~marginalrevolution | Bookmarks (65)

In this age, the mere example of nonconformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. Precisely because the tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach, it is desirable, in order to break through that tyranny, that people should be eccentric. Eccentricity has always abounded when […] The post In Praise of Non-conformity appeared first...

“I suggest, Men and women tend to think alike in societies where there is Close-knit interdependence, religosity and authoritarianism, or Shared cultural production and mixed gendered offline socialising. Gendered ideological polarisation appears encouraged by: Feminised public culture Economic resentment Social media filter bubbles Cultural entrepreneurs.” Here is the full piece, currently the best piece on […] The post Alice Evans on the ideological gender...

That is the focus of my latest Bloomberg column, 2x the normal length.  I cannot cover all the points, but here is one excerpt: The larger theme is becoming evident: AI will radically disrupt power relations in society. AI may severely limit, for instance, the status and earnings of the so-called “wordcel” class. It will […] The post What are the actual dangers of...

Yes I will be doing a Conversation with her.  Here is from Wikipedia: Marilynne Summers Robinson (born November 26, 1943) is an American novelist and essayist. Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and the 2016 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. In 2016, Robinson […] The post What should I ask Marilynne Robinson?...

Here is the audio, video, and transcript, here is the episode summary: Rebecca F. Kuang just might change the way you think about fantasy and science fiction. Known for her best-selling books Babel and The Poppy War trilogy, Kuang combines a unique blend of historical richness and imaginative storytelling. At just 27, she’s already published five novels, and her […] The post My Conversation with Rebecca F. Kuang...

Let us say you favor policy X, and take steps to see that policy X comes about. Under many conditions, people who favor non-X will take additional countervailing steps to oppose X.  And in that case your actions in favor of X, on average, will lead to nothing.  In the meantime, you and also your […] The post Social improvements that don’t create countervailing...

I am pleased to have spoken at their yearly conference yesterday.  If I understand them correctly (here is their web site), it is for elite college students — grad and undergrad — at Harvard, MIT, Stanford and the rest of the Ivies.  No other schools.  The group is explicitly religious (across religions and denominations) and […] The post The David Network appeared first on...

OpenAI on Thursday announced its first partnership with a higher education institution. Starting in February, Arizona State University will have full access to ChatGPT Enterprise and plans to use it for coursework, tutoring, research and more. The partnership has been in the works for at least six months. ASU plans to build a personalized AI […] The post Open AI will partner with Arizona...

That is the topic of my latest Bloomberg column.  Here is the first part of the argument: Two kinds of AI-driven education are likely to take off, and they will have very different effects. Both approaches have real promise, but neither will make everyone happy. The first category will resemble learning platforms such as Khan Academy, […] The post How is AI education going to...

The Center for the History of Political Economy at Duke University will be hosting another Summer Institute on the History of Economics from June 3-12, 2024. The program is designed for students in graduate programs in economics, though students in graduate school in other fields as well as newly minted PhDs will also be considered. […] The post Duke History of Economic Thought Summer...

Since I recommend the practice of writing every day, or virtually every day (every day is better!), I thought I should give awards for 2023. Clear winner in my view in Noah Smith, who just keeps on writing and being productive and improving.  Here is Noah’s Substack. Runner-up awards go to the blog Economists Writing […] The post My “writing every day” awards appeared...

Fewer women reported being satisfied with the climate in the economics profession in 2023 compared to five years ago, despite efforts during that time to improve conditions for women in the field, according to a new survey. About 17% of women in economics said they strongly agreed or agreed with a statement about being satisfied […] The post How women are perceiving the economics...

This paper studies important determinants of adult self-control using population-representative data and exploiting Germany’s division as quasi-experimental variation. We find that former East Germans have substantially more self-control than West Germans and provide evidence for government surveillance as a possible underlying mechanism. We thereby demonstrate that institutional factors can shape people’s self-control. Moreover, we find […] The post The culture that was East German...

History of Economic Thought syllabus The honor code applies to this class. Accommodations will be made for disabilities in accord with the policies of George Mason University. Your grade is 2/3 based on your paper, 1/3 based on a final exam. You are required to submit short progress reports on your paper on a regular […] The post My history of economic thought reading...

He is starting a new podcast and I am perhaps the first episode?  There is video and text and audio.  Here is an excerpt: Lindsey: Did they recognize early on that you were different and that they had a job to do to push you, or no? Cowen: Well, my father thought I was weird, so he […] The post My podcast with Brink Lindsey appeared...

Yes, I will be doing another Conversation with him.  Here is my previous Conversation with him, almost eight years ago.  As many of you will know, Jonathan has a new book coming out, namely The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.  But there is much more […] The post What should I ask Jonathan Haidt?...