News

Game theory in the popular press.

 

Game theory and economics in the news

May 4, 2005 The Economist, The tragedy of the commons, contd
A cause for the world's diminshing supply of fish "is the age-old 'tragedy of the commons', whereby anyone with access to a shared valuable resource has an interest in over-exploiting it, and it is in nobody's interest alone to maintain it."
April 30, 2005 New Scientist, Voters empowered by internet swap shop
Online vote swapping sites in the US and UK allow people to trade their votes for those in districts where they can have more impact. (by Celeste Biever)
October 15, 2004 Wall Street Journal, Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord -- But scientists differ [pdf]
What happens when people play public contribution games during a brain scan? We discover that people like punishing defectors even at a cost to themselves.
April 8, 2004 Fox News, Private investment protects environment where government fails
Environmental protection suffers from the tragedy of the commons where public lands suffer due to a lack of property rights.
April 1, 2004 Mercury News, Wages are key to offshoring
Argues that outsourcing of American jobs is a tragedy of the commons in which each company raises its profits but leads to less purchasing power at home.
March 22, 2004 The New Yorker, Times regained
New York City development suffers from a tragedy of the commons in which no one has incentive to invest in the quirky, but the City benefits from the weird.
October 17, 2003 LinuxWorld, The powerful economic underpinnings of OSS
Argues that open source software does not cause a tragedy of the commons but in fact turns the tragedy "into a Tragedy into a Cornucopia."
September 23, 2003 KESO News Channel, Man behind recall urges Schwarzenegger or McClintock to drop out
Worried that the two republican frontrunners will split the vote, Congressman Issa issues a threat to oppose both.
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September 23, 2003 New York Post, Why Clark will fade
Argues that the Clintons wish to change the game for personal gain, propping up weak candidates to prolong confusion.
September 7, 2003 New Haven Register, SCSU student tackles the U.S. electoral system
Analyzes the power of each voter under varying presidential election rules.
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July 27, 2003 New York Times, How to vote? Let us count the ways
Describes alternative voting systems and metions Arrow's Impossibility Theorem (by Michael Cooper)
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July 11, 2003 San Francisco Chronicle, Republicans agree, in theory, to unite on one candidate
California republicans face a tragedy of the commons as more candidates entering against Governor Davis implies a smaller chance of any Republican winning.
June 24, 2003 New York Times, A mathematician crunches the Supreme Court's numbers
Do Supreme Court members vote independently or are there clear and repeating patterns?
May 19, 2003 Gotham Gazette, Fighting over outdoor space
A modern-day tragedy of the commons as dogs, bicycles, cafes, and others compete for New York's limited sidewalks.
March 13, 2003 Economist, Pro bono publico
Reports on initial simulations of the evolution of cooperative societies, overcoming the incentive to free ride.
February 7, 2003 BBC News, The maths of Lords reform
Models of strategic voting inform how different procedures in Britain's legislature may lead to distinct outcomes.
January 8, 2003 Tech Central Station, The cyberspace commons?
Since many Web resources are public, the tragedy of the commons occurs, diminishing their usefulness.
December 19, 2002 The Economist, Nomadism in Mongolia
Collective herding in Mongolia suffers the tragedy of the commons as some leaders call for privatization.
November 2, 2002 Science News, Election Selection: Are we using the worst voting procedure?
Discusses different voting systems and how the outcomes depend greatly on the specific rules employed.
October 31, 2002 Government Computer News, U.S. should fund R&D for secure Internet protocols
Since security is a public good, developing secure protocols is a tragedy of the commons. (by William Jackson)
October 31, 2002 The Economist, Setting the trap
Applauds U.S.-style antitrust laws that provide immunity to cartel members who come forward as a "clever use of game theory" creating a race to cooperate.
October 24, 2002 The Independent, Fishing industry falls victim to the tragedy of the commons
Global overfishing and a dwindling supply of fish the result of a tragedy of the commons.
October 1, 2002 Dr. Dobb's Journal, The science of complexity
Provides algorithms for modeling complexity: boundedly rational agents playing repeated congestion games
June 12, 2002 Nature, We're doomed to dither
Describes simulations of the minority game, a congestion game in which one prefers not to be part of the crowd.
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March 16, 2002 ABC News, FTC Files Drug Co. Complaint
Generic drug makes paid not to produce generics in cooperation among pharmaceutical manufacturers.
January 23, 2002 HealthScoutNews, Study Reinforces Power of the Golden Rule
The tragedy of the commons may be resolved through indirect reciprocity.
January 10, 2002 Nature, Homo Reciprocans
Human altruistic tendencies result in punishing free-riders, potentially resolving the tragedy of the commons. (by Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis)
November 5, 2001 New York Magazine, The domino theory
Mayoral race in New York includes cascades, strategic voting, and games of chicken
October 10, 2001 Nature, Machiavellian tactics modelled
Strategic voting suggests that we may want to vote for our enemies to improve our situation.
September 10, 2001 Forbes, The tragedy of the commons
Discusses web-based business plans in light of the tragedy of the commons and the need to privatize Web resources.
August 2, 2001 STATpub.com, Researcher proposes North American wheat board
Attempts at collusion present free-riding concerns
June 26, 2001 Sierra Times, The Tragedy of the Commons
Argues that public ownership of forests leads to a tragedy of the commons.
May 3, 2001 The Economist, The line of least resistance
Antibiotic resistance presents a tragedy of the commons.
April 6, 2001 Nature, A lighter shade of egg
Laying a final pale egg deters free riding "egg dumpers" by signaling that incubation has begun.
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January 28, 2001 Traffick, Market forces may solve search engines' "tragedy of the commons"
Submission charges may improve search results, diminishing the tragedy of the commons
November 1, 2000 Discover, May the best man lose
Examines alternate voting systems such as the Borda count and notes that John McCain's chances would have been better without a plurality system.
October 31, 2000 Wired, Vote trade: the democratic way?
Nader and Gore supporters demonstrate strategic voting by swapping votes.
September 1, 2000 Campaign for America, The billionaire's buyout plan
Warren Buffett proposes to change the rules of the campaign finance strategic voting game
August 27, 2000 New York Times, A tale of two fisheries
Fisheries in Rhode Island suffer from the tragedy of the commons
August 23, 1999 New York Times, Multimedia Transmissions Drive Net Toward Gridlock
Lack of Internet pricing schemes leads to a tragedy of the commons and high congestion.
November 18, 1996 Wall Street Journal, Even a losing bid can pay off
Examines strategic moves that result in other participants paying you to play the game.
October 1, 1995 Libertarian Party News, Proportional voting system would benefit the LP
Examines alternatives to the electoral college and the strategic voting implications of each.
September 1, 1993 Atlantic Monthly, Can selfishness save the environment?
The Greenhouse Effect results from a tragedy of the commons which can be overcome with tit-for-tat strategies.
April 1, 1983 The Freeman, Free riders face a rocky road
Argues that even though employees free ride on union power by receiving benefits without being members, this is a valid check on union power.
1968 Science, The Tragedy of the Commons
The cornerstone article popularizing the notion of tragedy of the commons.