EconTalk Archives, 2007

Gordon on Ants, Humans, the Division of Labor and Emergent Order

08.20.2007 - By EconTalk: Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and LibertyPlay

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Deborah M. Gordon, Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University, is an authority on ants and order that emerges without control or centralized authority. The conversation begins with what might be called the economics of ant colonies, how they manage to be organized without an organizer, the division of labor and the role of tradeoffs. The discussion then turns to the implications for human societies and the similarities and differences between human and natural orders.

More episodes from EconTalk Archives, 2007