logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
54m 2s

It’s not complicated! Doyne Farmer on a ...

Steve Keen & Phil Dobbie
About this episode
Complex systems don’t have to be complicated to provided deep insights into the real world. That’s the view of Doyne Farmer, special guest on this week’s podcast. It’s an approach he shares to economics with Steve Keen. Steve develops systems from the top-down, whereas Doyne’s work focuses on agent-driven bottom-up modelling. But they arrive at similar conclusions. Phil Dobbie talks to them both about how we could arrive at a more accurate understanding of the economy and financial systems, which could result in better regulatory and planning behaviour by central banks and governments. Doyne also describes how he started down the road of complex modelling, using science to beat the casino tables in Vegas. Or more, get a copy of Doyne’s new book: Making Sense of Chaos– A Better Economics for a Better World.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jan 14
Sovereign Money and 100% money, explained
In this episode of Debunking Economics, Phil Dobbie and Professor Steve Keen dive into the thorny world of “sovereign money” and “100% money” — two reform proposals that aim to radically reshape how modern banking works. Prompted by a listener email, the conversation unpacks why ... Show More
40m 16s
Jan 7
The complete guide to the bond market
In this episode, Phil and Steve take listeners on a guided tour through the mechanics of government bond markets — stripping away the myths, misunderstandings and textbook clichés that usually cloud the topic. Starting from a listener question, they explore why governments issue ... Show More
52m 2s
Dec 31
The dubious role of interest rates
In this episode of Debunking Economics, Phil Dobbie and Professor Steve Keen tackle the global obsession with interest rates. From Australia’s Reserve Bank to the UK’s faltering economy, they explore how central banks use rate changes as a blunt tool to manage inflation and growt ... Show More
44m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Doyne Farmer on making sense of chaos for a better world
Doyne Farmer is something of a rebel. Back in the seventies, when he was a student, he walked into a casino in Las Vegas, sat down at a roulette table and beat the house. To anyone watching the wheel spin and the ball clatter to its final resting place, his choice of number would ... Show More
28m 32s
Sep 2025
The Life Scientific: Doyne Farmer
Doyne Farmer is something of a rebel. Back in the seventies, when he was a student, he walked into a casino in Las Vegas, sat down at a roulette table and beat the house. To anyone watching the wheel spin and the ball clatter to its final resting place, his choice of number would ... Show More
26m 28s
Jan 2024
Tyler Cowen — Hayek, Keynes, & Smith on AI, animal spirits, anarchy, & growth
<p>It was a great pleasure speaking with Tyler Cowen for the 3rd time.</p><p>We discussed <em>GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?</em>, especially in the context of how the insights of Hayek, Keynes, Smith, and other great economists help us ma ... Show More
1h 42m
Nov 2024
What can economics learn from sport?
The great theories of economics seem to have great explanatory power, but the actual world is often far too complicated and messy to fully test them out. Professor Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, an economist at the London School of Economics has an answer – sport. In the contained sett ... Show More
8m 57s
Sep 2024
237. Peter St. Onge
<p>Economist Peter St Onge joins to give us his perspective on a wide range of economic issues, from gold and bitcoin to fertility to government financing.<br/><br/>Enjoyed this episode? Join Saifedean&apos;s online learning platform to take part in weekly podcast seminars, acces ... Show More
2h 12m
Jun 2023
Doughnut Economics (with Andrew Fanning)
On its website, the Doughnut Economics Action Lab describes Doughnut Economics as “a compass for human prosperity in the 21st century.” Its proponents prioritize economic solutions that meet both the basic needs of all people—food, housing, equity, democratic inclusion—and the ec ... Show More
36m 24s
Nov 2024
What is Chaos Theory?
In this captivating episode of Breaking Math, hosts Gabriel and Autumn dive deep into chaos theory—a fascinating branch of mathematics that explores the behavior of complex systems highly sensitive to initial conditions. They break down the butterfly effect, revealing how tiny va ... Show More
13 m
Nov 13
How climate shocks could break the economy | Edmond Rhys Jones
Climate change isn't just reshaping our planet — it's also shaking the very foundations of the economy, says sustainability expert Edmond Rhys Jones. He explores the massive gap between what science tells us about the climate crisis and how the economy measures its impact, advoca ... Show More
12m 59s
Jan 2024
Matthew O. Jackson, "The Human Network: How Your Social Position Determines Your Power, Beliefs, and Behaviors" (Vintage, 2019)
Social networks existed and shaped our lives long before Silicon Valley startups made them virtual. For over two decades economist Matthew O. Jackson, a professor at Stanford University, has studied how the shape of networks and our positions within them can affect us. In this in ... Show More
1h 6m