So I’m in a bit of a pickle here. I am currently working on a study with another graduate student, and we are writing up our results right now. The study is a mathematical analysis with large-scale biological implications. As we are writing it up, I am torn with a decision that happens at least… Continue reading On Choosing a Format
Category: Science
A Lesson in How NOT to Draw Incidence Maps
I’m sure most of you know about the Ebola outbreak that is occurring in West Africa, particularly at the tripoint of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. I was alerted to an article in the New York Times recently which had a sort of incidence map of the areas in which there were confirmed and suspected… Continue reading A Lesson in How NOT to Draw Incidence Maps
What Causes Altruism? Positive Assortment
The question of altruistic acts poses a serious question in the field of evolutionary biology. Altruism occurs when an individual does an act which gives benefit to others at a cost to itself. Natural selection, on the other hand, states that the traits which give an individual the greatest benefit are the ones that will spread… Continue reading What Causes Altruism? Positive Assortment
War of Attrition: When There Is No End in Sight
A couple weeks ago, I went over the concept of the Hawk-Dove evolutionary model. This time, I plan to look at another Maynard-Smith derived model, namely the War of Attrition. Most people know the phrase by the actual model of warfare, where one side continues to hammer against the opponent regardless of its own losses… Continue reading War of Attrition: When There Is No End in Sight
Hawk-Dove: Evolutionary Game Theory in a Nutshell
Sorry about the absence last week. I fell ill and was unable to write anything for that week. This post was originally supposed to appear last Monday. Prisoner’s Dilemma. Battle of the Sexes. Chicken. Matching Pennies. Stag Hunt. Rock, Paper, Scissors. All the various types of auctions. I have just listed before me a series… Continue reading Hawk-Dove: Evolutionary Game Theory in a Nutshell