Economic historian Judge Glock talks to EconTalk host Russ Roberts about zoning and the housing market. Glock argues the impact on zoning on housing affordability is small and that we should learn to love property taxes as long as they’re administered properly. The conversation includes a discussion of the environmental impact of urban sprawl–Glock argues sprawl […] The post Judge Glock on Zoning and Local Government appeared first on Econlib.

Economist and author Arnold Kling talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the recent drama in the tech world–Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the collapse of FTX, and the appearance of ChatGPT. Underlying topics discussed include the potential for price discrimination to make social media profitable, whether you could tell Jeff Bezos from Sam Bankman-Fried […] The post Arnold Kling on Twitter, FTX, and ChatGPT appeared first on Econlib.

In our highly polarized times, everyone seems obsessed with the truth: what is it, who has it, and which side’s got it all wrong. What we don’t seem to care about, says journalist Monica Guzman, is the truth behind perspectives other than our own. Listen as Guzman and host Russ Roberts discuss Guzman’s book I […] The post Monica Guzman on Curiosity and Conversation in Contentious Times appeared first on Econlib.

How does the mind work? What makes us sad? What makes us laugh? Despite advances in neuroscience, the answers to these questions remain elusive. Neuroscientist Patrick House talks about these mysteries and about his book Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. House’s insights illuminate not just what we know and don’t […] The post Patrick House on Consciousness appeared first on Econlib.

Annie Duke is angry that quitting gets such a bad rap. Instead of our relentless focus on grit and “going for it,” the former professional poker player, decision strategist, and author of Quit wants us to recognize the costs associated with sticking to a losing outcome. Listen as she explains to EconTalk host Russ Roberts how […] The post Annie Duke on the Power of Quitting appeared first on Econlib.

When the 20-year-old overachiever Johnathan Bi‘s first startup crashed and burned, he headed to a Zen retreat in the Catskills to “debug himself.” He discovered René Girard and his mimetic theory–the idea that imitation is a key and often unconscious driver of human behavior. Listen as entrepreneur and philosopher Bi shares with EconTalk host Russ Roberts […] The post Johnathan Bi on Mimesis and René Girard appeared first on Econlib.

Suppose all of humanity was infected by a virus that left us all infertile–no one will come along after us. How would you react to such a world? Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago says she would be filled with despair. But why does this seem worse than our own inevitable deaths? Callard speaks […] The post Agnes Callard on Meaning, the Human Quest, and the Aims of Education appeared first on Econlib.

When everyone is carrying a camera in their pocket, what raises the act of taking pictures to the level of fine art photography? Jessica Todd Harper, the award-winning portrait photographer, says that it’s equal parts mindset and technique–and lots of setting the stage to seize that perfect light. Listen as Harper speaks with EconTalk host […] The post Jessica Todd Harper on Beauty, Family, and Photography appeared first on Econlib.

Economist and political scientist Michael Munger of Duke University talks about industrial policy with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Munger argues that in a democracy, the default outcome for industrial policy is crony capitalism–attempts to improve on that outcome either by appointing experts or eliminating cronyism are going to fail for political reasons. The conversation concludes with a […] The post Michael Munger on Industrial Policy appeared first on Econlib.

Author Ryan Holiday talks about his book, Discipline Is Destiny, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Holiday discusses the mentor who taught him discipline, the self-control of Queen Elizabeth, the world-champion boxer who counseled the man who defeated him in the ring, and the forgotten Roman emperor who helped make Marcus Aurelius the man he would […] The post Ryan Holiday on Discipline Is Destiny appeared first on Econlib.