Survival of the Fittest Most Cooperative

This lecture explores the concept of cooperation in biological systems as part of the "Decisions, Games, and Evolution" program at ICTS Bengaluru. Delve into how cooperation manifests across all biological scales from cells to societies, challenging traditional views of "survival of the fittest." Examine how evolutionary game theory provides a framework for understanding cooperation in both biological and cultural contexts. Learn about the organizing principles behind the evolution of cooperation through perspectives from biology, mathematical modeling, cognitive science, social network dynamics, and behavioral economics. The presentation addresses fundamental questions about how individual choices in social conflicts are affected by environment and population structure, how individual behavior shapes population outcomes, and the role of learning in evolutionary choices. This interdisciplinary lecture brings together insights from biologists, cognitive scientists, economists, and physicists to promote cross-disciplinary understanding of decision-making processes across all scales of life.