by Len Fisher | 3 Jun 2015 | News, Stray Thoughts
The dramatic events at FIFA have some very interesting parallels with Puccini’s opera Tosca. Tosca, the heroine of the plot, is faced with an unenviable choice. Her lover Cavaradossi has been condemned to death by the corrupt police chief Scarpia. Tosca is left alone... 
by Len Fisher | 27 Mar 2015 | Mini Stories from Science
The problem that John Nash analyzed concerned situations (all too common in real life) where cooperation would produce the best overall outcome, but where individuals can be tempted by the logic of self-interest to cheat on the cooperation. When both sides cheat,...