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Episode 139: Happy Deficit Day!
Season 1 Episode 139
This year, October 3, 2019, is Deficit Day, the day the federal government’s income runs out. For a long time, the government has been spending more money than it collects in taxes. What effect will …
Published on 6 years, 2 months ago
Episode 138: Vaping, Firearms, and the Leading Causes of Death in the US
Season 1 Episode 138
As the saying goes, nothing can be certain except death and taxes. Thousands of people die every year from a remarkably wide variety of causes. What are the top five causes of death in the US? Are yo…
Published on 6 years, 2 months ago
Episode 137: Tank Man
Season 1 Episode 137
In this episode, James and Ant interview Robert Anthony Peters, producer and director of Tank Man, the story of the everyday person who stood down the Chinese army during the Tiananmen Massacre. In 1…
Published on 6 years, 3 months ago
Episode 136: To Find Solutions, Follow the Incentives
Season 1 Episode 136
Tuition increases seem to indicate that colleges might have an incentive to admit students who may not succeed. Meanwhile, many professors are being required to add clear student outcomes to their sy…
Published on 6 years, 3 months ago
Episode 135: The Reality of Legal Immigration
Season 1 Episode 135
Immigration policy in the United States is fraught with obstacles. Visas, green cards, and work permits all have complicated stipulations that must be followed. What does the process of legal immigra…
Published on 6 years, 3 months ago
Episode 134: Benevolence Backfires: The Cobra Effect
Season 1 Episode 134
Many proposed solutions to society’s problems produce unintended consequences. Some laws passed in good faith, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, have adverse effects on the very people the…
Published on 6 years, 3 months ago
Episode 133: What’s Up With the National Debates?
Season 1 Episode 133
If you haven’t seen either of the previous Democratic primary debates, here’s a summary: Twenty candidates debate free health care and slavery reparations, among other things. Instead of talking abou…
Published on 6 years, 3 months ago
Episode 132: Words & Numbers Listener Special #4
Season 1 Episode 132
Which historical figures do you respect? Which economic concepts should be taught to children? How do you trust statistics? James Harrigan and Antony Davies take questions from the crowd on topics ra…
Published on 6 years, 4 months ago
Episode 131: Can Incentives Save the World?
Season 1 Episode 131
When it comes to wildlife conservation and other environmental concerns, the ideas of free markets and private property are frequently laughed off as silly by the planet’s most strident defenders. Ho…
Published on 6 years, 4 months ago
Episode 130: Unschooling and Encouraging Self-Directed Children
Season 1 Episode 130
For many children, compulsory education and authority figures tend to inadvertently turn off their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. Additionally, assigned districts can limit school cho…
Published on 6 years, 4 months ago