"In a far away land, the following facts are true and known to everyone: 1) A person who ingests a poison will die within the hour UNLESS that person ingests a stronger poison, which acts as an antidote and restores complete health. 2) Smith and Jones are the only manufacturers of poison. 3) Each makes several types of poison. 4) All poisons have different strengths. 5) Smith and Jones do not have access to each other's poisons."
"There will be a ceremony. First, both of you will take a swig from the other one's vial. Next, you will both take a swig from your own vials. You will then be watched for one hour. It is in your own interests to bring your strongest poison. The person who brings the strongest poison will obviously survive. The other person will clearly die."
"Smith and Jones leave, both very disturbed. They do not want to die, and neither is confident of having the strongest poison. Nor does either have any way of getting access to the other's poisons. They wrack their brains all week trying to think how they can best ensure their own survival. The appointed time arrives. The ceremony takes place exactly as planned by the Queen. Smith and Jones swig each other's vials and then their own. They are watched carefully for one hour."
Smith and Jones are two poison manufacturers who each make several poisons of distinct strengths and cannot access each other's supplies. In a planned ceremony each must drink the other's vial then their own; a stronger poison antidotes a weaker one. Both face incentives to bring their strongest poison. They contemplate strategies but cannot be certain who has the strongest. At the ceremony both drank each other's vials and then their own. They were observed for an hour. Both died of poisoning because both had previously ingested a weak poison and brought water instead of strong poison, so no antidote was present.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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