Evolutionary Game Theory
Game theory in which successful strategies reproduce and spread, rather than being chosen by a calculating mind.
Why it matters now
Institutions, technologies, and habits evolve this way. Nobody had to persuade the world to adopt solar panels; falling costs made the strategy reproduce. The practical question for the Anthropocene is which strategies are currently being selected for, and what small change would flip the selection.
Where this is happening on Earth
- EuropeJohn Maynard Smith, University of Sussex, EnglandDefined the evolutionarily stable strategy, the anchor concept of the whole field.
- AsiaChina's electric vehicle transitionOnce manufacturing scale and charging density crossed a threshold, the electric strategy began outcompeting combustion without persuasion.
- OceaniaCane toad control strategies, Queensland, AustraliaEvolutionary reasoning predicted that killing adults selects for faster-dispersing toads, redirecting policy toward barriers.
- AfricaInsecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes across the SahelA live demonstration that any uniform control pressure selects its own defeat, and that rotation strategies work better.
- North AmericaBt crop refuge requirements, United States MidwestMandated non-Bt refuges deliberately slow the evolution of resistant pests, an evolutionary policy in daily use.
The idea itself
The encyclopedia entry first, then live searches at journals and magazines that keep returning current work on this specific idea.
Current reporting from around the world
Standing feeds at reputable periodicals. These stay fresh on their own, which is why they are here instead of a list of articles that would be out of date within a season.