Free the People

Words & Numbers

Education EN ↓ 519 episodes

Words & Numbers is one of the highest-rated economics podcasts in the world. Each episode, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan dig into economics, political science, and current events to explain what’s actually happening and why it matters.

Author

Free the People

Episodes

Episode 443: Private Equity in Business 06.08.2025 32:38

This episode examines the role of private equity in business, focusing on its ability to transform assets and support entrepreneurs. In this episode, James and Antony aim to provide a balanced view of the opportunities and challenges associated with private equity, offering insights into its impact on the business landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 442: Surveillance Pricing? 30.07.2025 49:13

Explore how inflation quietly erodes your purchasing power, and the deceptive game of monetizing debt and what it means for your future. Dive into the digital clampdown on adult content as age verification systems signal the end of the internet’s unrestricted era. Ant and James grapple with the morality of price discrimination based on search history — who really benefits, and who gets left behind...

Episode 441: A Budget Surplus? Really? 23.07.2025 36:46

In this week's Words & Numbers, Ant and James tackle the misunderstood world of corporate stock buybacks—are they economic malpractice or just savvy business? The duo then pivots to publicly funded media, taking aim at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and questioning its continued reliance on taxpayer dollars in an age of abundant private alternatives. They also examine the federal gove...

Episode 440: Debunking the Religion of Decline 16.07.2025 55:34

In this episode of Words & Numbers, James and Ant announce their new partnership with CiVL and reflect on the state of modern life. Using Jurassic World and a Nobel Prize winner’s comments as a springboard, they unpack the economics of innovation, incentives, and monopolies. They take on popular claims that life has gotten worse—breaking down the real costs of housing, cars, and higher educati...

Episode 439: The America Party 09.07.2025 34:59

Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcast. Join CiVL for member-exclusive access to our show, bonus content, and live Q&As. https://civl.com/ Get 50% off your annual subscription with code: WORDSANDNUMBERS Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Pa...

Episode 438: Do We Need an 8 Hour Work Day? 02.07.2025 30:07

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-ratio-of-workers-to-social-security-beneficiaries-is-at-a-low-and-projected-to-decline-further/ https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR...

Episode 437: Rosy Projections 25.06.2025 37:21

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60392 https://sciencenews.dk/en/the-stem-cell-race-to-rewire-the-parkinsons-brain Foolishness of the Week https://www.cnn.co...

Episode 436: What About Buying From China? 18.06.2025 37:40

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.pcmag.com/news/chatgpt-gets-absolutely-wrecked-in-chess-match-with-1978-atari https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/564133/marines-carry-out-first-kn...

Episode 435: End of a Bromance 11.06.2025 34:16

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/trading-investing/us-debt-downgrade https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/world/social-cohesion-poverty-top-agenda-at-mil...

Episode 434: The Moon! 04.06.2025 31:30

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://thehill.com/business/housing/5326389-homesellers-outnumber-buyers-housing-market/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-...

Episode 433: Whence Shame? 28.05.2025 29:39

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://x.com/TopShelfSports0/status/1923122877366161873 Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pennsylvania-kindergartener-jello-shot...

Episode 432: Where Are the Democrats? 21.05.2025 36:48

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ais-threat-to-google-just-got-real-8280b4ee Foolishness of the Week https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/trump-intelligence-...

Episode 431: The Republic Fails 14.05.2025 53:22

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2025/05/05/bag-leather-dinosaur-t-rex.html https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/skilled-trades-high-school-recruitment-fd9f...

Episode 430: Is Insurance Worth It? 07.05.2025 51:43

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/08/fake-job-seekers-use-ai-to-interview-for-remote-jobs-tech-ceos-say.html https://fortune.com/article/slate-auto-20000-dollar-...

Episode 429: The Veil of Ignorance 30.04.2025 33:48

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department Foolishness of the Week https://www.mediaite.com/politics/mar...

Episode 428: What Good is the Department of Education? 23.04.2025 40:54

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/chatgpt-spends-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-on-people-playing-please-and-thank-you-but-sam-altman...

Episode 427: Consumer Sentiment 16.04.2025 32:57

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/trump-hater-of-evs-says-hes-buying-a-tesla-66553ef8?st=8QPVxR&reflink=article_imessage_share https://interestingengin...

Episode 426: Articles of Confederation 09.04.2025 50:26

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/rosie-odonnell-feels-healthier-fleeing-204508142.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/03/cam...

Episode 425: What Does AI Want? 02.04.2025 46:50

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-N...

Episode 424: Your Body, Your Health Care 26.03.2025 41:22

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-deepfake-detector-inspects-pixels-to-uncover-falsehoods-on-your-phone-within-6-seconds/ https://apnews.com/article/finan...

Episode 423: The Death of DEI? 19.03.2025 35:51

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://shoppress.dormanproducts.com/right-to-repair-act-explained/ https://www.wpr.org/news/lawmakers-attorney-general-right-to-repair-farm-equipment-wisco...

Episode 422: Consumer Blackouts 12.03.2025 29:10

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.iflscience.com/struggling-over-a-big-life-decision-math-says-you-should-use-the-37-percent-rule-77590 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/jo...

Episode 421: Did We Break the Constitution? 05.03.2025 42:29

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://health.amazon.com/prime?ref_=nav_cs_all_health_ingress_onem_highlight_aom https://www.live5news.com/2025/01/14/pizzagate-gunman-killed-by-police-nor...

Episode 420: Monopolies Hiding in Plain Sight 26.02.2025 19:41

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Topic of the Week https://www.libertycon.com Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://w...

Episode 419: Pop Culture President 19.02.2025 31:35

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/att-complies-with-law-requiring-cheap-internet-by-ending-a-service-in-ny/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/city-kill...