
The high school students sitting in small groups in the New York Fed’s Museum and Learning Center had received clear instructions about the 30 paper slips on each group’s table: Using their non-dominant hands, students could grab one piece of paper at a time during each of five 20-second rounds. At the end of each round, each group would receive either double the number of slips left on the table or 10 additional slips. The goal: Maximize the number of paper slips held by each group.