Evolutionary games and the study of cooperation: Why has so little progress been made?

Natural selection acts as a culling force that favors highly fit organisms. There are numerous examples ranging from bacteria through humans showing fitness can sometimes improve if individuals cooperate. Yet despite the widespread evidence of cooperation throughout nature, we still do not fully understand how it evolves. Over the past 10-15 years a large number of theoretical (computer) models have been created, analyzed and published to try and get some answers. Unfortunately, little progress has been made despite all of this time and effort. In this paper we review what has been done and explain why the current directions of research in modeling cooperation in populations is unlikely to provide any insight. We make recommendations on the proper path for future research efforts.