Utility Maximizer's guide to replicators, networks, game theory, and civilization
Imagine you could only interact with the other people in a small town. The personalities, interests, and hobbies that you could be exposed to are limited by geographical location. In a small population, there may be some people with fringe ideas or unusual interests, but not in great enough numbers to form dedicated communities. But … Continue reading The paradox of interconnectedness
Fungibility of money -> efficient sorting of dominance hierarchies My favorite (now former) Twitter user, Mimetïc Value, tweeted the following. (It appears he took the tweet down for unknown reasons, so be aware this may not represent his current views): Without money, ascertaining your status is tricky business. First, compare yourself to someone else. Then, … Continue reading Money and Honor
I unequivocally believe that the industrial revolution was a good thing. It improved our quality of life in an uncountable number of ways we take for granted. Modern medicine, modern media, modern transportation. Everything modern is a product of the industrial revolution. However, nothing is perfect; economist Thomas Sowell points out that in economics there … Continue reading Legitimate criticisms of industrialization
In decision theory, the term "game" has a specific definition that is different from everyday use. Because this blog is based on decision theory, it is worth nodding to that fact. However, that is not the subject of this post. This post is about the term “game” in common usage. I would like to both … Continue reading Why do we play games?
Epiphany a Week 