Lex Fridman Podcast

#174 – Tyler Cowen: Economic Growth and the Fight Against Conformity and Mediocrity

Apr 10, 2021

Tyler Cowen, an economist and writer known for his insightful blog Marginal Revolution and his own podcast, dives into economic growth and the fight against mediocrity. He explores the nature of economics, revealing its artistic and philosophical dimensions. The conversation touches on the immigrant experience and the American Dream, highlighting issues of social mobility. Cowen also discusses the balance of competition in science, the role of large companies during the pandemic, and the cultural significance of creativity in various fields, from art to cuisine.

02:15:30

Creator website

Episode guests

Tyler Cowen

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Reflections on Mortality and the Unknown Future

02:39

Is Competition Good for the World?

02:14

Intro

2min

Choosing the Right Infrastructure and Personal Safety

5min

Exploring the Nature of Economics: Art, Science, and Complexity

2min

Nuclear Threats and Human Nature

7min

The American Dream: Immigrant Perspectives

12min

Balancing Competition and Recognition in Science

12min

Embracing Innovation and Connection

16min

Economic Leadership and Ideological Controversies

17min

The Dual Impact of Immigration on Science

3min

10.

Vaccine Production and the Crypto Conundrum

9min

11.

Wall Street Bets and Academic Innovation

11min

12.

Exploring the UFO Phenomenon

8min

13.

The Art of Creativity and Culinary Mastery

18min

14.

Navigating Mentorship and Love

9min

15.

Reflections on Mortality and the Human Story

2min

16.

Exploring the Meaning of Existence and Cultural Insights

2min

Tyler Cowen is an economist, writer, and podcaster. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Tyler’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/tylercowen
Tyler’s Blog: https://marginalrevolution.com/
Conversations with Tyler (Podcast): https://conversationswithtyler.com/
Big Business (Book): https://amzn.to/2OBPbaK
Tyler’s Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Cowen

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:24) – Economics
(09:16) – Nuclear war
(16:03) – The American dream
(23:16) – Capitalism: pros and cons
(29:50) – Is competition good for the world?
(31:53) – Free market
(32:57) – Anarchy
(35:23) – Ayn Rand
(40:04) – The case for big business
(44:31) – Clubhouse
(49:35) – Loneliness
(51:47) – Eric Weinstein and economic growth
(56:08) – Communism
(58:58) – Putin
(1:04:29) – China
(1:09:21) – UBI
(1:13:17) – Disagreement with Eric Weinstein
(1:17:09) – Money, Bitcoin, and Ethereum
(1:25:20) – WallStreetBets
(1:29:16) – MIT
(1:36:44) – UFO sightings
(1:44:03) – Contemporary art is misunderstood
(1:51:06) – Mexican food is the best in the world
(1:55:56) – Jiro Dreams of Sushi
(1:59:59) – Book recommendations
(2:02:15) – Advice for young people
(2:05:53) – Love
(2:11:35) – Mortality
(2:13:25) – Meaning of life