Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Extended Order, Knowledge on Apr 8th, 2019
Here is the policy-making equivalent: The 1994 discovery of arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh prompted a massive public health campaign that led 20% of the population to switch from backyard wells to less convenient drinking water sources that had a higher risk of fecal contamination. We find evidence of unintended health consequences by comparing mortality […]
Posted in Knowledge, Methodology on Jan 2nd, 2018
From the Feynman Lectures on Physics, Volume 1, Chapter 2: Why Are Atoms So Big? Why are atoms so big? Why is the nucleus at the center with the electrons around it? It was first thought that this was because the nucleus was so big; but no, the nucleus is very small. An atom has […]
Posted in Central Planning, Extended Order, Knowledge, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Dec 5th, 2017
I frame the analytic discussions about markets versus socialism as a knowledge problem. The key to the success in any “economic system” is to figure out a way to have valuable knowledge and information produced, transmitted and acted upon – even by actors who do not know that they are part of the solution. The standard discussion […]
Posted in Entrepreneurs, Environment, ethical foundations, incentives, Institutions, Knowledge, Property Rights on Nov 19th, 2017
Before I proceed with this post, let’s get this out of the way. Here is a really cute elephant picture: And let me get the following out of the way: even though I understand the economics and arguments about why we may want to allow and perhaps even encourage hunting, I don’t like it at […]
Posted in Disingenuous, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Innovation, Knowledge, Special Privilege on Nov 7th, 2017
So, it turns out that this is what is being taught to students about markets outside of our economics classes: I suppose then that when I discuss “single-payer” health care (I don’t actually talk about it, but if I did …), I should hand this printout to students with the title, “Crazy Ideas” … the […]
Posted in Innovation, Knowledge on Aug 27th, 2017
So, the only shilling I do at the moment is for my current employer, I’ve turned down a few smaller chances to shill recently in part because I just don’t want to do it, but also in part because I am not in the mood to fight the “I really am not a shill fight” […]
Posted in Inequality, Knowledge on Feb 25th, 2017
Pardon my weekend thought. The post title tends to come off as more curmudgeony than I want it to, but my thinking is this. Suppose we move heaven and earth for the next several decades to make sure that every single person in the United States gets the very best and most equal education. In […]
Posted in Adaptation, Central Planning, Knowledge on Sep 6th, 2016
I’ve spent most of my “academic” time the past two summers studying and writing on the economics of climate change. It has become quite clear to me that were we to line up the honest economic and environmental experts and received their honest assessments about what the worst case scenarios look like, and where the […]
