factual

Models can prove possibility against impossibility claims

One distinct use of game-theoretic modeling is proof-of-possibility: against Quine's natural-language skepticism that language cannot evolve without prior language to establish conventions, modeling work by David Lewis and Brian Skyrms showed that extremely simple agents can learn to coordinate on a signal meaning something without any prior language.

factualpending

Speaker

Cailin O'Connor

Evidence Quote

modeling work by David Lewis and then Brian Skyrms showed that, well no, you can. You can have extremely simple agents learn how to coordinate on a signal to mean something without needing any sort of prior language

Source

113 | Cailin O'Connor on Game Theory, Evolution, and the Origins of UnfairnessSean Carroll's Mindscape
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:26:23 AM

My Notes

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