SDS participated in the Thinkery’s May adult-only event, “Thinkery21: Get Your Game On.” The Thinkery in Austin is a private non-profit organization that offers children hands-on, interactive STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) exhibits and programs. The general target age of the Thinkery entrant is newborn through eleven years old. However, adults want to have hands-on fun, too; thus, the monthly “Thinkery21” event that provides adults the chance to explore and learn.
May’s Thinkery21 theme was “Get Your Game On,” which celebrated the love of games. As a department, we decided that the classic Monty Hall problem would be simple to play but challenging enough to keep people interested. Dr. Nathaniel Woodward developed an interactive computer app that allowed participants to play the game in real time and make the same decisions participants in the show would make. The classic setup involves three doors, two choices, one car, and some goats. The goal of the game is to win the car. Participants make their first door selection using the app and then also execute their “keep” or “switch” choice after seeing what’s behind the first door. Dr. Woodward and Steven Hernandez hosted the game and provided explanations about the two strategies and why one (switch) is statistically better than the other. As an incentive for playing the game, winning participants were given a baked good provided by Baked from Scratch ATX. Organizers of the event said the booth was one of the most popular of the night!
