Object
Judson's Flip-Flop Logic Puzzle (Prisoner's Dilemma Variant)
A logic puzzle displayed on the blackboard in Judson's office that uses colored panels to route marbles through a vertical drop system. The diagram shows three pivoting windows with different color paths that split and recombine, where the ball's final exit channel depends on the alternating window positions. This serves as a tangible demonstration of zero-sum logic problems, specifically the Prisoner's Dilemma (flip-flop logic), where individual rational choices lead to suboptimal collective outcomes. The setup occupies most of Judson's blackboard, scratched with chalk lines from extensive use, marred by a few smudged erasures. Ace traces the glass with her fingertip while studying the arrangement despite the Doctor's distraction. Judson's workbench holds printed materials on the same theory, and the game symbolizes his professional preoccupation with optimal strategies and sacrifice in codebreaking.
3 appearances
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used