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In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the resignation of Harvard's President Claudine Gay as well as the issues surrounding academic research, such as plagiarism, peer review, academic incentives, pressures universities might consider to enhance research productivity, and more.
This week Dan Romero joins Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg to discuss the overuse of the term “fascism,” what has led to the capabilities of China and the U.S., and much more.
For this episode, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg are joined by Sebastian Bensusan, an Argentinian blogger, to discuss Argentina's unique inflation problem, its agricultural and mining sectors, dollarization, voting patterns, and much more.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore the factors contributing to rising grocery prices and the impact of inflation on consumer sentiment, as well as debunking misconceptions about inflation.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore the debate on immigration, including open borders vs border enforcement, the ideal composition of immigrants, the housing crisis, & the mixed views Americans have on the subject.
Noah Smith is joined by Age of Miracles hosts Packy McCormick and Julia DeWahl to discuss the future of nuclear energy as well as other energy sources.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the rise in pseudoscience, the “administification” in America, the trillion-dollar non-profit sector, and more.
This is a bonus episode for Econ 102 listeners of The Riff with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg, recorded on Monday night 11/20, discussing the evolving story of Sam Altman’s ousting at OpenAI and new home at Microsoft, what OpenAI's next pivot could look like, the new competitive landscape for the big AI players, and Effective Altruism’s role in this drama.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah’s travel reflections from Singapore, the recent San Francisco cleanup, and the dystopian routes of progressivism.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the new geopolitical dynamics in Asia and the Middle East, why demographics may mean waning conflict, and take a dive into Ireland’s wealth.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the state of the economy, whether tech and the VC ecosystem are doing well or facing a rolling recession, and unpack assumptions about wealth in the United States.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto (a16z), the last waves of economic innovation, and predict the next wave of productivity gains from private and government-enabled innovation.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg continue their analysis of the Israel-Gaza war, against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical power, increasing conflicts, and the end of Pax Americana.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg record an episode to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, the moral problems with the leftist ideological response, the complicated geopolitical power dynamics in the Arab world, and how this conflict marks the waning of American power.
Economist Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the legacy and failings of Bernie Sanders’ movement with regards to privatization, student loans, healthcare, and the wealth gap.
Economist Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss several of Noah's Substack posts.
Economist Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah's recent Substack post skewering the claims and proposals that make up Republican Presidential candidate Vivek's Ramaswamy's platform. Noah covers Vivek's climate science sources, economic facts on renewable energy, foreign policy stance towards China, Russia, Taiwan and more.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg are joined by Adam Nash to discuss the economic implications of AI, the recent tech downturn, and why the venture model has been so successful across multiple tech booms.
Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss how today’s economy compares to the Reagan-era, cheap oil, how much the war in Ukraine is actually costing the US, and the economics of the populist anthem Rich Men North of Richmond.
In episode 8 of ECON 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah’s recent trip to Japan, the factors that will play in China’s potential economic crisis, and more.
In episode 7, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss student debt, inter- millennial rivalry, conservatism, international relations, and more.
Today we’re publishing a debate about industrial policy between Noah and Mike Bird, the Asia business and finance editor at The Economist.
In episode 5, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the promise and failings of higher education, working class economic prospects, the American healthcare system, and more.
Noah Smith guests on the Moment of Zen podcast (hosted by his Econ 102 co-host Erik Torenberg and founder Dan Romero) to discuss California land use, housing, politics, policing, and more.