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Behavioral research: Study reveals that students aren’t ideal test subjects

A new study by Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg found that using only students in experiments can lead to biased results, as their decisions differ from those of other population groups. The study compared agricultural science students to farmers and found differences in risk-taking, patience, trust, and generosity.

Safe havens for cooperation

A research team used game theory to analyze cooperation in networks and found that networks with a high level of cooperation can emerge if individuals take a clear-cut position against free riders. The study also showed that if contributors leave an environment too quickly, it leads to a lower level of cooperation.

For a smooth-running economy, rule of law matters

A study by the University of Texas at Austin found that countries with strong rule of law have less economic volatility and higher productivity. Weak rule of law leads to poor contract enforcement, causing employee morale to suffer, ultimately sparking churn and economic instability.

New model could improve matches between students and schools

A new model developed by Iowa State University researchers could improve matches between students and schools, reducing stress and inefficiencies in the admissions process. The algorithm pairs most students with their top choice schools, while also considering factors such as competition for seats and financial constraints.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Gaming the known and unknown via puzzle solving

Researchers develop a new AI agent that uses four strategies to solve single-agent stochastic puzzles like Minesweeper, achieving comparable performance to state-of-the-art studies. The approach defines solvability in this context and establishes the boundary between puzzle-solving and game-playing paradigms.

Management researchers prescribe possible remedy in opioid misuse

A decision-support framework was developed by management science researchers to help clinicians make informed decisions about opioid prescribing. The framework incorporates multiple factors, including recovery time, pain intensity, and patient history, to provide a quantitative model of the prescribing process.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

What are the motives behind cronyism?

A novel experimental design study reveals cronyism is profitable for those who engage in it, driven by beliefs in reciprocity and favoritism. Shared identity motivates even low-quality workers to reciprocate trust with greater effort.

Viruses and game theory

Phages weigh all options and make an informed decision whether to exit the dormant state and attack their bacterial host. The study found that some phage families have developed a complex decision-making strategy, receiving information from neighboring bacteria and controlling communication via arbitrium.

New tool models fairer electricity trade

Researchers propose a new model for electricity trade that balances economic interests and considers the stability of economic ties. The model suggests ways to improve cooperation between nations and prioritize transit country interests.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Game theory and economics show how to steer evolution in a better direction

Researchers use game theory and economics to steer evolution in a better direction, identifying conditions for improved outcomes through policy changes and coordination. The study provides a mathematical formula to determine when evolution managers will have sufficient incentive to steward biological resources.

Using game theory to analyse the metastasis process

Researchers from UPV/EHU and Biocruces pathologists use game theory to study tumor cell interactions, finding that higher cell diversity may be beneficial for patients. This approach reveals the importance of collective stability in tumor cells' pursuit of better environments.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Using quantum Parrondo’s random walks for encryption

Assistant Professor Kang Hao Cheong and his team discovered that chaotic switching for quantum coin Parrondo's games has similar underlying ideas to encryption. They found that using pre-generated chaotic sequences enhances the work, making it easier to invert the encrypted message to obtain the original state.

How to haggle

Researchers found that a low opening offer can be effective if it's within a 'fair game' window, avoiding negative emotions, but not so low that it backfires. A balance must be struck to achieve a better outcome in negotiations.

Using machine learning to understand complex auctions

Researchers at Technical University of Munich have developed a new machine learning algorithm that can analyze complex markets and their equilibrium strategies. This breakthrough has potential applications in auction theory, wireless spectrum auctions, and more.

National parochialism is widespread around the world

A study of 42 countries reveals that most participants prefer to collaborate with fellow citizens rather than with people from other countries. The tendency towards in-group bias is driven by factors such as education level and gender, but not by cultural differences or national cohesion.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Humans are ready to take advantage of benevolent AI

A new study found that people trust AI as much as humans, but are unwilling to compromise and cooperate with machines. Researchers conducted large-scale online studies using methods from behavioral game theory, finding a consistent pattern of 'algorithm exploitation' where humans exploit AI's benevolence for personal gain.

Radicalized and believing in conspiracies: Can the cycle be broken?

A recent study suggests that improving economic conditions can reduce radicalization efforts, but trying to render people psychologically less susceptible can backfire. Conspiracies have become a powerful tool for far-right groups to manipulate public discourse and drive the growing radicalization of average Americans.

The emergence of cooperation

Researchers create unified model of direct and indirect reciprocity, demonstrating how cooperation can be a successful strategy. The study reveals that reputation and experience significantly influence willingness to cooperate, paving the way for new insights into human social norms.

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

COVID-19: what strategies are beneficial to the state

Researchers from HSE University analyzed human behavior strategies during COVID-19 restrictions, showing that unequal access to medical care contributes to irresponsible behavior. Targeted information campaigns for healthy populations can encourage compliance with restrictions if expected losses are significant.

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

A better kind of cybersecurity strategy

A new paper suggests that traditional deterrence strategies in cybersecurity can lead to escalation and counterproductive responses. The authors propose a more judicious approach involving selective retaliation based on improved detection and information gathering.

A new mathematical front to understand species coexistence

Researchers propose a new framework to study coexistence in multi-species systems, showing that global dynamics can be predicted from pairwise interactions. The model uses time-scale separation and replicator equations to capture the essence of competition between multiple strategies.

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games

Scientists at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology developed a novel approach to quantify the psychological appeal of games. They found that the value of 'gravity in the mind' changed over time, reflecting cultural tendencies and historical trends.

Skat and poker: More luck than skill?

Heidelberg economists developed a rating system to measure skill levels in skat and poker. The study found that both games have over 50% luck, but skill takes over in the long term, with a skilled player winning 75% more games against an average opponent after 100 games.

Is not helping a bad person good or bad?

A recent study challenges previous theoretical predictions on justified defection, a mechanism that ensures benefits are returned to cooperative individuals. Researchers found that people have a neutral attitude toward justified defection, unlike cooperation with a bad person, which is viewed as good.

Envy divides society

A game theoretical study by Claudius Gros shows that envy can lead to the emergence of social classes in a society. The study simulates individual behaviour in a competitive environment, where agents with different skills and opportunities interact.

Illuminating interactions between decision-making and the environment

A new publication in Nature Communications presents a unifying model that explains diverse interactions between decision strategy and the environment, highlighting the similarity of their features. The findings shed light on the tight-knit forces that link changes in strategic action to environmental change, and vice versa.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

APS tip sheet: Capturing election interference

A game theory model captures and assesses election interference by analyzing social media activity and polls, echoing the 2016 election. The model's results reflect real-world scenarios, including Russian Twitter fake accounts' influence.

Cooperation after eye contact: Gender matters

The study, conducted at FiraTàrrega market in Tàrrega, Spain, found that women are more likely to cooperate and have a better understanding of their partner's intentions. Men, on the other hand, tend to be more impulsive and less cooperative when interacting with someone of the same gender.

Who's liable? The AV or the human driver?

Researchers at Columbia Engineering and Law School develop a joint fault-based liability rule using game theory to regulate self-driving car manufacturers and human drivers. They find that an optimally designed liability policy is critical to prevent moral hazard and improve traffic safety.

Achieving optimal collaboration when goals conflict

New research reveals that knowing more about a partner's actions accelerates joint physical task collaboration. Game theory insights inform the development of robots that can interact with humans in a natural, human-like fashion.

GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Trash talk hurts, even when it comes from a robot

A study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that humans perform worse when played against a robot that gives discouraging remarks, and better when encouraged. The study's results have implications for automated learning, mental health treatment, and human-robot interaction.

Cooperating may result in better self-driving experience

Researchers argue that using cooperative game theory to model human-drone interactions can lead to better steering angle control and safer lane-change maneuvers. By taking into account human drivers' real-life experience, automated steering technology can achieve better shared control.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Too much inequality impedes support for public goods

Research found that high inequality reduces willingness to cooperate in groups, but some inequality can help ensure everyone contributes to the public good. The study suggests policy-makers should consider the optimal level of inequality when funding public goods and services.

How random tweaks in timing can lead to new game theory strategies

Researchers investigate how asynchronous events influence decision-making, finding that small changes in timing can make a big difference in outcomes. The study models Bertrand competition and predicts under what circumstances random time fluctuations could lead to collusion.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

To tackle child labor, start with consumers

A new study published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management found that consumer education campaigns can be an effective countermeasure against child labor in global supply chains. The researchers used game theory to identify strategies that manufacturers and NGOs can use to tackle suppliers' use of child labor.

USC researchers imagine a cheaper, fairer marketplace for digital goods

USC researchers Bhaskar Krishnamachari and Aditya Asgaonkar propose a blockchain-based solution to reduce costs and increase efficiency in online transactions. Their system allows buyers and sellers to interact directly without third-party mediators, using smart contracts to verify honesty and disincentivize malicious behavior.

How superstitions spread

A model by theoretical biologists demonstrates how superstitious beliefs can become established in a society's social norms, guiding the behavior of large groups. The research suggests that even irrational beliefs can be beneficial when correlated with others' actions, leading to coordinated behaviors.

A new approach to an old question: How do we actually cooperate?

Princeton University researchers Olivia Chu and Corina Tarnita investigate how cooperation emerges in human populations, finding that smaller groups allow cooperation to thrive while limiting destructive influence. They also find that allowing for lone individuals with barriers to group entry enhances cooperation.

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

The friendly extortioner takes it all

Scientists found that a strategy called 'extortion' is unbeatable, as it alternates between cooperation and egoism to force opponents to cooperate. This tactic can lead to significant gains for the 'extortioner', even when competing against cooperative players.

MDMA makes people cooperative, but not gullible

The study found that MDMA increases activity in brain regions linked to social processing, particularly when interacting with trustworthy players. This suggests that MDMA may be a valuable tool in treating psychiatric conditions like PTSD by enhancing cooperation and rebuilding relationships.

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Army scientists discover mathematics of brain waves

Researchers create a new model for collective behavior within the brain, bridging the gap between EEG waves and random fluctuations. The technique has potential to reduce stress and onset of conditions like PTSD in military personnel.

Outside competition breeds more trust among coworkers: Study

A new study from the University of British Columbia and Princeton University found that intense competition fosters pro-social behavior, including sharing, co-operation, and volunteering. This results in higher levels of contribution to collective pools and reported increases in generalized trust among coworkers.