WELCOME TO

NON•ZERO•SUM GAMES

~ a world-help site ~

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Hi, I'm Non-Zero-Sum James - your companion on this exploration of win-win games and how they are essential for a better future. Each week we'll explore a new aspect of game theory, moral philosophy, economics and artificial intelligence—looking to solve the complex problems we face in our world together.

Your thoughts and contributions are welcome. Share, debate, and co-create in the comments.

WHAT'S NEW?


A diagram showing the shifted centre of the political spectrum BOTH-SIDESISM
when fair & balanced goes wrong

MORAL SPECULATIONS


A diagram showing the shifted centre of the political spectrum BOTH-SIDESISM
when fair & balanced goes wrong
A dog mechanic MASCULINITY
a case for courage
A cat looking in the mirror and seeing a lion. A POSITIVE DOUBLE STANDARD
self-help principles work for individuals not populations
Why Cooperate THE SUPER-DEFECTOR
Guest writer Andrew Tane Glen on why we cooperate (3 parts)
It's Subjective IT'S SUBJECTIVE
the end of the conversation?
Moral Licensing MORAL LICENSING
the makings of a very negative-sum game (2 parts)
Who is Moloch WHO IS MOLOCH?
the god of negative-sum games
(3 parts)
Taking Credit TAKING CREDIT
the paradox of original ideas

ETHICAL ECONOMICS


A moose holding a rugby ball WE DON'T JUST LET PEOPLE DIE
so, what next?
A dog mechanic UNLOCKING SOLUTIONS
understanding coordination problems
A dog mechanic WHY PEOPLE IN POVERTY MAKE POOR DECISIONS
a case for giving more money to people who are bad with money
A dog mechanic SAVING LIVES REDUCES OVER-POPULATION
a counter-intuitive win-win
A moth flying by moonlight. GOODHART'S LAW
the problem with singular goals
A dog maid serving soup A KINDNESS EQUATION
should you give to charity or volunteer?
Diminishing Returns DIMINISHING RETURNS
a path to shared joy?
Capitalism CAPITALISM
a zero-sum game?
Evil Globalisation EVIL GLOBALISATION
and how it is eliminating poverty
Relative Gains RELATIVE GAINS
how not to measure success
A Simple Recycling Idea A SIMPLE RECYCLING IDEA
8 bottles
(3 parts)

GAME THEORY STUFF


What Are Non-Zero-Sum Games WHAT ARE NON-ZERO-SUM GAMES?
an introduction
3 cats SHAPLEY VALUE CALCULATOR
a tool for fair allocation
Shapley Value is Ridiculous SHAPLEY VALUE IS RIDICULOUS
where game theory fails in real world applications
Combinatorial Games COMBINATORIAL GAMES
games with perfect information
Nash Equilibrium NASH EQUILIBRIUM
the real reason you stop at a red
A cat surprised at another cat not taking $10 SUBGAME PURRRFECTION
guest writer Jaiveer Singh explores subgame-perfect nash equilibrium
A prisoner in a repeated dilemma REPEATED GAMES
guest writer Jaiveer Singh on finite vs infinite games
Crabs in a Bucket ARE YOU IN A CRAB BUCKET?
how to escape negative-sum games
Non-Zero Thinking for Kids NON-ZERO THINKING FOR KIDS
taking non-zero-sum thinking out into the world
Capitalising on Trust CAPITALISING ON TRUST
a karmic simulation
Pareto Efficiency PARETO EFFICIENCY
how pareto efficiency can make everyone better off (sometimes)

NON-ZERO-SUM GAMES IN NATURE


A hedgehog and a crab FURRY FRIENDS
the joy of interspecies camaraderie
Parable of a Polyp PARABLE OF A POLYP
from zero-sum to non-zero-sum

EMERGENCE


Hedgehog pondering shapes CONWAY'S GAME
how complexity emerges from simple rules
a pixelated picture, with sun rays in the form of gliders hitting a plant EMERGENCE VS ENTROPY
a universal paradox
particles coming together as ordered forms EMERGENT GRAVITY
create your own universe from chaos
A cartoon of Eukaryotic and Procariotic cells. ON THE SHOULDERS OF SUBSTRATES
how one phenomenon creates the foundation for the next
A cartoon of self-replicating robots. REPLICATORS
pandora's dangerous children
Two hedgehogs talking about je ne sais quoi. EMERGENCE IS BEAUTIFUL
beauty and meaning in an entropic universe

AI AND ITS MALCONTENTS


The Alignment Problem No One Is Talking About THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT
(6 parts)
4 rabbits looking at paintings, each progressively less impressed WHY I'M KEEPING MY CRAPPY DRAWINGS
how ai art won't supplant... art

NON-ZERO HEROES, GAME BLOGS and OTHER STUFF


A cat surprised at another cat not taking $10 CONTAGIOUS BELIEFS
simulating the spread of ideas
A semagram from Arrival COULD THINGS BE VERY DIFFERENT?
how historical inertia might blind us to optimal solutions
A moose holding a rugby ball COACH KROHN ON LEADERSHIP
lessons from a life lived leading
A dog mechanic CREATIVE PRINCIPLES
a behind-the-scenes look at nonzerosum.games
Non-Zero Hero - Liv Boeree LIV BOEREE
a non-zero hero
2 dogs hugging WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?
Alexei Navalny
minimalist 3d tetris THE TETRIS EFFECT
minimalist 3d tetris
lockwise game LOCKWISE
a non-zero-sum game using a zero sum mechanic
the arcade THE ARCADE
a random collection of games and simulations

"It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."—John Holmes

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