High Signal Podcasts Evidence ledger
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Tyler Cowen

Published podcast speaker

Claims
500
Episodes
97
Shows
2
Named items
57

Books, apps, and tools

The evidenced stack.

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book / likes

A History of British Art

“I’m a big fan of your book, A History of British Art. In that, you insightfully remark that a lot of English art earlier on was harder, more angular, and less obsessed with perspective.”

Conversations with Tyler · 22 Jul 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

book / likes

Two Paths to Prosperity

“Again, I’m a big fan of your new book with Greif and Tabellini, Two Paths to Prosperity, comparing Europe and China.”

Conversations with Tyler · 8 Jul 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

other / likes

Bergman films

“What are your favorite movies and why? I love Bergman films, Smiles of a Summer Night.”

Conversations with Tyler · 29 Apr 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

other / likes

Smiles of a Summer Night

“I like Smiles of a Summer Night very much, the Mozartian feel, the Shakespeare connection.”

Conversations with Tyler · 8 May 2019

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

other / likes

Silent All These Years

“I like Silent All These Years by Tori Amos, especially the live version.”

Conversations with Tyler · 29 Apr 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

book / recommends

Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity

“He has a new book out, Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity, which I recommend very highly.”

Conversations with Tyler · 21 Jan 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

app / uses

GPT-5 Pro

“If I use GPT-5 Pro edition, it will outperform a very good human lawyer for a typical query.”

Conversations with Tyler · 17 Dec 2025

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

app / likes

Pulse

“Now, I love Pulse. Why don’t I hear more about Pulse, or do you think there is a lot of chatter out there?”

Conversations with Tyler · 5 Nov 2025

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

book / uses

A Farewell to Alms

“If we take England — when I read your book, A Farewell to Alms, I took you to be ambiguous, but when I reread that book through the lens of your later papers, it seems to me you’re saying there was an actual genetic change in English society because of who was marrying whom and having kids with whom, and thus, people saved more, became more conscientious, more forward-looking.”

Conversations with Tyler · 19 Feb 2025

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

book / built

Goat: Who's the Greatest Economist of All Time?

“The last book I wrote is called Goat: Who's the Greatest Economist of All Time?”

Dwarkesh Podcast · 9 Jan 2025

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

person / likes

Christopher Kirchhoff

“I like the Christopher Kirchhoff episode and how he never said the word “um.” You might edit out an “um” here and there.”

Conversations with Tyler · 25 Dec 2024

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

other / likes

Brazil

“I love Brazil, it’s one of my favorite countries, but I always worry about where I should and should not go there.”

Conversations with Tyler · 15 May 2024

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

Claim ledger

What Tyler said.

281 transcript-backed records

05 / belief

Say book markets and the printing press, they weaponized Marx and Lenin for many decades. That’s an algorithm in the very broad sense that led to terrible consequences, much worse than whatever you might think current social media have done, and yet we believe in free speech for the printing press.

“Say book markets and the printing press, they weaponized Marx and Lenin for many decades. That’s an algorithm in the very broad sense that led to terrible consequences, much worse than whatever you might think current social media have done, and yet we believe in free speech for the printing press.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

06 / belief

To keep on signaling so you don’t get purged or that you’re not a purger is I think what’s going on with the flowers, is opening the door, but it’s still somewhat of a mystery to me.

“To keep on signaling so you don’t get purged or that you’re not a purger is I think what’s going on with the flowers, is opening the door, but it’s still somewhat of a mystery to me.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

07 / belief

If I think about more recent neighborhoods, I understand King Charles may be trying, but it’s hard for me to think of a single place in America also that I consider highly attractive in the same way that British-built neighborhoods might have been knockouts, say before World War II, whatever the cutoff date may be.

“If I think about more recent neighborhoods, I understand King Charles may be trying, but it’s hard for me to think of a single place in America also that I consider highly attractive in the same way that British-built neighborhoods might have been knockouts, say before World War II, whatever the cutoff date may be.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

17 / belief

I think human capital is by far the biggest problem. Then the slow rate at which small informal businesses are willing to enter the more heavily regulated sector is a real bottleneck.

“I think human capital is by far the biggest problem. Then the slow rate at which small informal businesses are willing to enter the more heavily regulated sector is a real bottleneck.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

19 / belief

Now more recently, Mexico has a reputation for being very violent, but Yucatán is especially peaceful. There are years where it’s had a lower murder rate, I think, than Finland.

“Now more recently, Mexico has a reputation for being very violent, but Yucatán is especially peaceful. There are years where it’s had a lower murder rate, I think, than Finland.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

25 / belief

If there’s something like a public option, a series of safe assets, T-bills, FDIC-insured checking accounts, or some equivalent thereof, I think that’s the most we can do for people.

“If there’s something like a public option, a series of safe assets, T-bills, FDIC-insured checking accounts, or some equivalent thereof, I think that’s the most we can do for people.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

27 / belief

The kind of explicit numerical commitment that the FDIC made, say, even Germany thought was a bad idea until relatively recently, so Roosevelt was not as crazy as he sounded. But if you simply have some kind of bank lending and recapitalization program so the money supply doesn’t go bust, that would have been good enough, whether or not it’s exactly the FDIC, at least in my opinion.

“The kind of explicit numerical commitment that the FDIC made, say, even Germany thought was a bad idea until relatively recently, so Roosevelt was not as crazy as he sounded. But if you simply have some kind of bank lending and recapitalization program so the money supply doesn’t go bust, that would have been good enough, whether or not it’s exactly the FDIC, at least in my opinion.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

28 / belief

I agree with much of what was done, but keep in mind, they’re always sitting down with the Treasury secretary, and these decisions are made jointly, which I would say is inevitable, not a complaint I have.

“I agree with much of what was done, but keep in mind, they’re always sitting down with the Treasury secretary, and these decisions are made jointly, which I would say is inevitable, not a complaint I have.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

29 / belief

I think I agree with that, and it will be necessary. Even with high debt and deficits, there’s only so many T-bills to go around, and we want to use them for everything So, does the rest of the world.

“I think I agree with that, and it will be necessary. Even with high debt and deficits, there’s only so many T-bills to go around, and we want to use them for everything So, does the rest of the world.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

30 / belief

I think we need stronger social norms that any new thing, whether it’s sports gambling or something in crypto or whatever, it is gambling of some sort.

“I think we need stronger social norms that any new thing, whether it’s sports gambling or something in crypto or whatever, it is gambling of some sort.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

32 / belief

If I think of the 12th and 13th centuries in England and France, parts of Spain, there are so many just incredible cathedrals or religious structures built, many of them still with us.

“If I think of the 12th and 13th centuries in England and France, parts of Spain, there are so many just incredible cathedrals or religious structures built, many of them still with us.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

48 / belief

I think what also has changed, and we’re speaking the day after the election results, where the Democrats won a lot by more than expected, is this will motivate the Republican Congress to stand up to Trump more and be more resistant.

“I think what also has changed, and we’re speaking the day after the election results, where the Democrats won a lot by more than expected, is this will motivate the Republican Congress to stand up to Trump more and be more resistant.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

50 / belief

I think of it as a minimized surprise kind of theory, that you’re confronted with data from the world, and then you interpret the data and coordinate your actions in such a way to minimize surprise.

“I think of it as a minimized surprise kind of theory, that you’re confronted with data from the world, and then you interpret the data and coordinate your actions in such a way to minimize surprise.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

54 / belief

In my introduction to that other event a while back, I think I also said that Gaurav is someone who is unique, that he has this eye for judging quality in a deep sense, that he can apply to cities, to hires, to artworks, and also to investments, and that breadth across the board is something quite remarkable about him.

“In my introduction to that other event a while back, I think I also said that Gaurav is someone who is unique, that he has this eye for judging quality in a deep sense, that he can apply to cities, to hires, to artworks, and also to investments, and that breadth across the board is something quite remarkable about him.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

57 / belief

If I think about the spectacular record of Chinese economic growth, and this is not only in the nation of China, but around the world, my unconfirmed hypothesis is that a lot of it is due to the fact that Chinese ex ante, before they were rich, already had high IQs, whether that’s this tradition of education, the exam system, earlier urbanization in mainland China, whatever.

“If I think about the spectacular record of Chinese economic growth, and this is not only in the nation of China, but around the world, my unconfirmed hypothesis is that a lot of it is due to the fact that Chinese ex ante, before they were rich, already had high IQs, whether that’s this tradition of education, the exam system, earlier urbanization in mainland China, whatever.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

63 / belief

If I think about how immigration restrictions are enforced, I sometimes worry that liberal societies ultimately, at some margin, have to use illiberal means to keep out or deport immigrants.

“If I think about how immigration restrictions are enforced, I sometimes worry that liberal societies ultimately, at some margin, have to use illiberal means to keep out or deport immigrants.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

65 / belief

I much prefer the Italian method, however you would describe it, but you’re just trying to get off the plane. I think that de facto ends up being more polite.

“I much prefer the Italian method, however you would describe it, but you’re just trying to get off the plane. I think that de facto ends up being more polite.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

79 / belief

I think we regard the Irish as especially friendly. I’m not sure that’s entirely wrong, to be clear, but we don’t come away necessarily from England saying the same thing.

“I think we regard the Irish as especially friendly. I’m not sure that’s entirely wrong, to be clear, but we don’t come away necessarily from England saying the same thing.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

80 / belief

We agree there’s something, right now, quite screwed up in the American psyche. Maybe sometimes it’s hard to diagnose, but it seems to me often fairly fundamental.

“We agree there’s something, right now, quite screwed up in the American psyche. Maybe sometimes it’s hard to diagnose, but it seems to me often fairly fundamental.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

86 / belief

There’s an attention to quality and detail that is just difficult to believe until you’re there, and to live with that for, say, two weeks, I think you’ll very much enjoy.

“There’s an attention to quality and detail that is just difficult to believe until you’re there, and to live with that for, say, two weeks, I think you’ll very much enjoy.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

89 / belief

Maybe the definition has gray areas, but there’re plenty of cases where you can point to it and say, “Yes, that would be a conspiracy theory.” I would say I believe in a very small number of them.

“Maybe the definition has gray areas, but there’re plenty of cases where you can point to it and say, “Yes, that would be a conspiracy theory.” I would say I believe in a very small number of them.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

92 / belief

The second- and third-order effects of nuclear weapons would mean the US and China and Russia would call up the two parties and read them the riot act. I think we actually would get it under some kind of partial control.

“The second- and third-order effects of nuclear weapons would mean the US and China and Russia would call up the two parties and read them the riot act. I think we actually would get it under some kind of partial control.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

95 / belief

The real sector of the economy, and that’s not FDIC insured, and a lot of that is, in fact, runs-prone, as we learned in 2008, so you’ve just got to be hyper, super nervous.

“The real sector of the economy, and that’s not FDIC insured, and a lot of that is, in fact, runs-prone, as we learned in 2008, so you’ve just got to be hyper, super nervous.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

101 / belief

Most of our guests — I think, there’s a way of describing them as the best in the world at something, and if it’s Any, I would describe him as the very best in the world, without doubt, at the hermeneutics of infrastructure within video games.

“Most of our guests — I think, there’s a way of describing them as the best in the world at something, and if it’s Any, I would describe him as the very best in the world, without doubt, at the hermeneutics of infrastructure within video games.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

112 / belief

Kasparov might have been the better player, but just willing to put his entire mental energy into over-the-board analysis, sitting there. I think that’s part of the Fischer legend.

“Kasparov might have been the better player, but just willing to put his entire mental energy into over-the-board analysis, sitting there. I think that’s part of the Fischer legend.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

116 / belief

I think my lead would be, “What’s the New Mary Jane,” that if you had given Paul his way with it over the course of a week, he might have turned it into something great, even though it’s a John song.

“I think my lead would be, “What’s the New Mary Jane,” that if you had given Paul his way with it over the course of a week, he might have turned it into something great, even though it’s a John song.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

117 / belief

Then, I know this is not an album, but YouTube cuts of Wings playing live with Jimmy McCulloch on guitar, I think are generally better than Wings Over America, which is quite good for a live album.

“Then, I know this is not an album, but YouTube cuts of Wings playing live with Jimmy McCulloch on guitar, I think are generally better than Wings Over America, which is quite good for a live album.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

118 / belief

I think of Jagger-Richards as ultimately a business relationship, where they’re quite happy to give up being creative just to make a lot of money, and it becomes not interesting for 50 years.

“I think of Jagger-Richards as ultimately a business relationship, where they’re quite happy to give up being creative just to make a lot of money, and it becomes not interesting for 50 years.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

119 / belief

There’s a lot of songs on it, like “Meat City” or “I Know” that seem forgotten, but they’re very good. I think the production is systematically weak, but the songs are excellent.

“There’s a lot of songs on it, like “Meat City” or “I Know” that seem forgotten, but they’re very good. I think the production is systematically weak, but the songs are excellent.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

122 / belief

If we think about what has worked, it seems to me that outsourcing nonbureaucratic activity to, say, Palantir, Anduril has been very cost-effective, probably militarily effective.

“If we think about what has worked, it seems to me that outsourcing nonbureaucratic activity to, say, Palantir, Anduril has been very cost-effective, probably militarily effective.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

125 / belief

If we think steady-state — when I look at the private sector, it seems to me large foundations, charitable foundations — they’re not better run than smaller ones, on average.

“If we think steady-state — when I look at the private sector, it seems to me large foundations, charitable foundations — they’re not better run than smaller ones, on average.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

138 / belief

Not at first. But I think I've heard of projects—this is secondhand, I'm not sure how true it is—but interviews are being recorded by companies that do a lot of interviews.

“Not at first. But I think I've heard of projects—this is secondhand, I'm not sure how true it is—but interviews are being recorded by companies that do a lot of interviews.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

148 / belief

Classical economics figured that out. They were too pessimistic, I would say. But they understood the pessimism intrinsic in diminishing returns in a way that people in the Bay Area do not.

“Classical economics figured that out. They were too pessimistic, I would say. But they understood the pessimism intrinsic in diminishing returns in a way that people in the Bay Area do not.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

151 / belief

Let’s say we think of monetary policy as a game between the Fed and Congress, and Congress is always threatening to intervene in the economy, and most of those interventions are ill considered.

“Let’s say we think of monetary policy as a game between the Fed and Congress, and Congress is always threatening to intervene in the economy, and most of those interventions are ill considered.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

153 / belief

I think my view would be, when you get a very bad recession, it’s typically the combination of negative nominal shocks and significant negative real shocks, often to credit markets.

“I think my view would be, when you get a very bad recession, it’s typically the combination of negative nominal shocks and significant negative real shocks, often to credit markets.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

155 / belief

Now, for your books on the Great Depression, you once said that you read the New York Times for many years in a row, for I think the 1920s and the 1930s.

“Now, for your books on the Great Depression, you once said that you read the New York Times for many years in a row, for I think the 1920s and the 1930s.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

156 / belief

Someone said on Twitter recently that — it was Joe Lonsdale — “There’s no limit to what you can achieve if you’re willing not to get much credit for it.” I think that should be our attitude.

“Someone said on Twitter recently that — it was Joe Lonsdale — “There’s no limit to what you can achieve if you’re willing not to get much credit for it.” I think that should be our attitude.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

158 / belief

We’ve made bets on them. But if you just ask me what I think, I do think there’s an upper limit that is more or less at where the oldest living people live to today, which is about 110 perhaps.

“We’ve made bets on them. But if you just ask me what I think, I do think there’s an upper limit that is more or less at where the oldest living people live to today, which is about 110 perhaps.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

166 / belief

The machine, for him, eventually becomes all-powerful. It becomes a kind of god and can create humans in its image that are in a way superior, and I think he’s terrified by this.

“The machine, for him, eventually becomes all-powerful. It becomes a kind of god and can create humans in its image that are in a way superior, and I think he’s terrified by this.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

171 / belief

There’s Dante and Swift and Homer and Huck Finn, which are all about journeys, and he’s taking us on our journey through this war, through this battle, through Soviet and Nazi life. I think that’s another way he thought of the book.

“There’s Dante and Swift and Homer and Huck Finn, which are all about journeys, and he’s taking us on our journey through this war, through this battle, through Soviet and Nazi life. I think that’s another way he thought of the book.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

172 / belief

The saner thing to do — and you see this with many people from the progressive left as well — is just to become more moderate, more uncertain, to have better epistemic practices and take a broader swathe of history more seriously, and I think Grossman is doing that.

“The saner thing to do — and you see this with many people from the progressive left as well — is just to become more moderate, more uncertain, to have better epistemic practices and take a broader swathe of history more seriously, and I think Grossman is doing that.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

175 / belief

Sometimes I think that when the present and future are changing most rapidly, that’s when we need to write about the past, that it’s easier to speculate about the future when nothing’s happening.

“Sometimes I think that when the present and future are changing most rapidly, that’s when we need to write about the past, that it’s easier to speculate about the future when nothing’s happening.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

182 / belief

I think we’re trending toward greater passivity, where all kinds of outrageous things happen and no one protests, which to someone my age is quite extreme and unusual.

“I think we’re trending toward greater passivity, where all kinds of outrageous things happen and no one protests, which to someone my age is quite extreme and unusual.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

183 / belief

I think of celebrity as having peaked maybe in the 1980s. You have Eddie Murphy, you have Schwarzenegger, you have Madonna, Michael Jackson, and it was a thing.

“I think of celebrity as having peaked maybe in the 1980s. You have Eddie Murphy, you have Schwarzenegger, you have Madonna, Michael Jackson, and it was a thing.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

188 / belief

Then, I think the US having lost relative status in the world — people may not be directly aware of it, but at some level, they sense it, and that makes people more negative.

“Then, I think the US having lost relative status in the world — people may not be directly aware of it, but at some level, they sense it, and that makes people more negative.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

195 / belief

I think the overall composition of the federal budget — it’s too much to old people and not enough to young people, and that is because old people vote more.

“I think the overall composition of the federal budget — it’s too much to old people and not enough to young people, and that is because old people vote more.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

197 / belief

From the point of view of this New Jersey boy, she has come out of nowhere from western Kentucky and is all of a sudden one of the best and also most popular discussers of economics and economic reasoning and economic thinking. This, in my view, is fantastic.

“From the point of view of this New Jersey boy, she has come out of nowhere from western Kentucky and is all of a sudden one of the best and also most popular discussers of economics and economic reasoning and economic thinking. This, in my view, is fantastic.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

200 / belief

We’ve had over 200 guests on Conversations with Tyler, and I think three of them, so far, have shown they are able to answer any question I might plausibly throw their way.

“We’ve had over 200 guests on Conversations with Tyler, and I think three of them, so far, have shown they are able to answer any question I might plausibly throw their way.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

202 / belief

Maybe it’s not super, but let’s say until an AI is as good as one of Phil Tetlock’s superforecasters. I would say that’s three to four years away, would be my guess.

“Maybe it’s not super, but let’s say until an AI is as good as one of Phil Tetlock’s superforecasters. I would say that’s three to four years away, would be my guess.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

205 / belief

I think we can make limited claims of potential gains from trade with humans and dogs a lot; humans and pigs quite a bit less, but still somewhat; and that ultimately, maybe we can apply some semi-Christian-like idea of mercy to how we should treat animals, and that we only have partial comparisons.

“I think we can make limited claims of potential gains from trade with humans and dogs a lot; humans and pigs quite a bit less, but still somewhat; and that ultimately, maybe we can apply some semi-Christian-like idea of mercy to how we should treat animals, and that we only have partial comparisons.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

207 / belief

I think you have a disgust reaction. That’s fine. It sounds to me like an argument that it’s imprudent, which can slide into morally wrong, but I still think there’s something out of sync between the strength of our disgust reaction and the degree of moral wrongness it has.

“I think you have a disgust reaction. That’s fine. It sounds to me like an argument that it’s imprudent, which can slide into morally wrong, but I still think there’s something out of sync between the strength of our disgust reaction and the degree of moral wrongness it has.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

213 / belief

I agree with your nostalgia point, but as I’m sure you know, there are so many very good startups from Argentina, though they may leave the country, go to Brazil, go to Mexico.

“I agree with your nostalgia point, but as I’m sure you know, there are so many very good startups from Argentina, though they may leave the country, go to Brazil, go to Mexico.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

217 / belief

One thing that’s striking to me about the arc of your career, if I think geographically where you’ve been — you start in Gary, Indiana.

“One thing that’s striking to me about the arc of your career, if I think geographically where you’ve been — you start in Gary, Indiana.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

218 / belief

I think my p has gone up a modest amount over time. When I was, say, in my young 20s, I thought physics was going to make more progress than it has at fundamental theoretical levels.

“I think my p has gone up a modest amount over time. When I was, say, in my young 20s, I thought physics was going to make more progress than it has at fundamental theoretical levels.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

219 / belief

If quantum computing happens as you’re predicting it will, that, I think, would also make matrix algebra rise in status, like, “Oh, this is a really important tool.

“If quantum computing happens as you’re predicting it will, that, I think, would also make matrix algebra rise in status, like, “Oh, this is a really important tool.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

222 / belief

I once did a podcast with her, and I think of all the guests we’ve ever had, she produced the greatest number of words and greatest number of words per minute.

“I once did a podcast with her, and I think of all the guests we’ve ever had, she produced the greatest number of words and greatest number of words per minute.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

224 / belief

I think I would know more about Ireland. It would be different. I don’t think I would consciously be biased, but I don’t think I could quite do it neutrally either.

“I think I would know more about Ireland. It would be different. I don’t think I would consciously be biased, but I don’t think I could quite do it neutrally either.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

226 / belief

Now, the title of this conversation is “Political Theology.” That was a phrase, I think, first used by the Russian anarchist Bakunin to mock the Italian nationalist Mazzini.

“Now, the title of this conversation is “Political Theology.” That was a phrase, I think, first used by the Russian anarchist Bakunin to mock the Italian nationalist Mazzini.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

229 / belief

Some thinkers, I think especially on the conservative right, have argued that as America becomes more pluralistic — ethnically and religiously pluralistic — that that, on net, marginalizes the influence of religion.

“Some thinkers, I think especially on the conservative right, have argued that as America becomes more pluralistic — ethnically and religiously pluralistic — that that, on net, marginalizes the influence of religion.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

230 / belief

Here’s a quotation from you, I think, if you could explain it to us. “Our business, like the real estate business and some other business, is hours of boredom followed by moments of terror.

“Here’s a quotation from you, I think, if you could explain it to us. “Our business, like the real estate business and some other business, is hours of boredom followed by moments of terror.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

231 / belief

Now, I understand that in the 1960s, the survival rate for panda babies was pretty low. I think you mentioned once 30 percent, and right now, it’s about 90 percent.

“Now, I understand that in the 1960s, the survival rate for panda babies was pretty low. I think you mentioned once 30 percent, and right now, it’s about 90 percent.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

232 / belief

Maybe they overly value autonomy when they ought to just get a job with a relatively stable company. So there, part of the thesis is correct, and I doubt if there’s really big social returns to whatever those people do, even if they could make a go of it.

“Maybe they overly value autonomy when they ought to just get a job with a relatively stable company. So there, part of the thesis is correct, and I doubt if there’s really big social returns to whatever those people do, even if they could make a go of it.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

234 / belief

There’s Mill’s own upbringing, which was quite strict and by current standards, oppressive, but apparently extremely effective in making Mill smart. So I think Mill very much thought that kids should be induced to learn the classics, but he also stressed they needed free play of the imagination in a way that he drew from German and also British Romanticism, and he wanted some kind of synthesis of the two.

“There’s Mill’s own upbringing, which was quite strict and by current standards, oppressive, but apparently extremely effective in making Mill smart. So I think Mill very much thought that kids should be induced to learn the classics, but he also stressed they needed free play of the imagination in a way that he drew from German and also British Romanticism, and he wanted some kind of synthesis of the two.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

241 / belief

Most of it’s quite interesting, but his ability to see things from multiple perspectives, I think, was in part stemming from the fact that he wrote a lot about many different topics, like French history, ancient Greece.

“Most of it’s quite interesting, but his ability to see things from multiple perspectives, I think, was in part stemming from the fact that he wrote a lot about many different topics, like French history, ancient Greece.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

242 / belief

I’m not sure what those numbers going up mean, what a GPT seven would look like, or how much smarter it could get. I think people make too many assumptions there.

“I’m not sure what those numbers going up mean, what a GPT seven would look like, or how much smarter it could get. I think people make too many assumptions there.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

243 / belief

There was some collusion, not enough bidding, but it was mostly competing for attention. So I think the real risk protection agencies’ side of network-based collusion is through banking systems, where you have clearinghouses and payments networks, and to be part of it, the clearinghouse, in the absence of legal constraint, can indeed help everyone collude.

“There was some collusion, not enough bidding, but it was mostly competing for attention. So I think the real risk protection agencies’ side of network-based collusion is through banking systems, where you have clearinghouses and payments networks, and to be part of it, the clearinghouse, in the absence of legal constraint, can indeed help everyone collude.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

246 / belief

I just think the risk, not that everyone dies, I think that’s quite low, but that we retreat to some kind of pretty chaotic form of like, medieval Balkans existence with a much lower population.

“I just think the risk, not that everyone dies, I think that’s quite low, but that we retreat to some kind of pretty chaotic form of like, medieval Balkans existence with a much lower population.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

250 / belief

Regarding the internet writing mode of thinking, I would like to see more economists and research scientists raised on it, but the number may be higher than we think.

“Regarding the internet writing mode of thinking, I would like to see more economists and research scientists raised on it, but the number may be higher than we think.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

251 / belief

My former colleague Gordon Tullock wrote a very interesting book on the economics of ant societies and animal societies and very often they obey human-like principles, or more accurately, humans obey non-human, animal-like principles. So I suspect it’s fairly universal and depends less on quote unquote human nature than we sometimes like to suggest.

“My former colleague Gordon Tullock wrote a very interesting book on the economics of ant societies and animal societies and very often they obey human-like principles, or more accurately, humans obey non-human, animal-like principles. So I suspect it’s fairly universal and depends less on quote unquote human nature than we sometimes like to suggest.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

253 / belief

I’m not saying the humanitarian outcome is a good one, but in terms of the global economy, I think markets are thinking rationally about it, though the rational forecast, of course, is often wrong.

“I’m not saying the humanitarian outcome is a good one, but in terms of the global economy, I think markets are thinking rationally about it, though the rational forecast, of course, is often wrong.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Dwarkesh Podcast

256 / belief

I have relatively few complaints about it, but I also am in a different position than you are and have another income I can fall back upon. And I think whether you do it as a man or do it as a woman, you’re also treated differently, especially by your readers.

“I have relatively few complaints about it, but I also am in a different position than you are and have another income I can fall back upon. And I think whether you do it as a man or do it as a woman, you’re also treated differently, especially by your readers.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

264 / belief

I think in less than two years. Now, whether that’s a product on the market that I can subscribe to, I’m less sure of, but technologically speaking, it’s probably possible right now.

“I think in less than two years. Now, whether that’s a product on the market that I can subscribe to, I’m less sure of, but technologically speaking, it’s probably possible right now.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

267 / belief

The Days of Fire — I am tired of all that stuff, so people don’t talk about that time so much anymore, which is interesting. But overall, I think my 2013 recommendations might have been my best year ever of recommendations because so many of them turned out so well.

“The Days of Fire — I am tired of all that stuff, so people don’t talk about that time so much anymore, which is interesting. But overall, I think my 2013 recommendations might have been my best year ever of recommendations because so many of them turned out so well.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

269 / belief

Today I’m chatting with John Gray, who is one of the most important and influential thinkers, not just of one generation, but I think you could say of two generations.

“Today I’m chatting with John Gray, who is one of the most important and influential thinkers, not just of one generation, but I think you could say of two generations.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

270 / belief

“Study the past” is another career lesson from Dylan, I think, and just keep on going, be willing to reinvent yourself, and choose your audiences wisely, the ones you care about.

““Study the past” is another career lesson from Dylan, I think, and just keep on going, be willing to reinvent yourself, and choose your audiences wisely, the ones you care about.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

273 / belief

Some of the cybernetics tales, they seem weirdly close to the current state of LLMs. And I think I’ve seen this mentioned once, but it’s not generally known: the idea that you use them to talk to, that they’re weird, they might be somewhat mystical, they serve as therapists or oracles — that’s very much in Lem, quite early.

“Some of the cybernetics tales, they seem weirdly close to the current state of LLMs. And I think I’ve seen this mentioned once, but it’s not generally known: the idea that you use them to talk to, that they’re weird, they might be somewhat mystical, they serve as therapists or oracles — that’s very much in Lem, quite early.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

275 / belief

I think of the Russian women I know: they would, say, be in their 50s largely. It’s surprising to me — or was originally — how many of them had their kids quite young.

“I think of the Russian women I know: they would, say, be in their 50s largely. It’s surprising to me — or was originally — how many of them had their kids quite young.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

277 / belief

Understanding yourself is a kind of answer, and if you just think, “I want the life where I have all these open questions that bug me,” I would say go travel a lot.

“Understanding yourself is a kind of answer, and if you just think, “I want the life where I have all these open questions that bug me,” I would say go travel a lot.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

279 / belief

I think part of Le Guin’s message, which was very 1974 — maybe more true than people realize today — is you only get a shot at the good parts of the non-communal society by tolerating this pretty high risk of war, that it keeps things dynamic in some way.

“I think part of Le Guin’s message, which was very 1974 — maybe more true than people realize today — is you only get a shot at the good parts of the non-communal society by tolerating this pretty high risk of war, that it keeps things dynamic in some way.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler

280 / belief

I think there’s a lack of cultural self-confidence that would be needed to do that, and in that respect, our world probably, or the Western world, is worse.

“I think there’s a lack of cultural self-confidence that would be needed to do that, and in that respect, our world probably, or the Western world, is worse.”
Speaker
Tyler Cowen
Publisher
Conversations with Tyler
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