The Science of Working Together

Game theory—The mathematical study of human behavior in strategic situations—is normally the purview of CEOs and military leaders, who rely on its insights to vanquish opponents or outdo competitors. But those same insights can also be used to achieve greater cooperation, and not just between global superpowers. In his new book, "Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life," physicist Len Fisher applies this budding science to real-world situations and provides some strategies for replacing conflict with harmony in our daily interactions.

The Idea: Unlike ants and bees, humans aren't hard-wired for cooperation; we tend to act out of self-interest. That inclination repeatedly draws us into "social dilemmas" where, in an attempt gain more for ourselves, we ultimately fare worse than we would have by cooperating (think of people who drive gas-guzzling cars or countries that won't sign the Kyoto Protocol). But we can prevent those selfish tendencies from wreaking havoc.

The evidence: The trick is to establish an agreement where everyone's self-interest is best served by cooperating. That means removing incentives to violate the agreement (say, by making sure the penalties of driving a gas guzzler far outweigh the benefits).

The Conclusion: Our faulty moral compasses needn't stop us from achieving lasting cooperation. We just need the right strategy.

© 2008