Tim Harford on Persuasion and Popular Economics

Tim Harford on Persuasion and Popular Economics

To Tim Harford, mistakes are fascinating. "We often only understand how something works when it breaks," he says, explaining why there's such an emphasis on errors throughout his work. They also tend to make great stories, which can stoke the curiosity necessary to change minds. A former persuasive speaking champion, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire "for services to improving economic understanding," which he's achieved through appearances on the BBC, columns for the Financial Times, several TED Talks and books, and now his latest podcast series Cautionary Tales.

Tim joined Tyler to discuss the role of popular economics in a politicized world, the puzzling polarization behind Brexit, why good feedback is necessary (and rare), the limits of fact-checking, the "tremendously British" encouragement he received from Prince Charles, playing poker with Steve Levitt, messiness in music, the underrated aspect of formal debate, whether introverts are better at public speaking, the three things he can't live without, and more.

Note: This conversation was recorded in November 2019 and thus took place before the UK's general election in December, which secured Boris Johnson a Conservative majority and ensured the passage of his Brexit deal in January 2020.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded November 11th, 2019

Other ways to connect

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(288)

M. Gessen on the Ins and Outs of Russia

M. Gessen on the Ins and Outs of Russia

What sort of country would compel you to flee it, draw you back ten years later, then force you away yet again after two decades? M. Gessen knows the answer all too well, having dedicated their career...

14 Elo 20191h 8min

Kwame Anthony Appiah on Pictures of the World

Kwame Anthony Appiah on Pictures of the World

Born to a Ghanaian father and British mother, Kwame Anthony Appiah grew up splitting time between both countries — and lecturing in many more — before eventually settling in America, where he now teac...

31 Heinä 20191h 1min

Neal Stephenson on Depictions of Reality

Neal Stephenson on Depictions of Reality

If you want to speculate on the development of tech, no one has a better brain to pick than Neal Stephenson. Across more than a dozen books, he's created vast story worlds driven by futuristic technol...

17 Heinä 201954min

Eric Kaufmann on Immigration, Identity, and the Limits of Individualism

Eric Kaufmann on Immigration, Identity, and the Limits of Individualism

Going back and forth between Canada and Japan during his childhood sparked Eric Kaufmann's interest in the question of identity. As a foreigner in an international school, he encountered young individ...

3 Heinä 201956min

Hal Varian on Taking the Academic Approach to Business

Hal Varian on Taking the Academic Approach to Business

Before he became the Adam Smith of Googlenomics, Hal Varian spent decades as an academic economist, writing influential papers, a popular book about the information economy, and several textbooks tha...

19 Kesä 201956min

Russ Roberts on Life as an Economics Educator

Russ Roberts on Life as an Economics Educator

What are the virtues of forgiveness? Are we subject to being manipulated by data? Why do people struggle with prayer? What really motivates us? How has the volunteer army system changed the incentives...

5 Kesä 20191h 1min

Ezekiel Emanuel on the Practice of Medicine, Policy, and Life

Ezekiel Emanuel on the Practice of Medicine, Policy, and Life

Ezekiel Emanuel is a reflection of his upbringing: a doctor for a father who loved to travel, a mother interested in policy and community activism, and all the competition and friendship that comes wi...

22 Touko 20191h 2min

Karl Ove Knausgård on Literary Freedom

Karl Ove Knausgård on Literary Freedom

What is Karl Ove Knausgård's struggle, exactly? The answer is simple: achieving total freedom in his writing. "It's a space where I can be free in every sense, where I can say whatever, go wherever I ...

8 Touko 20191h

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
rss-valo-minussa-2
rss-luonnollinen-synnytys-podcast
rss-narsisti
rahapuhetta
kesken
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
rss-niinku-asia-on
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
ihminen-tavattavissa-tommy-hellsten-instituutti
rss-arkea-ja-aurinkoa-podcast-espanjasta
aamukahvilla
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
dear-ladies
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi