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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Several famous RAND studies looked at how the public would respond to contact with aliens and life after what?
2. How long do the people, each in separate rooms have to decide about pushing the button before the choice is taken away from them?
3. Which one of von Neumann's colleagues, though a left wing pacifist, joined with him in advocating preventative nuclear war against the Soviet Union?
4. The RAND institute at one time had every great U.S. and free world mathematician, physicist and ____ working there.
5. John von Neumann developed game theory partly as an alternative foundation to what?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is a minimax solution and saddle points?
2. Who is Bertrand Russell?
3. How does von Neumann's game theory relate to economics?
4. Why did Bertrand Russell suggest and believe in the merits of preemptive nuclear war?
5. Why was von Neumann considered the "best brain in the world?"
6. What are the details of one of the ethical dilemmas described in Chapter 1 of "Prisoner's Dilemma"?
7. Who are Mariette, Marianna, and Klara?
8. What was the Princeton social scene like while von Neumann was at IAS?
9. What are zero-sum games?
10. How did von Neumann end up working on the Manhattan Project and what did he produce while there?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Merrill Flood was the first to analyze the irrationality of people with game theory. Who is Merrill Flood? How did he go about analyzing this behavior with game theory? What were his resulting conclusion(s)? Please cite specific methodologies; detail situation specifics and explain any reactions, input and/or feedback from his RAND colleagues.
Essay Topic 2
How did each of these people figure in the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union: Harold Urey, Klaus Fuchs, Douglas MacArthur, and Francis Matthews?
Essay Topic 3
How did the strategic thinking of the Cold War become the logic of mathematical game theory as developed by von Neumann and his partner? Who was involved in the Cold War? Who were key players on either side of the conflict?
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This section contains 835 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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