The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

284. Superabundance: The Age of Plenty | Marian Tupy, Gale Pooley

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Sep 1, 2022
Marian Tupy, co-author of "Super Abundance" and editor at humanprogress.org, teams up with Gale Pooley, an Associate Professor at Brigham Young University, to debunk myths about overpopulation. They explore the connection between innovation and resource availability, challenging dystopian views of scarcity. The duo discusses how perceived limits on population growth hinder progress, and how historical economic trends highlight our resilience. They emphasize the importance of free speech and human capital in fostering innovation and improving societal outcomes.
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ANECDOTE

Simon-Ehrlich Bet

  • Julian Simon bet Paul Ehrlich that five commodities would become cheaper over 10 years, despite population growth.
  • Simon won, proving that innovation can outpace resource scarcity.
INSIGHT

Time as a Measure of Wealth

  • Time is a more accurate measure of wealth than money, as money's value fluctuates.
  • Time prices, calculated by dividing an item's cost by hourly income, offer a universal, non-counterfeitable standard.
INSIGHT

Superabundance Research

  • Expanding on Simon's work, Tupy and Pooley analyzed 50 commodities over a longer period.
  • They found that personal resource abundance, measured by time prices, increased dramatically across various countries.
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