Scott Alexander examines the role of slack in evolutionary systems, arguing that a balance between competition and cooperation often leads to optimal outcomes in various domains.
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Scott Alexander explores the concept of slack in evolutionary systems, using various examples to illustrate how balancing competition and cooperation can lead to optimal outcomes. He discusses how slack allows for the development of complex adaptations that might not emerge in environments of intense competition or total absence of competition. The post covers topics such as monopolies, tariffs, strategy games, stock exchanges, corporate organization, and the evolution of ideas, showing how the principle of slack applies in each case.
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