The economist, President Emeritus at Harvard University, and former Treasury Secretary joins Tyler to discuss innovation in higher education, Herman Melville, the Fed, Mexico, Russia, China, the Larry Summers production function, philanthropy and Larrys table tennis adventure in the summer Jewish Olympics. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Recorded September 6th, 2017 Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Foll...
Sep 20, 2017•1 hr 14 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Though most know him first as a humor columnist, Dave Barrys career has spanned many forms of media, including books, movies, TV, and music. Driving this relentless output, says Barry, is the constant worry hell find himself stuck in a rutor worseno longer funny. And do we even need professional comedians in an age where so many funny amateurs are readily available online? Tyler and Dave discuss all these topics and more, including the weirdness of Peter Pan, what makes Florida special, how it f...
Aug 16, 2017•58 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Today many YouTube channels have more influence than traditional TV shows. This fact is not lost on Dave Rubin, who started his talk show career in traditional media, but soon decided to strike out on his own. He now hosts The Rubin Report, which has half a million subscribers on YouTube and is financially backed by its fans on Patreon. But the most important indicator of influence? All but one of Tylers law and literature class had heard of Dave before this taping. Recorded live at an event a f...
Aug 02, 2017•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast The surgeon, researcher, and celebrated writer joined Tyler for a conversation on why Watson will never diagnose your illness, what George Churchs narcolepsy teaches us about CRISPR, whats missing in medical education, Michael Crichtons cultural influence, Knausgrd versus Ferrante, indie music, and the thing that makes Gawande bawl like a baby. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Recorded June 12th, 2017 Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twi...
Jul 19, 2017•58 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast The US senator and former college president joined Tyler for a conversation on adolescence, adulthood, driving for Uber, loving Luther, hate-reading Rousseau, the decline of small towns, backpacking across Europe, Americas peculiar fondness for age-segregation, and why his latest book contains so little sex. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Recorded June 14th, 2017 Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow...
Jun 28, 2017•1 hr 21 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Edward Luce has a new book out about the rising crisis in Western liberalism, so naturally Tylers first question to him dealt with James II and William of Orange. #gloriousrevolution In this bonus audio recorded at a Mercatus event last week, Tyler and Edward discuss the ideas in his book and more, including future paths of liberalism, whether the current populism is an Anglo-American phenomenon or not, Modi's India, whether Kubrick, Hitchcock, and John Lennon are overrated or underrated, and wh...
Jun 21, 2017•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is time like a line, a stretched out accordion, buried silos, or a flat circle? We concoct many ways to think about the relationship between the present and the past, but according to Jill Lepore one constant endures: When youre writing history, youre always using your imagination. The historian and New Yorker writer joins Tyler for a conversation on the Tea Party, Mary Pickford, Dickens in America, growing up watching TV (the horror), Steve Bannons 19th century visage, the importance of friends...
Jun 14, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast The UK is holding a big election on June 8, so today were bringing you some bonus audio on that topic featuring Tyler and Steve Davies of the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs. They talk about how the general election could shape the terms of Brexit, how much further the EU and even the UK will splinter, the prospects for the European left-wing, and the populism underneath it all. Note: this was recorded at event in late April shortly after May called for the snap election in June. Got ...
Jun 07, 2017•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast A high school teacher once told Raj Chetty hed some day serve on the Federal Reserve Board. At the the time Raj thought the comment was silly, since he was busy working in the laboratory on staining techniques for electron microscopy and was set to become a biomedical scientist. About a decade later, however, and Chetty would become one of the youngest tenured economics professors at Harvard and would soon win both a John Bates Clark medal and a MacArthur Genius Fellowship. Now at Stanford, hes ...
May 24, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast The chess grandmaster, political activist, and author joins Tyler for a conversation on artificial intelligence, Russia, Putin, how education must change, favorite cities for chess, the most likely challenger to Magnus Carlsen, Tolstoy v. Dostoevsky, the benefits of pressure for performance, and why we should speed up our search for new frontiers and challenges. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Recorded April 29th, 2017 Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram ...
May 10, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast A few months ago, Tyler asked Patrick Collison, CEO of Stripe, to be on the show. Patrick agreed, but only under the condition that the be the one to do the interviewing. Thus, what follows is the conversation Patrick wanted to have with Tyler, not the one you wanted to have. Happily Patrick stayed true to the spirit of Conversations with Tyler, and their dialogue covers a wide range of topics including the the benefits of diverse monocultures, the state of macroeconomics, Donald Trump, the amaz...
Apr 12, 2017•2 hr 34 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist, author, and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell joins Tyler for a conversation on Joyce Gladwell, Caribbean identity, satire as a weapon, Daniel Ellsberg and Edward Snowden, Harvards under-theorized endowment, why early childhood intervention is overrated, long-distance running, and Malcolms happy risk-averse career going from one fur-lined rat hole to the next. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Recorded February 27th, 2017 Other ways to connect Fol...
Mar 15, 2017•2 hr 32 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast In this bonus episode, Editor-in-chief of Reason Katherine Mangu-Ward interviews Tyler about *The Complacent Class.* Make sure to listen all the way to the end for an answer Katherine describes as #PeakTyler . Follow Katherine on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Instagram Email...
Mar 13, 2017•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Named one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of our time, Rabbi David Wolpe joins Tyler in a conversation on flawed leaders, Jewish identity in the modern world, the many portrayals of David, whats missing in rabbinical training, playing chess on the Sabbath, Srugim, Hasidic philosophy, living in Israel and of course, the durability of creation. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow David o...
Feb 15, 2017•1 hr 20 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Mark Miller is often called the founder of modern southwestern cuisine, but his unique anthropological approach to food has led him to explore cuisines in over 100 countries around the world. He joins Tyler for a conversation on all that hes learned along the way, including his pick for the most underrated chili pepper, palate coaching, the best food cities in Asia, Mexico, and Europe, the problems with sous-vide, mezcal versus tequila, the decline of food brands, why Michelin guide is overrated...
Jan 25, 2017•1 hr 16 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Author, teacher, and translator Jhumpa Lahiri joins Tyler for a conversation on identity, Rhode Island, writing as problem solving, reading across languages, the badness of book covers, Elena Ferrante, Bengali culture, the magic of Calcutta, Italian authors, Indian classical music, architectural influences, and much more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Email us: cowenco...
Jan 11, 2017•1 hr 27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast To anthropologist Joseph Henrich, intelligence is overrated. Social learning, and its ability to influence biological evolution over time, is what really sets our species apart. He joined Tyler for a conversation on his work on cultural evolution, as well as his life among different tribes (academic and otherwise), Star Trek, big gods, small gods, Chinas missing industrial revolution, the merits of coconut milk, the Flynn effect, American exceptionalism, and why he wants to travel in time to 6th...
Dec 14, 2016•1 hr 25 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast For centuries, China has treated its cuisine with a reverence and delight that is only just starting to emerge with Western foodie culture. No one understands this better than Fuchsia Dunlop, who has spent her career learning about the fantastic diversity in Chinese food, and who is one of Tylers favorite writers on any subject. She joined Tyler over dinner at one of his favorite restaurants in DC to talk about all aspects of how to truly enjoy Chinese food, including where to visit, how to orde...
Nov 16, 2016•1 hr 15 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Steven Pinker has spent an entire academic career thinking deeply about language, cognition, and human nature. Driving it all, he says, is an Enlightenment belief that the world is intelligible, science can progress, and through rational inquiry we can better understand ourselves. He recently joined Tyler for a conversation not only on the power of reason, but also the economics of irrational verbs, whether violence will continue to decline, behavioral economics, existential threats, the merits ...
Nov 02, 2016•1 hr 27 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Ezra Klein, editor-in-chief of Vox.com, joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on biases in digital media, the morality of meat-eating, how working for large organizations has changed his worldview, the psychographics of CEOs, whats missing in public discourse, the most underrated member of the Obama administration, and why you should never follow his lead on whats good culture. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyle...
Oct 06, 2016•1 hr 17 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast The stereotypical obituary is a formulaic recitation of factsdry, boring, and without craft. But Margalit Fox has shown the genre can produce some of the most memorable and moving stories in journalism. Exploiting its pure narrative arc, Fox has penned over 1,200 obituaries, covering well-known and obscure subjects with equal aplomb. In her conversation with Tyler Cowen, Fox reveals not only the process for writing an obituary, but her thoughts on life, death, storytelling, puzzle-solving, her f...
Aug 24, 2016•48 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Michael Orthofer, one of the worlds most prolific book reviewers, joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation onwhat else?books. Read to discover why Michael believes everyone should read more fiction, how we should choose books, why American popular literature is overrated, what he thinks about authors like Herman Melville, Fyoder Dostoevsky, Goethe, J.K. Rowling, Arno Schmidt, and many others, his recommendations for the best sites for readers, why studying literature at college was such a big disapp...
Jul 27, 2016•57 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Cass Sunstein joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on judicial minimalism, Bob Dylans best album, the metaphysics of nudging, Byatt's Possession, the ideal size of the Supreme Court, Hayek, why people should choose their own path, the benefits of a banned products store, James Joyce, and, oh yeah, Star Wars. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow Cass on Twitter Email us...
Jun 22, 2016•1 hr 17 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Camille Paglia joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on the brilliance of Bowie, lamb vindaloo, her lifestyle of observation, why writers need real jobs, Star Wars, Harold Bloom, Amelia Earhart, Edmund Spenser, Brazil, why she is most definitely not a cultural conservative, and much more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Subscribe at ...
Apr 25, 2016•1 hr 27 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on morality, politics, disgust, how to maintain free speech on campus, the enriching effects of LSD, antiparsimonialism, and why economists set all the interesting variables to zero. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow Jonathan on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Subscribe at our newsletter page to have the l...
Mar 24, 2016•1 hr 9 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Nate Silver joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on data, forecasting, My Bloody Valentine, the social value of gambling, Donald Trump and the presidential field, vacation advice, Supreme Court picks, the wisdom of Bjrk, and the most underrated statistic for finding good food. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow Nate on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu S...
Feb 23, 2016•1 hr 21 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on segregation, Islam, Harlem vs. LA, Earl Manigault, jazz, fighting Bruce Lee, Kareems conservatism, dancing with Thelonious Monk, and why no one today can shoot a skyhook. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow Kareem on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Subscribe at our newsletter page to have the l...
Feb 02, 2016•1 hr 22 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Tyler and investment strategist Cliff Asness discuss momentum and value investing strategies, disagreeing with Eugene Fama, Marvel vs. DC, the inscrutability of risk, high frequency trading, the economics of Ayn Rand, bubble logic, and why never to share a gym with Cirque du Soleil. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Subscribe at our n...
Nov 18, 2015•1 hr 23 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Tyler and Dani Rodrik discuss premature deindustrialization, the worlds trilemmas, the political economy of John le Carr, whats so special about manufacturing, Orhan Pamuk, RCTs, and why the world is second best at best. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Follow Dani on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Subscribe at our newsletter page to have the latest Conver...
Oct 01, 2015•1 hr 25 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In the third event of this series, Tyler and Luigi Zingales discuss Italy, Donald Trump, Antonio Gramsci, Google and conglomeration, Luchino Visconti, Starbucks, and the surprisingly high productivity of Italian cafs. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Other ways to connect Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Follow Tyler on Twitter Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Subscribe at our newsletter page to have the latest Conversations with Tyler news se...
Sep 16, 2015•1 hr 17 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 
