casualsex.substack.com/p/the-escalation-ladder
1 correction found
Newcombe’s paradox
The decision-theory thought experiment is called “Newcomb’s paradox/problem,” named after William Newcomb (no “e” at the end).
Full reasoning
In the post, the author refers to “Newcombe’s paradox”.
However, the well-known decision-theory thought experiment is spelled Newcomb’s (not “Newcombe’s”) and is named after William Newcomb.
- Wolfram MathWorld’s entry is titled “Newcomb's Paradox” and discusses the standard two-box setup under that name.
- Wikipedia likewise calls it “Newcomb's problem, also known as Newcomb's paradox”, and notes it was created by William Newcomb.
Because the established name (in multiple standard references) is Newcomb’s, the post’s “Newcombe’s paradox” is a misspelling of the name of the paradox/problem.
3 sources
- Newcomb's Paradox -- from Wolfram MathWorld
MathWorld lists and describes the decision-theory thought experiment under the title “Newcomb's Paradox.”
- Newcomb's problem - Wikipedia
“Newcomb's problem, also known as Newcomb's paradox, is a thought experiment…” and “Newcomb's paradox was created by William Newcomb…”
- William Newcomb - Wikipedia
“William Newcomb … is best known as the creator of Newcomb's paradox…” (showing the standard spelling and the origin of the name).