks that the other has just as good judgement as themselves. By Jesse’s estimate it seems they should go straight to the twins’ house by Chester’s estimate it seems they should first go to the pizza place. Now suppose that Jesse thinks the chance of the car being at the twins’ house is 90%, while Chester thinks it’s only 60%. That is, the possibility of avoiding the long walk to the pizza place is worth the 20% risk that the car will not be at the twins’ house, and they show up without presents. Suppose Jesse and Chester decide that, if there’s at least an 80% chance that the car is at the twins’ house, then they should go straight there, rather than first traipsing all the way to the pizza place on foot. Simplifying the plot a little, let’s assume that Jesse and Chester both agree that the other possible location of the car - besides the twins’ house - is the pizza place on the other side of town. The problem is that, while Jesse and Chester both think it’s quite likely that Jesse’s car is at the house the twins live at, which was the scene of the previous night’s party, they also know that if they go there and the car is not there, the twins will be upset with them for showing up without anniversary presents. Unfortunately, the anniversary presents they bought for the twins are in Jesse’s car. Jesse and Chester have been dating the twins, Wanda and Wilma, for exactly one year, and it is the day of their anniversary. In the cult film Dude, Where’s My Car?, Jesse and Chester wake up in their house, after a night of partying, and are unable to remember where Jesse’s car is.
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