Pod Paper Scissors

Liz Landau and Ben Klemens
  • 5.0 (8)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES

Pod Paper Scissors considers the glitches in our society due to the hidden games in everyday human interactions. Each week, hosts Ben Klemens and Liz Landau discuss a different topic relating to social interaction including markets, politics, trends, and other core facets of our society, in a causal conversation format with original songs and interviews with knowledgeable guests.

  1. 09/02/2021

    The Centipede Made Me Do It

    When your interaction with another person has an end date, like moving out of a shared apartment, do you still do the dishes? In this episode we talk about repeated prisoner's dilemmas when and end is in sight, and how things fall apart. Full transcript on our web site.

    19 min

  2. 07/12/2021

    Who does the dishes?

    The real world is full of "repeated prisoners' dilemmas" in which we face the same situations over and over with the same people. In this episode we discuss the optimal solutions, going all the way back to a contest that required people to mail in computer code. Full transcript at https://podpaperscissors.com/transcripts/19-iterated.html

    20 min

  3. 06/02/2021

    Home Buyin' Blues

    Buying a house isn't as straightforward as offering a price. Contracts are malleable and buyer and seller are also negotiating who will bear the risks. Learn how game theory underlies this process. Transcript available at https://podpaperscissors.com/transcripts/18-contingencies.html .

    15 min

  4. 05/08/2021

    The Bidding Bug

    We discuss a different kind of auction: the second price auction. It resolves many of the problems of the usual auctions, but the game is played a little differently. Full transcript on our web site.

    16 min

  5. 04/09/2021

    Pants on Sale

    Sometimes winners feel like losers. In this episode we talk about auctions, including the concept of the winner's curse and Memorial Day sales.  Full transcript on our web site.

    15 min

  6. 03/20/2021

    I Want What You Want

    Why does money have value? Why did every child want a Furby for one holiday season? On this episode, we explore how people's preferences are shaped by what they think other people want. Full transcript on our web site.

    17 min

  7. 02/10/2021

    A Ticket to the Eiffel Tower

    Journalist and author Elizabeth Becker is our guest as we contemplate how to use game theory to think about travel. Full transcript on our web site.

    18 min

  8. 01/31/2021

    It's Getting Crowded

    In the Before Times (and in the Future Times), there were a lot of different kinds of travel experiences you could choose, and the ones you went for might have said a lot about your "crowding type." Do you think more about the destination or the type of people who will be around you on this vacation? Plus, listen to our new song "Tweedom by the Sea." Full transcript on our web site.

    15 min
See All (20)

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Pod Paper Scissors considers the glitches in our society due to the hidden games in everyday human interactions. Each week, hosts Ben Klemens and Liz Landau discuss a different topic relating to social interaction including markets, politics, trends, and other core facets of our society, in a causal conversation format with original songs and interviews with knowledgeable guests.

Information

  • Creator
    Liz Landau and Ben Klemens
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2021
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Liz Landau and Ben Klemens
  • Show Website
    Pod Paper Scissors