Braess’s paradox and google maps
One aspect of this class I really loved was when we talked about various paradoxes. When we talked about Braess’s paradox I think it is so interesting to think about the evolution of how it can be applied to our lives. 200 years ago when people were traveling on foot or by horse they had to think carefully about what route they should take from point A to point B. If they found out about a new route/road they could take because everyone was talking about it, they may assume it’s better. Even though adding roads/routes oftentimes makes people worse off. Braess’s paradox probably occurred very frequently when people did not have access to the same technology as we do today. In the present, GPS apps like waze and google maps have pretty much prevented Braess’s paradox from occurring in a directional context because it shows you the most efficient route almost instantaneously. I wonder how other paradoxes and concepts we learned this semester will change with the evolution of technology.