Best Eclectic Minimalist Podcasts (2025)

1
Who Won the Socialist Calculation Debate (with Peter Boettke) 1:21:17

2d ago1:21:17

1:21:17

For more than a century, some economists have insisted that central planning can outperform markets. Economists like Mises, Hayek, and Friedman disagreed. Who won this debate? Is it over? Does AI change how we should think about the power of planning? Listen as economist Peter Boettke of George Mason University discusses what is known as the "socia…

1
Minimalists and Hoarders (with Michael Easter) 55:05

8d ago55:05

55:05

Why do we buy stuff we don't need? Maybe for the same reason that some people can't stand stuff at all. Listen as author Michael Easter speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about how two seemingly opposed approaches to our possessions--minimalism and hoarding--may stem from the same impulse to cope with uncertainty. They also discuss the downsides o…

1
Coase, the Rules of the Game, and the Costs of Perfection (with Daisy Christodoulou) 1:10:25

15d ago1:10:25

1:10:25

Surely perfection is better than imperfection. But applying technology to improve decision-making can backfire. Listen as ed-tech innovator Daisy Christodoulou and EconTalk's Russ Roberts talk about the costs of seeking perfection when technology is used to improve refereeing in sports. They also talk about ways to embrace imperfection and how the …

1
Why AI Is Good for Humans (with Reid Hoffman) 1:21:03

22d ago1:21:03

1:21:03

Should we worry about the human future in a world of AI? Reid Hoffman is unafraid and even optimistic. He argues that the brave new world that awaits is going to be great for humanity. Listen as he talks about his book Superagency with EconTalk's Russ Roberts and argues that the future is bright not just for AI, but for the people who remake the wo…

1
Weep, Shudder, Die: The Secret of Opera Revealed (with Dana Gioia) 1:18:46

29d ago1:18:46

1:18:46

How can opera, with words we rarely understand, make us cry? Why does opera, filled with melodrama, move us? Listen as poet and librettist Dana Gioia explains to EconTalk's Russ Roberts why words matter more than we think, in both opera and on Broadway.By EconTalk: Russ Roberts

1
Will DOGE and Musk Make a Difference? (with Michael Munger) 1:04:21

1M ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Can Musk use DOGE to reduce the size and power of the bureaucracy and big government? Michael Munger of Duke University thinks not, but EconTalk's Russ Roberts isn't so sure. Listen as they discuss the risks of empowering bureaucrats to rein in other bureaucrats and whether change can really happen given the power of the political forces operating …

1
Understanding the Settler Colonialism Movement (with Adam Kirsch) 59:07

1M ago59:07

59:07

Under settler colonialism, you're either a settler or indigenous and the sin of the founding of America, Australia, and Israel, for example, is not just a past injustice but a perpetuating mistake that explains the present. Listen as poet, author, and literary critic Adam Kirsch explains how an academic theory helps us understand the protests again…

1
The Power of Nuance: Lessons for Public Health (with Emily Oster) 56:16

2M ago56:16

56:16

Public health officials should tell the truth, even when it's complicated. Even when some people might misunderstand. Otherwise, says economist Emily Oster of Brown University, the public will come to distrust the people we need to trust if we are to make good decisions both personally and publicly. Listen as Oster talks with EconTalk host Russ Rob…

1
Fixing Sick Cities (with Alain Bertaud) 1:10:44

2M ago1:10:44

1:10:44

Why are European cities charming and American cities often so charmless? Simple, says urbanist Alain Bertaud: most American cities are zoned for single-family housing. The result is not enough customers within walking distance of a business, and not enough parking for the customers who drive. Why American cities are zoned that way is related to cul…

1
Is This War With Lebanon Different? (with Matti Friedman) 1:10:27

2M ago1:10:27

1:10:27

Is Israel's war with Lebanon going to end differently from past attempts to secure Israel's northern border? Journalist Matti Friedman, who recounted his experience as a soldier in Lebanon in his book Pumpkinflowers, reflects on that experience in light of current events and looks to the future in this conversation with EconTalk's Russ Roberts.…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Eclectic Minimalist Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
EconTalk

Russ Roberts

1
Eclectic minimalist

Eclectic minimalist

1
Who Won the Socialist Calculation Debate (with Peter Boettke) 1:21:17

1
Minimalists and Hoarders (with Michael Easter) 55:05

1
Coase, the Rules of the Game, and the Costs of Perfection (with Daisy Christodoulou) 1:10:25

1
Why AI Is Good for Humans (with Reid Hoffman) 1:21:03

1
Weep, Shudder, Die: The Secret of Opera Revealed (with Dana Gioia) 1:18:46

1
Will DOGE and Musk Make a Difference? (with Michael Munger) 1:04:21

1
Understanding the Settler Colonialism Movement (with Adam Kirsch) 59:07

1
The Power of Nuance: Lessons for Public Health (with Emily Oster) 56:16

1
Fixing Sick Cities (with Alain Bertaud) 1:10:44

1
Is This War With Lebanon Different? (with Matti Friedman) 1:10:27

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