Civilization and the pleasantness of everyday life depend on unwritten rules. Early in the 20th century, an English mathematician and government official, Lord Moulton, described complying with these rules as “obedience to the unenforceable”–the area of personal choice that falls between illegal acts and complete freedom. Listen as economist Michael Munger talks with EconTalk’s Russ […] The post Michael Munger on Obedience to the Unenforceable appeared first on Econlib.

Called “a poem in clockwork,” the self-winding Breguet watch made for Marie Antionette was meant to be the most beautiful example of mechanical art in the world. Yet when she was imprisoned in the Tour du Temple, she wanted only a simple watch that would mark the passing of the hours until her meeting with […] The post Rebecca Struthers on Watches, Watchmaking, and the Hands of Time appeared first on Econlib.

After nearly 12 years as general manager for the L.A. Rams, Les Snead has learned the power of humility when it comes to making big decisions–who to draft, who to hire as head coach, and how to create a shared vision for his team. Listen as he and EconTalk’s Russ Roberts discuss what it’s like […] The post Les Snead on Risk, Decisions, and Football appeared first on Econlib.

Author and consultant Luca Dellanna talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the importance of avoiding ruin when facing risk. Along the way Dellanna makes understandable the arcane concept of ergodicity and shows the importance of avoiding ruin in every day life. The post Luca Dellanna on Risk, Ruin, and Ergodicity appeared first on Econlib.

When there’s no vaccine on the market, people will look for other ways to be safe, including school closures and the handwashing of groceries. Listen as economist Casey Mulligan of the University Chicago talks with EconTalk’s Russ Roberts about the costs of delaying a vaccine, the hidden costs of FDA regulation, and what we learned […] The post Casey Mulligan on Vaccines, the Pandemic, and the FDA appeared first on Econlib.

Economist Tyler Cowen of George Mason University talks with EconTalk’s Russ Roberts about the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence. Cowen argues that the worriers–those who think that artificial intelligence will destroy mankind–need to make a more convincing case for their concerns. He also believes that the worriers are too willing to reduce freedom and empower […] The post Tyler Cowen on the Risks and Impact of Artificial Intelligence appeared first on Econlib.

Eliezer Yudkowsky insists that once artificial intelligence becomes smarter than people, everyone on earth will die. Listen as Yudkokwsky speaks with EconTalk’s Russ Roberts on why we should be very, very afraid and why we’re not prepared or able to manage the terrifying risks of AI. The post Eliezer Yudkowsky on the Dangers of AI appeared first on Econlib.

While operating on a 16-year-old girl who suffered from severe seizures, neurosurgeon Itzhak Fried stumbled on the region of the brain that makes us laugh. To neuroscientist Patrick House, Fried’s ability to produce laughter surgically raises deep and disconcerting questions about how the brain works. Join Fried, House, and EconTalk’s Russ Roberts for a live broadcast […] The post Patrick House and Itzhak Fried on the Brain’s Mysteries appeared first on Econlib.

Is the perfect really the enemy of the good? Or is it the other way around? In 2008, Duke University economist Michael Munger ran for governor and proposed increasing school choice through vouchers for the state’s poorest counties. But some lovers of liberty argued that it’s better to fight for eliminating public schools instead of […] The post Michael Munger on the Perfect vs. the Good appeared first on Econlib.

When he was a child, poet Dana Gioia’s mother would come home from a long day of work and recite poems while she cleaned. It was a way, he realized later, for her to express the feelings she didn’t want to describe directly, and to vent her sorrows without burdening her son. This, he believes, […] The post Dana Gioia on Poetry, Death and Mortality appeared first on Econlib.