How do you know if a country is "doing well" economically? How can we say that one country is "more developed" than another? For many years incomes (GDP) and other measures of how much "stuff" a country was making were the standard yardstick but then along came Amartya Sen and changed our viewpoint on how development was measured forever. Those ideas, shaped by a childhood that spanned the partition of India, would eventually win him the Economics Nobel Prize but there is so much more to the man, even though he rejected  'The Mother Teresa of Economics' moniker. Guiding you through Sen's life and ideas as always are Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists. Technical support is provided by 'WD40Man' Nic and music comes from Jukedeck. You can create your own at Jukedeck.com
Note - in our India quiz, Pete gets 3 out of 5 correct. In the boardgame question, there are in fact two right answers. Apologies...do not shout at the podcast when the error arises!

Season 4 Episode 3 - Amartya Sen

Economics In Ten is your go-to podcast if you want to learn about the lives, times and ideas of the world's greatest economic thinkers. Each episode is a fun exploration of a famous economist using ten different questions. Presented by Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists, with technical support from Nic and music from Jukedeck - create your own at http://jukedeck.com

Social Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science


What if rational economic man existed? How would they view the current state of the planet? How would they solve ‘the economic problem’? If it was to be solved by extreme methods, how would you respond? In this new play by your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, these issues are tackled in a fun and thought-provoking manner. Will you side with Dr Becker, the doctor who has created ‘Homo Economicus’ or will you side with Adam The Clone? Listen to the play and then have a think about some of the questions that have been put online to discuss. Thanks always goes to Nic for his production wizardry and to Kate for being the narrator.



Rational - A Play About Economics

Imagine looking at the world and seeing economics everywhere. Whether it was in family dynamics, discrimination in the workplace, the criminal mind…absolutely anything!!! When first mooted this was an alien idea to many, including many economists but this was the novel approach of the highly influential and award-winning economist Gary Becker. Becker is many economists' favourite economist, at least those economists keenest on market-based, "rational" approaches. Where once economics stayed in its lane, now, post-Becker, Economics goes wherever it chooses, with tools such as cost-benefit analyses applied in all areas of human activity. Nothing is safe from economics thanks to Gary Becker! Whether he deserves our thanks our opprobrium for this is debatable but in this episode of their award winning podcast, Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists, explore his life and ideas. So if you are wondering why students should now do an investment appraisal before going to university or why siblings are nice to each other, even when they are horrible to other people, then this podcast is for you! As always there is a quiz, some music and book recommendations and a cocktail you can make to compliment the episode. Technical support comes from ‘Ace of Bass’ Nic.

Season 7 - Episode 4 - Gary Becker

Have you ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of the great economists? Do you want to breathe the same air they breathed? Do you want to be inspired by the ghosts of Economics past? Well now's your chance. Ye olde London Town is rich with economic history and in this podcast special, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, take you on a 3 mile journey around Central London. Starting at the British Library and ending at the LSE, you will find out why certain landmarks are important within the world of economics. It should take you just over an hour to walk and on the journey, you can pay homage to the likes of Marx, Keynes and Fawcett. Technical support as always comes from 'The Stitcher' Nic.



London Walk Special

One could argue that the modern discipline that is Economics is, to a large degree, a branch of applied mathematics. This is a far cry from its early roots found in the work of more philosophical thinkers such as Adam Smith. How did we end up here? One major reason is the "Marginal Revolution" of the nineteenth century. In this episode of their award winning podcast, Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists, explore the life and ideas of William Stanley Jevons, one of the proponents of this less than bloody revolution. He was the man who turned Political Economy into Economics and said in his most famous book ‘Theory of Political Economy‘ - ‘Economics, if it is to be a science at all, must be a mathematical science’. As always, there is a quiz for you to enjoy linked to the Jevon's Number, a poem that distils his life in rhyme and a discussion about whether the weather has any impact on business cycles whatsoever! Technical support as always comes from Nic.



Season 7 - Episode 3 - William Stanley Jevons

Abraham Lincoln once said “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” This quote has been wheeled out to the point of cliche but we believe it epitomises the work of Nobel Prize winning economist Robert E Lucas Jr. The (perhaps reluctant?) leader of the New Classical school of economics, he made his name with his deceptively simple analysis of "rational expectations" and was lauded (at least by some) for putting Keynesianism to the sword after its long period of ascendancy in the post-war era. In this second episode of Season Seven your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav explore his life and ideas and explain the various economic phenomena that have Lucas in their name - his wedge, paradox and most famously his "Lucas critique". Ardent fans will be delighted by our usual quiz, which this time is based around the number 50, as this is the fiftieth episode of our show. You will also be the grateful recipients of a poem and more book recommendations than you can shake a stick at! Technical support as always comes from our homeboy Nic.





Season 4 Episode 3 - Amartya Sen

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