Economics as a Science

[@hc8379-f4f]

I wonder if there isn't more middle ground to be explored between "big think" and "small think" as areas where there are certainly more variables to be considered, and yet capable of some pretty reliable results. And then again, moving up the scale, the linkages between "middle think" areas where discernible effects flow back and forth. So for instance, at some micro level we study best results in types of education practices (say phonics vs whole language, or math more practice vs math more discovery, etc.), moving on to promotion practices that cause higher or lower retention rates, then introducing some new variable like provision of school meals, and then looking at some other variable, like payments to parents to allow/motivate them to keep children in school vs putting them to work helping make some income for the family, etc. In discrete steps you get to a big discussion about the optimal obligations of the state v.a.v. the educational institution as a factor in national development. It's a long road, which I'm sure is duplicated in every field of study. How well do economists work on distinguishing these dependent hierarchies and their relative importance / degree of reliability?

[@dr_cheez811]

consider hitting the record button after exchanging "how are you"s and "what have you been up to this week"s

[@marcagray]

I would love to see Noah and Eric Weinstein talk about academia and economics.

[@situation_zero]

It's weird how Erik elevates Balaji in his mind to top academic economists. He lionized Balaji last week as well. Let's stipulate he's interesting but he's not a figure on the level of the names they are discussing here. Balaji is sort of a pop theorist, former tech executive, and crypto influencer. That's not really on the level Noah is talking about here.

[@davidkoh7097]

First!

[@Wittgenstein.]

[@angloland4539]

☺️🍓❤️

[@erikanderson1402]

Yeah, no it’s not.