Podcast Recommendations - 21/05/23
My favourite podcasts this week.
People I (Mostly) Admire - #105: Can Data Keep People Out of Prison
Maybe the need to talk across party lines made Clementine Jacoby so reasonable and persuasive.
Planet Money - Inflation and Profit-Price Spiral
There is obviously something to the idea that profits rise after a recession. However, they didn't talk much about the pressures of competition.
Sean Carroll's Mindscape - #235: Andy Clark | Extended and Predictive Mind
The mind's reach extends beyond the brain, evident in its drive to optimize fitness by integrating biological signals throughout our body. The arbitrary distinction between brain data and external tools becomes apparent. This conversation deeply captivated and resonated with me.
This American Life - #799: The Lives of Others
We tell ourselves stories, but who knows?
EconTalk - Tyler Cowen: The Risks and Impact of Artificial Intelligence
As Tyler said, much of the worries about AI suffers from mood affiliation.
Planet Money - How AI could help rebuild the middle class
I'm glad to hear that LLMs disproportionately benefit the middle class.
The Indicator - The man who busted the inflation-employment myth
A reflection on the great Robert E Lucas.
Hold These Truths - Nury Turkel: A Survivor's Story of Life Inside China's Uyghur Labour Camps
How did we stop caring? There's too much horror in the world: Sudan, Russia, China. Yet we focus on marginal racism and homophobia in the world's most tolerant countries.
Best of The Spectator - The Edition: Migration nation
Kate Andrews adroitly countered Fraser Nelson's uncharacteristic criticism of the recent influx of immigration.
The Daily - When the Culture Wars Came for NASA
A shockingly rational analysis of the excesses of cancel culture from The New York Times. Unsurprisingly cowardly in its delivery, it nevertheless highlighted the absurdities and dishonesty involved in campaigns against historical figures.
Intelligence Squared - Can Anyone Actually Own a Culture
Martin Puchner valuably distinguishes between physical goods expropriated using violence and ideas that inspire others.