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YouTube

Lessons from Fungi on Markets and Economics

TED via YouTube

Overview

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Explore the fascinating parallels between mycorrhizal fungi networks and human economies in this 16-minute TED Talk by evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers. Discover how fungi living in plant and tree roots engage in strategic trading, resource stealing, and withholding, mirroring human economic behaviors without cognition. Gain insights into resource inequality, opportunistic strategies, and complex trade networks as Kiers reveals mind-blowing connections between fungal relationships and human economic systems. Learn how studying these intricate fungal networks can shed light on inequality issues and provide valuable lessons for understanding and addressing economic challenges in human societies.

Syllabus

Introduction
Market economy
Root covered in fungi
Trade strategies
Trade and inequality
Complexity

Taught by

TED

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