Conversations with Tyler

MERCATUS CENTER AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

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All Episodes

Carl Zimmer on the Hidden Life in the Air We Breathe

Carl Zimmer is one of the finest science communicators of our time, having spent decades writing about biology, evolution, and heredity. His latest (and 16th) book, Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, explores something even more fundamental—how the very air aro ... Show more

. 51min 43sec

Gregory Clark on Social Mobility, Migration, and Assortative Mating (Live at Mercatus)

How much of your life’s trajectory was set in motion centuries ago? Gregory Clark has spent decades studying social mobility, and his findings suggest that where you land in society is far more predictable than we like to think. Using historical data, surname analysis, and migrat ... Show more

. 1h 23min

Ross Douthat on Why Religion Makes More Sense Than You Think

Sign Up for the Boston Listener Meet Up For Ross Douthat, phenomena like UFO sightings and the simulation hypothesis don't challenge religious belief—they demonstrate how difficult it is to escape religious questions entirely. His new book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religio ... Show more

. 1h 13min

Joe Boyd on the Birth of Rock, World Music, and Being There for Everything

Sign Up for the Boston Listener Meet Up Joe Boyd was there when Dylan went electric, when Pink Floyd was born, and when Paul Simon brought Graceland to the world. But far from being just another music industry insider, Boyd has spent decades exploring how the world's musical trad ... Show more

. 1h 0min

Scott Sumner on Monetary Rules, Blooming Late, and the Death of Cinema

Scott Sumner didn't follow the typical path to economic influence. He nearly lost his teaching job before tenure, did his best research after most academics slow down, and found his largest audience through blogging in his 50s and 60s, in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Ye ... Show more

. 1h 8min