Jennifer Pahlka believes America's bureaucratic dysfunction is deeply rooted in outdated processes and misaligned incentives. As the founder of Code... more

Sheilagh Ogilvie has spent decades examining the institutional structures that shaped European economic history, challenging conventional wisdom about everything from... more

What happens when a liberal thinker shifts his attention from polarization to economic abundance? Ezra Klein’s new book with Derek... more

Carl Zimmer is one of the finest science communicators of our time, having spent decades writing about biology, evolution, and... more

How much of your life’s trajectory was set in motion centuries ago? Gregory Clark has spent decades studying social... more

Sign Up for the Boston Listener Meet Up For Ross Douthat, phenomena like UFO sightings and the simulation hypothesis... more

Sign Up for the Boston Listener Meet Up Joe Boyd was there when Dylan went electric, when Pink Floyd... more

Scott Sumner didn't follow the typical path to economic influence. He nearly lost his teaching job before tenure, did his... more

Donate to Conversations with Tyler Give Crypto Other Ways to Give On this special year-in-review... more

Donate to Conversations with Tyler Give Crypto Other Ways to Give What can Thomas Hardy’s tortured marriages teach... more

Donate to Conversations with Tyler Give Crypto Other Ways to Give In his landmark multi-volume biography of Stalin,... more

In this crossover episode with EconTalk, Tyler joins Russ Roberts for an in-depth exploration of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate,... more

Neal Stephenson’s ability to illuminate complex, future-focused ideas in ways that both provoke thought and spark wonder has established him... more

Christopher Kirchhoff is an expert in emerging technology who founded the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office. He’s led teams for President... more

Subscribe to Pluralist Points on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Musa al-Gharbi is a sociologist and assistant professor at Stony... more

Tom Tugendhat has served as a Member of Parliament since 2015, holding roles such as Security Minister and chair of... more

Kyla Scanlon has made it her personal mission to bring economics education to a larger audience through social media. She... more

Tobi Lütke is the CEO and co-founder of Shopify. 20 years ago, he was just a German coder who emigrated... more

Register for our LA Listener Meetup Philip Ball is an award-winning science writer who has penned over 30 books... more

In his second appearance, Nate Silver joins the show to cover the intersections of predictions, politics, and poker with Tyler.... more

Paul Bloom is a renowned psychologist and writer specializing in moral psychology, particularly how moral thoughts and actions develop in... more

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Alan Taylor is Tyler’s pick for one of the greatest living historians. His many books... more

Register for the DC Listener Meetup It’s not just the churrasco that made him fall in love with Brazil.... more

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz joined Tyler for a discussion that weaves through Joe’s career and key contributions, including what... more

Take our Listener Survey You could try playing out the four-dimensional chess game of how the global order will shift... more

Take our Listener Survey Michael Nielsen is a scientist who helped pioneer quantum computing and the modern open science movement.... more

Take our Listener Survey Benjamin Moser is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer celebrated for his in-depth studies of literary and cultural... more

Coleman Hughes believes we should strive to ignore race both in public policy and in our private lives. But... more

In this conversation recorded live in Miami, Tyler and Peter Thiel dive deep into the complexities of political theology, including... more

In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt explores the simultaneous rise in teen mental illness across various countries, attributing it... more

Those who know Fareed Zakaria through his weekly column or CNN show may be surprised to learn he considers books... more

Marilynne Robinson is one of America's best and best-known novelists and essayists, whose award-winning works like Housekeeping and Gilead... more

In this interview, recorded at a16z’s 2024 American Dynamism Summit, Tyler and Marc Andreessen engage in a rapid-fire dialogue about... more

Marc Rowan, co-founder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, joined Tyler to discuss why rising interest rates won't hurt... more

A conductor, harpsichordist, and organist, Masaaki Suzuki stands as a towering figure in Baroque music, renowned for his comprehensive... more

Ami Vitale is a renowned National Geographic photographer and documentarian with a deep commitment to wildlife conservation and environmental education.... more

Rebecca F. Kuang just might change the way you think about fantasy and science fiction. Known for her best-selling... more

Few can measure the impact of a blog post they wrote, in the millions of dollars a year, but... more

On this special year-in-review episode, Tyler and producer Jeff Holmes look back on the past year in the show and... more

In her third appearance on the show, Chinese food expert Fuchsia Dunlop joins Tyler and a group of special guests... more

John Gray is a philosopher and writer renowned for his critical examination of liberalism, atheism, and the human condition. His... more

Jennifer Burns is a professor of history at Stanford who works at the intersection of intellectual, political, and cultural history. She’s... more

Brian Koppelman is a writer, director, and producer known for his work on films like Rounders and Solitary Man, the hit... more

As a follow-up to the episode featuring Stephen Jennings, we’re releasing two bonus conversations showing the daily life, culture,... more

As a follow-up to the episode featuring Stephen Jennings, we’re releasing two bonus conversations showing the daily life, culture, and... more

Stephen and Tyler first met over thirty years ago while working on economic reforms in New Zealand. With a distinguished... more

Jacob Mikanowski is the author of one of Tyler’s favorite books this year called Goodbye, Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of... more

Harvard professor Claudia Goldin has made a name for herself tackling difficult questions. What was the full economic cost of... more

Ada Palmer is a Renaissance historian at the University of Chicago who studies radical free thought and censorship, composes music,... more

Lazarus Lake is a renowned ultramarathon runner and designer. His most famous creation (along with his friend Raw Dog) is... more

In this special episode, Tyler sat down with Jerusalem Demsas, staff writer at The Atlantic, to discuss three books: The... more

A five-time World Chess Champion, Vishy became India's first grandmaster at age 18, spurring a chess revolution in the country.... more

When Alex Tabarrok and Tyler Cowen launched Marginal Revolution in August of 2003, they saw attracting a few thousand academic-minded... more

Tyler and Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham sat down at his home in the English countryside to discuss what areas... more

Tyler sat down at Comedy Cellar with owner Noam Dworman to talk about the ever-changing stand-up comedy scene, including the... more

David Bentley Hart is an American writer, philosopher, religious scholar, critic, and theologian who has authored over 1,000 essays and... more

In his second appearance, Reid Hoffman joined Tyler to talk everything AI: the optimal liability regime for LLMs, whether there’ll... more

Noam Chomsky joins Tyler to discuss why Noam and Wilhelm von Humboldt have similar views on language and liberty, good... more

Peter Singer is one of the world’s most influential living philosophers, whose ideas have motivated millions of people to change... more

On good days, Seth Godin thinks about all the progress we’re making on climate change. On bad days, he thinks... more

What’s more intense than leading the IMF during a financial crisis? For Simon Johnson, it was co-authoring a book with... more

As the founding executive editor of Wired magazine and the author of several acclaimed books on technology and culture, Kevin... more

Anna Keay is a historian who specializes in the cultural heritage of Great Britain. As the director of the... more

Jessica Wade is a physicist at Imperial College London who, while spending her day working on special carbon-based materials that... more

In this conversation, Tyler uses ChatGPT to interview Jonathan Swift about his views on religion, politics, economics, and literature. GPT... more

Historian Tom Holland joined Tyler to discuss in what ways his Christianity is influenced by Lord Byron, how the Book... more

Yasheng Huang has written two of Tyler’s favorite books on China: Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics, which contrasts an entrepreneurial... more

Brad DeLong, professor of economics at UC Berkley, OG econ blogger, and Tyler’s Harvard classmate, joins the show to discuss... more

Economist and public intellectual Glenn Loury joined Tyler to discuss the soundtrack of Glenn’s life, Glenn's early career in theoretical... more

Paul Salopek is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and National Geographic fellow who, at the age of 50, set out on... more

Rick Rubin has been behind some of the most iconic and successful albums in music history, and his unique approach... more

Katherine Rundell is, in a word, enthusiastic. She’s enthusiastic about John Donne. She’s enthusiastic about walking along rooftops. She’s enthusiastic... more

On this special year-in-review episode, Tyler and producer Jeff Holmes talk about the past year on the show, including which... more

Is classical music dying? For John Adams the answer is an emphatic no. Considered by Tyler to be America’s greatest... more

When it comes to fighting climate change Jeremy Grantham is optimistic about technology – but worried about timing. Known widely... more

When it comes to history—particularly American history—nothing is ever definitive, says documentarian Ken Burns. Much of his work has focused... more

Mary Gaitskill’s knack for writing about the social and physical world with unapologetic clarity has led to her style being... more

Reza Aslan doesn’t mind being called a pantheist. In his own “roundabout spiritual journey” and study of the world’s religions,... more

A leading expert in foreign policy, Walter Russell Mead believes his lack of a PhD—and interest in actually going places—has... more

When looking at the U.S. labor market, Byron Auguste sees too many job seekers screened out based on shallow signals... more

Vaughn Smith is fluent in eight languages but with a beginner’s grasp of at least thirty-six (and counting). His talents... more

How can one identify and predict talent? On a search to answer this question and others like it, Tyler Cowen... more

As a little girl, Cynthia Haven loved reading classic works of literature. At sixteen, she began her career as a... more

When Tyler is reviewing grants for Emergent Ventures, he is struck by how the ideas of effective altruism have... more

As an inquisitive reader, books were a cherished commodity for Leopoldo López when he was a political prisoner in his... more

Fighting fires meant a lot of downtime for Matthew Ball. Stationed at a forward operating base in the woods for... more

Growing up, Barkha Dutt was totally rootless. She spoke English, not her parent’s Punjabi. She devoured Enid Blyton and studied... more

Like the frontier characters from Deadwood, his favorite TV show, Marc Andreessen has discovered that the real challenge to building... more

What does it mean to uphold disability rights, or the right to economic liberty? What framework should be used when... more

If Tyler and Daniel's latest book can be boiled down into a single message, it would be that the world... more

What causes war? Many scholars have spent their careers attempting to study the psychology of leaders to understand what incentivizes... more

When it comes to the enormous reduction of income inequality during the 20th century, Thomas Piketty sees politics everywhere. In... more

“The best history,” says Roy Foster, “is written when we realize that people acted in expectation of a future that... more

A prolific translator, author, and former professor of creative writing, Lydia Davis’s motivation for her life’s work is jarringly simple:... more

Whether it’s scaling an arbitrage opportunity or launching an ambitious philanthropic project, Sam Bankman-Fried has set himself apart. In just... more

How do you go about writing a book on an era that is, for many, recent history? When Chuck Klosterman... more

Venture capital powered the tech revolution, but what powers venture capital? With his in-depth knowledge and coverage of the sector... more

From psychedelics to cyberculture, hippie communes to commercial startups, and the Whole Earth Catalog to the Long Now Foundation, Stewart... more

In this special crossover special with EconTalk, Tyler interviews Russ Roberts about his new life in Israel as president of... more

Is genius born or made? For Croatian-born classical guitarist Ana Vidović the answer is both. Born into a musical family,... more

Want to support the show? Visit donate.mercatus.org/podcasts. On this special year-in-review episode, Tyler and producer Jeff Holmes talk about... more

Want to support the show? Visit donate.mercatus.org/podcasts When Ray Dalio was 23, President Nixon announced that the United States... more

The most challenging part of being a biographer for Ruth Scurr is finding the best form to tell a life.... more

Baltimore native David Rubenstein is a founding figure in private equity, a prolific philanthropist, and author. From leveraged buyouts to... more

When the audience for visual art expanded from small circles of artists and collectors into broader culture, the way art... more

Stan McChrystal has spent a long career considering questions of risk, leadership, and the role of America’s military, having risen... more

Harvard professor Claudia Goldin has made a name for herself tackling difficult questions. What was the full economic cost of... more

What is our right to be desired? How are our sexual desires shaped by the society around us? Is consent... more

With remote work becoming more common and cities competing for businesses it’s become easier than ever before for educated Americans... more

When Zeynep Tufekci penned a New York Times op-ed at the onset of the pandemic challenging the prevailing public... more

Upon learning he was HIV positive in 1993, Andrew Sullivan began writing more than he ever had before. Believing that... more

While the modern historical ethos can be obsessed with condescending to the past based on our current value system, Scottish-born... more

Alexander the Grate has spent 40 years – more than half of his life – living on the streets (and... more

Richard Prum really cares about birds. Growing up in rural Vermont, he didn’t know anyone else interested in birding his... more

What can studying the lives of philosophers tell us about how to organize and interpret our own lives? Elijah Millgram... more

Tyler describes Oxford professor and theoretical physicist David Deutsch as a “maximum philosopher of freedom” with no rival. A pioneer... more

As a Canadian economist who once served as the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney has had many... more

Gifted young Argentines tend to leave home to “make it in America” and never look back, but after earning a... more

Daniel Carpenter is one of the world’s leading experts on regulation and the foremost expert on the US Food and... more

A self-professed nerd, the young Shadi Bartsch could be found awake late at night, reading Latin under the covers of... more

Before he was California Poet Laureate or leading the National Endowment for the Arts, Dana Gioia marketed Jell-O. Possessing both... more

What can new technology tell us about our ancient past? Archaeologist and remote sensing expert Sarah Parcak has used satellite... more

What unites John Cochrane the finance economist and “grumpy” policy blogger with John Cochrane the accomplished glider pilot? For John,... more

Patricia Fara is a historian of science at Cambridge University and well-known for her writings on women in science. Her... more

Brian Armstrong first recognized the potential of cryptocurrencies after witnessing firsthand the tragic consequences of hyperinflation in Argentina. Coinbase, the... more

Benjamin Friedman has been a leading macroeconomist since the 1970s, whose accomplishments include writing 150 papers, producing more than dozen... more

“The world of innovation is very much one of toggling between survival and then thriving,” says Noubar Afeyan. Co-founder of... more

Want to support the show? Visit conversationswithtyler.com/donate. On this special year-in-review episode, producer Jeff Holmes sat down with Tyler... more

Want to support the show? Visit conversationswithtyler.com/donate. Growing up in a working-class city in New Jersey, John Brennan’s father... more

After reading Zach Carter’s intellectual biography of Keynes earlier this year, Tyler declared that the book would qualify... more

Jimmy Wales used to joke that choosing to build Wikipedia on a non-profit, non-advertising model was either the best or... more

Edwidge Danticat left Haiti when she was 12, she says, but Haiti never left her. At 14 she began writing... more

Michael Kremer is best known for his academic work researching global poverty, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize... more

Audrey Tang began reading classical works like the Shūjīng and Tao Te Ching at the age of 5 and learned... more

To Alex Ross, good music critics must be well-rounded and have command of neighboring cultural areas. “When you're writing about... more

Matt Yglesias joined Tyler for a wide-ranging conversation on his vision for a bigger, less politically polarized America outlined in... more

Note: This conversation was recorded in January 2020. Tyler credits Jason Furman’s intellectual breadth, real-world experience, and emphasis on policy... more

What might the electrification of factories teach us about how quickly we’ll adapt to remote work? What gives American companies... more

Nathan Nunn’s work history includes automotive stores, a freight company, a paint factory, a ski hill, photography, book publishing, private... more

Explaining 10 percent of something is not usually cause for celebration. And yet when it comes to economic development, where... more

For Annie Duke, the poker table is a perfect laboratory to study human decision-making — including her own. “It really exposes you... more

Long before becoming a legal scholar focused on police reform, Rachel Harmon studied engineering at MIT and graduate philosophy at... more

Ashley Mears is a former fashion model turned academic sociologist, and her book Very Important People: Status and Beauty... more

Paul Romer makes his second appearance to discuss the failings of economics, how his mass testing plan for COVID-19 would... more

Adam Tooze is best known for his highly-regarded books on the economic history of Nazi Germany, the remaking of the... more

Glen Weyl is an economist, researcher, and founder of RadicalXChange. He recently co-authored a paper that sets forth an ambitious... more

Accuracy is only one of the things we want from forecasters, says Philip Tetlock, a professor at the University of... more

When Tyler requested an interview with novelist Emily St. John Mandel, he didn’t expect that reality would have in some... more

For Ross Douthat, decadence isn’t necessarily a moral judgement, but a technical label for a state that societies tend to... more

Tyler and Russ Roberts joined forces for a special livestreamed conversation on COVID-19, including how both are adjusting to social... more

Who can you ask about the Great American Songbook, the finer Jell-O flavors, and peculiar languages like Saramaccan all while... more

Why is Garett Jones willing to write books about risky topics like the case for reducing democratic accountability? Is it... more

To Tim Harford, mistakes are fascinating. “We often only understand how something works when it breaks,” he says, explaining why... more

When Reid Hoffman creates a handle for some new network or system, his usual choice is “Quixotic.” At an... more

This bonus episode features audio from the Holberg Debate in Bergen, Norway between Tyler and Slavoj Žižek held... more

Want to support future conversations? Visit conversationswithtyler.com/donate. Long before Abhijit Banerjee won the 2019 economics Nobel with Michael Kremer and... more

Want to support future conversations? Visit conversationswithtyler.com/donate. For this special retrospective episode, producer Jeff Holmes sat down with Tyler... more

Want to support future conversations? Visit conversationswithtyler.com/donate. Esther Duflo’s advice to students? Spend time in the field.... more

What determines the economic, social, and political trajectories of nations? Why were settlers in colonies like Jamestown and Australia able... more