Sunday With Steven...

This weekend NPR's "RadioLab" replayed an older piece in which Steven Strogatz joins the regulars to elucidate the well-known game theory conundrum, the Prisoner's Dilemma. If you missed it, listen to Dr. Strogatz's as-always clear narrative focused on Robert Axlerod's solution to the puzzle (from around the 7 min. to the 15 min. point, but enjoy the whole 25 min. piece):

http://www.radiolab.org/2010/dec/14/one-good-deed-deserves-another/

And, what-the-heck might as well make it a Strogatz-Sunday… here's another of my favorite Strogatz-included RadioLab episodes, all about his lifelong relationship/friendship with a high school math teacher named Don Joffray; very touching, and the subject of his earlier book, "The Calculus of Friendship." This is the sort of story, that even if you've heard it before, is still enjoyable (and moving) on the second or third hearing (~16 mins.):

http://www.radiolab.org/2009/nov/30/calculove/

If you're a Strogatz fan you can look up several RadioLab episodes that have included him over the last several years, here:
 
http://www.radiolab.org/search/?q=strogatz#q=strogatz

ADDENDUM: Dr. Strogatz tweets this page for further Weblinks to him:

http://www.stevenstrogatz.com/media.html