Is cash the best way to help the poor? (Michael Faye)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Donors often dislike the idea of simply giving poor people cash, but it's usually the best way to help. Michael Faye (president of GiveDirectly) makes the philosophical and empirical case for cash transfers.
info_outline
Humanity on the precipice (Toby Ord)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Humanity could thrive for millions of years -- unless our future is cut short by an existential catastrophe. Oxford philosopher Toby Ord discusses the possible risks we face, including climate change, pandemics, and artificial intelligence.
info_outline
Dangerous biological research - is it worth it? (Kevin Esvelt)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Kevin Esvelt, a scientist at MIT, argues that research intended to prevent pandemics is actually putting us in a lot more danger. Also discussed: Kevin's own research on engineering wild animal species. Are the risks worth the benefits?
info_outline
Why we're polarized (Ezra Klein)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Ezra Klein explains how Republican and Democrats in the US became so different from each other, ideologically and demographically, and why that trend + our institutions = political gridlock.
info_outline
The genetic lottery (Kathryn Paige Harden)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Kathryn Paige Harden, author of “The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality” explains what scientists have learned about how our genes affect our educational success. Why is this research so controversial? And is it worth doing anyway?
info_outline
How to reason about COVID, and other hard things (Kelsey Piper)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Kelsey Piper (Vox) shares lessons from covering COVID: What has she been wrong about? How much can we trust the CDC? How good is the evidence for drugs like Fluvoxamine or Ivermectin? Should people try to evaluate evidence themselves - or defer to experts?
info_outline
"Price gouging" in emergencies
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Two economists -- Raymond Niles and Amihai Glazer -- defend “price gouging” in emergencies (when sellers raise prices on important goods, like masks and hand sanitizer during COVID). Julia raises potential counterarguments.
info_outline
How to be a data detective (Tim Harford)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
You shouldn't blindly accept every statistic you read -- but neither should you dismiss everything you disagree with. Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics, talks about the heuristics he follows.
info_outline
Are Uber and Lyft drivers being exploited?
Rationally Speaking Podcast
How much do Uber and Lyft drivers really earn? Are they getting a raw deal by being classified as independent contractors? I explore the contentious debate over these questions with three guests: Louis Hyman, Veena Dubal, and Harry Campbell.
info_outline
Unfair laws / Why judges should be originalists (William Baude)
Rationally Speaking Podcast
Law professor William Baude explains how widely-hated laws like qualified immunity came to be and why they're so hard to change. Also, Baude makes the case that judges should base their rulings on the original meaning of the Constitution.
info_outlineData scientist David Shor discusses some of the bad choices made by Democratic political campaigns. What's the cause of the errors? Is it irrationality, coordination problems, or something else?