How games secretly shape our world - with Kelly Clancy

Join neuroscientist and physicist Kelly Clancy as she delves into our unrelenting fascination with games. Watch the Q&A here: Buy Kelly’s book here: This talk was recorded at the Ri on 15 June 2024. Beyond mere entertainment, games serve as dynamic tools for learning about the world, understanding the intricacies of our minds, and even forecasting the future. But these insights beg the question: what happens when games blur the line between fiction and reality? Kelly will trace the evolution of games since the Enlightenment, traversing diverse realms such as military theory, biology, AI, neuroscience and the evolving landscape of democracy. From the influence of war games on the outcomes of actual conflicts in nineteenth and twentieth-century Europe to the transformative impact of game theory on our understanding of human behaviour, games have left an indelible mark. Discover their profound effects on all aspects of our society, from technology to economics and politics. This video was an exclusive, ad-free preview for our Science Supporters. Join this channel to get early access to our new videos, along with other perks: Subscribe for regular science videos: 00:00 Intro 3:20 The play instinct in humans and animals 8:44 How uncertainty and dopamine influence play 12:54 The history of gambling and chance 15:12 Probability theory and Blaise Pascal 21:54 Can we understand war through games? 30:41 Game theory as a branch of mathematics 36:33 Artificial intelligence and games 42:11 Gamifying reality and human behaviour 48:13 Using games to increase organ donation --- Kelly Clancy is an accomplished neuroscientist and physicist with an illustrious research career. She has been honored with fellowships from HFSP, EMBO, and the National Science Foundation, as well as receiving the prestigious Regeneron Prize for creative innovation in biomedicine. A recipient of the Branco Weiss Fellowship and the Berkeley Fellowship, Kelly’s insightful writing has graced publications like Wired, The New Yorker, Nautilus, Utne Reader, Harper’s Magazine, and the Massachusetts Review. --- The Ri is on Twitter: and Facebook: and TikTok: @ri_science Listen to the Ri podcast: Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: Our editorial policy: Subscribe for the latest science videos: Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won’t cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.