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Humanities at Play: Quantitative Easing with Mark Pingle

  • The Glass Die 675 Holcomb Avenue, Reno (map)

Join Nevada Humanities and professor of economics Mark Pingle (University of Nevada, Reno) at The Glass Die on Sunday, October 12 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm for a Humanities at Play in-person event. At the beginnig of our program, Pingle will introduce the concept of quantitative easing using examples from 2008-2011 and during COVID to enable participants to understand what quantitative easing is and when it makes sense to use it. Afterwards, audience members will have the chance to put theory into practice and play the board game QE (Lucky Duck Games, 2019).

In the game QE, a term that stands for "quantitative easing", players represent nations who are bidding to bail out companies that are “too big to fail” during the 2008 economic crisis. The central banks have unlimited financial resources, so lots of money is going to be printed, but the central banks also face disaster — print too much money and the country they represent goes bust. At the end of the game, players score points based on the companies they have collected and the player with the most points wins. However, the player who spent the most money during the game is eliminated from competition. They have inflated their currency and trashed their economy.

This is a free event. Space is limited and advanced registration is required. Please note that The Glass Die is a 21+ establishment. Individuals under the age of 21 will not be able to attend.


Mark Pingle has been a member of the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Economics since 1990. He received his B.S. degree in economics from Southern Oregon State College in 1983. He received his M.A. in 1984 and Ph.D. in Economics in 1988, both from the University of Southern California.

Pingle has published papers, books, and other writings in the areas of macroeconomics, behavioral economics, and experimental economics. Since Fall 2008, Pingle has focused on building an Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. This effort has included much community outreach in an effort to enhance economic development in Nevada, specifically by seeking to develop a culture of entrepreneurship. Progress includes more than $7 million in university endowment funds raised for entrepreneurship, rapidly expanding enrollments in entrepreneurship courses, and a community organization called Entrepreneurship Nevada that fosters collaboration among community groups that support entrepreneurship. Expanding economic education and financial literacy have also been a focal point of his outreach efforts.


Humanities at Play explores and showcases the significance of the humanities in everyday life through games, media, and popular culture. Join us for dynamic and interactive online and in-person events designed to spark thoughtful conversation and reflection. Learn more here.