The ABCs of ESSs. Note: My recorder battery died near the end, so there is no conclusion to the talk, I hope it works to a point anyway.
Music “Chamber of Evolution” by Chamber of Evolution
Powerpoint slides
[tags]Dave Brodbeck, Evolution, Behavioural Ecology, Psychology, ESS, Game Theory[/tags]
Long, long ago (in a galaxy not so far away), when I was in graduate school, game theory was very hot in political theory. (For all I know, it still is.) I had some major problem with the application of game theory to that field, however. First, when dealing with politics, the players are countries, which makes for a very small population. Second, and much more important to my mind, game theory applies to rational players, and it seemed to me politicians (unlike populations of other animals) don’t qualify as rational players. (The theorists were particulary pleased with their equivalence of the nuclear problem to the game “chicken.” Sigh.)
I have some trouble with the use of game theory in economics too. People do not behave, in a day to day, moment by moment basis rationally. Now, populations of animals don’t behave ‘rationally’ either, but, selection works that way, so I have no problem with it there.
Exactly.