NHS

Why Game Theory Is Breaking Britain – but Could Also Save It

Rachel Barker
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1 comment on Why Game Theory Is Breaking Britain – but Could Also Save ItGame Theory examines when and why people choose to cooperate or compete. Its central insight is that our decisions are shaped not only by what we want, but by what we expect others to do. Well known game theory scenarios include the Prisoner’s dilemma, the Cold War, and on a simpler scale, even Rock, Paper, Scissors. An important aspect of Game Theory relates to whether and why we choose to cooperate or compete. Researchers found that the success of either strategy is dependent on how others in the system behave, and that people instinctively know this. Our decision-making routinely includes…

The Compassion Trap: Herbie’s Law and the Patients No‑One Cares About

Andrew MacGregor
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A proposed law to end animal testing in UK medical research by 2035 is being sold as an act of compassion. But the real human cost of getting this wrong has been almost entirely absent from the debate — and it will fall hardest on those who can least afford it. Herbie is a rabbit. He was bred for a laboratory, tattooed on his ear, and (as the story goes) rescued before his fate could be sealed. He has since become the face of one of the most emotionally compelling campaigns in recent British politics: a push to ban all…

