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Marginal Revolution

Marginal Revolution

Newsletter | United States | Centre-Right
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Economics blog by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok covering economics, culture, and ideas.

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Articles

Discussions from Marginal Revolution

Technology

The moralization of artificial intelligence

We started by asking how moralized AI has become in public discourse. Analyzing 69,890 news headlines from 2018 to 2024, we found that AI was moralized at levels comparable to GMOs and vaccines, technologies whose moral opposition has been studied for decades. It ranked above both. The sharpest spike came within weeks of ChatGPT’s launch […] The post The moralization of artificial intelligence appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsAI is the new climate change. Didn't Star Trek do a s...

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Society

Some simple spatial analytics of Cape Town

Rio de Janeiro let its hillsides be filled in with lower-cost dwellings. The result was a significant increase in the crime rate. On the more positive side of the ledger, upward mobility increased too. If you live in a decent favela, you can get to a downtown job with not too much difficulty, albeit with […] The post Some simple spatial analytics of Cape Town appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesStudying with Ludwig LachmannWhy is the USDA Involved in Housing.The 21st Century...

South Africa
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Politics

Why is the USDA Involved in Housing?!

In yesterday’s post, The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, I wrote that Trump’s Executive Order “cuts off institutional home investors from FHA insurance, VA guarantees and USDA backing…”. The USDA is of course the United States Department of Agriculture. In the comments, Hazel Meade writes: USDA? Wait, what. Why is the USDA in any […] The post Why is the USDA Involved in Housing. appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn reply to Ira Gilligan. Today it is a lot more okay, almost . by...

United States
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Education

Studying with Ludwig Lachmann

Since I am in South Africa, I am reminded of my time studying with Ludwig Lachmann, the South African economist from University of the Witwatersrand. I was seventeen, and Lachmann teaching a graduate seminar at New York University. Someone (Richard Ebeling maybe?) had told me he was interesting, so I wanted to sit in on […] The post Studying with Ludwig Lachmann appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesAcademis journals and AI blegWhy is the USDA Involved in Housing.The 21st Cent...

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Politics

Claude on NY’s Senate Bill S7263

A NY State Senate proposed bill (Senate Bill S7263) would prohibit a chatbot to give substantive responses; information, or advice or take any action which, if taken by a natural person, would constitute unauthorized practice or unauthorized use of a professional title as a crime in relation to professions who licensure is governed by the […] The post Claude on NY’s Senate Bill S7263 appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn reply to corpore sano. Yea, I suspect I'll want/need to . by...

United States
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Society

My podcast with Nebular

We’ve just published the video on YouTube, X, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. We also published some extended show notes and the transcript on Substack. I thought they did an excellent job here, and lots of fresh material. We start with the fertility crisis: Murphy: We’ve always had a majority young society, and in our lifetime, we’ll have this transition to majority old society. […] The post My podcast with Nebular appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.

United States
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Technology

*The Infinity Machine*

The author is Sebastian Mallaby and the subtitle is Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence. A very good and enjoyable book. The post The Infinity Machine appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsEd Zitron needs to review this one by PatrickRelated StoriesA simple model of AI governanceWhat the recent dust-up means for AI regulationWhat should I ask Katja Hoyer?

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Culture

My Conversation with the excellent Henry Oliver

Here is the audio, video, and transcript. In the first half of the episode we discuss Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, and then move on to other topics. Here is the episode summary: Henry Oliver is the preeminent literary critic for non-literary nerds. His Substack, The Common Reader, has thousands of subscribers drawn in by Henry’s conviction […] The post My Conversation with the excellent Henry Oliver appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesChaos and Misallocation under Pric...

United States
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Technology

Daniel Litt on AI and Math

Daniel Litt is a professor of mathematics at the University of Toronto. He has been active in evaluating AI models for many years and is generally seen as a skeptic pushing back at hype. He has a very interesting statement updating his thoughts: In March 2025 I made a bet with Tamay Besiroglu, cofounder of […] The post Daniel Litt on AI and Math appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsI'm surprised by this. Is the 200 dollar per month version of . by TSBHIn reply to some guy. Yes, it r...

Canada
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Politics

Peru’s new President taps Hernando de Soto to be prime minister

Here is the Bloomberg article. Here is previous MR coverage of de Soto. Here is Wikipedia on de Soto. The post Peru’s new President taps Hernando de Soto to be prime minister appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn reply to TJL. Plus there are at least a few non-European . by mkt42Can we borrow him in Ecuador? We have got to eliminate parking . by DawszeinIn reply to TJL. I just came across this amazing way to earn . by Parnel MartzIn reply to Pepé Silvia. I asked Co-Pilot if the ne...

Peru
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Society

The Software Upgrade in Chinese Civic Behaviour

I have not been to China recently enough to judge these claims: Behaviour is notoriously harder to engineer than buildings. A recent trip to the Fragrant Hills in western Beijing on a newly constructed metro line, had me marveling at the improved crowd-management. Despite massive groups of domestic tourists from around the country thronging the […] The post The Software Upgrade in Chinese Civic Behaviour appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn reply to mkt42. This is China. They're ...

China
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Economy

Is there an aggregate demand problem in an AGI world?

No. Let’s say AI is improving very rapidly, and affecting the world more rapidly and more radically than I think is plausible. Let’s just say. All of a sudden there are incredible things you can spend your money on. Since there is (possibly) radical deflation, you might be tempted to just hold all your money […] The post Is there an aggregate demand problem in an AGI world? appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Comments“Since there is (possibly) radical deflation, you might be . by Dave TRel...

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