Non-Zero-Sum James

A podcast where I read my blog to you, and chit-chat a little. I'm Non-Zero-Sum James, your companion on this exploration of win-win games and how they are essential for a better future. I've been writing here at nonzerosum.games for a couple of years now, and decided it was finally time to reproduce the content in the form in which I usually consume media, audio. So, playing catch-up, every couple of days I'll be reading from the blog, exploring a new aspect of game theory, moral philosophy, ethical economics and AI—looking for solutions to the complex problems we face in our world together.

Last refreshed: October 13th, 2025 at 4:11 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Liv Boeree ~ Non-Zero Hero

Game theorist Liv Boeree describes herself as pathologically competitive and indeed, her life has been about "winning" in many ways. Introducing our first Non-Zero Hero, part of a series people out on the front lines preaching the gospel of non-zero-sum games. Liv is responsible for introducing me to Moloch. | Liv Won The European Poker Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64GWjR4vKGs&t=21s | Her brutal 'Golden Balls' performance is here: https://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GhbT-zEfc |...

May 06, 2025•5 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Unlocking Solutions

Coordination Problems are situations in Game Theory where coordinated solutions are required to solve complex problems, like those we've explored with Moloch —where we end up complicit in our own downfall. And we'll be exploring this through a story about one of my many childhood mishaps. | To read the original post visit: https://nonzerosum.games/unlockingsolutions.html | This episode mentions Humanity's Alignment Problem, which isn't in podcast form yet, but is part of the series over at the b...

May 04, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Moloch's Demise ~ Solving the Original Problem

I mentioned in Who is Moloch? that the Canaanites were acting rationally by offering the occasional child for sacrifice, but that's not entirely true. We can actually find an optimal strategy through using some Game Theory! | To read the whole series visit: https://nonzerosum.games/map-moloch.html

May 02, 2025•4 min

4 Ways Moloch is Ruining Your Life

Molochian systems—they're insidious, they're ubiquitous, and they're messing with your life in ways you might not even realise. Today, we're diving into four key examples of these pesky systems that can turn self-interest into a collective nightmare: Listicles, Bargain Hunting, Tax Havens, and Late-Stage Capitalism. | Yuval Noah Harari on Gossip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-XGwOxtH9E | Donate to Unicef here: https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-labour | Join the discussion over on the b...

May 01, 2025•6 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Who is Moloch?

Moloch is a metaphor describing systems where individual rational decisions lead to collectively bad outcomes. This series explores how Moloch manifests, why it’s so hard to break free, and what strategies might help us escape these traps. | Links: | Read the illustrated post here: https://nonzerosum.games/whoismoloch.html | Liv Boeree's Beauty wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fifVuhgvQQ8 | and The Media Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRz54V7rU4U | Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl': https://ww...

Apr 30, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 3

What are Non-Zero-Sum Games?

From the genetic lottery we're thrown into at birth, to the educational opportunities we navigate, the jobs we compete for, and the relationships we cultivate—every stage in life is marked by wins and losses, strategies and tactics, alliances, and competition. But not all games are zero-sum showdowns. To understand non -zero-sum ness it helps to consider "sum" different types of games . | Learn more at the Game Theory Page (https://nonzerosum.games/gametheory.html)...

Apr 28, 2025•6 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Non-Zero-Sum James

First episode, a bit about who, why and what. Read more at https://nonzerosum.games | Links: Modelling (a very old blog about my very short lived modelling “career”) https://prefrontallobotomy.blogspot.com/2009/06/im-model-you-know-what-i-mean.html Relative Value (if you just can’t wait for the podcast episode, you can read more here) https://nonzerosum.games/absolutevsrelative.html | Subscribe here : https://nonzerosum.games/subscribe.html...

Apr 25, 2025•6 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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