How Does Paper Beat Rock?

[BeeNee]

We all know the game that has been settling things between adults and kids alike since forever. Yup, Rock, Paper, Scissors. The idea is that you put your fate in your own hands by throwing down in a quick game to decide who the true winner of whatever argument or decision you have is. Rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats...rock? Wait, but how the hell does paper beat rock? And while we're here, do scissors always lose against rock?

Let's assume for a minute that the above photo of said objects is what we were playing with in reality. The implication is that in order to defeat, "the enemy," you must in fact, destroy it with whatever your weapon of choice is. No one can argue that scissors beat paper. Scissors are sharp, and it's common knowledge that with a few well placed cuts, even the worst scissors could destroy a standard sheet of paper. Beyond that, in the event paper wrapped itself around the scissors, odds are, the scissors would still puncture the paper.

What about scissors vs. rock though. Given there are no actual rules on how the destruction must happen, I guess the argument is that we could drop said rock from a high enough distance and the force would destroy the scissors, or simply repeatedly banging on the scissors, would eventually lead to it's destruction...and yes, sure all of that is true, but could the same not be said for the scissors. If we were to drop a set of scissors from a great enough height, and it happened to say land dead on, could the points not shatter the rock? If I take scissors and scrape and scrape, given enough time, could I not also destroy the rock? There is no time limit as to how long you have to actually defeat your enemy, so it's plausible that scissors could in fact, beat rock.

This now brings us to the infamous paper beating rock situation and why I think this is such a flawed argument. Thus far, the explanations of scissors beating paper, and rock beating scissors have resulted in the their defeat stemming from their complete and total destruction; a shredded piece of paper and a smashed set of scissors incapable of performing as they once did. So how then, does simply covering a rock make it incapable of still being a rock? If I were to take that same paper covered rock and throw it at a window, the rock could still shatter it. I could still drop a paper covered rock on a pair of scissors from a great height and break it. The properties of the rock have not changed. Perhaps with the added weight of the paper, it would make it that much more lethal to an enemy, but certainly not incapable of eliciting the damage that can be done by a standard sized rock. Add to that, if the rock has sharpened edges and crooks, much like scissor being covered by paper, is not the paper actually more than capable of sustaining damage rather than the rock itself.

I think the idea of this game is for us to break with reality and not accept what we know to be true about the nature and properties of rocks, paper, and scissors. If there were size, weight, and property specifications about these items, maybe some more valid points could be made, but without those, I believe this game remains majorly flawed.

[vishna]

Love rock paper scissors :3 such a great game. !!

[Unit1]

It does make me want to think of an alternative to paper. Something, that scissor must beat and the same thing, that beats the rock.

hmmm...

Perhaps a high wattage laser beam? It should be able to make the rock crack by the accumulated thermals but the scissor has metallic parts, that can reflect the laser beam away or back to the laser pointer, destroying itself by getting damaged by it's own laser's reflection.

I should win a prize for making this at least somewhat more sensical.

[Hai_tis_E]

Hold a piece of paper out infront of you and get someone to throw a rock at it. Probably will bounce off. Rock can't break paper unless said person has excessive force.

[BeeNee]

Aha! That's exactly what I'm saying in my mytake... if I just put a rock on top of scissors it's not going to do any damage, but if I drop it from a great height, it will break the scissors, soooo it stands to reason that if I were to throw a rock at a piece of paper, it would burst through. It all depends on the distance and force... none of which are actually specified in the rules of this game. It doesn't say, you can only be one foot a way when you try to destroy the rock with the paper or the scissors with the rock.

[Hai_tis_E]

I don't think whoever made it up thought of all of this, only the obvious reasonings.

[LittleSally]

It can envelop rock... But I don't think it's meant to be a thinker. It's a kid's game I think.

[Nuala]

Rock smashes scissors, scissors cuts paper, and paper covers rock.

[Anonymous]

It covers it. That's how it wins.