Reasonably Optimistic

Reasonably Optimistic

THE WASHINGTON POSTTHE WASHINGTON POST
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What comes next in Iran

On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel initiated strikes on Iran. What comes next? Host Megan McArdle sits down with Washington Post Columnist David Ignatius to discuss Iran's response, whether the U.S. can sustain a prolonged conflict, what the war signals to adversaries like China and ...  Show more

 . 21min 5sec
AI is coming. Is there enough power to run it?

We hear a lot about what artificial intelligence can do. We hear a lot less about what it takes to run it. The explosion of AI depends on massive data centers — and massive amounts of energy. Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) joins host Megan McArdle to discuss how his views on AI ...  Show more

 . 21min 43sec
Forget the best president. Who was the most underrated?

This week, we celebrated Presidents Day, which makes it a fitting time to recognize one of America’s most underrated presidents. Herbert Hoover presided over the onset of the Great Depression and is widely viewed as the inferior predecessor to Franklin D. Roosevelt. But, as host ...  Show more

 . 28min 2sec
Dating is a market. Here's how to hack it.

Want to win the dating game? Turns out business school has the playbook. Host Megan McArdle breaks down romance through Econ 101: addressable market, signaling, specialty products and sunk costs.Whether you’re single, swiping or settled down, this episode will reshape how you thi ...  Show more

 . 35min 15sec
An economist explains why he’s still ‘bullish on America’ — AI and all

Artificial intelligence is moving fast, with new tools changing how people work, create and compete. Whether you’re an AI doomer or AI boomer, it’s hard to ignore what’s coming. Economist and professor Tyler Cowen has spent years analyzing how these developments could reshape the ...  Show more

 . 56min 26sec