Economics of Thrones and Starships
Imaginary Worlds21 Apr 2016

Economics of Thrones and Starships

Whether you're running the seven kingdoms of Westeros or flying to Mars -- you have to figure out how to pay for everything. Many economists are fans of sci-fi because those worlds take economics models to an extreme, especially when its comes to the issue of scarcity vs. abundance. Sarah Skwire looks at what happens when strawberries are precious like gold, or when hot Earl Gray tea can materialize instantly. And Matthew McCaffrey explains why we should all worry that "Winter is Coming." Special thanks to Matthew Hollow. Featuring original music by Alexis Cuadrado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(303)

Sidekicks: Watson

Sidekicks: Watson

To kick off our mini-series on sidekicks, we look at the most iconic and long-standing sidekick in pop culture: Doctor Watson. For 130 years, Watson has always found a place next to Sherlock Holmes. B...

1 Mai 201930min

Rod Serling's Key of Imagination

Rod Serling's Key of Imagination

Witness if you will a writer: Rod Serling. This is the story of a man with a vision -- a vision of what television could be if only men ceased to operate out of fear and greed. But Rod Serling has a p...

17 Apr 201935min

The Hero's Journey Endgame

The Hero's Journey Endgame

Ever since George Lucas cited Joseph Campbell’s 1949 book, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” as the inspiration for Star Wars, Hollywood screenwriters have used Campbell’s theory of The Hero’s Journey ...

3 Apr 201933min

Slaughterhouse at Fifty

Slaughterhouse at Fifty

50 years ago this month, Kurt Vonnegut introduced Billy Pilgrim and the aliens who gave him time traveling powers in his novel Slaughterhouse Five. Many critics were baffled as to why Vonnegut used sc...

20 Mar 201931min

Tales of Margaret Brundage

Tales of Margaret Brundage

In the 1930s Margaret Brundage was the hottest pulp fiction magazine illustrator. She primarily painted covers for Weird Tales magazine, which published the works of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft a...

7 Mar 201928min

The Man Behind the Sword

The Man Behind the Sword

Conan the Barbarian is generally thought of as a muscle-bound brute who fights his way through a made-up ancient world. But the character actually has a deep, rich history. I talk with experts Rusty B...

21 Feb 201931min

The Power of the Makeover Mage

The Power of the Makeover Mage

In some video games, you can choose which character you want to play, and you can customize the look of those characters. For many transgender players, that option played a significant role in their l...

7 Feb 201929min

Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose Your Own Adventure

One of the unique aspects of video games is that you can control the characters. But game developers are often torn between wanting to give the players as much freedom as possible, and wanting to guid...

24 Jan 201931min

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