Archives
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How Hierarchy Can Mediate the Returns to Education
December 20, 2019
In the US military, returns to education are mediated almost completely by hierarchical rank.
Why We Should Abandon Real GDP As A Measure of Economic Activity
December 15, 2019
For all that it purports to say, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fails to explain anything relevant about the world.
The Social Environment as a Cause in Economics
December 12, 2019
Economists purge the social environment from their theory of human behavior. Here's why this is a mistake.
Call For Papers: Energy, Institutions and Society
November 29, 2019
I’ve been asked to create panels for the upcoming International Conference on Thermodynamics 2.0.
Ten Tips For Doing Open Science
November 28, 2019
Here are ten tips for making your research open to fellow scientists.
Productivity Does Not Explain Wages
November 14, 2019
Wages correlate with firms' sales per worker. Does this mean that productivity explains wages? The answer is no.
The Tyranny of Meritocracy
October 30, 2019
If you're good at something that isn't valued by other people, you won't be rewarded. This is the tyranny of meritocracy.
An Evolutionary Theory of Resource Distribution (Part 3)
October 17, 2019
I review evidence for the power ethos inside modern firms.
An Evolutionary Theory of Resource Distribution (Part 2)
September 26, 2019
I continue to explore how our evolved sociality explains resource distribution. I discuss the power ethos — the idea that individuals get resources in proportion to their social influence.
An Evolutionary Theory of Resource Distribution (Part 1)
September 06, 2019
It's time to put economics in line with the rest of science. We need a theory of resource distribution that accepts our evolved sociality.
Tribalism in Science (and Economics)
August 23, 2019
The ideal of science is to respect the evidence — to take nobody's word for it. But this cuts against our social instinct to pay deference to members of our tribe.
A Reading List For Economic Heretics
August 08, 2019
Here are 10 books that every economic heretic should read.
Making Beautiful Charts Using R ggplot
July 30, 2019
I show you my code for making pretty charts in ggplot.
When Inequality Increases and Decreases at the Same Time
July 22, 2019
In some countries, the top 1% share of income has increased while the Gini index has decreased. Here's how it can happen.
No, Productivity Does Not Explain Income
July 09, 2019
The idea that income is proportional to productivity is a thought virus that needs to die.
Rethinking Causation in the Social Sciences
July 04, 2019
The social sciences, I've come to believe, don't have a coherent concept of causation. To talk about 'causation' we need to have a boundary on cause and effect. I reflect on what this means for studying causation.
Problems With Measuring Inequality
June 26, 2019
We often talk about inequality using a single number — usually the Gini index. But the reality is that inequality is complex. To study inequality, we need to use multiple metrics.
The Legacy of Aaron Swartz: The Fight for Open Access
June 19, 2019
Aaron Swartz fought for and (effectively) died for open access to the world's scientific literature. I reflect on Swartz's legacy, six years after his death.
Inequality and Capitalist Income
June 12, 2019
In the United States, the income share of the top 1% is tightly related to the share of corporate dividends in national income.
What If Scientific Impact Could Be Negative?
June 10, 2019
Citation counts are similar to social media "likes" — they are always positive. But what if we had negative citations?
Are We Measuring Inequality the Wrong Way?
June 06, 2019
Anthropologist Jason Hickel thinks we measure inequality incorrectly. He argues we should measure absolute inequality rather than relative inequality. I think this is a mistake.
The Allure of Marxism … And Why It's a Mistake
May 30, 2019
Marx thought that private property was the cause of capitalism's social ills. But when Marx's ideas were put in action, they were disastrous. I discuss what went wrong.
Resources for Recovering Academic Writers
May 28, 2019
I have a confession: I'm a recovering academic writer. Here I share resources that have helped my recovery.
A Review of Gregory Clark's "A Farewell to Alms"
May 27, 2019
Gregory Clark proposes that the differential reproduction of the rich led to the industrial revolution. He's probably wrong.
As it Dies, We Talk About the 'Free Market' More
May 24, 2019
The less free market we have, the more we use the phrase 'free market'. George Orwell would be proud.
The Growth of Managers: An Update
May 23, 2019
An update to "The The Growth of Hierarchy and the Death of the Free Market". I show you which countries are which.
Can A Service Transition Save the Planet?
May 21, 2019
Can a service transition help us reduce carbon emissions? The evidence says no.
Where's the Barefoot Revolution in Economics?
May 17, 2019
Yesterday I was reminded of what got me interested in economics. I reread the 'Barefoot Economics Manifesto'.
The Growth of Hierarchy and the Death of the Free Market
May 16, 2019
Contrary to what neoclassical economists claim should happen, economic growth seems to involve less 'free market' and more hierarchy.
Energy and the Size Distribution of Firms
May 07, 2019
As societies use more energy, business firms tend to get bigger. Here's how it happens.
Real GDP: The Flawed Metric at the Heart of Macroeconomics
April 29, 2019
Real GDP is key to macroeconomics. But is it a valid measure of economic scale?
Visualizing Power-Law Distributions
April 25, 2019
Power laws are everywhere, but hard to grasp intuitively. I discuss some tricks for visualizing them.
A Muckraking Challenge
April 18, 2019
If you are an empirical researcher, I have a challenge for you.
Three Cheers for the Empirical Muckraker
April 17, 2019
I pay tribute to scientists who I think have done excellent empirical research.
Let's Celebrate Being Wrong
April 16, 2019
In science, being wrong is cause for a celebration. Yes, you heard me right.
Agent-Based Models and the Ghost in the Machine
April 15, 2019
I am skeptical about agent-based models. Here are my thoughts on their problems.
Groping in the Dark: The Untold Side of Research
April 13, 2019
There is an exciting side of blogging that I want to explore here. Blogging can tell the story behind research
Economics from the Top Down
April 11, 2019
Welcome to the first post of 'Economics from the Top Down'. This will be a blog about new ideas in economics and the social sciences.
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Economics from the Top Down is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.