"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

This is a bonus episode for Econ 102 listeners of The Riff with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg, recorded on Monday night 11/20, discussing the evolving story of Sam Altman’s ousting at OpenAI and new home at Microsoft, what OpenAI's next pivot could look like, the new competitive landscape for the big AI players, and Effective Altruism’s role in this drama. Need Soc 2 compliance? Get 20% off your...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah’s travel reflections from Singapore, the recent San Francisco cleanup, and the dystopian routes of progressivism. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiri...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the new geopolitical dynamics in Asia and the Middle East, why demographics may mean waning conflict, and take a dive into Ireland’s wealth. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the state of the economy, whether tech and the VC ecosystem are doing well or facing a 'rolling recession', and unpack assumptions about wealth in the United States. Make informed decision for high impact donations with GiveWell, which is offering Econ 102 listeners donation matching up to $100. To claim your match, go to givewell.org ➡️ pick “Podcast” enter E...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto (a16z), the last waves of economic innovation, energy advancement, and predict the next wave of productivity gains from private and government-enabled innovation. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 We're hiring across the board...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg continue their analysis of the Israel-Gaza war, against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical power, increasing conflicts, and the end of Pax Americana. They also discuss why Noah expects a China-Taiwan conflict, and the possibility of WWIII. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 W...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg record an episode to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, the moral problems with the leftist ideological response, the complicated geopolitical power dynamics in the Arab world, and how this conflict marks the waning of American power. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 We...

Economist Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the legacy and failings of Bernie Sanders’ movement with regards to privatization, student loans, healthcare, and the wealth gap. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's...

Economist Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah's Substack essays about a possible age of Austerity, and moving away from China for the US's next age of globalization. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102 We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incub...

Economist Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah's recent Substack post skewering the claims and proposals that make up Republican Presidential candidate Vivek's Ramaswamy's platform. Noah covers Vivek's climate science sources, economic facts on renewable energy, foreign policy stance towards China, Russia, Taiwan and more. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of th...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg are joined by Adam Nash to discuss the economic implications of AI, the recent tech downturn, and why the venture model has been so successful across multiple tech booms. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners, a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join Daffy.  https://www.daffy.org/econ102   We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's pers...

Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss how today’s economy compares to the Reagan-era, cheap oil geopolitics, how much the war in Ukraine is actually costing the US, and the economics of the populist anthem Rich Men North of Richmond. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/102 We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal te...

In episode 8 of ECON 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the factors brewing up a major crisis for China’s economy, and what this means for the US and other international powers. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/turpentine We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He'...

In episode 7, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss student debt, millennial politics, conservatism, international relations, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/turpentine We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Pro...

Today we’re publishing a debate about industrial policy between Noah and Mike Bird, the Asia business and finance editor at The Economist. Noah highlights the importance of steering the economy to ensure that industries align with national goals and priorities. Bird questions the effectiveness of industrial policy, especially in developed countries. He argues that market forces and competition sho...

In episode 5, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the promise and failings of higher education, working class economic prospects, the American healthcare system, and more. Noah’s articles are linked below. Econ 102 is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co   We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubat...

Noah Smith guests on the Moment of Zen podcast (hosted by his Econ 102 co-host Erik Torenberg and founder Dan Romero) to discuss California land use, housing, politics, policing, and more. Subscribe to listen to Moment of Zen, a weekly show about tech, business, and culture, wherever you listen to podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/moz We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's perso...

In episode 3, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg track China's housing bubble, its healthcare crisis, and Taiwan in relation to China and Japan. Econ 102 is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Inves...

In episode 2, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg track the fracturing of the Libertarian movement, the culture wars, and which ideas deserve not to die. We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com . --...

In our first episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the highs and lows of Biden's first term, Biden's policies in comparison to previous presidents and other leaders, as well as China -- its real estate sector, industrial and manufacturing industries, and its views on tech. We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubatin...