Sunday, July 08, 2007

RWJF Prediction market on Avian Flu

(photo: http://www.lifesized.net/images/ithinkuare.jpg)

My earlier post on prediction markets stirred a bit of interest and sent me off looking a bit more deeply. One commentator noted a network of universities, nonprofits and foundations in Southern California developing prediction market. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded such a tool focused on avian flu - the Iowa Health Prediction Market. Another post mentions "one very big West Coast foundation" and the Rand Corp using prediction markets.

Here's some info on a prediction market (also known as collective intelligence) conference held earlier this year.

More, anyone?


1 comment:

Holden said...

May I ask why RWJF is funding the creation of an avian flu market, when there's one right on InTrade (http://www.intrade.com - unfortunately there's no permalink for the market itself, you have to click "Current Events" and then "Bird Flu")?

If you're into prediction markets, InTrade is where it's at - just an electronic exchange for anyone and everyone who wants to play. They put up contracts on politics, current events, etc. Simple - same technology and same place for everything, so creating a new prediction market probably takes them under an hour regardless of the topic.