OUR GAME THEORY PODCAST

In Game Changer, the podcast by TWS Partners, we want to share our enthusiasm and passion for game theory and its applications. Guests from industry and academia discuss the power of game theory in their profession and how they use it to make a difference. Along the way we strive to offer fun anecdotes, useful facts and valuable insights. Hear us out and find out that game theory is much more than a topic for ivory tower discussions.

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT MISINFORMATION: MYTHS, REALITY, AND RATIONAL BELIEFS | WITH DANIEL WILLIAMS
February 11, 2025
February 11, 2025

In this episode we are speaking with philosopher Daniel Williams about misinformation—what it is, how it spreads, and whether it is truly on the rise in the form of “fake news”. We also explore why people cling to irrational beliefs and how rationalization shapes public discourse. Finally, Daniel shares strategies for tackling misinformation and engaging with those who hold questionable beliefs.

Daniel Williams is a philosopher and researcher at the University of Sussex. His research is focused on the social functions and causes of beliefs with a special interest in self-deception, religious beliefs, political ideologies, and delusions. In his blog conspicuous cognition https://www.conspicuouscognition.com/ Dan publishes interesting essays on various topics.

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MASTERING HIGH-STAKES DEALS: THE POWER OF GAME THEORY | WITH MATTHIAS SCHRANNER & SEBASTIAN MORITZ
January 28, 2025
January 28, 2025

In our 100th episode, we bring together Matthias Schranner of the Schranner Negotiation Institute and Sebastian Moritz from TWS Partners to celebrate the power of Game Theory in high stakes negotiations. We explore real-world negotiation cases, discuss the Game Theory perspective on successful strategies, and highlight how the two intersect to empower decision-makers. Join us as we reflect on 100 episodes of insights and celebrate the partnership between Schranner Negotiation Institute and TWS Partners!

Matthias Schranner is an FBI trained negotiation expert who together with his team at the Schranner Negotiation Institute advises business and government leaders around the globe in navigating high stakes situations.

Sebastian Moritz is managing partner at TWS Partners and advises global executives and organizations on strategic negotiations, incentive systems, transformation, and sustainability, blending game theory expertise with a passion for innovation.

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CAN GAME THEORY HELP SOLVE INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS? – COMMITMENT AND NEGOTIATIONS | WITH TOPI MIETTINEN
January 14, 2025
January 14, 2025

In this episode, Topi Miettinen shares his view and research on insights from Game Theory on international conflicts. We start discussing different examples of conflicts, e.g.  complex negotiations within the EU and even war. Based on the examples Topi shares his research on the role of commitment to finding agreements. He also shares how his research extends from a bilateral negotiation (as in a war of two parties) situation to a multilateral situation (as in the EU).

 

Topi Miettinen is professor of economics at Hanken School of Economics and Helsinki Graduate School of Economics. His research focuses on behavioural and experimental economics, microeconomics, and game theory.

 

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HOW DID MORALITY EVOLVE? – GAME THEORY, EVOLUTION AND PHILOSOPHY | WITH J. MCKENZIE ALEXANDER
December 31, 2024
December 31, 2024

In this episode, we discuss with our guest J. McKenzie Alexander evolutionary game theory and its applications. We start discussing different models from evolutionary game theory starting with the local interaction model and then moving to the replicator model. Based on that we then turn to applications in social theory especially when discussing proto-moral behaviour.

 

J. McKenzie Alexander is Professor of Philosophy at the London School of Economics. His research explores the intersection of game theory, philosophy, and social theory.

J. McKenzie Alexander has put together simulations of the discussed models on his homepage. Also, he is publishing a new book titled‘The Open Society as an Enemy’.

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WHY WE DON’T GET THE POLITICIANS WE WANT: ON CORRUPTION, POLARIZATION, AND VOTER BIAS | WITH RAYMOND FISMAN
December 17, 2024
December 17, 2024

In this episode, our guest Raymond Fisman explains to us the persistent challenge of corruption and the surprising ways in which political polarization and so called “wedge issues” help to sustain it. He shares his insights into why anti-corruption reforms remain elusive despite widespread public demand for honest governance and the creative measures some leaders have taken to battle corruption.

 

Raymond Fisman is the Slater Family Professor in Behavioral Economics at Boston University. His research explores the complex ways in which corruption and other informal behaviors influence markets, governance, and economic development.

If you want to know more about Raymond’s research, you can check out his homepage.

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THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS 2024: HOW INSTITUTIONS SHAPE DEVELOPMENT | WITH NAVID SABET
December 03, 2024
December 03, 2024

In this episode, we explore the contributions of this year’s Nobel Prize laureates in Economics – Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson – and their work on the role of institutions in shaping economic prosperity. Our guest, Navid Sabet guides us through their core findings and shares his perspective on their influential research and its impact on the field of political economy. Finally, he connects these insights to his own research, examining how institutions affect immigration reform and economic opportunities.

 

Navid Sabet is Assistant Professor in Economics at Goethe University Frankfurt. His research interests lie in the areas of political economy, applied microeconomics and public economics.

Navid mentions the Nobel Prize winners’ famous paper from 2001, “The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation”. You can find it here.

For more info on Navid’s research, you can check out his homepage or his paper on Immigrant legalization and the redistribution of state funds in the US.

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THE GAME THEORY BEHIND RESOLVING ONLINE DISPUTES | WITH SELçUK ÖZYURT
November 19, 2024
November 19, 2024

In this episode, we dive into the world of online mediation mechanisms and how they can resolve disputes in digital marketplaces. As online transactions become more global and complex, the need for efficient, strategy-proof systems to mediate conflicts has never been more crucial. Selçuk Özyurt explains how these mechanisms should be designed to handle disputes fairly. In this context, we discuss properties like strategy proofness and efficiency and Selçuk explains under which conditions mediation mechanisms exist that fulfil these conditions.

Selçuk Özyurt is an Associate Professor of Economics at York University, with a research focus on game theory, mechanism and market design, and conflict resolution. The content of this episode is based on his paper Strategy-proof Multi-Issue Mediation: An Application to Online Dispute Resolution, which he co-authored with Onur Kesten.

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PLAYING BY THE RULES – A GAME THEORETIC VIEW ON SOCIAL NORMS | WITH CRISTINA BICCHIERI
November 05, 2024
November 05, 2024

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of social norms and how they influence behavior through the lens of game theory. What exactly are social norms, and why do they matter? Cristina Bicchieri explains how these unwritten rules shape our everyday actions and how game theory helps us understand when and why people follow or break these norms. We also delve into how organizations use this knowledge to drive social change, from improving sanitation to reducing corruption.

Cristina Bicchieri is the S. J. Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and game theory, particularly in understanding how social norms develop and evolve. Cristina has worked with global organizations like UNICEF and the World Bank to apply her research in real-world settings. If you want to dive deeper into the topic of social norms, you can check out Cristina’s book “The Grammar of Society: The Nature and Dynamics of Social Norms”.

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BREAKING DOWN BREXIT – A GAME THEORETIC PERSPECTIVE | WITH STEFAAN DE RYNCK
October 22, 2024
October 22, 2024

In this episode, we delve into the high-stakes negotiations between the EU and the UK during Brexit, exploring the strategies and tactics from a game-theoretic perspective. Stefaan De Rynck provides an insider’s view of the process, discussing key moments, the differing objectives of both sides, and the strategic approaches taken to achieve their goals. We analyze how the EU maintained a united front and the challenges posed by the UK’s shifting leadership during the negotiations.

 

Stefaan De Rynck is Principal Advisor to the Director-General for Communication at the European Commission. During the Brexit negotiations, he served as Senior Advisor to Michel Barnier, the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator. His expertise lies in international negotiations and EU affairs, offering a unique perspective on one of the most complex political negotiations of recent times. He has shared his view on the Brexit negotiations in his book Inside the Deal: How the EU Got Brexit Done.

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ARE YOU AMONG THE TOP PERFORMING MANAGERS? – OVERCONFIDENCE AND ITS CAUSES | WITH COLLIN RAYMOND
July 16, 2024
July 16, 2024

In this episode, we discuss overconfidence and its underlying psychological mechanisms. Our guest Collin Raymond shares his research (joint work with David Huffman and Julia Shvets) based on a field study he conducted with managers in the context of their Bonus payment. We discuss their findings on how managers make overconfident predictions about their individual future performance. In the study they can link the overconfidence to managers having an overly-positive memory of past performance. We finish the discussion by deep-diving into other facets of overconfidence.

 

Collin Raymond is Associate Professor of Strategy and Business Economics at the Johnson School of Management of Cornell University. His research interests span Behavioral Economics, Experimental Economics, and Microeconomic Theory. He focuses on how individuals make decisions under uncertainty and the cognitive biases that influence these decisions.

You can find the paper Collin describes in the interview here.

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