Uploaded June 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Starting fifty years ago, Monty Hall unwittingly turned the math world on its ear — students and professors alike — with a seemingly simple stunt on his game show, Let's Make a Deal. In the midst of a trademark giveaway, he'd show contestants that one of the doors hiding prizes was a dud, and then give them the chance to switch from their current choice to the remaining unopened door. Since then, the debate has raged over whether it's valuable to take Monty's deal. Professor and card sharp Jason Rosenhouse will help participants sort out the math and myth of whether to switch, and then give us the tools to tackle other fascinating and perplexing situations of choice in the face of incomplete knowledge.
Starting fifty years ago, Monty Hall unwittingly turned the math world on its ear — students and professors alike — with a seemingly simple stunt on his game show, Let's Make a Deal. In the midst of a trademark giveaway, he'd show contestants that one of the doors hiding prizes was a dud, and then give them the chance to switch from their current choice to the remaining unopened door. Since then, the debate has raged over whether it's valuable to take Monty's deal. Professor and card sharp Jason Rosenhouse will help participants sort out the math and myth of whether to switch, and then give us the tools to tackle other fascinating and perplexing situations of choice in the face of incomplete knowledge.
