While we prepare something new, here is a recap of some posts we are proudest of, and a link worth reading.
✨What studies say about UFO🛸 conspiracies✨
In a recent congressional hearing, a former US intelligence officer named David Grusch claimed he has seen persuasive evidence that the US Government has alien spacecraft. In light of these explosive claims, I thought it would be worth looking at what academic studies can tell us about the elements of the claimed conspiracy. Even if the aliens part is m…
Featured on Marginal Revolution, this post discusses what academic studies can tell us about conspiracy theories, including those involving UFOs. It dives into research on space travel, the mathematics behind which conspiracies can succeed, whether those with false beliefs can be convinced of the error in their ways—and more.
This post was written at the start of Trump 2.0s trade war. I think it mostly holds up, and applies some of the literature on compellence to trade negotiations. In the short term, Trump seems to be winning, but at an uncertain cost for the future of the formerly American-led international trade system.
How Bob Dylan, Housing Prices, and Harvard show that Networks Matter
In January of 1961, a college dropout named Robert Zimmerman moved from Minnesota to New York City. He slept on couches before renting a cheap apartment, and soon found a place for himself in the local folk music scene. Zimmerman played harmonica on a friend’s album, which introduced him to John Hammond, the album’s producer and a talent scout at Columb…
Also featured on Marginal Revolution, this article discusses the intersection of cultural production and housing prices through the lens of Bob Dylan—with cameos from Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, my grandfather, and more.
Thanks for staying with us, and expect more from us very soon.
Oh, and if you made it this far, check out this recent post on Poetry Culture, which discusses (among other things) some of the research on how inequality affects consumption and signaling.
Thanks so much!