Conversations with Tyler

By Tyler Cowen

SHOW DESCRIPTION

Tyler Cowen hosts thought leaders from across the spectrum?—?economists, entrepreneurs, authors and innovators. All have one thing in common?—?they are making an impact on the world because of their ideas.

4.9

797 ratings

	EPISODES LIST
		Larissa MacFarquhar on Getting Inside Someone's Head As a writer of profiles, Larissa MacFarquhar is granted the privilege of listening to, learning from, and sharing the stories of extraordinary thinkers like Derik Parfit, Noam Chomsky, Hilary Mantel, and Paul Krugman. And she’s often drawn to write about the individual thinking behind extreme altruism, dementia care, and whether to stay in a small town. Motivating her is a desire to place readers inside someone’s head: to see what they see and to think how they think. In their dialogue, Larissa and Tyler discuss the thinking and thinkers behind her profiles, essays, and books, including notions of moral luck, exit vs voice, the prose of Kenneth Tynan, why altruistic heroes are mainly found in genre fiction, why she avoids describing physical appearances in her writing, the circumstances that push humans to live more extraordinary lives, what today has in common with the 1890s, and more. Follow Larissa on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	01.16.2019
		Rebecca Kukla on Moving through and Responding to the World Before she ever studied them as an academic, Rebecca Kukla was fascinated by cities. Growing up in the middle of Toronto, she spent her days walking the city and noticing the way people and place interact. That fascination stayed with her, and motion, embodiment, and place has become a subtle through line in both her professional philosophy and personal interests. In her conversation with Tyler, Kukla speaks about the impossibility of speaking as a woman, curse words, gender representation and “guru culture” in philosophy departments, what she learned while living in Bogota and Johannesburg, what’s interesting in the works of Hegel, Foucault, and Rousseau, why boxing is good for the mind, how she finds good food, whether polyamory can scale, and much more. We're coming to San Francisco! Join us for a live podcast recording with Sam Altman on January 28th. To learn more and register for the event, click here. Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	01.02.2019
		Daniel Kahneman on Cutting Through the Noise If you enjoy Conversation with Tyler, consider making a year-end donation at ConversationsWithTyler.com/donate. All gifts will support the show’s production, including future live podcast recordings like this one. You might be surprised by what occupies Daniel Kahneman’s thoughts. “You seem to think that I think of bias all the time,” he tells Tyler. “I really don’t think of bias that much.” These days, noise might be the concept most on Kahneman’s mind. A forthcoming book, coauthored with Cass Sunstein and “a brilliant Frenchman you haven’t heard of” is about how random variability affects our decision-making. And while we’ve spent a lot of time studying how bias causes error in judgment, Kahneman says, we aren’t thinking nearly enough about the problem of noise. In November, Kahneman joined Tyler for a live conversation about bias, noise and more, including happiness, memory, the replication crisis in psychology, advice to CEOs about improving decision-making, superforecasters, the influence of Freud, working in a second language, the value of intuition, and why he can’t help you win arguments with a spouse. Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	12.19.2018
		Paul Romer on the Unrivaled Joy of Scholarship Throughout his career, Paul Romer has enjoyed sampling and sifting through an ever-growing body of knowledge. He sometimes jokingly refers to himself as a random idea generator, relying on others to filter out the bad ones so his contributions are good. Not a bad strategy, as it turns out, for starting a successful business and winning a Nobel Prize. Just before accepting that Prize, he joined Tyler for a conversation spanning one filtered set of those ideas, including the best policies for growth and innovation, his new thinking on the trilemma facing migration, how to rework higher education, general-purpose technologies, unlocking the power of reading for all kids, fixes for the English language, what economics misses about the ‘inside of the head,’ whether he’s a Jane Jacobs or Gouverneur Morris type, what Kanban taught him about management, his recent sampling of Pierce’s semiotics, Clarence White vs. Gram Parsons, his favorite Hot Tuna song, and more. Follow Paul on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	12.05.2018
		John Nye on Revisionist Economic History and Having Too Many Hobbies Is John Nye the finest polymath in the George Mason economics department? Raised in the Philippines and taught to be a well-rounded Catholic gentleman, John Nye learned the importance of a rigorous education from a young age. Indeed, according to Tyler he may very well be the best educated among his colleagues, having studied physics and literature as an undergraduate before earning a master’s and PhD in economics. And his education continues, as he’s now hard at work mastering his fourth language. On this episode of Conversations with Tyler, Nye explains why it took longer for the French to urbanize than the British, the origins of the myth of free-trade Britain, why Vertigo is one of the greatest movies of all time, why John Stuart Mill is overrated, raising kids in a bilingual household, and much more. Transcript and links Follow John on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	11.21.2018
		Eric Schmidt on the Life-Changing Magic of Systematizing, Scaling, and Saying "Thanks" (Live) The son of an economist, Eric Schmidt eschewed his father’s profession, first studying architecture before settling on computer science and eventually earning a PhD. Now one of the most influential technology executives in the world, he still however credits his interest in network economies and platforms for a large part of his success. In this live event hosted by Village Global in San Francisco, Tyler questioned Schmidt about underused management strategies, what Google learned after interviewing one job candidate sixteen times, his opinion on early vs. late Picasso, the best reform in corporate governance, why we might see a bifurcation of the Internet, what technology will explode in the the next 10 years, the most underrated media source, and more. Transcript and links Follow Eric on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	11.07.2018
		53 - Eric Schmidt on the Life-Changing Magic of Systematizing, Scaling, and Saying Thanks (Live) The son of an economist, Eric Schmidt eschewed his father’s profession, first studying architecture before settling on computer science and eventually earning a PhD. Now one of the most influential technology executives in the world, he still however credits his interest in network economies and platforms for a large part of his success. In this live event hosted by Village Global in San Francisco, Tyler questioned Schmidt about underused management strategies, what Google learned after interviewing one job candidate sixteen times, his opinion on early vs. late Picasso, the best reform in corporate governance, why we might see a bifurcation of the Internet, what technology will explode in the the next 10 years, the most underrated media source, and more.	11.07.2018
		53 - Eric Schmidt on the Life-Changing Magic of Systematizing, Scaling, and Saying Thanks The son of an economist, Eric Schmidt eschewed his father’s profession, first studying architecture before settling on computer science and eventually earning a PhD. Now one of the most influential technology executives in the world, he still however credits his interest in network economies and platforms for a large part of his success. In this live event hosted by Village Global in San Francisco, Tyler questioned Schmidt about underused management strategies, what Google learned after interviewing one job candidate sixteen times, his opinion on early vs. late Picasso, the best reform in corporate governance, why we might see a bifurcation of the Internet, what technology will explode in the the next 10 years, the most underrated media source, and more. Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/eric-schmidt-tyler-cowen-google-ec33aa3e6dae Follow Eric: www.twitter.com/ericschmidt Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	11.07.2018
		Ben Thompson on Business and Tech Not only is Ben Thompson's Stratechery frequently mentioned on MR, but such is Tyler's fandom that the newsletter even made its way onto the reading list for one of his PhD courses. Ben's based in Taiwan, so when he recently visited DC, Tyler quickly took advantage of the chance for an in-person dialogue. In this conversation they talk about the business side of tech and more, including whether tech titans are good at PR, whether conglomerate synergies exist, Amazon's foray into health care, why anyone needs an Apple Watch or an Alexa, growing up in small-town Wisconsin, his pragmatic book-reading style, whether MBAs are overrated, the prospects for the Milwaukee Bucks, NBA rule changes, the future of the tech industries in China and India, and why Taiwanese breakfast is the best breakfast. Transcript and links Subscribe to Stratechery Follow Ben on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	10.24.2018
		52 - Ben Thompson on Business and Tech Not only is Ben Thompson's Stratechery frequently mentioned on MR, but such is Tyler's fandom that the newsletter even made its way onto the reading list for one of his PhD courses. Ben's based in Taiwan, so when he recently visited DC, Tyler quickly took advantage of the chance for an in-person dialogue. In this conversation they talk about the business side of tech and more, including whether tech titans are good at PR, whether conglomerate synergies exist, Amazon's foray into health care, why anyone needs an Apple Watch or an Alexa, growing up in small-town Wisconsin, his pragmatic book-reading style, whether MBAs are overrated, the prospects for the Milwaukee Bucks, NBA rule changes, the future of the tech industries in China and India, and why Taiwanese breakfast is the best breakfast. Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/ben-thompson-tyler-cowen-stratechery-amazon-google-facebook-4bd230276a14 Follow Ben: www.twitter.com/benthompson Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen Subscribe to Stratechery: https://stratechery.com/membership/ More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	10.24.2018
		Rob Wiblin interviews Tyler on Stubborn Attachments In this special episode, Rob Wiblin of 80,000 Hours has the super-sized conversation he wants to have with Tyler about Stubborn Attachments. In addition to a deep examination of the ideas in the book, the conversation ranges far and wide across Tyler's thinking, including why we won't leave the galaxy, the unresolvable clash between the claims of culture and nature, and what Tyrone would have to say about the book, and more. Transcript and links Order Stubborn Attachments from Stripe Press here. Follow Rob on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	10.16.2018
		BONUS - Rob Wiblin interviews Tyler on Stubborn Attachments In this special episode, Rob Wiblin of 80,000 Hours has the super-sized conversation he wants to have with Tyler about Stubborn Attachments. In addition to a deep examination of the ideas in the book, the conversation ranges far and wide across Tyler's thinking, including why we won't leave the galaxy, the unresolvable clash between the claims of culture and nature, and what Tyrone would have to say about the book, and more. If you liked this interview, be sure to subscribe to Rob's 80,000 Hours podcast, which features in-depth interviews about the world's most pressing problems with Philip Tetlock, Bryan Caplan, Nick Beckstead and many more: https://80000hours.org/podcast/ Order Stubborn Attachments from Stripe Press here: https://press.stripe.com/ Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-robert-wiblin-stubborn-attachments-80000-hours-podcast-359aa62aa8ab Follow Rob: www.twitter.com/robertwiblin Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	10.16.2018
		Paul Krugman on Politics, Inequality, and Following Your Curiosity After winning the Nobel, Paul Krugman found himself at the "end of ambition," with no more achievements left to unlock. That could be a depressing place, but Krugman avoids complacency by doing what he's always done: following his curiosity and working intensely at whatever grabs him most strongly. Tyler sat down with Krugman at his office in New York to discuss what's grabbing him at the moment, including antitrust, Supreme Court term limits, the best ways to fight inequality, why he's a YIMBY, inflation targets, congestion taxes, trade (both global and interstellar), his favorite living science fiction writer, immigration policy, how to write well for a smart audience, new directions for economic research, and more. Transcript and links Follow Paul on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	10.10.2018
		51 - Paul Krugman on Politics, Inequality, and Following Your Curiosity After winning the Nobel, Paul Krugman found himself at the "end of ambition," with no more achievements left to unlock. That could be a depressing place, but Krugman avoids complacency by doing what he's always done: following his curiosity and working intensely at whatever grabs him most strongly. Tyler sat down with Krugman at his office in New York to discuss what's grabbing him at the moment, including antitrust, Supreme Court term limits, the best ways to fight inequality, why he's a YIMBY, inflation targets, congestion taxes, trade (both global and interstellar), his favorite living science fiction writer, immigration policy, how to write well for a smart audience, new directions for economic research, and more. Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-paul-krugman-economics-bipartisanship-politics-254dcee15b98 Follow Paul: www.twitter.com/paulkrugman Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	10.10.2018
		Bruno Maçães on the Spirit of Adventure Political scientist Bruno Maçães has built a career out of crossing the globe teaching, advising, writing, and talking to people. His recent book, born out of a six-month journey across Eurasia, is one of Tyler's favorites. So how does it feel to face Tyler's rat-a-tat curiosity about your life's work? For Bruno, the experience was "like you are a politician under attack and your portfolio is the whole of physical and metaphysical reality." Read on to discover how well Bruno defended that expans	09.26.2018
		50 - Bruno Maçães on the Spirit of Adventure Political scientist Bruno Maçães has built a career out of crossing the globe teaching, advising, writing, and talking to people. His recent book, borne out of a six-month journey across Eurasia, is one of Tyler's favorites. So how does it feel to face Tyler's rat-a-tat curiosity about your life's work? For Bruno, the experience was "like you are a politician under attack and your portfolio is the whole of physical and metaphysical reality." Read on to discover how well Bruno defended that expansive portfolio, including what's missing from liberalism, Obama's conceptual foreign policy mistake, what economists are most wrong about, how to fall in love with Djibouti, stagnation in Europe, the diversity of Central Asia, Hitchcock's perfect movie, China as an ever-growing global force, the book everyone under 25 should read, the creativity of Washington, D.C versus Silicon Valley, and more. Want to get your hands on a signed copy of Tyler's new book Stubborn Attachments before it hits bookstands on October 16th? Rate and review Conversations with Tyler on Apple Podcasts! If you've already rated and reviewed Conversations with Tyler, you can rate any of the Mercatus podcasts and still be entered to win, including Macro Musings, Mercatus Policy Download, and the Hayek Program Podcast: get.mercatus.org/podcastcontest/ Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/bruno-ma%C3%A7%C3%A3es-tyler-cowen-eurasia-adventure-liberalism-81e4d51340d0 Follow Bruno: www.twitter.com/MacaesBruno Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	09.26.2018
		Michele Gelfand on Tight and Loose Cultures Michele Gelfand is professor of psychology at the University of Maryland and author of the just-released Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In her conversation with Tyler, Michele unpacks the concept of tight and loose cultures and more, including which variable best explains tightness, the problem with norms, whether Silicon Valley has an honor culture, the importance of theory and history in guiding research, what Donald Trump gets wrong about negotiation, why MBAs underrate management, the need to develop cultural IQ, and why mentorship should last a lifetime. Order Michele's book here. Transcript and links Follow Michele on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	09.12.2018
		49 - Michele Gelfand on Tight and Loose Cultures Michele Gelfand is professor of psychology at the University of Maryland and author of the just-released Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. In her conversation with Tyler, Michele unpacks the concept of tight and loose cultures and more, including which variable best explains tightness, the problem with norms, whether Silicon Valley has an honor culture, the importance of theory and history in guiding research, what Donald Trump gets wrong about negotiation, why MBAs underrate management, the need to develop cultural IQ, and why mentorship should last a lifetime. Want to get your hands on a signed copy of Tyler's new book Stubborn Attachments before it hit bookstands on October 16th? Rate and review Conversations with Tyler on Apple Podcasts! If you've already rated and reviewed Conversations with Tyler, you can rate any of the Mercatus podcasts and still be entered to win, including Macro Musings, Mercatus Policy Download, and the Hayek Program Podcast: https://get.mercatus.org/podcastcontest/ Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/michele-gelfand-tyler-cowen-psychology-tightness-looseness-culture-82b573e40d8f Order Michele's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Makers-Breakers-Culture-Wires/dp/1501152939 Follow Michele: www.twitter.com/MicheleJGelfand Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	09.12.2018
		Claire Lehmann on Speaking Freely Claire Lehmann is the founding editor of Quillette, an online magazine dedicated to free thought and open inquiry. Founded in 2015, the magazine has already developed a large and growing readership that values Quillette's promise to treat all ideas with respect, even those that may be politically incorrect. As an Australian, Claire tells Tyler she doesn't think she could have started the magazine in America. Even in risk-loving San Fransisco, where this conversation took place, people are too afraid to speak their minds. "You celebrate entrepreneurs and courage in making money and that kind of thing, but there is a general timidity when it comes to expressing one's honest views about things," she tells Tyler. "I find that surprising, and particularly among people who are risk-taking in all sorts of other domains." She and Tyler explore her ideas about the stifling effect of political correctness and more, including why its dominant form may come from the political right, how higher education got screwed up, strands of thought favored by the Internet and Youtube, overrated and underrated Australian cities, Aussie blokes, and more. Transcript and links Follow Claire on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	08.29.2018
		48 - Claire Lehmann on Speaking Freely Claire Lehmann is the founding editor of Quillette, an online magazine dedicated to free thought and open inquiry. Founded in 2015, the magazine has already developed a large and growing readership that values Quillette's promise to treat all ideas with respect, even those that may be politically incorrect. As an Australian, Claire tells Tyler she doesn't think she could have started the magazine in America. Even in risk-loving San Fransisco, where this conversation took place, people are too afraid to speak their minds. "You celebrate entrepreneurs and courage in making money and that kind of thing, but there is a general timidity when it comes to expressing one's honest views about things," she tells Tyler. "I find that surprising, and particularly among people who are risk-taking in all sorts of other domains." She and Tyler explore her ideas about the stifling effect of political correctness and more, including why its dominant form may come from the political right, how higher education got screwed up, strands of thought favored by the Internet and Youtube, overrated and underrated Australian cities, Aussie blokes, and more. Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/claire-lehmann-tyler-cowen-political-correctness-social-norms-australian-culture-e52e2c08c629 Follow Claire: www.twitter.com/clairlemon Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	08.29.2018
		Michael Pollan on the Science and Sublimity of Psychedelics Michael Pollan has long been fascinated by nature and the ways we connect and clash with it, with decades of writing covering food, farming, cooking, and architecture. Pollan's latest fascination? Our widespread and ancient desire to use nature to change our consciousness. He joins Tyler to discuss his research and experience with psychedelics, including what kinds of people most benefit from them, what it can teach us about profundity, how it can change your personality and political views, the importance of culture in shaping the experience, the proper way to integrate it into mainstream practice, and - most importantly of all - whether it's any fun. Transcript and links Follow Michael on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	08.15.2018
		47 - Michael Pollan on the Science and Sublimity of Psychedelics Michael Pollan has long been fascinated by nature and the ways we connect and clash with it, with decades of writing covering food, farming, cooking, and architecture. Pollan's latest fascination? Our widespread and ancient desire to use nature to change our consciousness. He joins Tyler to discuss his research and experience with psychedelics, including what kinds of people most benefit from them, what it can teach us about profundity, how it can change your personality and political views, the importance of culture in shaping the experience, the proper way to integrate it into mainstream practice, and - most importantly of all - whether it's any fun. Plus his latest thoughts on feeding the world, GMOs, and writing well. Transcript and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/michael-pollan-tyler-cowen-nature-euphoria-food-22145fd728a2 Follow Michael: www.twitter.com/michaelpollan Follow Tyler: www.twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	08.15.2018
		Michelle Dawson on Autism and Atypicality Perhaps no one else in the world more appreciates the challenges facing a better understanding of autism than Michelle Dawson. An autistic herself, she began researching her condition after experiencing discrimination at her job. "Because I had to address these legal issues and questions," she tells Tyler, "I did actually look at the autism literature, and suddenly I had information I could really work with. Suddenly there it was, this information that I was supposed to be too stupid to work with." And so she continued reading papers - lots and lots of papers - and is now an influential researcher in her own right. For Michelle, the best way to understand autism is to think of it as atypical information processing. Autistic brains function differently, and these highly varied divergences lead to biases and misunderstanding among typical thinkers, including autism researchers. In her conversation with Tyler, she outlines the current thinking on autism, including her ideas about cognitive versatility and optionality, hyperlexia and other autistic strengths, why different tests yield wildly different measures of IQ among autistics, her 'massive bias' against segregating autistics, how autistic memory is different, why sometimes a triangle is just a freaking triangle, and more. Transcript and links Follow Michelle on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	08.01.2018
		46 - Michelle Dawson on Autism and Atypicality Perhaps no one else in the world more appreciates the challenges facing a better understanding of autism than Michelle Dawson. An autistic herself, she began researching her condition after experiencing discrimination at her job. "Because I had to address these legal issues and questions," she tells Tyler, "I did actually look at the autism literature, and suddenly I had information I could really work with. Suddenly there it was, this information that I was supposed to be too stupid to work with." And so she continued reading papers - lots and lots of papers - and is now an influential researcher in her own right. For Michelle, the best way to understand autism is to think of it as atypical information processing. Autistic brains function differently, and these highly varied divergences lead to biases and misunderstanding among typical thinkers, including autism researchers. In her conversation with Tyler, she outlines the current thinking on autism, including her ideas about cognitive versatility and optionality, hyperlexia and other autistic strengths, why different tests yield wildly different measures of IQ among autistics, her 'massive bias' against segregating autistics, how autistic memory is different, why sometimes a triangle is just a freaking triangle, and more. Transcripts and links: www.medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-michelle-dawson-autism-research-dsm-f2a41b326e76 Follow Michelle: twitter.com/autismcrisis Follow Tyler: twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	08.01.2018
		Vitalik Buterin on Cryptoeconomics and Markets in Everything At the intersection of programming, economics, cryptography, distributed systems, information theory, and math, you will find Vitalik Buterin, who has managed to synthesize insights across those fields into successful, real-world applications like Ethereum, which aims to decentralize the Internet. Tyler sat down with Vitalik to discuss the many things he's thinking about and working on, including the nascent field of cryptoeconomics, the best analogy for understanding the blockchain, his desire for more social science fiction, why belief in progress is our most useful delusion, best places to visit in time and space, how he picks up languages, why centralization's not all bad, the best ways to value crypto assets, whether P = NP, and much more. * Do you have a world-changing idea like Vitalik? The Mercatus Center is launching a new fellowship and grant program called Emergent Ventures to support transformational thinkers and doers. Listen to Tyler talk about the new project on the latest Mercatus Policy Download. And click here to learn more. * Transcript and links Follow Vitalik on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	07.18.2018
		45 - Vitalik Buterin on Cryptoeconomics and Markets in Everything At the intersection of programming, economics, cryptography, distributed systems, information theory, and math, you will find Vitalik Buterin, who has managed to synthesize insights across those fields into successful, real-world applications like Ethereum, which aims to decentralize the Internet. Tyler sat down with Vitalik to discuss the many things he's thinking about and working on, including the nascent field of cryptoeconomics, the best analogy for understanding the blockchain, his desire for more social science fiction, why belief in progress is our most useful delusion, best places to visit in time and space, how he picks up languages, why centralization's not all bad, the best ways to value crypto assets, whether P = NP, and much more. * Do you have a world-changing idea like Vitalik? The Mercatus Center is launching a new fellowship and grant program called Emergent Ventures to support transformational thinkers and doers. Listen to Tyler talk about the new project on the latest Mercatus Policy Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mercatus-policy-download/id1359147968?mt=2 And click here to learn more: https://www.mercatus.org/emergentventures?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cwtrelease * Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/vitalik-buterin-tyler-cowen-cryptocurrency-blockchain-tech-3a2b20c12c97 Follow Vitalik: https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin Follow Tyler: https://twitter.com/tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	07.18.2018
		Juan Pablo Villarino on Travel and Trust Travel writer Juan Pablo Villarino had visited 90 countries before making the trek to exotic Arlington, Virginia for this chat with Tyler. Amazingly enough, this recording marked his first trip to the mainland United States, which is now the 91st country in an ever-expanding list. The world's best hitchhiker talks with Tyler about the joys of connecting with people, why it's so hard to avoid stereotypes (including of hitchhikers), how stamp collecting guides his trips, the darkest secrets of people he's gotten rides from, traveling and writing books with his wife, the cause of violence in the Americas, finding the emotional heart of a journey, where he's going next, and more. Transcript and links Keep up with Juan's latest travels on Instagram. Get his book here. Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	07.03.2018
		44 - Juan Pablo Villarino on Travel and Trust Travel writer Juan Pablo Villarino had visited 90 countries before making the trek to exotic Arlington, Virginia for this chat with Tyler. Amazingly enough, this recording marked his first trip to the mainland United States, which is now the 91st country in an ever-expanding list. The world's best hitchhiker talks with Tyler about the joys of connecting with people, why it's so hard to avoid stereotypes (including of hitchhikers), how stamp collecting guides his trips, the darkest secrets of people he's gotten rides from, traveling and writing books with his wife, the cause of violence in the Americas, finding the emotional heart of a journey, where he's going next, and more. Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-juan-villarino-travel-hitchhiking-culture-c4e69e38d622 Keep up with Juan's travels on Instagram: www.instagram.com/acrobatadelcamino More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	07.03.2018
		Elisa New on Poetry in America and Beyond Elisa New believes anyone can have fun reading a poem. And that if you really want to have a blast, you shouldn't limit poetry to silent, solitary reading - why not sing, recite, or perform it as has been the case for most of its history? The Harvard English professor and host of Poetry in America recently sat down with Tyler to discuss poets, poems, and more, including Walt Whitman's city walks, Emily Dickinson's visual art, T.S. Eliot's privilege, Robert Frost's radicalism, Willa Cather's wisdom, poetry's new platforms, the elasticity of English, the payoffs of Puritanism, and what it was like reading poetry with Shaquille O'Neal. Transcript and links Check out Elisa's show on PBS here. Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	06.20.2018
		43 - Elisa New on Poetry in America and Beyond Elisa New believes anyone can have fun reading a poem. And that if you really want to have a blast, you shouldn't limit poetry to silent, solitary reading - why not sing, recite, or perform it as been the case for most of its history? The Harvard English professor and host of Poetry in America recently sat down with Tyler to discuss poets, poems, and more, including Walt Whitman's city walks, Emily Dickinson's visual art, T.S. Eliot's privilege, Robert Frost's radicalism, Willa Cather's wisdom, poetry's new platforms, the elasticity of English, the payoffs of Puritanism, and what it was like reading poetry with Shaquille O'Neal. Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-elisa-new-poetry-dickinson-frost-30258652438e Check out Elisa's show on PBS: www.poetryinamerica.org/ More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	06.20.2018
		David Brooks on Youth, Morality, and Loneliness (Live at Mason) For two hours every morning, David Brooks crawls around his living room floor, organizing piles of research. Then, the piles become paragraphs, the paragraphs become columns or chapters, and the process - which he calls "writing" - is complete. After that he might go out and see some people. A lunch, say, with his friend Tyler. And the two will discuss the things they're thinking, writing, and learning about. And David will feel rejuvenated, for he is a social animal (as are we all). Then one day David will be asked by Tyler to come on his show, and perform this act publicly. To talk about his love for Bruce Springsteen, being a modern-day Whig, his "religious bisexuality," covenants vs. contracts, today's answer to the "Fallows Question," why failure is overrated, community and loneliness, the upside of being invaded by Canada, and much more. And though he will be intimidated, David will oblige, and the result is here for you to enjoy. Transcript and links Follow David on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	06.06.2018
		42 - David Brooks on Youth, Morality, and Loneliness (Live at Mason) For two hours every morning, David Brooks crawls around his living room floor, organizing piles of research. Then, the piles become paragraphs, the paragraphs become columns or chapters, and the process - which he calls "writing" - is complete. After that he might go out and see some people. A lunch, say, with his friend Tyler. And the two will discuss the things they're thinking, writing, and learning about. And David will feel rejuvenated, for he is a social animal (as are we all). Then one day David will be asked by Tyler to come on his show, and perform this act publicly. To talk about his love for Bruce Springsteen, being a modern-day Whig, his "religious bisexuality," covenants vs. contracts, today's answer to the "Fallows Question," why failure is overrated, community and loneliness, the upside of being invaded by Canada, and much more. And though he will be intimidated, David will oblige, and the result is here for you to enjoy. Transcripts and links: www.medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/david-brooks-tyler-cowen-religion-plurality-loneliness-new-york-times-diversity-eb051a4b47cc Follow David Brooks: www.twitter.com/nytdavidbrooks More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	06.06.2018
		Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Self-Education and Doing the Math (Plus special guest Bryan Caplan) Though what Taleb was really after was a discussion with Bryan Caplan (which starts at 51:50), the philosopher, mathematician, and author most recently of Skin in the Game also generously agreed to a conversation with Tyler. They discuss the ancient Phoenicians and Greco-Roman heritage of Lebanon, philology, genetics, the blockchain, driverless cars, the advantages of Twitter fights, how to think about religion, fancy food vs. Auntie Anne's pretzels, autodidactism, The Desert of the Tartar, why Taleb refused to give a book tour, inverse role models, why math isn't just a young man's game, and more. Transcript with Tyler Transcript with Bryan Follow Nassim on Twitter Follow Bryan on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	05.23.2018
		41 - Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Self-Education and Doing the Math (Plus special guest Bryan Caplan) Though what Taleb was really after was a discussion with Bryan Caplan (which starts at 51:50), the philosopher, mathematician, and author most recently of Skin in the Game also generously agreed to a conversation with Tyler. They discuss the ancient Phoenicians and Greco-Roman heritage of Lebanon, philology, genetics, the blockchain, driverless cars, the advantages of Twitter fights, how to think about religion, fancy food vs. Auntie Anne's pretzels, autodidactism, The Desert of the Tartar, why Taleb refused to give a book tour, inverse role models, why math isn't just a young man's game, and more. Transcript with Tyler: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-nassim-nicholas-taleb-skin-in-the-game-black-swan-104620da8a57 Transcript with Bryan: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/bryan-caplan-nassim-taleb-tyler-cowen-higher-education-college-fc4b845fe30e Follow the thinkers: www.twitter.com/@nntaleb www.twitter.com/bryan_caplan www.twitter.com/@tylercowen More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	05.23.2018
		Bryan Caplan on Learning across Disciplines (Live at Mason Econ) "No single paper is that good", says Bryan Caplan. To really understand a topic, you need to read the entire literature in the field. And to do the kind of scholarship Bryan's work requires, you need to cover multiple fields. Only that way can you assemble a wide variety of evidence into useful knowledge. But few scholars ever even try to reach the enlightened interdisciplinary plane. So how does he do it? Tyler explores Bryan's approach, including how to avoid the autodidact's curse, why his favorite philosopher happens to be a former classmate, what Tolstoy has that science fiction lacks, the idea trap, most useful wrong beliefs, effective altruism, Larry David, what most economics papers miss about the return to education, and more. Transcript and links Follow Bryan on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	05.09.2018
		40 - Bryan Caplan on Learning across Disciplines (Live at Mason Econ) "No single paper is that good", says Bryan Caplan. To really understand a topic, you need to read the entire literature in the field. And to do the kind of scholarship Bryan's work requires, you need to cover multiple fields. Only that way can you assemble a wide variety of evidence into useful knowledge. But few scholars ever even try to reach the enlightened interdisciplinary plane. So how does he do it? Tyler explores Bryan's approach, including how to avoid the autodidact's curse, why his favorite philosopher happens to be a former classmate, what Tolstoy has that science fiction lacks, the idea trap, most useful wrong beliefs, effective altruism, Larry David, what most economics papers miss about the return to education, and more. Conversations with Tyler fans - we want to hear from you! Fill out this quick survey to help us find other people like you who will love the show. Not only will you be helping us out, but you’ll also have the chance to win a special gift from Tyler: www.mercatus.org/survey Transcripts and links: www.medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/bryan-caplan-tyler-cowen-parenting-education-psychology-employment-579df84d4fc5 Follow Bryan Caplan: www.twitter.com/bryan_caplan More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	05.09.2018
		Balaji Srinivasan on the Power and Promise of the Blockchain When Balaji Srinivasan sat down for his conversation with Tyler he was the CEO of Earn.com. Today he is the CTO at Coinbase, which acquired his company in the intervening weeks (congrats Balaji!). But while his job title has changed, his passion remains the same: harnessing the power of the blockchain to launch a new generation of entrepreneurs, businesses, and entire markets. Balaji talks with Tyler about the potential of the blockchain and beyond, including how firewalls may become the new immigration policy tool, why drones are still underrated, the future of news and academia, what the Silicon Valley opener reveals about how America views the tech industry, and more. Transcript and links Follow Balaji on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	04.25.2018
		39 - Balaji Srinivasan on the Power and Promise of the Blockchain When Balaji Srinivasan sat down for his conversation with Tyler he was the CEO of Earn.com. Today he is the CTO at Coinbase, which acquired his company in the intervening weeks (congrats Balaji!). But while his job title has changed, his passion remains the same: harnessing the power of the blockchain to launch a new generation of entrepreneurs, businesses, and entire markets. Balaji talks with Tyler about the potential of the blockchain and beyond, including how firewalls may become the new immigration policy tool, why drones are still underrated, the future of news and academia, what the Silicon Valley opener reveals about how America views the tech industry, and more. Conversations with Tyler fans - we want to hear from you! Fill out this quick survey to help us find other people like you who will love the show. Not only will you be helping us out, but you’ll also have the chance to win a special gift from Tyler: www.mercatus.org/survey Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-balaji-srinivasan-tech-bitcoin-crytocurrency-silicon-valley-management-b8db383c9cef More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	04.25.2018
		Agnes Callard on the Theory of Everything Is a written dialogue the best way to learn from philosopher Agnes Callard? If so, what does that say about philosophy? Is Plato’s Symposium about love or mere intoxication? If good people lived forever, would they be less bored than the bad people? Should we fear death? Is parenting undertheorized? Must philosophy rely on refutation? Should we read the classics? Is Jordan Peterson’s moralizing good? Should we take Socrates at his word? Is Hamlet a Cartesian? Are we all either Beethoven or Mozart people? How do we get ourselves to care about things we don’t yet care about? To what should we aspire? Transcript and links Follow Agnes on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	04.11.2018
		38 - Agnes Callard on the Theory of Everything Is a written dialogue the best way to learn from philosopher Agnes Callard? If so, what does that say about philosophy? Is Plato’s Symposium about love or mere intoxication? If good people lived forever, would they be less bored than the bad people? Should we fear death? Is parenting undertheorized? Must philosophy rely on refutation? Should we read the classics? Is Jordan Peterson’s moralizing good? Should we take Socrates at his word? Is Hamlet a Cartesian? Are we all either Beethoven or Mozart people? How do we get ourselves to care about things we don’t yet care about? To what should we aspire? Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/agnes-callard-tyler-cowen-philosophy-socrates-plato-literature-c70a73cd38eb More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	04.11.2018
		Martina Navratilova on Shaping Herself (Live at Mason) Martina Navratilova is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. No one has won more matches than her thanks to an astonishing 87 percent win rate in a long and dominant career. In their conversation, she and Tyler cover her illustrious tennis career, her experience defecting from Czechoslovakia and later becoming a dual citizen, the wage gap in tennis competition and commentary, gender stereotypes in sports, her work regimen and training schedule, technological progress in tennis, her need for speed, journaling and constant self-improvement, some of her most shocking realizations about American life, the best way to see East Africa, her struggle to get her children to put the dishes in the dishwasher, and more. Transcript and links Follow Martina on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	03.28.2018
		37 - Martina Navratilova on Shaping Herself (Live at Mason) Martina Navratilova is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. No one has won more matches than her thanks to an astonishing 87 percent win rate in a long and dominant career. In their conversation, she and Tyler cover her illustrious tennis career, her experience defecting from Czechoslovakia and later becoming a dual citizen, the wage gap in tennis competition and commentary, gender stereotypes in sports, her work regimen and training schedule, technological progress in tennis, her need for speed, journaling and constant self-improvement, some of her most shocking realizations about American life, the best way to see East Africa, her struggle to get her children to put the dishes in the dishwasher, and more. Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/martina-navratilova-tyler-cowen-tennis-czechoslovakia-lgbt-73ee82582ad Follow Martina Navratilova: www.twitter.com/Martina More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	03.28.2018
		Chris Blattman on Development, Conflict, and Doing What’s Interesting Chris Blattman’s made his career as a development economist by finding a place he likes and finding a reason to live there. Not a bad strategy considering the impact of the work he’s done in Liberia, Uganda, and most recently, Colombia. He joins Tyler to talk about what he’s learned from his work there, including the efficacy of cash transfers, the spread of violence and conflict, factory jobs as a social safety net, Botswana’s underappreciated growth miracle, Battlestar Galactica, standing desks, how to write papers with your spouse, and more. Transcript and links Follow Chris on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	03.14.2018
		36 - Chris Blattman on Development, Conflict, and Doing What’s Interesting Chris Blattman’s made his career as a development economist by finding a place he likes and finding a reason to live there. Not a bad strategy considering the impact of the work he’s done in Liberia, Uganda, and most recently, Colombia. He joins Tyler to talk about what he’s learned from his work there, including the efficacy of cash transfers, the spread of violence and conflict, factory jobs as a social safety net, Botswana’s underappreciated growth miracle, Battlestar Galactica, standing desks, how to write papers with your spouse, and more. Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/chris-blattman-tyler-cowen-development-conflict-doing-whats-interesting-e0a4821a8d53 Follow Chris Blattman: www.twitter.com/cblatts More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	03.14.2018
		Robin Hanson on Signaling and Self-Deception (Live at Mason Econ) If intros aren’t about introductions, then what’s this here for? Is not including one a countersignal? Either way, you’ll enjoy this conversation — and that says a lot about you. This episode was recorded live at Mason for econ grad students. If you’re interested in learning economics with great professors like Robin and Tyler, check out these fellowships. Transcript and links Follow Robin on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	02.28.2018
		35 - Robin Hanson on Signaling and Self-Deception (Live at Mason Econ) If intros aren’t about introductions, then what’s this here for? Is not including one a countersignal? Either way, you’ll enjoy this conversation — and that says a lot about you. This episode was recorded live at Mason for econ grad students. If you’re interested in learning economics with great professors like Robin and Tyler, check out these fellowships: https://asp.mercatus.org/features/now-accepting-applications-2018-2019-academic-year?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=CWTtranscript&utm_campaign=Hanson Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/robin-hanson-tyler-cowen-signaling-the-elephant-in-the-brain-e1444b69baa7 Follow Robin Hanson: www.twitter.com/robinhanson More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	02.28.2018
		Matt Levine Live at Bloomberg HQ Is Matt Levine a modern-day Horace? Like Matt, Horace has a preoccupation with wealth and the law. There’s a playful humor as he segues from topic to topic. An ability to read Latin. And many of Horace’s letters are about the length of a Bloomberg View column. QED, says Tyler. So Matt, the Latin teacher turned lawyer turned investment banker turned finance writer, recently joined Tyler for a conversation on Horace and more, including cryptocurrencies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nabakov, New York, Uber, financial regulation, market volatility, M&A;, whether finance is nerdy, and why panic is central to the Matt Levine production function. Transcript and links Follow Matt on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	02.14.2018
		34 - Matt Levine Live at Bloomberg HQ Is Matt Levine a modern-day Horace? Like Matt, Horace has a preoccupation with wealth and the law. There’s a playful humor as he segues from topic to topic. An ability to read Latin. And many of Horace’s letters are about the length of a Bloomberg View column. QED, says Tyler. So Matt, the Latin teacher turned lawyer turned investment banker turned finance writer, recently joined Tyler for a conversation on Horace and more, including cryptocurrencies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nabakov, New York, Uber, financial regulation, market volatility, M&A, whether finance is nerdy, and why panic is central to the Matt Levine production function. Transcripts and links: www.medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/matt-levine-tyler-cowen-finance-bitcoin-19e380b7430 Follow Matt Levine: www.twitter.com/matt_levine More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	02.14.2018
		Charles C. Mann on Shaping Tomorrow’s World and the Limits to Growth At the beginning of their conversation, Tyler dubs Charles C. Mann a tlamatini, or ‘he who knows things.’ And oh, the things he knows, effortlessly weaving together, history, anthropology, economics, and a half-dozen other disciplines into enthralling writing. And the latest book, The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow’s World, is no exception, which Tyler calls one of the best overall frameworks for thinking about environmentalism and the limits to growth. In the course of their chat, Tyler and Charles cover pollution, why the environmental impact of beef might be overstated, what fixed factor might ultimately constrain growth (and if there is one), Jared Diamond and Bjorn Lomberg, the underrated political genius of Cortes, his top tip for appreciating Robert Frost, and why Andrew Jackson didn’t have to be such a jerk. Transcript and links Follow Charles on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Email	01.31.2018
		33 - Charles C. Mann on Shaping Tomorrow’s World and the Limits to Growth At the beginning of their conversation, Tyler dubs Charles C. Mann a tlamatini, or ‘he who knows things.’ And oh, the things he knows, effortlessly weaving together, history, anthropology, economics, and a half-dozen other disciplines into enthralling writing. And the latest book, The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow’s World, is no exception, which Tyler calls one of the best overall frameworks for thinking about environmentalism and the limits to growth. In the course of their chat, Tyler and Charles cover pollution, why the environmental impact of beef might be overstated, what fixed factor might ultimately constrain growth (and if there is one), Jared Diamond and Bjorn Lomberg, the underrated political genius of Cortes, his top tip for appreciating Robert Frost, and why Andrew Jackson didn’t have to be such a jerk. Transcripts and links: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-charles-mann-environment-agriculture-engineering-621327588c64 Follow Charles C. Mann: www.twitter.com/CharlesCMann More CWT goodness: Facebook: www.facebook.com/cowenconvos/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowenconvos Email: www.mercatus.org/newsletters	01.31.2018

LAST EPISODE

Larissa MacFarquhar on Gett...

01.16.2019

As a writer of profiles, Larissa MacFarquhar is granted the privilege of listening to, learning from, and sharing the stories of extraordinary thinkers like Derik Parfit, Noam Chomsky, Hilary Mantel, and Paul Krugman. And she’s often drawn to write about ...