1401. This Is Not a Nobel Prize
Paul Krugman discusses the symbolic nature of a Nobel medal and critiques the actions of someone attempting to gain stature through coercion.
1402. What is Competition?
David Hebert explores the concept of competition, emphasizing its complexities beyond textbook definitions and highlighting its role in market behavior and reputation.
1403. Trapped in the hell of social comparison
Noah Smith explores how social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, exacerbates feelings of inadequacy and pessimism among Americans, impacting consumer sentiment despite economic improvements.
1404. Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese EVs in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products
The Associated Press reports that Canada will reduce tariffs on Chinese EVs in exchange for lower tariffs on Canadian agricultural products, as stated by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
1405. Jay Powell isn't enough to save the Fed
Claudia Sahm discusses the challenges facing the Federal Reserve and Jay Powell amidst political attacks and the implications for Fed independence.
1406. Standardization as a Tool for Development
The discussion highlights how standardization, particularly in shipping, has significantly contributed to economic growth and globalization while also noting potential drawbacks in competition.
1407. Verizon just had a big outage. Here's what we know
A software issue led to a Verizon outage, with experts noting that such disruptions are increasingly common in today's technology landscape.
1408. Revisiting Falsification and Pre-trends in Diff-in-Diff
Scott Cunningham discusses the role of pre-trend tests in difference-in-differences analysis and their connection to falsifiable hypotheses in causal inference.
1409. There's an internet blackout in Iran. How are videos and images getting out?
The post discusses how Iranians circumvent internet restrictions using satellite services during a government-imposed blackout.
1410. AI and the Art of Judgment
The discussion centers on the ethical implications of AI use in education, emphasizing the importance of personal judgment and integrity over mere technological reliance.
1411. The Minneapolis Crucible
Paul Krugman discusses the threats to American democracy under Trump and the rise of civil resistance in response to authoritarianism.
1412. FBI searches a Washington Post reporter's home as part of investigation
Hannah Natanson discusses the FBI's search of her home related to an investigation into a Pentagon contractor and classified information.
1413. Real Retail Sales and the Business Cycle
Menzie Chinn analyzes recent retail sales data, comparing it to inflation and discussing its implications for the business cycle indicators.
1414. On Evaluating Cognitive Capabilities in Machines (and Other "Alien" Intelligences)
An argument that evaluating AI's cognitive capabilities should mirror methodologies used in studying infants and animals, highlighting discrepancies between benchmark performance and real-world abilities.
1415. Actually, sometimes polls underestimate Democrats
Eli McKown-Dawson discusses the inaccuracies of polls in recent elections, particularly underestimating Democrats, and evaluates polling performance in 2025 compared to historical data.
1416. Silver Bulletin pollster ratings, January 2026 update
Nate Silver discusses updated pollster ratings based on historical accuracy and transparency for the 2024 elections, providing insights into future polling reliability.
1417. Silver Bulletin pollster ratings 2025 archive
Nate Silver discusses the archived pollster ratings following the 2024 presidential election, detailing their accuracy and transparency based on historical data.
1418. Donald Trump, Would-Be Price Controller
Paul Krugman critiques Donald Trump's economic policies as transactional and opportunistic, lacking genuine economic principles, while also highlighting his political motivations behind these actions.
1419. Roundup #75: Checking in on the Bad Guys
The post examines the economic factors contributing to unrest in Iran, including a severe water crisis, inflation, and the impact of U.S. sanctions on the regime's stability.
1420. Claude Code Series part 6: Video Explainer of Claude Code in Action
The post provides a video walkthrough of using Claude Code for empirical projects, emphasizing the importance of personal experience and individual workflow styles.