Category: Games

Computer chess breakthroughs and imitations

by  Tyler Cowen in

This new series of articles, by Dr. Søren Riis, here, and here, and here is of general interest and does not require chess knowledge.  They are an excellent case study in innovation, IP, reverse engineering, incentives to copy, market leadership, and other currently important concepts.  Excerpt:

This program was immediately thought to be a very close derivative of Rybka because its solving of test positions was extremely similar. But, beyond the objective measures of similarity testing, Strelka had to have been a reverse-engineered Rybka derivative because, at the time, a new program of such strength and manifest similarity in its playing style could hardly have come from anywhere else. Thus a very public precedent was established: someone had reverse-engineered a closed-source program with impunity.

Markets in everything but is there a core?

by  Tyler Cowen in

Ireland would need to get a significant reduction in its debt burden in order to get any referendum on new European budgetary rules passed, Minister of State for Finance Brian Hayes has said.

“The idea that we could have a referendum without that agreement, on a substantial re-arranging of our debt, wouldn’t fly,” Mr Hayes said in an interview with the Sunday Business Post .

“We would have to have that in place before we put the question (to the people) and that’s beginning to be understood at an EU level, which puts us in a stronger position,” he said.

Story here, via Economistmeg.

Rational loss of addiction, if you can

by  Tyler Cowen in

As a former chess grandmaster, who at the height of this career he was ranked number forty in the world, Ken [Rogoff] has not been able to abandon his love of the game. Last year and this year again he visited the London Chess Classic, and in fact even joined in the live commentary of games. In the VIP room he was consulted by practically everybody, especially at a time when the world economy seems to be in serious trouble and the European monetary union on the verge of collapse.

Every year Harvard Economics Professor Ken Rogoff says he receives an unsolicited letter from one of the world’s top chess players. It is a different one every year but the question is the same: how can I get out of chess.

There is a podcast at the link, on this topic, go to 11:20 or so.

It’s already dead in the water

by  Tyler Cowen in

“Right now, there is not much more than a blank sheet of paper and even the name of the future treaty might still change,” said Petr Necas, the prime minister of the Czech Republic. “I think that it would be politically short-sighted to come out with strong statements that we should sign that piece of paper.”

There is so much more at the FT link, and from numerous countries.  Of course on day one they were all going to say it is great and that they support it.  Then the new equilibrium is revealed.

Rising in status: Timur Kuran’s theory of preference falsification, Buchanan and Tullock’s Calculus of Consent, Thomas Schelling’s Strategy of Conflict.

Falling in status: French rationalist constructivism, claiming that the failures of social democratic multinational collective governance stem mainly from a misguided belief in fiscal austerity.

That was then, this is now

by  Tyler Cowen in

German Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle reacted negatively against what he described as plans by the Spanish EU Presidency to “sanction” member states who do not comply with the European Union’s growth objectives.

…Spanish daily El País writes that little time had elapsed between the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the beginning of the first conflict between federalists – who want a stronger Union – and eurosceptics. On the side of the federalists, El País lists rotating EU President Zapatero, EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Liberal group leader in the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt, who have all spoken in favour of more economic power at EU level with sanctions against those who do not comply.

“This initiative has raised the alarm in Germany and in the UK…”

The link is here, I cannot tell exactly when it is from (you will recall that Germany was an early violator of the three percent rule), and the pointer is from @sisifa1.

From the comments (pleasing David Wright)

by  Tyler Cowen in

There seem to be an awful lot of arguments floating around the economic blogosphere lately that try to use “credibility” as a kind of magic trick to claim that some institution can get some desired result without having to do the yucky things it would have to do to, you know, actually get that result. I would love to see a post on this topic from our host.

That was from David Wright…and now he has his post.

How to leave the Uros zone (no typo, if only it were so easy)

by  Tyler Cowen in

…the Uros have managed to retain their independence and lifestyle by living on 93 floating islands, which they build and maintain from totora reeds, some five kilometres off the coast and accessible only by a 20-minute boat ride from Puno.

…Should there be disputes between families living on the same island it is easy to cut a single home off and float it to another island.

The full story is here, much more information here.

Somebody’s culture, I am not sure whose

by  Tyler Cowen in

Last week, restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland, held a competition to eat the extra-hot Kismot Killer curry. Some of the competitive eaters were left writhing on the floor in agony, vomiting and fainting.

According to reports, two British Red Cross workers overseeing the event at the Kismot Indian restaurant in Edinburgh but became overwhelmed by the number of casualties and ambulances were called. Half of the 20 people who took part in the challenge dropped out after witnessing the first diners vomiting, collapsing, sweating and panting.

It turns out that eating a few pounds of the stuff probably can kill you; hat tip goes to Steve Silberman.

From yesterday’s New York Times

by  Tyler Cowen in

They are experimenting with different models of human behavior, here is from Modern Love:

At first his behavior was endearing. He constantly gave me attention, lavishing me with compliments, calls and sometimes gifts. But one morning when I slid out of bed from next to him, things felt different. All his wooing suddenly repelled me.

I crawled back in and tried my best to pretend things were O.K. He showered and dressed. I clenched my teeth when it was time to kiss goodbye, then shut the door behind him, sighed and wondered if he had any idea.

We learn from this same column that butterflies can see with their genitals.  And from the NYT Sunday Magazine, here is a Death Row love story:

“I knew you were going to say your favorite color is blue,” he wrote. “It belongs to you. My favorite colors are black and crimson. I love deep, dark red things made of red velvet.”

Toward a theory of autocracy

by  Tyler Cowen in

The Russian head of the World Chess Federation said he spoke Tuesday with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and that he remains in Tripoli and defiant.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has known Gadhafi for years. His visit to Tripoli in July was among the last times the Libyan leader was seen in public after NATO airstrikes began.

…He said Gadhafi sounded full of vigor and told him he was “certain we will win.”

Ilyunzhinov said he also talked to Gadhafi’s son Mohammed, Libya’s Olympic chief, who said his father’s forces would “drive the rats out of
the city.”

The link is here, via @JamesCrabtree and Natasha.  Of course I also could have titled this post “Toward a theory of the World Chess Federation.”

Washing Away Sin

by  Alex Tabarrok in

Attendees at a nationalist, right-wing concert in Germany were duped into wearing souvenir T-shirts…the t-shirts originally read “hardcore rebels” and sported a skull and nationalist flags. However, once the garment had been washed, the shirt revealed a new message:

“If your t-shirt can do it, you can do it too — we’ll help you get away from right-wing extremism.”

Awesome.

Hat tip: Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic.