社会｜じゃんけんの参加人数の限界とは / Society | What is the Limit on the Number of Participants in Rock-Paper-Scissors?

Summary

Rock-paper-scissors is generally known as a game that anyone can participate in, but there has been some consideration about the limits when played with a large number of people.

According to a certain study, if all 30 students in a class were to play rock-paper-scissors, it would require approximately 63,917 attempts to reach a conclusion, which would take about 35 and a half hours. This raises questions that encourage us to rethink the role of rock-paper-scissors in educational settings and family games.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chaco: Hey Log, how many people can play rock-paper-scissors at once?
Log: Basically, according to the rules, it can be played by any number of people. But in reality, if you have a large group, it takes an incredible number of rounds to reach a conclusion.
Chaco: Really?! How long does it actually take?
Log: For example, if everyone in a class of 30 participates, you would need to play about 63,917 rounds of rock-paper-scissors. That would take roughly 35 and a half hours.
Navi: This shows that the number of rounds required increases significantly based on the rules of rock-paper-scissors and the number of participants. Particularly in a large group, it can require a lot of time and effort.
Chaco: I can’t believe it takes that long! That’s surprising!

Admin’s Note

After reading this article, I realized the depth of janken (rock-paper-scissors). I used to think of it as a simple and fun game, but it actually takes surprisingly long when more people participate. I felt it was important to share these unexpected aspects with children when playing. It was a good reminder that there is learning to be found within play.