Podcast Episodes

Gregory Clark on Social Mobility, Migration, and Assortative Mating (Live at Mercatus)

Episode 234

How much of your life’s trajectory was set in motion centuries ago? Gregory Clark has spent decades studying social mobility, and his findings suggest that where you land in society is far more pred…

Published on 6 months, 4 weeks ago

Ross Douthat on Why Religion Makes More Sense Than You Think

Episode 233

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For Ross Douthat, phenomena like UFO sightings and the simulation hypothesis don't challenge religious belief—they demonstrate how difficult it is to escape r…

Published on 7 months, 1 week ago

Joe Boyd on the Birth of Rock, World Music, and Being There for Everything

Episode 232

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Joe Boyd was there when Dylan went electric, when Pink Floyd was born, and when Paul Simon brought Graceland to the world. But far from being just another mus…

Published on 7 months, 3 weeks ago

Scott Sumner on Monetary Rules, Blooming Late, and the Death of Cinema

Episode 231

Scott Sumner didn't follow the typical path to economic influence. He nearly lost his teaching job before tenure, did his best research after most academics slow down, and found his largest audience …

Published on 8 months, 1 week ago

Conversations with Tyler 2024 Retrospective

Episode 230

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On this special year-in-review episode, Tyler and producer Jeff Holmes look back on the past year in the show and more, includin…

Published on 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Paula Byrne on Thomas Hardy’s Women, Jane Austen’s Humor, and Evelyn Waugh’s Warmth

Episode 229

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What can Thomas Hardy’s tortured marriages teach us about love, obsession, and second chances? In this episode, biographer, novelis…

Published on 9 months ago

Stephen Kotkin on Stalin, Power, and the Art of Biography

Episode 228

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In his landmark multi-volume biography of Stalin, Stephen Kotkin shows how totalitarian power worked not just through terror from a…

Published on 9 months, 1 week ago

Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate

Episode 227

In this crossover episode with EconTalk, Tyler joins Russ Roberts for an in-depth exploration of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, a monumental novel often described as the 20th-century answer to Tols…

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Neal Stephenson on History, Spycraft, and American-Soviet Parallels

Episode 226

Neal Stephenson’s ability to illuminate complex, future-focused ideas in ways that both provoke thought and spark wonder has established him as one of the most innovative thinkers in literature today…

Published on 10 months ago

Christopher Kirchhoff on Military Innovation and the Future of WarChristopher Kirchhoff on Military Innovation and the Future of War

Episode 225

Christopher Kirchhoff is an expert in emerging technology who founded the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office. He’s led teams for President Obama, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and CEO of G…

Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago