During our Ethics and Cosmology student-led seminar (Ethics for the Anthropocene, Module 5: Game Theory and Complexity in Ethics) on 16 November 2017, we were joined by Dr. John Gowdy, Professor of Economics and Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. John spoke to us about his recent work on behavioural economics and neuroeconomics, and how these fields are necessary to move beyond the limitations of neoclassical economic theory. We ended up with a far reaching discussion covering human nature, cognitive biases, advertising, private capture of public benefits, and institutional barriers in politics.

If you have any interest in these topics, this is definitely one to check out! You can view John’s presentation here. You can also consult Dr. Gowdy’s presentation slides here.

–Tim Crownshaw, Cohort 3