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Heh. First time I played Minecraft, I went to bed at 8AM the next morning (every block you mine, there's a tiny chance of a diamond). I suspect you were experiencing the same mechanism (the next video in the list might be worth saving), and it's also present in gambling (the next bet might be a big win).

It's a Skinner box. If the reward comes every time, or never, the subject loses interest. It's when the reward only comes sometimes that the pigeon keeps hammering the button.




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