Kevin Zollman
@kevinzollman.com
Philosophy and Game Theory at Carnegie Mellon 🦚 Research the interface between philosophy, economics, and biology 💱 www.kevinzollman.com
Pinned
Kevin Zollman
@kevinzollman.com
· Jul 17
raw.githubusercontent.com
I did the thing you are never supposed to do. I wrote a (rough draft of a) textbook: Theories of Rational Decision
It's technical, but from a philosophical perspective. It focuses on the normative theory but touches on some behavioral issues as well.
raw.githubusercontent.com/kzollman/Rat...
It's technical, but from a philosophical perspective. It focuses on the normative theory but touches on some behavioral issues as well.
raw.githubusercontent.com/kzollman/Rat...
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
This leads me to believe that up until this meeting, Trump absolutely thought it was "hole milk."
Trump: "It's actually a legal definition -- 'whole milk.' And it's whole with a W for those of you that have a problem."
January 15, 2026 at 2:58 PM
This leads me to believe that up until this meeting, Trump absolutely thought it was "hole milk."
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Lots of Trump’s remarks are what I think of as “threesome jokes.” As in “Ha ha, of course I wasn’t serious about having a threesome with your friend. Unless you’re into it, in which case, how about Saturday?”
Q: Americans for generations have fought and died for democracy. Are you saying the president finds the idea of canceling elections funny?
LEAVITT: Where you in the room? Only someone like you would take that so seriously
LEAVITT: Where you in the room? Only someone like you would take that so seriously
January 15, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Lots of Trump’s remarks are what I think of as “threesome jokes.” As in “Ha ha, of course I wasn’t serious about having a threesome with your friend. Unless you’re into it, in which case, how about Saturday?”
Quick question for social science friends (esp. political science and economics): what would you say are "competitors" to game theory? I.e. what are theoretical frameworks that are different from game theory but trying to attack the same problems?
Note: they don't have to be good, just competitors.
Note: they don't have to be good, just competitors.
January 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Quick question for social science friends (esp. political science and economics): what would you say are "competitors" to game theory? I.e. what are theoretical frameworks that are different from game theory but trying to attack the same problems?
Note: they don't have to be good, just competitors.
Note: they don't have to be good, just competitors.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
obit that reads like excerpts from a thriller
Holy hell, what an obituary
Renfrew Christie Dies at 76; Sabotaged Racist Regime’s Nuclear Program
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:12 PM
obit that reads like excerpts from a thriller
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Do I know a philosopher of landslides? Is this a thing?
January 15, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Do I know a philosopher of landslides? Is this a thing?
Going to go to my local supermarket and demand they sell me a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and a black truffle for $3.
Brooke Rollins: "We've run over 1,000 simulations. It can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla, and one other thing. So there is a way to do this that actually will save the average American consumer money."
January 15, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Going to go to my local supermarket and demand they sell me a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and a black truffle for $3.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Meanwhile those of us still employed in US higher education have to do required trainings about how collaborating with scientists from China is bad.
US higher education was a crown jewel, generating knowledge, wealth, prestige, and power unrivaled by anyone.
And the US is throwing it away, because Americans elected a govt ideologically opposed to truth, science, merit, and racial/gender equality, preferring to weaken the country to reduce that.
And the US is throwing it away, because Americans elected a govt ideologically opposed to truth, science, merit, and racial/gender equality, preferring to weaken the country to reduce that.
Chinese Universities Surge in Global Rankings as U.S. Schools Slip
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Meanwhile those of us still employed in US higher education have to do required trainings about how collaborating with scientists from China is bad.
Fellow Delta frequent fliers: you must show ID to the TSA and the airline, but not to ICE (unless you are crossing the border). If you are a US citizen flying on domestic flights through MSP and ICE asks you for ID you are well within your rights to tell them "no."
January 15, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Fellow Delta frequent fliers: you must show ID to the TSA and the airline, but not to ICE (unless you are crossing the border). If you are a US citizen flying on domestic flights through MSP and ICE asks you for ID you are well within your rights to tell them "no."
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
"someone who goes to a baseball game to root for the umpire" is such a bar
hakeem jeffries is just chuck schumer on ketamine. he’s like if you let a sloth regurgitate the first clinton platform. someone who goes to a baseball game to root for the umpire.
January 15, 2026 at 3:43 PM
"someone who goes to a baseball game to root for the umpire" is such a bar
Even more than the general election, I think the primaries would benefit from using some kind of ranked choice voting. The early primaries largely provide information, by focusing on the most plausible candidates: why not have more information?
The Democratic Party is trying to decide which states should vote first in 2028—and what type of voters it wants to shape its attempt to regain the White House, Michael Scherer reports.
Democratic Bosses Are Launching a Remake of the 2028 Calendar
States are jockeying for an early spot and a greater say in the nominee.
bit.ly
January 15, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Even more than the general election, I think the primaries would benefit from using some kind of ranked choice voting. The early primaries largely provide information, by focusing on the most plausible candidates: why not have more information?
I got comments from a non-philosopher colleague on something I've written. He highlighted one thing and asked, "wouldn't philosophers argue about this?"
Yes. The answer is always yes.
Yes. The answer is always yes.
January 14, 2026 at 7:58 PM
I got comments from a non-philosopher colleague on something I've written. He highlighted one thing and asked, "wouldn't philosophers argue about this?"
Yes. The answer is always yes.
Yes. The answer is always yes.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
🧵 The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union—the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.
January 14, 2026 at 4:43 PM
🧵 The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union—the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
This post suggesting Proud Boy leader Tarrio is an ICE agent is getting traction but please don't share it.
If he is an ICE agent then he's not been showing up to work lately —just look at his X account
This so-called leaked ICE list has not been verified, so please don't share until it is.
If he is an ICE agent then he's not been showing up to work lately —just look at his X account
This so-called leaked ICE list has not been verified, so please don't share until it is.
January 14, 2026 at 10:58 AM
This post suggesting Proud Boy leader Tarrio is an ICE agent is getting traction but please don't share it.
If he is an ICE agent then he's not been showing up to work lately —just look at his X account
This so-called leaked ICE list has not been verified, so please don't share until it is.
If he is an ICE agent then he's not been showing up to work lately —just look at his X account
This so-called leaked ICE list has not been verified, so please don't share until it is.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
We are hiring a post-doc to study the impact of AI agents on complex social systems in Duke's Society-Centered AI Initiative and/or the Polarization Lab! Apply here:
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/314...
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/314...
January 13, 2026 at 2:01 PM
We are hiring a post-doc to study the impact of AI agents on complex social systems in Duke's Society-Centered AI Initiative and/or the Polarization Lab! Apply here:
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/314...
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/314...
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
"On the whole it's better for campaign slogans to clearly and unambiguously express what you're campaigning for, and less good when they're likely to be misunderstood by the public"
"Oh, so you're saying it should be impossible for someone to wilfully misinterpret your slogan?"
Every single time
"Oh, so you're saying it should be impossible for someone to wilfully misinterpret your slogan?"
Every single time
The problem with "abolish the police", "abolish prisons", and "abolish ice" as slogans is that they are easily misunderstood.
Most serious people who hold these positions, imagine replacing those with other things that serve the same function. That's not what people hear
Most serious people who hold these positions, imagine replacing those with other things that serve the same function. That's not what people hear
January 14, 2026 at 11:26 AM
"On the whole it's better for campaign slogans to clearly and unambiguously express what you're campaigning for, and less good when they're likely to be misunderstood by the public"
"Oh, so you're saying it should be impossible for someone to wilfully misinterpret your slogan?"
Every single time
"Oh, so you're saying it should be impossible for someone to wilfully misinterpret your slogan?"
Every single time
Get in, we're posting boardwalks
January 14, 2026 at 2:26 AM
Get in, we're posting boardwalks
I know someone who quit grad school and made literally millions of dollars playing online poker. He bought a house and started a family with that money
as prevalent as online gambling is, do you know a single person thats made money? enough to take a vacation?
All these Draft Kings and Fan Duel ads should be required to disclose that if you consistently win your bets you’ll get kicked off their platforms.
January 14, 2026 at 2:18 AM
I know someone who quit grad school and made literally millions of dollars playing online poker. He bought a house and started a family with that money
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Reminder 📢 We are advertising a postdoctoral position in #philbio or #philphysics to work on an interdisciplinary project that adopts the lens of self-organization & active matter to explore the boundary between living and nonliving systems👇 www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo... #philjobs #philsci #evosky
January 13, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Reminder 📢 We are advertising a postdoctoral position in #philbio or #philphysics to work on an interdisciplinary project that adopts the lens of self-organization & active matter to explore the boundary between living and nonliving systems👇 www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo... #philjobs #philsci #evosky
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
We must imagine Itsy Bitsy Spider happy
January 13, 2026 at 10:43 AM
We must imagine Itsy Bitsy Spider happy
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Rep. Crow: “As a three-time combat veteran, I get pretty damn hot when a five-time draft dodger like Donald Trump pounds his chest and bangs the war drums in Washington…America is over it. America is over…the sending of our sons and daughters and brothers and sisters to enrich oil executives.”
January 13, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Rep. Crow: “As a three-time combat veteran, I get pretty damn hot when a five-time draft dodger like Donald Trump pounds his chest and bangs the war drums in Washington…America is over it. America is over…the sending of our sons and daughters and brothers and sisters to enrich oil executives.”
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
I've been working for ages on a comprehensive revamp of the Stanford Encyclopedia Entry on "Animal Consciousness", with new sections on non-Western perspectives, methodological challenges and evolutionary big pictures, and it's out today: plato.stanford.edu/entries/cons.... Hope you find it useful!
January 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM
I've been working for ages on a comprehensive revamp of the Stanford Encyclopedia Entry on "Animal Consciousness", with new sections on non-Western perspectives, methodological challenges and evolutionary big pictures, and it's out today: plato.stanford.edu/entries/cons.... Hope you find it useful!
Meanwhile, on philosky
wait, really
January 13, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Meanwhile, on philosky
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Never underestimate the quest for knowledge no matter how irrelevant it may seem in the moment
If I hadn’t gone to a public university, I honestly wouldn’t have ever bothered to watch a basketball game. But now? “Boxing out” is a top ten skills for boarding public transportation
If I hadn’t gone to a public university, I honestly wouldn’t have ever bothered to watch a basketball game. But now? “Boxing out” is a top ten skills for boarding public transportation
January 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Never underestimate the quest for knowledge no matter how irrelevant it may seem in the moment
If I hadn’t gone to a public university, I honestly wouldn’t have ever bothered to watch a basketball game. But now? “Boxing out” is a top ten skills for boarding public transportation
If I hadn’t gone to a public university, I honestly wouldn’t have ever bothered to watch a basketball game. But now? “Boxing out” is a top ten skills for boarding public transportation
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
sort of an obvious trade-off here: people who are firmly in the "abolish ICE" camp won't know your intentions for sure, but in exchange you don't spook the status quo moderates. i'm not some politics genius, just sort of floating my gut instinct.
January 12, 2026 at 8:53 PM
sort of an obvious trade-off here: people who are firmly in the "abolish ICE" camp won't know your intentions for sure, but in exchange you don't spook the status quo moderates. i'm not some politics genius, just sort of floating my gut instinct.