logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
53m 9s

Is everyone pretending to understand inf...

PJ Vogt
About this episode
The single issue that might decide the upcoming presidential election also happens to be: very confusing. Political economist Mark Blyth helps us understand: how inflation starts, how inflation is stopped, and shares his theory about why the powers-that-be may be just as confused about inflation as we are. Support the show: searchengine.show To learn more ... Show More
Up next
Nov 21
Colossus 2
In part two of our story about Elon Musk’s growing data center empire, we visit the battle between people in Memphis and xAI. And we try to understand a strange, untested assumption at the heart of the AI financing boom. Support Search Engine! To learn more about listener data ... Show More
46m 31s
Nov 21
Colossus 1
Tech billionaires have made an enormous bet on AI, the biggest bet that tech has made on anything in a very long time. Reporter Sruthi Pinnamaneni goes on a journey – from Data Center Alley to the shadow of Colossus – to see what the money’s being spent on, and to learn what happ ... Show More
45m 22s
Nov 12
An Anthropology of Gooners
A reporter spends a year diving into a subculture of young men online who unite around their extreme commitment to constant, unadulterated porn consumption. Why are they doing this, what is it doing to them, and what does their existence tell us about the internet we’re all stuck ... Show More
47m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
181 - Is Cryptocurrency the silver bullet to inflation?
We’re continuing our conversation on inflation, this time through the lens of cryptocurrency to understand if it actually is the safe haven to inflation that many seem to think it is<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target=' ... Show More
33m 57s
Aug 2024
Understanding Inflation: Why your bills might not match the official rate
Inflation is a term we hear often, especially when discussing the economy and our personal finances. But have you ever wondered how it's calculated and why it sometimes feels like your expenses are rising faster than the official inflation rate? In our latest podcast episode, I a ... Show More
24m 30s
Jul 2022
Is Inflation Cresting? Adam Ozimek Shares Why He's Hopeful
<p>Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist at Innovate Economy, explains why he's hopeful inflation has crested, why it's stuck around longer than economists expected, and why he believes we'll see inflation come down in the coming months and back down to normal over the next year.</p><br>< ... Show More
9m 43s
Jun 2025
Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli, "Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers" (W. W. Norton & Co, 2025)
Inflation is back, and its impact can be felt everywhere, from the grocery store to the mortgage market to the results of elections around the world. What's more, tariffs and trade wars threaten to accelerate inflation again. Yet the conventional wisdom about inflation is stuck i ... Show More
51m 18s
Jul 2025
How does inflation impact asset prices?
Inflation is everywhere—in the headlines, in central bank decisions, and in the market moves that follow. In this episode, we break down what inflation really is, how it’s measured, and why it matters so much to central banks, investors, and asset prices. From CPI and PCE to core ... Show More
10m 15s
Nov 2021
187 - The return of inflation
It’s no secret that we’ve been living in inflationary times, but inflation is always the harbinger of higher interest rates and if they were to go up, what happens? Lessons from Zillow, the problem of tomorrow's big data, yesterday's invented barter, and the amount of debt out th ... Show More
29m 47s
Dec 2024
Explaining the Food Inflation Debate
Is food inflation truly skewing the effectiveness of monetary policy? The government certainly seems to think so. A combination of volatile food prices, supply side inflation surge, and tame core inflation has led the government to think food inflation had best be excluded from t ... Show More
14m 40s
Sep 11
Combative, conservative, cut down: Charlie Kirk
America’s most prominent young conservative was assassinated while conducting one of his signature campus events. His death might only widen political divides. In Asia a broad trend of deflation points to lower prices but unhealthy economies. And what happens when spiritual leade ... Show More
23m 1s