Podcasts by Game Changer - the game theory podcast

Union negotiators are Game Theorists – 2023 UAW strike and its outcomes | with Marc Robinson from 2023-12-04T18:00

In this episode, our guest Marc Robinson, strategy and risk management expert, shares details on the rece...

(Nuclear) Deterrence as a Game Theoretic concept | with Frank Zagare from 2023-11-20T18:00

In this episode we are talking to Frank Zagare about deterrence. The term gained popular...

Would you return a lost wallet? – Economist’s perspective on honesty | with Michel Maréchal from 2023-11-06T18:00

In this episode we are talking to Michel Maréchal about honesty from an economist’s perspective. He sh...

In plain sight - why simplicity should be considered in game theoretic concepts | with Shengwu Li from 2023-10-23T17:00

In this episode we are talking to Shengwu Li about simplicity in game theoretic concepts. He explains ...

Picking up speed - how companies can make headway in reaching CO2 targets | with Daniel Helmig from 2023-10-09T17:00

For many companies reaching their self-imposed CO2 targets has become quite a tall order. While procur...

Cracking the Code: Incentivising teams in non-routine tasks | with Florian Englmaier from 2023-09-25T17:00

In this episode, our guest Florian Englm...

Learning from a negotiation expert - the role of ‘tactical empathy’ | with Chris Voss from 2023-09-11T17:00

In this episode we are talking to Chris Voss. He is a former FBI hostage negotiator and has written a ...

Let’s go to the movies! – Game Theory in films | with Santiago Sanchez-Pages from 2023-07-31T17:00

In today’s episode, we discuss Game Theory in movies. Santiago shares in which movies the prisoner’s dile...

Hidden Gems – Gathering insights from unconventional data sources | with Stefano DellaVigna from 2023-07-17T17:00

In this episode, our guest Stefano DellaVigna shares his approach to answering research questions through...

Behind the Stars: Uncovering the Biases in Online Reviews | with Tommaso Bondi from 2023-07-03T17:00

In this episode Tommaso Bondi shares his research on cultural markets with us. We take a deep dive int...

A Tale of Two Players: Exploring the Rubinstein Bargaining Model | with Ariel Rubinstein from 2023-06-19T17:00

In today’s episode, we explore one of the classics in Bargaining theory: The Rubinstein Bargaining Model....

Can Cash Cloud the Mind? Exploring the Influence of Incentives on Personal Choices | with Sandro Ambühl from 2023-06-05T17:00

Monetary incentives are a part of our daily lives, from work bonuses to fines for minor traffic violation...

Clicking Against the Clock: How time pressure and regret influence our behaviour in online shopping | with Timm Opitz from 2023-05-22T17:00

In this episode, we explore how time pressure and regret can influence our search behavior as customers i...

AI and Regulation: Finding the Sweet Spot for Consumer Welfare | with Keith Chan from 2023-05-08T23:00

Join us in this episode as we explore the rise of AI technology and the comp...

From Connections to Careers: On the Impact of Personal Referrals in the Labour Market | with Felix Mylius from 2023-04-24T23:00

In this episode Felix Mylius shares his insights on personal referrals in labour markets. He explains ...

The doctor is in! Misguided incentives and regulation in healthcare markets | with Simon Reif from 2023-04-10T23:00

In this episode we are diving into the topic of healthcare markets together with Simon Reif. He explai...

Truth-telling by design: how Market Design can alleviate inequality | with Piotr Dworczak from 2023-03-27T23:00

In this episode Piotr Dworczak explains to us how Market Design can contribute to alleviating inequali...

Why sometimes we are better off not knowing – on information design and Bayesian persuasion | with Emir Kamenica from 2023-03-13T23:00

In this episode Emir Kamenica introduces us to the research field of information design. He recaps the...

Putting your money where your mouth is – on commitment in auctions | with Vitali Gretschko from 2023-02-28T00:00

In this episode, Vitali Gretschko sheds some light on a fundamental game theoretic concept: Commitment....

Auctions, bidding strategies and uncertainty | with Bernhard Kasberger from 2023-02-14T00:00

From selling on eBay over Google advertisements to buying a house, auctions are all around us! But wha...

A dangerous game: On Geoengineering and moral hazard | with Gernot Wagner from 2023-01-31T00:00

In this episode Gernot Wagner explains the concept of Geoengineering and its potential role in preventing climate change. He analyses the implications of Geoengineering from a game theoretic per...

To share or not to share. Credit, incentives and competition among researchers | with Remco Heesen from 2023-01-17T00:00

To share or not to share. Credit, incentives and competition among researchers | with Remco Heesen

In this episode Remco Heesen shares his insights on the trade-offs rese...

How to bid in an auction – with Paul Papayoanou from 2023-01-03T00:00

In this episode, we discuss with Paul Papayoanou his real life experience as a consultant applying Game Theory. Paul has worked on over 150 engagements using his expertise. In our discussion we ...

Celebrating 50 episodes of Game Changer | with Miriam, Simon and Florian from 2022-12-20T00:00

To celebrate 50 episodes of Game Changer, we take a look behind the scenes. The hosts Simon and Florian take the role of interviewees and answer Miriam’s questions on their motivation and goals ...

‘Would you rather’ - what drives our decisions– with Shachar Kariv from 2022-12-06T00:00

In this episode, we focus on ‘decision theory’ and discuss with Shachar its connection to Game Theory. Shachar shares the three key trade-offs relevant for taking a decision.

We also disc...

Are football players Game Theorists? – scoring the perfect penalty | with Ben Lyttleton from 2022-11-22T00:00

In this episode we talk to Ben Lyttleton about a particular topic in football: how to score the perfect penalty. Ben is an expert on penalties and has gathered a lot of insights on the ‘perfect ...

The 2022 Nobel Prize – why the economy needs banks | with Karolin Kirschenmann from 2022-11-08T00:00

In this episode, Karolin Kirschenmann explains why this year’s Nobel Prize in economics was given to Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig.
We discuss their research on the role ...

Why market designers love NFTs | with Scott Kominers from 2022-10-24T23:00

In this episode, Scott Kominers introduces us to the exciting world of NFTs. We learn about their fascinating properties and their potential for creating new markets or reshaping existing ones. ...

Do we need a price for damaging the climate? – with Achim Wambach from 2022-10-11T07:18

In this episode, we discuss with Achim how addressing climate change and economics, especially market design, are linked. Achim shares which economic incentives we should utilize to ensure we ca...

Talking about a revolution – how Game Theory can predict the stability of political systems | with Bruce Bueno de Mesquita from 2022-09-26T23:00:02

In this episode, Bruce shows us how Game Theory can be successfully applied in the field of political science. In particular, we discuss the explanatory and predictive power of the Selectorate T...

Dinner’s ready! On Common Knowledge and the value of information | with Christoph Kuzmics from 2022-09-12T23:00:09

In this episode Christoph Kuzmics explains the game theoretic concept of Common Knowledge, using fun anecdotes from his personal life. We also learn that Common Knowledge is much more than just ...

Summer break from 2022-08-08T23:00:59

This is a short announcement of Game Changer Podcast going on summer break and returning on September 13^th.
Enjoy your summer and until September – the TWS Game changer team!

Why do we cooperate and help others - Game theory&altruism | with Erez Yoeli from 2022-08-01T23:00:48

This episode is all about cooperation and altruism. Erez Yoeli explains how these concepts can be modelled using game theory, and which measures can be taken to increase altruism in different si...

How clever fishermen outsmarted a uniform price auction | with Alex Teytelboym from 2022-07-18T23:00:36

In this episode Alexander Teytelboym walks us through the intricacies of uniform-price auctions. While often praised for their theoretical properties, putting them into practice successfully can...

Think like a Virus! Viewing the Pandemic through the Lens of Game Theory | with Joshua Gans from 2022-07-04T23:00:21

Think like a Virus! Viewing the Pandemic through the Lens of Game Theory | with Joshua Gans

In this episode Joshua Gans shares his insights on the ongoing pandemic from a...

Cross at red light? – Game Theory in traffic interaction and the impact of autonomously driving vehicles | with Jason Thompson from 2022-06-20T23:00:18

In this episode, Jason Thompson explains how Game Theory can help understand interactions on the roads and in traffic. We discuss agent-based-modelling and its application to analysing the behav...

Digital Players&Future Markets – Game Theory in Machine Learning&Common Ownership topics | with Martin Schmalz from 2022-06-06T23:00:42

Digital Players & Future Markets – Game Theory in Machine Learning & Common Ownership topics | with Martin Schmalz

In this episode, Martin Schmalz explains what ...

Playing nice – Trust and reputation in Game Theory, eCommerce and vaccinations | with Steve Tadelis from 2022-05-23T23:00:14

Playing nice – Trust and reputation in Game Theory, eCommerce and vaccinations | with Steve Tadelis

In this episode we talk to Steve Tadelis about reputation and trust. H...

Feeling lucky! – On the game theoretic aspects of lotteries | with Nick Arnosti from 2022-05-09T23:00:21

In this episode, we discuss with Nick Arnosti the economic aspects of lotteries. Nick explains in which sense lotteries are a relevant economic mechanism, and gives some examples of where and wh...

“More art than science” – Translating game theoretic predictions into practical recommendations | with Eyal Winter from 2022-04-25T23:00:32

In this episode we are talking to Economics Professor Eyal Winter, who works as both an academic researcher and as a consultant who supports his clients in various auction settings. We discuss h...

Backward Induction, Child Penalties and the Gender Pay Gap | with Carlotta Pilgram from 2022-04-11T23:00:38

Backward Induction, Child Penalties and the Gender Pay Gap | with Carlotta Pilgram In this episode we are talking to Carlotta Pilgram, Consultant at TWS Partners and Economics grad...

Good intentions, bad outcomes: why Game Theory matters in policy making | with Hannah Rubin from 2022-03-28T23:00:41

In this episode we are talking to Hannah Rubin about policy making, incentive structures and Game Theory in the world of sciences. Together we dig into why policies set up with the best intentions ...

What keeps our lights on? Strategic interactions in the electricity market | with Peter Cramton from 2022-03-14T23:00:27

In this episode, we talk to Peter Cramton about the electricity market. We discuss the 2021 Texas electricity crisis that left millions of Texans without electricity for four extremely cold days...

Chess, computers and game theory | with Daniel King from 2022-03-01T00:00:23

The game of chess has been around for centuries and still hasn't lost its touch which is demonstrated by the sheer number of professional and non-professional players and countless pop culture r...

What Twitter can teach us about identity signaling | with Paul Smaldino from 2022-02-15T00:00:07

In this episode we talk to Paul Smaldino about identity signaling. He walks us through its definition, the most common examples of identity signaling like language or fashion choices and how gam...

Let’s play - how to design mechanisms in board games | with Jamey Stegmaier from 2022-02-01T00:00:52

In this episode we talk to Jamey Stegmaier, a board game designer, taking a step away from pure game theory to talk about designing board games. He explains where he gets his initial ideas for new ...

Is inequity in society unavoidable? A few lessons from Evolutionary Game Theory | with Cailin O'Connor from 2022-01-18T00:00

In this episode we talk to Cailin O'Connor about inequity in society and how it can be modeled using evolutionary game theory. She explains that few conditions like the division of groups into s...

How to make an offer the other side cannot refuse | with Lionel Page from 2022-01-04T00:00

In this episode we discuss with Lionel Page, professor of Economics at UTS, his recent research on starting offers in bargaining. We start with talking about the classical ultimatum game and how...

Mechanism design explained by one of its founders | with Eric Maskin from 2021-12-21T00:00

In this episode we chat with Nobel Prize laureate Eric Maskin about why mechanism design calls for an engineering approach and which tools are needed to design economic mechanisms. We discuss wh...

How auctions conquered the internet | with Michael Ostrovsky from 2021-12-07T00:00

In this episode Michael Ostrovsky walks us through the history of online advertising auctions, from their modest beginnings at Yahoo and other internet pioneers to the lucrative business models ...

Cause and effect – or why the 2021 Nobel Prize is nothing less than an empirical revolution | with Paul Hünermund from 2021-11-23T06:00:20

In this episode Paul Hünermund explains why the Nobel prize in Economics this year was given to the three researchers David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens and what companies can learn fro...

A smarter way to save the climate | with Jos Cozijnsen from 2021-11-09T06:00:30

In this episode, we are talking to Jos Cozijnsen, carbon specialist at the Carbon Neutral Group. Jos explains how knowledge from Game Theory and Mechanism Design can help reduce carbon emissions...

Evolutionary game theory or ‘Why you can trust a peacock’ | with Kevin Zollman from 2021-10-25T23:00

In this episode, we are talking to Kevin Zollman, professor of Philosophy and Social and Decision Sciences. Kevin explains how to use game theoretic concepts to study non-verbal communication be...

Behind the Scenes of Sotheby's Auction House | with Eva Donnerhack from 2021-10-11T23:00

In this episode we are talking to Eva Donnerhack, Director, Specialist for Modern and Impressionist Art and Head of Sales Germany at Sotheby's. Together we take a look behind the curtain of prep...

Are All Models Wrong? | with Scott Page from 2021-09-27T23:00

In this episode Scott Page, professor for Complexity, Social Science and Management at the University of Michigan, explains the value of models and their uses in different environments and disci...

The Price of a Pill: Game Theory and the Pharmaceutical Industry | with Oliver Viehmann from 2021-09-13T23:00

In this episode, we talk to Oliver Viehmann, Principal at TWS Partners, and explore the application of game theory to pricing strategies and negotiations in the highly regulated pharmaceutical i...

How to predict emerging market power using Game Theory | with Philipp Heller from 2021-08-02T23:00

In this episode we talk to Philipp Heller, expert on mergers, antitrust and competition to elaborate on why game theory is relevant to merger analysis. We discuss how game theory can help predic...

It's a match! How Economists improve mechanisms for kidney exchange | with Julien Combe from 2021-07-19T23:00

In this episode Julien Combe, professor of Economics at École Polytechnique, walks us through the intricacies of finding the right matching mechanism for kidney exchanges. We talk about general ...

From a spark to a flame: the rise of Game Theory at General Motors | with Marc Robinson from 2021-07-05T23:00

In this episode Marc Robinson, strategy and risk management expert, takes us back to when he first applied game theory to real-life business problems at General Motors. He shares his insights on...

Rationing supply – or how good intentions can lead to a bad outcome | with Marion Ott from 2021-06-21T23:00

In order to advance the “green revolution”, the EU has set some ambitious goals to drastically increase renewable energies in their energy portfolio. Part of that strategy is to award “support” ...

Super League, super market power? | with Jan Eeckhout from 2021-06-07T23:00

In April this year some of the best European football clubs announced their plans to create a "Super League". Plans which were crushed unanimously by both players and fans alike only a couple of...

Is game theory dangerous? | with David McAdams from 2021-05-24T23:00

From the prisoners’ dilemma to the Chicken Game: we all know the entertaining and powerful stories from game theory that help us to quickly identify the strategic core of a given situation.

Markets&morals – two contradicting concepts? | with Vitali Gretschko from 2021-05-10T23:00

In this episode we are talking to Vitali Gretschko, professor of economics and market design. With him, we explore how moral behaviour affects decisions in market environments. We discuss a rece...

Can you trust market research surveys? – How Game Theory reveals what people are really prepared to pay | with Anouar El Haji from 2021-04-26T23:00

In this episode we are talking to Anouar El Haji, behavioral economist and the founder & CEO of Veylinx. With him, we explore how game theory can help to identify how customers truly value new p...

Why cheaper isn't always better – the effect of zero prices in the electricity market | with Robert Idel from 2021-04-12T23:00

In this episode we are talking to Robert Idel, economist and expert in the energy sector. With him, we explore the effects of zero prices and how a market design approach can help tackle the cha...

Falling in love – game theory style! | with Christina Gravert from 2021-03-29T23:00

In this episode, Christina Gravert shares her personal experience from using online dating apps and how she applied game theoretic principles to maximise her chances for finding the perfect matc...

The Nuts and Bolts of e-Auctions | with Jacob Larsen from 2021-03-15T23:00

In this episode we are talking with Jacob Larsen, expert on digital Procurement, about the nuts and bolts of e-auctions and why companies are still struggling to realize their full potential. We...

How game theory can keep cognitive biases in check and improve companies' interactions with customers | with Nafa Ben Haddej from 2021-03-02T00:00

In this episode we are talking to Nafa Ben Haddej, behavioural scientist, about his latest insights on the value of game theory in both individual and group decision making in professional envir...

Never underestimate the power of signals - game theory in frequency auctions | with Stephan Knapek from 2021-02-16T00:00

In 2020, the Nobel prize for economics was awarded to Robert Wilson and Paul Milgrom for their contributions to complex auction formats.

In this episode of Game Changer, Stephan Knapek, M...

Online reviews - How you are fooled by them and why game theory can improve their trustworthiness | with Paolo Turrini from 2021-02-02T00:00

Ratings, reviews, stars and points – we all strongly rely on online reviews when we shop online. But can we really trust them? And is there something we can do to make them more reliable?

Carbon neutral – the smart way: How game theory can help companies to reduce carbon gas emissions | with Christian Paul from 2021-01-19T00:00

In this episode Christian Paul, principal at TWS Partners, explains why many companies are struggling to reach their targets in reducing carbon gas emissions.

He argues that this challeng...

Finding daycare centres for children in the optimal way | with Tobias Riehm from 2021-01-05T00:00

We discuss with researcher Tobias Riehm which economic reasons cause long waiting lists for parents to find daycare centres for their children in Germany. We find that knowledge from game theory...

Game theory as a time booster: How market design helps to reduce development time for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 | with Marcus Schreiber from 2020-12-22T00:00

We discuss with TWS Partners’ CEO Marcus Schreiber which economic reasons led to the impressively short development time for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
Marcus describes that risk mitiga...

Game theory – or why prisoners should learn to cooperate | with Abhinay Muthoo from 2020-12-08T03:00

We discuss with Professor of Economics Abhinay Muthoo, University of Warwick, a fundamental model of game theory: the Prisoners Dilemma. We not only explore its theoretical background but even m...

Economists to the rescue – how game theory helped to fight a deadly disease | with Sebastian Moritz from 2020-11-23T12:28:04

We discuss with TWS Partners’ Managing Partner Sebastian Moritz how applying knowledge from game theory has helped to eliminate a severe disease. An important part in this discussion will be to ...

Contributions of the 2020 economics laureates - or why winning an auction can be cursed | with Achim Wambach from 2020-10-16T12:48:25

With our guest Prof. Achim Wambach, PhD, president of the ZEW, we discuss what this year's Economics Nobel Prize laureates Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson have contributed to game theory and auct...

Game theory: Only a subject for Academia or relevant for business? | with Marcus Schreiber from 2020-09-23T11:34:38

We discuss with the CEO and co-founder of TWS Partners, Marcus Schreiber, how game theory as a pure academic subject can also be applied in the business context. We also talk about th...