Sometimes Lunch With an Old Friend is Really a Job Interview
Don’t count those weak ties out too early- they just may get you a job. LinkedIn is an entire business founded on the idea that weak ties can get you far in the world. Since it launched in 2003, LinkedIn has been helping people create and maintain weak ties for professional networking. It’s become so […]
Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma
Imagine you really hate the iClicker questions in Networks class. I say imagine, because no one actually hates iClicker questions, right? Turns out, the guy who sits next to you every day also hates iClicker questions. The two of you then turn to a hard life of crime and decide to steal the iClicker receiver […]
Strategies of Successful Religions
When we take religion at face value, we can describe it as a simple set of cultural beliefs to abide by. However, this basic definition is quickly transforming to encompass the tangible, animated, and human-like aspects of religion as well. In “The Darwinian Evolution of Religion,” Princeton University professor and author Michael Graziano compares the […]
Traffic Patterns During Government Shutdown
The recent government shutdown has affected many Americans, as certain Federal agencies are temporarily closed or suspended, giving many Federal employees a period of indefinite vacation time. For Hampton Roads, a metropolitan area in southeast Virginia that is home to the major United States Navy, Air Force, and Army bases, as well as NASA, this […]
Dollar–Bill Auctions
The article introduces the dollar‐bill auction as an “unpleasant economists’ party game” that was invented by the game theorist Martin Shubik. As the name suggests, the participants’ agree to auction one-dollar by placing bids, with one-cent increments. Just like a normal auction, the one-dollar bill goes to the highest bidder, but what makes this auction […]
Chimpanzees and the Ultimatum Game
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/6/2070.full.pdf+html In 2012, scientists wanted to test the outcomes of the Ultimatum Game on chimpanzees, to assess if humans were the only species capable of compassion and the desire to share. To accomplish this, the scientists set up an Ultimatum Game for the chimpanzees, in which they chose tokens that would be exchanged for food. […]
Prisoner’s Dilemma in Breaking Bad
The prisoner’s dilemma is an oft-studied example of game theory and strategy in social situations. The classical example involves two prisoners who have the options of confessing or keeping silent. While both prisoners are better off keeping silent, the dominant strategy and Nash equilibrium is for both of the prisoners to defect. An example payoff […]
Fraternity Recruitment
Phired Up is an organization that focuses on the social connections that make organizations grow and function efficiently. Phired Up emphasizes “values based, relationship driven growth” in order to increase the chance of bringing in new members that will fit into your organization. My personal experience with Phired Up comes through my interaction with Phired […]
Iran’s Nuclear Program and Structural Balance
It’s no secret that Israel and Iran aren’t exactly the best of friends. In recent years, the two countries have been increasingly at odds due to Iran’s nuclear program. Israel sees the nuclear program as a major threat to its existence, a sentiment compounded by former President of Iran Ahmadinejad’s harsh rhetoric towards Israel and […]
Auction Riggers Beat the Bank
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/01/foreclosure-scams-auction-crackdown_n_3371595.html As a result of the poor state of the United States economy, foreclosed houses are a common sight in almost every town. When a mortgage is not paid, the house is put up for auction by the bank in the hopes of regaining some of their losses. However, some conspirators have devised a plan […]
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