A population inversion is a condition in a physical system where more particles are in an excited state than are not. Econophysicist Jim Cramer was awarded the 2029 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for the development of the population inversion metaphor in the research of lootbox drops and virtual gazpachapon games. Whilst mainstream ludology recognises three classes of drop (common, uncommon, and rare), Cramer pointed out that due to the statistical mechanics of many video games, it is possible for uncommon items to actually become more common than common items under conditions of extreme hype and clutch. When this happens, it can damage the delicate ecosystems of online games, with wide-ranging consequences.

The most infamous example of an item population inversion is the 2023 CounterStrike Global Offensive Golden Karambit Crisis. Excessive clutch play led to a massive surfeit of golden karambits being spawned on de_dust2. Sensing inter-game arbitrage opportunities, players abandoned their terrorism and counter-terrorism duties in favour of constructing dangerous makeshift recasting facilities. Over a 24 hour period, over 50,000 karambits were melted down and recast into gold ingots for export to Minecraft, whilst polymer grips and other fittings were simply burnt or discarded near CT spawn. Environmental pollution from this activity led to a substantial reduction in draw distance. This in turn led to an elevated headshot risk, with designated terrorist groups such as the Real IRL complaining that the map is no longer suitable as a murder simulator. Remediation efforts are ongoing, with experts estimating that bombsite A will not be safe to push until at least 2037.