Nuclear competition also prompted the development of game theory, an important branch of math and economics also invented by von Neumann. In a world of mutually assured destruction in which a state could retaliate against a devastating nuclear attack but could not stop an assault already underway, academics undertook more serious decision-making models that incorporated known incentives and uncertain information. Today, game theory underpins the ad pricing models of major internet companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Facebook. And, to really bring the example full circle, Alphabet invests some
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