Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg cover image

Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

Tyler's three laws and twelve rules (with Tyler Cowen)

Dec 15, 2021
56:44
Snipd AI
Tyler Cowen, a prominent economist and coauthor of the influential blog Marginal Revolution, dives into thought-provoking topics. He discusses the flaws in current economic theories about real interest rates and critiques the hyper-specialization of economists. Cowen explores the value of learning from diverse perspectives, including navigating offense and ideology. He emphasizes the impact of role models on aspirations and the importance of mentorship in personal growth, encouraging listeners to engage deeply with differing viewpoints.
Read more

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Cowan's assertion that all propositions about real interest rates are wrong critiques the unpredictability of economic variables and existing theories.
  • The podcast highlights that many economists lack curiosity, often conforming to prevailing opinions rather than engaging in independent analysis.

Deep dives

Cowan's Laws and Economic Predictions

Cowan's third law asserts that all propositions about real interest rates are wrong, a statement stemming from experiences over decades in economic analysis. This has been observed as various claims regarding real interest rates, such as the impact of government deficits, often fail to manifest in measurable ways, surprising economists. For instance, amidst rising inflation, nominal interest rates have been slow to adjust, leading to a perplexing scenario where real interest rates can plummet to negative figures. This serves as a critique of existing economic theories, suggesting that macroeconomics may be more artful than scientific, highlighting the complexity and unpredictability of economic variables.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode