From the depths of a microscopic world, spontaneous cooperation
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - 12:20
in Mathematics & Economics
A clever combination of two different types of computer simulations enabled a group of researchers to uncover an unexpectedly cooperative group dynamic: the spontaneous emergence of resource sharing among individuals in a community. Who were the members of this friendly, digitally represented collective? Escherichia coli, rod-shaped bacteria found in the digestive systems of humans and many other animals.