Month: April 2017

Game Theory: Evolution of Cooperation by the Selfish gene

Why do we help our brothers and sisters? Why do we help people who are not in direct blood relationship with us?


The answer is Nash Equilibrium, the element of game theory, which evolved for millions of years with us.

In Nash Equilibrium (Game Theory) each player plays a best response and anticipates that their partner will do the same.

When we help, we do it as a reciprocal altruism (selflessness). When people, who are not in direct relationship with us are in need of our assistance, we shall “betray” them, but we help them with a blind faith, they would do us a favor in future (If we are likely to have a future with them) and to elevate our self-esteem among the society we live in.


But why we do really help our brothers and sisters? Is that, we would feel guilt because, when we haven’t do them favor, when they needed it most? 

since we are most likely to have a future relationship with them!!!

 The answer is BIG NO!


It’s where the grand master of universe plays a unique role; the answer is “We have evolved to do so”.  By helping our kin, (let’s say) who face a financial crisis, we actually help them, not because we are altruistic or not to help them overcome their financial debt so their children could lead a decent life, just because we have to survive. When we help our kin, we enhances our chance of survival the selfish gene), by helping to survive. Since, kins share their gene from their father, if our kin’s gene is passed on successfully (here, overcome from financial crisis), he is actually passing on your gene. The selfish gene!

I can help as long as the cost of helping others is less than the benefit i receive from your assistance.

Contact details: mailmacklenamurtson@gmail.com

To learn more about game theory read “Good Thinking” by Denise D. Cummins

by falsehypothesian

The Pseudo science

​I beg you; reject antiquity, tradition, faith and authority. Let us begin anew by doubting everything we assume has been proven.  

                                              – Giordano Bruno

    Few days ago, I and my friend had a conversation (argument) on the topic astrology. While conversing I found an excellent way to debunk astrology.

    It goes like this…

    I made sure with him, that astrology is, with help of constellation of distant stars (suns), one could predict the person’s behavior or how he would turn up in his future.  I used a simple arithmetic to debunk his theory.  I made sure with him, that a person’s behavior could also be influenced by factors on (or) around the environment he lives in. Factors like temperature of the office room, he works in or the uncomfortable chair he sits on, the unforgivable mistake his friend did to him on yesterday evening, the dead line for his project work… all these things could make him behave different, if he would have behaved, if these factors are not there to annoy him. Given me some time and patience, I could list down million other factors that could eventually influence his behavior in future events. My friend was convinced with this list I have made. For the luck to be on my friend side, let’s give the probability that each factor could affect my behavior is 0.99

    What is the likelihood that these all factors (say, 1000 factors) could influence my behavior?

    Did some basic math, and came with an astonishing answer 0.000043171, it could not explain 0.9999568288 of my behavior. (i.e.) these factors, which are closely related to the environment I live in, could only explain 0.0043171 %( or in other words, it failed to explain 99.99568288 % of my character) of my character. 

    If factors, which are closely related to my environment literally failed to explain (or even predict) how I would behave or turn up in my future. Will the photon which departed 13.8 million years from a distant unknown place, which we could never access in our life,  could explain our future?

    Contact details: mailmackenamurtson@gmail.com

    by falsehypothesian