The Curious Task

In this conversation from 2023, Alex speaks with Rachel Lomasky about hot-button issues surrounding machine learning and artificial intelligence and the limitations and definitions of each, especially when it comes to ethical decision-making. 

References

1. Rachel’s Articles, Law&Liberty 

Link: https://lawliberty.org/author/rachel-lomasky/ 

2. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) vs. Machine Learning” by Columbia Engineering

Link: https://ai.engineering.columbia.edu/ai-vs-machine-learning/ 

3. “Transcending Technopessimism” by Rachel Lomasky 

Link: https://lawliberty.org/transcending-technopessimism/

In this conversation from 2024, Alex speaks with Matt Zwolinski about whether a truly "free market" exists, delving into concepts of freedom, coercion, and property rights. They examine critiques of markets from left-leaning thinkers, such as Robert Hale, as well as conservative perspectives, while discussing libertarian approaches to balancing coercion and freedom in market societies. Zwolinski also references his own Substack essays and reflects on ideas for minimizing coercion without dismissing critiques.

Matt Zwolinski's Substack, Bleeding Heart Libertarian

"Coercion and Distribution in a Supposedly Non-Coercive State" by Robert Hale (1923)

"The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek

"23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism" by Ha-Joon Chang

"The Myth of Ownership: Taxes and Justice" by Liam Murphy and Thomas Nagel

"Tyranny, Inc." by Sohrab Ahmari

"The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism" by Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi

Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.

In this conversation from 2021, Alex Aragona chats with Ross Emmett and Steve Slivinski as they explore the policies that can hurt businesses, and their work on the Doing Business North America index.

References from Episode 80 with Ross Emmett and Steve Slivinski

In this conversation from 2025, Matt speaks with Ethan Nadelmann about vaping, e-cigarettes, and pouch nicotine alternatives to cigarettes within the broader context of health policy and the drug war. They discuss the misconceptions surrounding nicotine, harm reduction strategies, and how opposition to non-combustible nicotine mirrors past drug war policies. Ethan highlights international case studies, the role of public health organizations, and the influence of figures like Michael Bloomberg in shaping the global discourse - and misinformation - around alternatives to cigarettes.

References

"Thinking Seriously About Alternatives to Drug Prohibition" by Ethan Nadelmann

"The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction" (KAC Reports)

"High Price" by Carl Hart

"Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein

"Ending the War on Drugs: A Solution for America" by Dirk Chase Eldredge

Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.

In this conversation from 2025, host Matt Bufton interviews historian Steve Davies about the political realignment happening across the Western world. Steve explains how traditional divisions in politics, such as socialism versus capitalism, have been replaced by a new axis centered on nationalism versus globalism. He critiques both "national collectivism" and "technocratic liberal progressivism" while discussing the implications for classical liberalism. The conversation also touches on the influence of leaders like Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, and Emmanuel Macron, and explores what the future holds for liberal ideas in a shifting political landscape.

References

"The Great Realignment: Understanding Politics Today" by Steve Davies (Cato Institute)

Steve Davies' talk at the IEA's THINK event

"The Road to Serfdom" by Friedrich Hayek

"Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy" by Joseph A. Schumpeter

"The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution" by Francis Fukuyama

"Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes

"The Constitution of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek

Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.

In this conversation from 2022, Alex speaks with Andrew Smith about capitalist peace theory and discusses a Canadian case study as an example of mutually beneficial exchange leading to peace and prosperity. 

References

1. “Canadian Entrepreneurs and the Preservation of the Capitalist Peace in the North Atlantic Triangle in the Civil War Era, 1861-1871” by Andrew D. Smith and Laurence B. Mussio

Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/enterprise-and-society/article/abs/canadian-entrepreneurs-and-the-preservation-of-the-capitalist-peace-in-the-north-atlantic-triangle-in-the-civil-war-era-18611871/228FB9ECC4A2E2BA40799185F77B0239

In this episode from earlier this year, Alex speaks with Darrell Bricker about whether Canada is at a breaking point, drawing from Bricker and John Ibbitson’s book Breaking Point to explore Canada’s economic stagnation, regional alienation, generational anxiety, and fragile national identity. Bricker argues that Canada’s challenges are serious but not fatal if Canadians are willing to stop kicking hard problems down the road and start building a country that younger generations can actually believe in.

References:

Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.

In this conversation from 2023, Alex speaks with Nathan Goodman about the implications of Climate Change for immigration policy and how coercion and polycentricity factor into that conversation.

References: 

- Adapting to Climate Change through Migration: Justus Enninga and Nathan Goodman https://www.thecgo.org/research/adapting-to-climate-change-through-migration/

- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Summary for Policy Makers https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/#:~:text=Climate%20change%2C%20through%20hazards%2C%20exposure,adapt%20and%20mitigate%20within%20limits 

- Beyond Markets and States: Polycentric Governance of Complex Economic Systems: Elinor Ostrom https://www.jstor.org/stable/27871226 

- The case for open immigration Chandran Kukathas https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/237298126.pdf 

In this conversation from 2024, Alex speaks with Erwin Dekker about the economics and public policy perspectives on art, examining various theories on how art derives its value in communities. Dekker explores the idea of the separation between art and state, discusses cultural significance and individual perception in determining the worth of art, and how art's intangible qualities challenge traditional economic valuation.

References

"Realizing the Values of Art: Making Space for Cultural Civil Society" by Erwin Dekker and Valeria Morea

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Realizing-Values-Art-Cultural-Society/dp/3031245970 

Erwin Dekker's Website

“Two approaches to study the value of art and culture, and the emergence of a third” by Erwin Dekker

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10824-014-9237-y 

"The Value of Culture: On the Relationship between Economics and Arts" by Arjo Klamer

"Arts and Economics: Analysis and Cultural Policy" by Bruno S. Frey

"Art and the Market: Roger Fry on Commerce in Art" by Crauford D. Goodwin

"Creative Destruction: How Globalization is Changing the World’s Cultures" by Tyler Cowen

"What Price Fame?" by Tyler Cowen

Thanks to our patrons including: Amy Willis, Kris Rondolo, and Christopher McDonald.

In this conversation from 2021, Alex Aragona speaks with Aeon Skoble as he outlines his ideas on what anarchism is, how we should think on it, and how it overlaps with classical liberal ideas.

References from The Curious Task Episode 99 with Aeon Skoble