"The Riff" with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg cover image

E36: Meritocracy, Modeling Globalization, and The Burden of Knowledge

"The Riff" with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg

NOTE

The Robert Gordon Thesis on American Productivity Growth

The Robert Gordon thesis, as discussed, focuses on the period of above-normal productivity growth that occurred until the 70s, driven by significant inventions like electricity and the internal combustion engine. These inventions had broad applications and led to long-term productivity growth due to the discovery of various applications and second-order consequences. For example, the internal combustion engine enabled the development of larger supermarkets with cheaper food by changing consumer behavior from daily small purchases to weekly bulk shopping trips.

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