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Marginal Revolution

Marginal Revolution

Newsletter | United States | Centre-Right
marginalrevolution.com/

Economics blog by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok covering economics, culture, and ideas.

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Discussions from Marginal Revolution

Society

Further progress in South America

The share of people who are hungry has been decreasing faster in South America than anywhere else in the world. It is down by one-third since 2020, according to a report published on July 21st by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Just 3.5% of people in the region consume insufficient calories, the lowest […] The post Further progress in South America appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsThe most important commodity is natural gas…and every . by Cancelled for wongthin...

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Economy

In relative terms, maybe children do not cost more than before?

Despite rapid inflation in childcare and tuition prices, the goods-and-services CCI closely tracks adult prices, as these increases are offset by children’s lower exposure to shelter and by slower price growth elsewhere in the child basket. Households devote substantially more real resources to children than they did in 1990, but this increase parallels the growth […] The post In relative terms, maybe children do not cost more than before? appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn rep...

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Education

The Decline in the Transmission of Scientific Ideas

We document that the diffusion of new scientific ideas beyond their field of origin has declined substantially over the past four decades. This contraction is closely linked to increasing specialization in scientific language: research that employs more technical terminology tends to be adopted less broadly. We develop a theory of scientific discovery in which the […] The post The Decline in the Transmission of Scientific Ideas appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsHave I said this b...

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Politics

The common sense of Fareed Zakaria

This is one of the best Op-Eds you will read this year, though it deliberately deemphasizes the personal (no one is attacked) in a manner that will result in less attention. Better to write the truth! Excerpt: Why has this [voter discontent} happened? Some of it is economic. Expensive housing, stagnant incomes and widening inequality have fueled public […] The post The common sense of Fareed Zakaria appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesThe optimal Bayesian update?An OpenAI Mo...

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Society

The Decision, the sequel

Imagine your career were coming to a close, how would you want it to end? By earning an especially large sum of money? Publishing a final wonderful paper? With an amazing act of mentorship? When it comes to Lebron, had he wanted to finish his career with the guys he enjoys playing with the most, […] The post The Decision, the sequel appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesMy excellent Conversation with Chase KochToward a theory of uni-contextIncentives matter, installment #1637

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Society

Crypto markets in everything? (moo)

Farmers in Parana, Brazil, struggling to get banks to loan them cash, became the first to tokenize livestock and place 10 dairy milk cows’ tokens for trade on the country’s B3 national stock exchange. They generated nearly $20,000 in credit backed by their cattle, signaling the potential of tokenizing RWAs as a financing tool. The […] The post Crypto markets in everything? (moo) appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsA question: why didn’t farmers securitize livestock decades . by Kaz...

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Society

A natural experiment in economics

To study whether and how academics respond to political pressure, we exploit a natural experiment: the publication in early 2025 of a “blacklist” of words flagged by the U.S. government. We find that the release of this list led to a sharp reduction in the use of these flagged words among economists at universities that […] The post A natural experiment in economics appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesDemocrats are more politically segregated than are RepublicansWhat should ...

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Economy

Brazil fact of the day

Last year, the US exported $171bn of agricultural goods according to the Department of Agriculture, just $2bn more than the export total claimed by Brazil, which many analysts say has benefited from trade disruption set in train by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. With US exports falling and Brazil’s rising — they increased 6 per cent […] The post Brazil fact of the day appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsAnother 11 figure bailout for US farmers coming from the US . by GardelIn re...

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Geopolitics

Solve for the equilibrium

Something that the Ukraine and Iran wars have taught me is that for a lot of countries, including very big countries, there are a small number of buildings and infrastructure components that are required for their economy to function. And in countries that aren’t protected by oceans, like the US, drones completely change everything. You […] The post Solve for the equilibrium appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn reply to Hazel Meade. No. Golden Dome addresses a . by Lord ActionIn ...

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Culture

My excellent Conversation with Andrew Graham-Dixon

Here is the audio, video, and transcript. From the episode summary: Tyler and Andrew discuss whether it was inevitable we’d rediscover Vermeer, how that vanishingly rare sect left its fingerprints all over his life, why the Met has misread its own Allegory of the Catholic Faith, whether Vermeer painted for money or pointedly refused to, where […] The post My excellent Conversation with Andrew Graham-Dixon appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesMarkets in everything?*The Odyssey...

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Culture

Betting markets in everything

Alan and Karen Miller’s first dance was a win-or-lose moment for many of their wedding guests. As the couple glided across the floor during their reception in New Rochelle, N.Y., last year, attendees kept track of the chosen artist and the length of the dance. Earlier in the night, they had noted their guesses on […] The post Betting markets in everything appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsIn reply to Naveen_K. human nature has been tried and it has . by &Remember that Friday the ...

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Technology

Alec Stapp on the new Science report from Michael Kratsios

Major new report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Five things in the report I really liked: 1. Proposes metascience units as a way to advance experimentation in science agencies. IFP recommended OSTP take this forward in our response to a 2025 RFI. 2. Advocates for a portfolio approach to federal […] The post Alec Stapp on the new Science report from Michael Kratsios appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. Related StoriesIs America ruled by an oligarchy?Words of wi...

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