Words & Numbers

Sean Malone, the creator of the Out of Frame video series and Director of Media at FEE, gives us his unique perspective on the film Joker. Do art and cinema have the power to hold a mirror up to society? Is that what makes people uncomfortable about Joker and movies like it? How do other cultures respond to graphic novels and films about superheroes? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Sean Malone as they avoid spoilers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Quick hits Pikes Peak Library  District https://ppld.org/ Shepard Smith leaving Fox https://www.mediaite.com/tv/breaking-shepard-smith-leaving-fox-news/ Foolishness of the week White House sends talking points to Democrats https://thehill.com/homenews/house/465457-white-house-accidentally-sends-ukraine-talking-points-to-democrats-again Topic of the week: Joker Sean Malone https://fee.org/people/sean-malone/ Out of Frame https://fee.org/shows/video/out-of-frame/ The Joker, Nihilism, and One Iranian Boy https://youtu.be/rYLwLSlfnlU Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This year, October 3, 2019, is Deficit Day, the day the federal government’s income runs out. For a long time, the government has been spending more money than it collects in taxes. What effect will this have on the average American citizen? How much does the government pay in loan interest alone? Hasn’t the federal government had surpluses? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they crunch the numbers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Gang leaders https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/former-bloods-and-crips-leaders-make-peace-to-stop-gang-violence/ Hate symbols https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/adl-new-hate-symbols/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1-5FFWB_7gYooaWLZgmyXo9w9DgeN9IrAc_yLxchsjqReEIwoOzzqcvRA Foolishness of the week Stock markets and impeachment https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/trump-warns-again-that-the-stock-market-would-crash-if-he-is-impeached.html Topic of the week: Deficit Day 2019 https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/federal-debt-deficit-reserve-president-donald-trump-20190924.html Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the saying goes, nothing can be certain except death and taxes. Thousands of people die every year from a remarkably wide variety of causes. What are the top five causes of death in the US? Are you more likely to be killed by a knife than a gun? What do diet and exercise have to do with death? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they cover death by rare diseases, vaping, firearms and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Speculators https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/upshot/Bernie-Sanders-housing-plan.html https://news.streetroots.org/2019/09/13/wall-street-speculators-and-loss-affordable-housing San Francisco library eliminates overdue fines https://www.kqed.org/arts/13866475/san-francisco-public-library-eliminates-overdue-fines Foolishness of the week Confessing one’s climate sins https://pagesix.com/2019/09/22/radioheads-thom-yorke-admits-hes-a-climate-change-hypocrite/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/specials/climate-confessions-share-solutions-climate-change-n1054791 Topic of the week: What will kill you https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/19/health/vaping-lung-injury-new-cases-530-bn/index.html https://www.cbsnews.com/news/eastern-equine-encephalitis-several-dead-from-rare-disease-spread-by-mosquitoes-2019-09-21/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congresswoman-mocked-for-saying-ar-15-is-as-heavy-as-10-moving-boxes-fires-50-caliber-bullets https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/topic-pages/tables/table-20 Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, James and Ant interview Robert Anthony Peters, producer and director of Tank Man, the story of the everyday person who stood down the Chinese army during the Tiananmen Massacre. In 1989, the Chinese people staged a series of protests in Tiananmen Square calling for democratic reforms. When the authorities had had enough, they sent in troops and tanks to break up the protests, killing and wounding thousands. One man, whose name and fate remains unknown, stood in front of the tanks and refused to let them pass. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Repurchase agreements https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-repo-market-what-it-is-and-why-everyone-is-talking-about-it-again-11568743438 Americans are getting heavier https://www.vox.com/2015/6/15/8784389/america-weight-gain Foolishness of the week Sanders wants to forgive medical debt https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/us/politics/bernie-medical-debt-healthcare.html Topic of the week: Tank Man Robert Anthony Peters www.tankmanthemovie.com Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tuition increases seem to indicate that colleges might have an incentive to admit students who may not succeed. Meanwhile, many professors are being required to add clear student outcomes to their syllabi. However, this still leaves many students hanging. Loans are difficult to pay back, and many other problems crop up in schools. How can we adjust incentives to help public universities perform better? Should some schools use their endowments to issue loans? What innovations could be implemented to improve education? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they search for better solutions to the problems many students experience on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.  Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Mesh network is robust because it’s decentralized https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2019/09/02/hong-kong-protestors-using-mesh-messaging-app-china-cant-block-usage-up-3685 Noah’s Arks https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1177909/space-news-igor-ashurbeyli-asgardia-russia-space-nation-nasa-moon-spt Foolishness of the week Second hand vaping https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-youth-secondhand-vaping-smoke-tt-20190828-5immkhhkrrecbjub7ik6un4lni-story.html Topic of the week: Follow Incentives to Solutions https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2019/tr2019.pdf Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Immigration policy in the United States is fraught with obstacles. Visas, green cards, and work permits all have complicated stipulations that must be followed. What does the process of legal immigration entail? What are the costs, monetary or otherwise? Is there an incentive to immigrate illegally? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss the astonishing personal experiences of two special guests on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Workers are fleeing big cities https://www.wsj.com/articles/workers-are-fleeing-big-cities-for-small-onesand-taking-their-jobs-with-them-11567848600 Foolishness of the week Oregon wants to ban self-checkouts https://reason.com/2019/09/06/union-backed-ballot-initiative-would-limit-grocery-stores-to-2-self-checkout-machines/ Topic of the week: Pitfalls of Legal Immigration Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many proposed solutions to society’s problems produce unintended consequences. Some laws passed in good faith, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, have adverse effects on the very people they intend to help. How many laws like this are there? What do people do about them? How do businesses deal with such laws? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they dive into the unforeseeable results of mixing good intentions with public policy and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers  Quick hits Being the victim and the perpetrator in the same case https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/maryland-sk-court-case-teen-sexting-child-pornography.html Turning sign language into speech https://www.blackbusiness.com/2019/05/roy-allela-black-engineer-invents-gloves-turn-sign-language-audible-speech.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1eM20XHy03gUnCjvwy5XjkAt69auKNhszwtYQqUJhZVrd3y1NO6tjV_II Foolishness of the week Mayor de Blasio wants to abolish gifted classes https://reason.com/2019/08/28/de-blasio-advisory-group-wants-to-abolish-gifted-classes-in-nyc-public-schools/?fbclid=IwAR1NhDE1augEPuYkpFcn1yIFmCgMq0OFHM3VU4lsKWsGUgL6BggK2MhK87c Harrison Bergeron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron Topic of the week: Unintended Consequences A380 is too quiet https://www.wired.com/2008/12/a380-is-so-quie/ The Cobra Effect http://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-cobra-effect-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ Payday lending https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-political-assault-on-paydays-1464909417 Americans with Disabilities Act https://www.nber.org/papers/w6670 Bernie Sanders’ green electrical grid https://berniesanders.com/issues/the-green-new-deal/ Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven’t seen either of the previous Democratic primary debates, here’s a summary: Twenty candidates debate free health care and slavery reparations, among other things. Instead of talking about eliminating the federal debt, the candidates talk about adding to it. Additionally, the top candidates don’t get to debate the issues fully. All this raises a few questions: Who’s in charge of choosing the broadcast networks? The moderators? The questions asked? What effect do these choices have on the quality of the debates? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss the primary debates and more in this special episode of Words & Numbers featuring bonus material. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Monopoly socialism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/23/us/monopoly-socialism-board-game-trnd/index.html NASA plans mission to a gold asteroid https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1169605/Asteroid-news-NASA-scientists-16-psyche-asteroids-mining-gold-platinum  Foolishness of the week Minneapolis bans drive thrus https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/08/09/minneapolis-bans-new-drivethrus Topic of the week: Democratic debates Reporter bias ratings https://reporterbias.com/ DNC is a private corporation https://ivn.us/posts/50-ways-the-democratic-and-republican-parties-are-the-same Candidates https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/2020-candidates-president-guide/582598/ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html Polling numbers https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/democratic_nomination_polls/ Ford-Carter debate https://youtu.be/BuaPct7gH1w?t=152 Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Which historical figures do you respect? Which economic concepts should be taught to children? How do you trust statistics? James Harrigan and Antony Davies take questions from the crowd on topics ranging from incentives to trade-offs to research data to US treasury bills and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Birth rates dropping https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7312075/Birth-rate-England-Wales-hits-80-YEAR-low.html Noam Chomsky https://truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-life-expectancy-in-the-us-is-declining-for-a-reason Foolishness of the week Robot racism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/01/tech/robot-racism-scn-trnd/index.html Topic of the week: Listener questions Milton Friedman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwaLys3Zak F.A. Hayek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnMd40dqBlQ FRED: Federal Reserve data https://fred.stlouisfed.org/ Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/ Pew Research https://www.pewresearch.org/ Gallup https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx United Nations Development Programme http://hdr.undp.org/en/data Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to wildlife conservation and other environmental concerns, the ideas of free markets and private property are frequently laughed off as silly by the planet’s most strident defenders. However, the incentives—the motivations to behave in a certain way—that come along with private property are strong. After all, we never worry about cows going extinct. But can these insights on property and incentives be extended to other aspects of our lives and our world? Special guest Howard Baetjer, author of Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics, joins Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they explore this and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Pickle ball https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/07/26/pickleball-prison-cook-county  Air conditioned shirts https://www.winknews.com/2019/08/01/sony-to-sell-air-conditioner-shirts-to-keep-you-cool-as-soon-as-next-year/ Foolishness of the week  Rudeness in the grocery stores https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/os-ne-2nd-walmart-urinator-20190802-uogo4be7mbhivezdystbc2rnvm-story.html Topic of the week: Howard Baetjer and Economic Stories Howard Baetjer http://wp.towson.edu/baetjer/ Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices