Words & Numbers

As the saying goes, nothing can be certain except death and taxes. Thousands of people die every year from a remarkably wide variety of causes. What are the top five causes of death in the US? Are you more likely to be killed by a knife than a gun? What do diet and exercise have to do with death? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they cover death by rare diseases, vaping, firearms and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Speculators https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/upshot/Bernie-Sanders-housing-plan.html https://news.streetroots.org/2019/09/13/wall-street-speculators-and-loss-affordable-housing San Francisco library eliminates overdue fines https://www.kqed.org/arts/13866475/san-francisco-public-library-eliminates-overdue-fines Foolishness of the week Confessing one’s climate sins https://pagesix.com/2019/09/22/radioheads-thom-yorke-admits-hes-a-climate-change-hypocrite/ https:/

In this episode, James and Ant interview Robert Anthony Peters, producer and director of Tank Man, the story of the everyday person who stood down the Chinese army during the Tiananmen Massacre. In 1989, the Chinese people staged a series of protests in Tiananmen Square calling for democratic reforms. When the authorities had had enough, they sent in troops and tanks to break up the protests, killing and wounding thousands. One man, whose name and fate remains unknown, stood in front of the tanks and refused to let them pass. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Repurchase agreements https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-repo-market-what-it-is-and-why-everyone-is-talking-about-it-again-11568743438 Americans are getting heavier https://www.vox.com/2015/6/15/8784389/america-weight-gain Foolishness of the week Sanders wants to forgive medical debt https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/us/politics/bernie-medical-debt-healthcare.html Topic of the week:

Tuition increases seem to indicate that colleges might have an incentive to admit students who may not succeed. Meanwhile, many professors are being required to add clear student outcomes to their syllabi. However, this still leaves many students hanging. Loans are difficult to pay back, and many other problems crop up in schools. How can we adjust incentives to help public universities perform better? Should some schools use their endowments to issue loans? What innovations could be implemented to improve education? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they search for better solutions to the problems many students experience on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.  Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Mesh network is robust because it’s decentralized https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2019/09/02/hong-kong-protestors-using-mesh-messaging-app-china-cant-block-usage-up-3685 Noah’s Arks https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1

Immigration policy in the United States is fraught with obstacles. Visas, green cards, and work permits all have complicated stipulations that must be followed. What does the process of legal immigration entail? What are the costs, monetary or otherwise? Is there an incentive to immigrate illegally? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss the astonishing personal experiences of two special guests on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Workers are fleeing big cities https://www.wsj.com/articles/workers-are-fleeing-big-cities-for-small-onesand-taking-their-jobs-with-them-11567848600 Foolishness of the week Oregon wants to ban self-checkouts https://reason.com/2019/09/06/union-backed-ballot-initiative-would-limit-grocery-stores-to-2-self-checkout-machines/ Topic of the week: Pitfalls of Legal Immigration Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups

Many proposed solutions to society’s problems produce unintended consequences. Some laws passed in good faith, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, have adverse effects on the very people they intend to help. How many laws like this are there? What do people do about them? How do businesses deal with such laws? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they dive into the unforeseeable results of mixing good intentions with public policy and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers  Quick hits Being the victim and the perpetrator in the same case https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/maryland-sk-court-case-teen-sexting-child-pornography.html Turning sign language into speech https://www.blackbusiness.com/2019/05/roy-allela-black-engineer-invents-gloves-turn-sign-language-audible-speech.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1eM20XHy03gUnCjvwy5XjkAt69auKNhszwtYQqUJhZVrd3y1NO6tjV_II Foolishness of the week Mayor de B

If you haven’t seen either of the previous Democratic primary debates, here’s a summary: Twenty candidates debate free health care and slavery reparations, among other things. Instead of talking about eliminating the federal debt, the candidates talk about adding to it. Additionally, the top candidates don’t get to debate the issues fully. All this raises a few questions: Who’s in charge of choosing the broadcast networks? The moderators? The questions asked? What effect do these choices have on the quality of the debates? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss the primary debates and more in this special episode of Words & Numbers featuring bonus material. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Monopoly socialism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/23/us/monopoly-socialism-board-game-trnd/index.html NASA plans mission to a gold asteroid https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1169605/Asteroid-news-NASA-scientists-16-psyche-asteroids

Which historical figures do you respect? Which economic concepts should be taught to children? How do you trust statistics? James Harrigan and Antony Davies take questions from the crowd on topics ranging from incentives to trade-offs to research data to US treasury bills and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Birth rates dropping https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7312075/Birth-rate-England-Wales-hits-80-YEAR-low.html Noam Chomsky https://truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-life-expectancy-in-the-us-is-declining-for-a-reason Foolishness of the week Robot racism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/01/tech/robot-racism-scn-trnd/index.html Topic of the week: Listener questions Milton Friedman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwaLys3Zak F.A. Hayek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnMd40dqBlQ FRED: Federal Reserve data https://fred.stlouisfed.org/ Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/

When it comes to wildlife conservation and other environmental concerns, the ideas of free markets and private property are frequently laughed off as silly by the planet’s most strident defenders. However, the incentives—the motivations to behave in a certain way—that come along with private property are strong. After all, we never worry about cows going extinct. But can these insights on property and incentives be extended to other aspects of our lives and our world? Special guest Howard Baetjer, author of Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics, joins Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they explore this and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Pickle ball https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/07/26/pickleball-prison-cook-county  Air conditioned shirts https://www.winknews.com/2019/08/01/sony-to-sell-air-conditioner-shirts-to-keep-you-cool-as-soon-as-next-year/ Foolishnes

For many children, compulsory education and authority figures tend to inadvertently turn off their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. Additionally, assigned districts can limit school choice for many parents and mandatory curricula can put unnecessary stress on educators. Are there solutions to these problems within the current framework? Is there any evidence to support changing the way we approach schooling to benefit children, parents, and teachers? Where did all these mandates originate? Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and special guest Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled, as they discuss the public school system and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits: Beach umbrellas https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/menendez-urges-aggressive-action-protect-beachgoers-dangers-flying-beach-umbrellas/ https://www.nsc.org/in-the-newsroom/nsc-statement-on-new-cdc-data-showing-a-ri

As we reach pivotal milestones, such as the legal driving age, we’re met with serious questions: Who decided I’m not old enough to vote? Why can I drive but not enter a bar? When do I have to buy health insurance? Am I ready for all this? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they weigh the pros and cons of transitioning from a minor to an adult live from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.  Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Brim’s Snack Foods https://www.apr.org/post/life-so-delicious Facts about small businesses https://sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/ $20 an hour minimum wage https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/454212-rashida-tlaib-minimum-wage-should-be-20-an-hour-not-15 Foolishness of the week Montgomery county, Maryland wants to require landlords to provide air conditioning https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/as-temperatures-rise-montgomery-ask

Citizens United, a conservative non-profit corporation, was once caught in the crosshairs of campaign finance law. The company violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act by broadcasting a political film within 30 days of a primary election. The Supreme Court split 5-4 on the issue. Did the court side with the free speech of a corporation? What happens when there are two different visions of the First Amendment? Are corporations people? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Trevor Burrus as they recount the courtroom drama of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits The bystander effect https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31157529  The world is becoming a better place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP59tz2WreY Advances toward a cancer cure https://www.studyfinds.org/strategic-medicine-researchers-develop-trojan-horse-drug-that-

As people like, share, and upload on social media platforms, data is generated by users and gathered by tech companies. It’s a bit unclear, however, how companies handle user data. Is selling or storing user data a problem? Does the Fourth Amendment protect internet privacy? Should the government get involved?Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies—live from the University of Arizona!—as they discuss End User License Agreements, copyright law, data breaches, and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits President Trump may not block critics from his Twitter feed https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-twitter-first-amendment.html CBO estimates of the effect of a minimum wage hike https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/cbo-estimates-effects-of-house-democrats-15-minimum-wage-plan.html Foolishness of the week Google recorded then leaked conversations that Google Assistant overheard https://mas

When it comes to the final frontier, we must inevitably outline the government’s role in interplanetary colonization. Perhaps during the next century, there will be deliberation between cosmic pioneers, space entrepreneurs, and elected officials. Who owns the resources on asteroids and other celestial bodies? What might a galactic congress look like? And what’s maritime law got to do with it? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they mine that asteroid and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Show Notes: $10 quintillion asteroid https://www.foxnews.com/science/nasa-headed-towards-giant-golden-asteroid-that-could-make-everyone-on-earth-a-billionaire Rep. Amash quits the Republican party https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-justin-amash-announces-quitting-republican-party-op/story https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/04/us/politics/justin-amash-trump.html Foolishness of the week Buttigieg calls for natio

This week’s guest, Robert McDonald, author of Confounding Father talks about the quintessential American philosopher: Thomas Jefferson. During the birth of America, innumerable obstacles stood in its way. What followed was the triumph of the first Americans, from a revolutionary war to purchasing Louisiana and everything in between. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan for a cheerful, optimistic ode to the spirit of America on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Disney heir calls for wealth tax https://www.npr.org/2019/06/28/736993245/disney-heiress-calls-for-wealth-tax-we-have-to-draw-a-line San Francisco bans vaping https://fee.org/articles/san-francisco-becomes-first-us-city-to-ban-sale-of-e-cigarettes-a-healthier-alternative-to-smoking/ Foolishness of the week Democratic debates and yoga games https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/450540-marianne-williamson-sends-out-healthy-alte

There appears to be a large problem in America with outcome-based thinking, particularly with regards to hot-button political issues. We skip straight to the ending we want and argue for it until we’re blue in the face, and everyone who doesn’t want the same must be evil, stupid, or both. But what if we started the conversation in a different place? What if we started it at the principles that lead to the desired outcome? Would the conversation change? James Harrigan and Antony Davies dig into the subject during their second live recording from FEEcon 2019 on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers  Quick hits From janitor to Executive Vice-President https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/a-janitor-invented-flamin-hot-cheetos-and-became-a-pepsico-exec.html Lost wallets experiment https://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-people-are-honest-lost-wallets-experiment-20190620-story.html Foolishness of the week Manufacturing c

The word “equality” is a tricky one. It means different things to different people in different contexts. Do we mean “income equality”? “Wealth equality”? “Equality before the law”? And how does that sync up with “fairness”? Why are so many fine with professional athletes and movie stars making hundreds of millions of dollars but not CEOs? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they delve into the subject live from FEEcon 2019 on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits: Tulsi Gabbard https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/congresswoman-used-toffee-to-unite-republicans-and-democrats/ People spending more on the Internet than at restaurants https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-15/americans-now-spend-more-at-internet-stores-than-restaurants Foolishness of the week: O.J. Simpson “has a little getting even to do” https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/06/oj-simpson-twitter-has-a-little-getting-even

As the saying goes, if you want less of something, tax it. Recently, a House bill was proposed that would raise the taxable income cap for Social Security to about $400,000. Although there seem to be many reasons to cheer, would this create unintended consequences? What could be done instead? Is privatization the way to go? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies this week as they suggest an elegant solution to a sticky situation on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Ladybugs: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2019-06-06/cloud-of-ladybugs-in-california-so-large-it-appears-on-weather-radar Influencer can’t sell 26 shirts: https://www.indy100.com/article/instagram-influencer-arii-t-shirt-sales-followers-fail-twitter-response-8936836 Foolishness of the week Over-the-counter birth control: https://www.livescience.com/24940-birth-control-pill-over-the-counter.html   Topic of the week:

If life is an inalienable right, does that take the death penalty off the table? Is there really a need for social safety nets? Taxation, the Articles of Confederation, the Postal Service, and more come together this week as James Harrigan and Antony Davies explore their ambivalence (it doesn’t mean what you might think it does) on many controversial topics on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Arthur Laffer awarded Medal of Freedom The top half of income earners pay 97% of the federal taxes Spelling Bee winners Foolishness of the week UBI could solve childhood obesity Topic of the week: Ambivalence Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

Only twice has the U.S. House of Representatives impeached a president, and never has the Senate voted to remove an impeached president from office. People tend to think of impeachment as a judicial tool that should be used rarely and only when a president has broken the law in some egregious way. But impeachment was designed as part of the checks-and-balances. It is a political tool. On this week’s episode of Words & Numbers, join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss what impeachment is and how the political process might work better if impeachment were used more often. Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Artificial intelligence learns to spot cancer Employment changes over the past century Sanders says that teacher salaries should start at $60,000 Foolishness of the week MSNBC asks political candidate how MSNBC can do better for him Topic of the week: Impeachment How does impeachment work? Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twi

If the federal government disappeared, would there still be a United States? Does every country fall on a spectrum between two extremes, capitalism and communism? Are there any good reasons to restrict voting rights? This week, James Harrigan and Antony Davies answer questions about the subjective theory of value, debts to society, guns vs. butter, and plenty more in this week’s jam-packed episode of Words & Numbers. Come to FEEcon 2019! Foolishness of the week Pennsylvania Mayors Pew Poll on Views About Gun Regulation Topic of the week: Listener questions Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com