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Cooperation Works if Majority Can Punish Freeloaders

Posted by michael on from the cooperate-or-die dept.

plasmid writes: "Some Swiss economists ran an investment game... they found that if the majority could punish freeloaders, cooperation flourished. I think this has implications for cooperative peer-to-peer systems and, to a lesser extent, for open source development. I'm so inspired I plan to go out an punish someone right now, as a matter of fact." I had just read this article the other day (go memepool), so this Nature piece seems oddly apropos.

1 of 408 comments (clear)

  1. Economists? by mindstrm · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    Economics is not a real science, it is a joke to call it such. I'm not saying economics is not a study, not something real.. but it's not science.

    and the Nobel prize in Economics is not really a Nobel prize.

    The Nobel prizes are handed out by the Nobel foundation, for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.

    As Economists felt left out, in 1968, the Bank of Sweden instituted a "Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize". Why? So they could hand out a "Nobel prize" in economics. It's still not a REAL Nobel.

    Feh.