677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
12 June - 59 minsIt brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams win the Super Bowl. Stephen Dubner explores why this ancient game is having a renaissance. (Part two of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”)
SOURCES:
Remington Davenport, founder of NYC Backgammon Club.
Frank Frigo, game strategy expert & two-time world backgammon champion.
Masayuki "Mochy" Mochizuki, professional backgammon player.
Marc Olsen, C.E.O. of Backgammon Galaxy.
Robert Wachtel, author and professional backgammon player.
RESOURCES:
The Backgammon Chronicles: A Pro's Adventures on Tour Volume 1, by Robert Wachtel (2019)...
Series Episodes
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The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)
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The Brilliant Mr. Feynman (Update)
What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Feynman out west, to explore his long and extremely fruitful second act. (Part two of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)
52 mins
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The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update)
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)
1 hour 3 mins
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