Ft Alphachat

Economist Michael Mandel joins Cardiff Garcia to talk about the research that he and co-author Bret Swanson have published on "the coming productivity boom" -- an optimistic case for productivity growth based on the application of information technology in physical industries such as manufacturing and healthcare.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist Stephen Kinsella joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss the right lessons from Ireland's experience of crisis, austerity, and recovery -- and a few of the wrong lessons as well.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Physicist Geoffrey West joins FT Alphaville's Izabella Kaminska to discuss his work on a universal theory of growth - or scaling - that extends beyond human lifespans to encompass the sustainability of corporations, cities and more, as detailed in his latest book "Scale".  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sociologist Richard Ocejo joins Cardiff Garcia to talk about the way educated urbanites have upscaled and transformed traditionally low-income manual jobs from bartending to butchery, and what it suggests about the evolution of the labour market in the age of automation. It is the subject of Ocejo's most recent book, Masters of Craft.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a bonus episode featuring parts of Cardiff Garcia's interview with economist Anne Case that did not make it into the episode published on April 21. In this Alphachat extra the two discuss Anne's experience dealing with bloggers and other commentators who react to her work, how her research in South Africa shaped her approach to health economics and why height turns out to be such a useful variable in her research.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist Alice Rivlin joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss her storied Washington career, from her roles in three different presidential administrations, to the first director of the Congressional Budget Office, to Vice-Chair of the Federal Reserve, to her current post at the Brookings Institution.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Maria Konnikova, a writer and author of “The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It… Every Time” talks to host Cardiff Garcia about her work and the challenge of judging the quality of social-science research. The two also discuss big data, open-plan offices, sleep and the psychological effects of pornography. Maria also describes the methods and traits of con artists, and explains why everyone is susceptible to being a victim.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Historian and biographer Jeremy Adelman joins Cardiff Garcia to survey the life and philosophy of economist Albert O. Hirschman, from his work on development economics to "The Passions and the Interests", his book about the forgotten intellectual history behind the emergence of capitalism.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jason Furman, economist and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss the way economic policy was made and framed during the Barack Obama administration. Jason also talks about his background and the economists who influenced him, and he gives his thoughts on a few salient economic issues.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist and polymathic author Tyler Cowen talks to Cardiff about his essay, "Stubborn Attachments", in which he shares his vision for a free and prosperous society - and the philosophical foundations necessary to build it.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist Anne Case joins Cardiff Garcia to talk about her trilogy of research papers that revealed the stunning reversal of mortality trends among certain groups of Americans. The two also discuss the methodology used in the papers and her comprehensive theory behind the causes of these trends.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Short seller Jim Chanos talks to the FT's Matt Klein about his illustrious career in investment management, including his bet against Enron before it went bust in 1999. Mr Chanos also discusses the mechanics of short selling, his research process, and some of the opportunities he said he missed.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cardiff Garcia and Shannon Bond explore how companies have tried to capitalise on the politically charged climate that has developed since the campaign and election of Donald Trump, and how it has backfired for some of them. Plus the FT's Anna Nicolaou and Hearst's Troy Young join as guests.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Social-psychologist Robert Cialdini joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss the psychology of influence and the importance of what you do before attempting to persuade someone, which is the subject of his latest book "Pre-suasion". The two also cover the role of persuasion in politics, specifically the way it has been used by Donald Trump and Barack Obama.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cardiff Garcia talks to Alphaville's Matt Klein and FT senior investment commentator John Authers about the consequences and lessons of a famous call to sell stocks. Then, MIT economist Andrew Lo talks to John about the adaptive markets hypothesis, the subject of his forthcoming book. Clip courtesy of NBC.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist and writer Noah Smith joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss how the economics profession reacted to the financial crisis and the questions that economists are now asking, perhaps belatedly.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Writer Erica Grieder joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss what the rest of America can learn from the economic model of Texas, and how the state will be affected by the Trump administration's trade and immigration policies.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Writer Annie Lowrey joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss a pilot project to implement UBI in more than 100 African villages. Then, Alphaville's Matt Klein stops by to debate whether the concept of full employment is complete nonsense.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist Sebastian Edwards joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss the modern emergence of populism, and how his research of populist economics can be applied to Donald Trump's economic agenda.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

FT economics writer Martin Sandbu joins host Cardiff Garcia to discuss economic ideas that would have been considered unthinkably radical or excessive a few years ago, but which are now generating serious discussion.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.