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In this BBC documentary Richard Dawkins explores the evolution of cooperation. The problem has been discussed intensely since Darwin’s time and is still being investigated scientifically. Cooperative species are quite successful but rare. Social insects (ants, wasps, bees and termites) make up only 3 percent of animal diversity yet they may constitute up to 50 percent of the total animal biomass in land habitats. Among 43,678 known species of spiders cooperative behavior evolved in only a few. How could a worker ant give up reproduction and devote herself completely for the survival of the queen? What are the conditions necessary to reinforce cooperation? Is it possible to punish cheaters? If so, how? When does cooperation fail? Before searching for answers to these questions we must understand a very important concept called Game Theory. The concept is so influential in our understanding of social phenomena that it generated 12 Nobel prizes until 2012. An excerpt from a popular British tv show may help understand the basics of a hypothetical game theory scenario called Prisoner’s dilemma:
