Podcast · 118 episodes
Conversations with Tyler
by Mercatus Center at George Mason University · English
Tyler Cowen engages today's deepest thinkers in wide-ranging explorations of their work, the world, and everything in between. New conversations every other Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Latest episodes
Luis Garicano on Spain, Europe, and the Future of WorkLuis Garicano discusses Spain’s housing shift from permissive building to strict NIMBY after the housing bubble; Spain’s long-run productivity stagnation driven by political economy (aging voters,…30 Sep 2026 · 51 min
Gita Gopinath on Trade, Currencies, and Economic TransformationTrade balances, real exchange rates, and pass-through; why exchange-rate models don’t imply quick currency adjustment; dollar invoicing and pricing; gravity trade patterns; and macro policy in…23 Sep 2026 · 56 min
Annie Lowrey on the Time Tax, Fraud, and Rationing by PaperworkAnnie Lowrey argues that “time taxes” (bureaucratic paperwork, interviews, and other administrative burdens) waste citizens’ time and often fail to reduce fraud or ration services fairly.16 Sep 2026 · 56 min
All episodes
Luis Garicano on Spain, Europe, and the Future of WorkLuis Garicano discusses Spain’s housing shift from permissive building to strict NIMBY after the housing bubble; Spain’s long-run productivity stagnation driven by political economy (aging voters,…30 Sep 2026 · 51 min · 26 chapters
Gita Gopinath on Trade, Currencies, and Economic TransformationTrade balances, real exchange rates, and pass-through; why exchange-rate models don’t imply quick currency adjustment; dollar invoicing and pricing; gravity trade patterns; and macro policy in…23 Sep 2026 · 56 min · 19 chapters
Annie Lowrey on the Time Tax, Fraud, and Rationing by PaperworkAnnie Lowrey argues that “time taxes” (bureaucratic paperwork, interviews, and other administrative burdens) waste citizens’ time and often fail to reduce fraud or ration services fairly.16 Sep 2026 · 56 min · 27 chapters
Jared Diamond on Leaders, Luck, and IrreplaceabilityJared Diamond discusses when leaders matter versus long-run forces like geography, luck, and institutions.9 Sep 2026 · 52 min · 29 chapters
Michael Moritz on Origin Stories, Exile, and Obsessive CuriosityMichael Moritz discusses his family’s escape and exile from Nazi Germany (in his memoir Auslander), how exile shaped his curiosity, and how he later moved from journalism to venture capital.2 Sep 2026 · 42 min · 20 chapters
Luke Burgis on Mimetic Desire, Catholicism, and the Age of Social ContagionLuke Burgis discusses mimetic desire (how people imitate others’ wants) and “social contagion” (how beliefs and behaviors spread through crowds), arguing that today’s pessimism won’t last and may be…19 Aug 2026 · 52 min · 29 chapters
Daron Acemoglu on Liberalism, Automation, and the Educated EliteDaron Acemoglu discusses “What Happened to Liberal Democracy?”—why liberalism is in crisis, how to rethink liberal principles beyond social-contract theory, and how automation/AI affect labor shares,…12 Aug 2026 · 56 min · 20 chapters
Julia Ioffe on Russian Women, Missing Men, and the Roots of AutocracyJulia Ioffe’s book Motherland argues that modern Russian autocracy grew from a long “women question” and revolutionary-era gender reforms, but later hardened into pronatalism, gender essentialism,…5 Aug 2026 · 55 min · 20 chapters
Andrew Graham-Dixon on Vermeer, a Forgotten Sect, and Underrated ArtistsAndrew Graham-Dixon explains why Vermeer was forgotten until the mid-19th century, arguing his paintings were made for a single Dutch family and for a specific Protestant tolerance movement…22 Jul 2026 · 57 min · 25 chapters
Chase Koch on Principles, Music, and Overcoming EntropyChase Koch discusses principle-driven leadership (41 principles), learning economics/philosophy from his father, and applying those ideas in business, music, and social change.15 Jul 2026 · 54 min · 28 chapters
Joel Mokyr on Clans, Corporations, and a Culture of GrowthJoel Mokyr argues that Europe and China diverged in how societies organize “local public goods” (poor relief, education, religious services).8 Jul 2026 · 46 min · 16 chapters
Joanne Paul on Thomas More and the Tudor WorldJoanne Paul discusses Thomas More and the Tudor world through his relationship with Erasmus, the satire and “riddle” of More’s Utopia, and More’s complex role in persecuting “heretics” under Henry…24 Jun 2026 · 50 min · 27 chapters
Dave Baszucki on Roblox, Teen Entrepreneurs, and the Future of PlayRoblox’s user-generated game platform and virtual economy; teen creators and “age-appropriate” safety; revenue mix; AI’s role in faster game creation; AI agents and future metaverse; regulation and…17 Jun 2026 · 53 min · 25 chapters
Katja Hoyer on Weimar, the GDR, and the German CharacterKatja Hoyer discusses her book Weimar, Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, using Weimar-era Germany to explain how dictatorship and catastrophe emerged, while also comparing East Germany (GDR) and…10 Jun 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 29 chapters
Toby Wilkinson on Ptolemaic Egypt and the First Great Commercial CivilizationPtolemaic Egypt (332–30 BC) after Alexander’s conquest—how it became a commercial and scholarly powerhouse centered on Alexandria, what drove its achievements (infrastructure, library, medicine,…27 May 2026 · 46 min · 24 chapters
Bob Spitz on the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and the Art of BiographyBob Spitz (biographer) discusses how the Rolling Stones became great quickly, their sound (“blues plus rock and roll”), key albums/songs, and what makes them endure; he also compares them to the…13 May 2026 · 56 min · 30 chapters
Craig Newmark on Institutional Maintenance, Giving Away Control, and the Internet We Were Promised (Live at 92NY)Craig Newmark (Craigslist founder) discusses why the web got worse over time, how “giving away control” shaped Craigslist and his philanthropy, and how scams and institutional decay undermine trust…29 Apr 2026 · 47 min · 20 chapters
Kim Bowes on the Economic Lives of Rome's Ninety PercentKim Bowes explains the “economic lives of the 90%” in the Roman Empire using archaeology and everyday material evidence, arguing that Roman life was deeply economic but not organized like modern…15 Apr 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 31 chapters
Arthur Brooks on Reinvention, Religion, and the Science of HappinessArthur Brooks discusses reinvention and the “science of happiness,” arguing that happiness is not a mere feeling but a mix of enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning; meaning requires facing suffering…1 Apr 2026 · 1 h · 32 chapters
Paul Gillingham on Why Mexico Stays TogetherWhy Mexico stayed unified after independence, and how regional autonomy, land policy, state capacity, and geography shaped politics, violence, and development.25 Mar 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 31 chapters
Harvey Mansfield on Machiavelli, Straussianism, and the Character of Liberal DemocracyHarvey Mansfield on Machiavelli, Straussianism, and the Character of Liberal Democracy18 Mar 2026 · 49 min · 25 chapters
Henry Oliver on Measure for Measure, Late Bloomers, and the Smartest Writers in EnglishIn this episode of *Conversations with Tyler*, host Tyler Cowen interviews literary critic Henry Oliver about Shakespeare's *Measure for Measure*, the nature of late bloomers, and some of the most…4 Mar 2026 · 59 min · 28 chapters
Joe Studwell on Africa, Asia, and What Development Actually RequiresJoe Studwell on Africa, Asia, and What Development Actually Requires18 Feb 2026 · 53 min · 26 chapters
Andrew Ross Sorkin on Market Bubbles, Banking Rules, and the Real Lessons of 1929In this episode of *Conversations with Tyler*, host Tyler Cowen interviews Andrew Ross Sorkin, an award-winning journalist and author of the book *1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History and How…4 Feb 2026 · 56 min · 27 chapters