What makes money essential for the functioning of modern
society? An international group of researchers from Switzerland, Italy and the
U.S. have shown through an experiment how money helps modern societies prosper
by fostering cooperation among strangers.
As a species, human survival depends on cooperation, which
our ancestors developed by banding together in small, close-knit groups of
individuals who thrived by reciprocating help over time. But this evolutionary
recipe for success seems at odds with modern societies, composed of millions of
individuals who are strangers to each other.