Partly Yours, Partly Lost

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Some places stay with you long after life has moved elsewhere. There is something strange about destiny. You just cannot overcome it, but at the same time, you cannot simply do nothing because something is destined to happen. In India, it is not uncommon to have your horoscope charted about a year after birth. Grandparents wait with bated breath to hear how well the stars were aligned, and what remedies might be needed to appease the Gods. So when I was a year old, my grandmother took my birth date and time to Dharmaraja Ghanapadigal, one of the most revered astrologers in Pudukkottai. He apparently told her that I would do reasonably well in studies, travel to multiple countries, and eventually live abroad. Here was an old lady asking about her grandson from a small town. My parents were then living in Gobichettipalayam. This was the eighties, long before economic reforms had changed the country. My grandmother thanked him politely, but quietly wondere...
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Teaser!

On a lazy afternoon, as I was getting ready to do something in my research, I got this forward from Deepak Challa. Post your answers in the comments.

The question reads thus:

You are on a game show.

The host tells you, ‘I want you to open one of these three doors. Behind two of the doors is a bale of hay. Behind one of the doors is a million dollars. Choose a door’.

You choose door number one.

The host, who knows what is behind each door, says, ‘Before I open door number one for you, let me show you what is behind door number two’.

He opens door number two, revealing a bale of hay and then says, "Now I can open door number one for you, or if you want, you can switch doors and choose door number three, what do you want to do?"

What should you do, and why? Or does it even matter what you do?


Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 4, 2006 at 10:10 PM

    It was an unwarranted action by the host to unveil the contents of one door. If you are an optimist, you would go ahead with opening the door of your original choice ,a pessimist, you would open the other door. For me it matters what you do, because people will always keep springing surprises on you, but you have got to keep going, believe in yourself, and believe that you are destined to succeed. There is always a door open for the eternal optimist.

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  2. AnonymousApril 6, 2006 at 11:51 AM

    Probability increased from 33% to 50%. Its like tossing a coin in air.
    You live with your call. I stick with the first one. If I get hay in that,
    I would probably sell it to a farmer and get make a burger out of it :-)
    Dude, Smitha and her hubby Suhas visited this weekend from Wwashington.
    Had loads of fun together.

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