Paul Milgrom argued for fundamental changes in the rules on how to distribute water or emission permits through auctions. And he won the Nobel Prize in Economics for it. He got into scientific work almost by accident. As a student, he didn't go to physics classes because they were too early in the morning. How did an Excel spreadsheet and a 3.5-inch floppy disk help him in his work? Who is an economist for him? How to explain auctions to a child? Why was he sentenced to 10 days of community service? And how is it possible that his daughter speaks fluent Czech?
