Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the high costs of healthcare, the challenges facing the center-left, the possibility of infinite economic growth, solutions to declining fertility rates, and the role of technology in addressing demographic challenges.

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Highlights from the Episode:

Health insurance companies are often unfairly blamed for high healthcare costs, while making only 1-3% profit margins. The real cost drivers are healthcare providers and hospital systems.
National health insurance, as implemented in countries like Japan, can effectively control costs but may risk reducing healthcare innovation.
Population growth follows exponential functions, meaning societies are always trending toward either over-population or under-population, with no stable middle ground without active intervention.

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