Highlighting the hidden danger of big data

Carlo Ratti and Dirk Helbing describe a world where we are inundated with so much information it is difficult to filter out the noise and discover the joys of serendipity

In game theory, the “price of anarchy” describes how individuals acting in their own self-interest within a larger system tend to reduce that larger system’s efficiency. It is a ubiquitous phenomenon, one that almost all of us confront, in some form, on a regular basis.

For example, if you are a city planner in charge of traffic management, there are two ways you can address traffic flows in your city.