Eudaemons

EudaemonsHow the Eudaemons tried to beat Roulette

The Eudaemons comprised a small, but utterly brilliant, group ofstudents from the University of California who invented a devicethat was meant to tell them the winning numbers on the roulettewheel. The group took their name from the philosophy ofEudaemonia with its associated concepts of excellence, virtueand the highest human good (so “noble” were their efforts). Andso these are brilliant young entrepreneurs used the technologythat was available to them in the late 1970s and set out to bust thecasinos.The Eudaemons

Supposedly, the aim was to establish funding for the scientificcommunity. Were not sure whether we buy that: we think theyjust wanted to get rich.During one particularly research intensive summer, two studentsdecided to track the motion of the roulette wheel/ball using acamera, an oscilloscope and some complex trigonometricformulas. The calculations were fairly complicated, and thestudents knew that were they to find a successful system, they’dneed to package it in a system that was concealable, yet effective.The Eudaemons

They divided the roulette wheel into a series of eight octants, andby inputting certain variables and essential data, the device waspurported to predict with a fair amount of accuracy the finalresult of the wheel. Data input was effected via tapping the bigtoe on a micro-switch in ones shoe. This sent a signal to anoutput system that was strapped to the chest, covered by onesshirt. This output system had three solenoid actuators (a devicethat converts energy into motion).The Eudaemons

These actuators would vibrate on various predeterminedquadrants of the stomach to alert the user to the particularroulette octant he or she should bet on. In total, the system tookaround two years to develop. It took two people to make thecontraption work: a bettor and an observer. The observers jobwas to tap input signals with the foot, while the bettor wouldreceive the output signals via the strap across his chest. Theprocess didnt always go very smoothly, and at one sitting asolenoid malfunctioned and burnt a hole into the bettor’s skin.The Eudaemons

Ultimately, the Eudaemons disbanded: many were busilyjuggling fairly hectic academic schedules and their“extracurricular” efforts werent quite as profitable as they’dhoped. The burning incident, in particular, was severe enough tocause two of the groups principal leaders to disband. Together,the Eudaemons amassed around $10,000, and the principle uponwhich the group was founded seemed to be at least partiallysuccessful (though nowhere near as lucrative as the MITblackjack crew who in the early 1990s took some of the majorcasinos on the Las Vegas strip for much more).The Eudaemons

The Eudaemonic Pie is a much fuller version of the story. Writtenby Thomas Bass, the book details some of the teething problemsexperienced by the group, as well as the workings and partialsuccess of their system. Roulette is a tough game to beat,something the Eudaemons learned firsthand.The Eudaemons

Eudaemons

by Max Stern on Nov 03, 2011

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Eudaemons — Presentation Transcript