Alex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University and with Tyler Cowen a founder of the online education platform http://MRU.org.I ask Alex Tabarrok about the Grand Innovation Prize, the Baumol effect, and Dominant Assurance Contracts.Watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast platform.Episode website here.Follow Alex on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter for updates on future episodes.Alex Tabarrok's and Tyler Cowen's excellent blog: https://marginalrevolution.com/ Thanks for reading The Lunar Society! Subscribe to find out about future episodes!Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro (00:34) - Grand Innovation Prize (08:45) - Prizes vs grants (14:10) -Baumol effect (27:50) - On Bryan Caplan's case against education (31:35) - Scaling education online (48:50) - Declining research productivity (52:15) - Dominant Assurance Contracts (58:40) - Future of governance(1:04:05) - On Robin Hanson's Futarchy(1:06:02) - Beating Adam Smith(1:08:35) - Our Warfare-Welfare State (1:19:30) - The Great Stagnation vs The Innovation Renaissance (1:21:40) - Advice to 20 year oldsShare Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkeshpatel.com/subscribe

Caleb Watney, Director of Innovation Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, delves into America’s innovation landscape. He discusses the slowdown in U.S. innovation due to high-skill immigration issues and remote work dynamics. Watney compares U.S. and Chinese innovation strategies, advocating for reforms in STEM immigration policies. He also critiques EU regulations that disadvantage startups and highlights the potential of undervalued technologies. Finally, he touches on how declining fertility rates impact innovation and society.

Robin Hanson is a professor of economics at George Mason University. He is the author of The Elephant in the Brain and The Age of Em.  Robin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinhansonRobin's blog: https://www.overcomingbias.com/ Robin's website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~rhanson/home.htmlMy blog: https://dwarkeshpatel.com/My Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwarkesh_sp00:05 The long view 15:07 Subconscious vs conscious intelligence 20:28 Meditators 26:50 Signaling, norms, and motives 36:50 Conversation 42:54 2020 election nominees 49:25 Nerds in startups and social science 54:50 Academia and Robin 58:20 Dominance explains paternalism 1:09:32 Remote work 1:21:26 Advice for 20 yr old 1:28:05 Idea futures 1:32:13 Reforming institutions Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkeshpatel.com/subscribe

Jason Crawford writes at The Roots of Progress about the history of technology and industry and the philosophy of progress.  Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Podcast website here.Follow Jason on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter for updates on future episodes.Jason's website: https://jasoncrawford.org/ The Roots of Progress: https://rootsofprogress.org/   Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkeshpatel.com/subscribe

Matjaž Leonardis, co-author of a paper on the Popper-Miller Theorem, discusses the dangers of scientific identity, the nature of scientific progress, and advice for young polymaths. They question the identity of scientists and the role of the Enlightenment, explore the Popper Miller theorem, discuss their disagreement with Popper and being polymathic, and highlight the challenge of connecting with mentors for young people.

Tyler Cowen is Holbert L. Harris Professor of Economics at George Mason University and also Director of the Mercatus Center.Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform.Transcript + Podcast website here.Follow Tyler Cowen on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter for updates on future episodes.Timestamps(0:00) - The Great Reset (2:58) - Growth and the cyclical view of history (4:00) - Time horizons, growth, and sustainability (5:30) - Space travel (8:11) - WMDs and end of humanity (10:57) - Common sense morality (12:20) - China and authoritarianism (13:45) - Are big businesses complacent?(17:15) - Online education vs university (20:45) - Aesthetic decline in West Virginia (23:20) - Advice for young people (25:18) - Mentors (27:15) - Identifying talent (29:50) - Can adults change? (31:45) - Capacity to change men vs women (33:10 ) - Are effeminate societies better? (35:15) - Conservatives and progress (36:50) - Biggest mistake in history (39:05) - Nuke in my lifetime (40:35) - Age and learning (42:45) - Pessimistic future (43:50) - Optimistic future (46:28) - Closing Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkeshpatel.com/subscribe

Discussion with Bryan Caplan on open borders, the idea trap, UBI, education system, and upcoming books on poverty and housing regulation. Dive into unconventional education methods and the value of education beyond job skills. Analysis of voting preferences in the primaries, charismatic leadership, and historical decisions' impact on human history. Debate on Universal Basic Income, mid-tier college bankruptcies, government policies, and graphic novel format book club.