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Game Theory in Nature

Game theory is not limited to humans; in fact, it can be used to explain the behavior of many animals with great accuracy. Something that is surprising is the fact that even though our reasoning skills are extremely developed, we are not always the best players in some games; that is, we don’t get too close to the Nash Equilibrium for a probability game as other animals do. An example of this is shown by a study led by Colin Camerer from CalTech where some chimps outperformed humans  in a game called the Inspection Game, where the players need to choose between left and right. One player needs to play the role of a seeker and the other one of a hider; the seeker wins if he makes the same choice as the hider; otherwise, the hider wins. The chimps outperformed two different groups of people, even when the Nash equilibrium changed, the chimps adjusted to the new one.

This study shows that Nash Equilibria can be found everywhere in nature, and that its applications are limitless. Perhaps the results of this experiment will help us understand more about natural behavior and about human cognition compared to animal cognition. 


http://www.caltech.edu/news/surprising-results-game-theory-studies-42926

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