Words & Numbers touches on issues of Economics, Political Science, Current Events and Policy. Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new Words & Numbers podcast featuring Antony Davies Ph.D and James Harrigan Ph.D talking about the economics and political science of current events. Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcasts, learn more at civl.com
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Words & Numbers touches on issues of Economics, Political Science, Current Events and Policy. Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new Words & Numbers podcast featuring Antony Davies Ph.D and James Harrigan Ph.D talking about the economics and political science of current events. Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcasts, learn more at civl.com
In this episode, we open with a look at how news coverage distorts public perception of danger, from shark attacks to terrorism, and why our instincts so often fail to match the data. We analyze the betting markets in regards to potential 2028 GOP presidential candidates. We discuss Ohio’s new proposal to offer paternity testing at birth, raising deeper questions about truth, family, and whether the state should standardize knowledge people may prefer not to have. We explore what consent really means in modern politics, how taxation relates to self-ownership, and whether withdrawing consent is even possible inside a democratic system. We dig into the philosophy of “future selves,” weighing whether personal choices today can violate the rights of the person we eventually become, and how this idea might reshape debates about children, drug laws, responsibility, and property rights. We wrap with the growing implications of deepfake technology, including one startling clip that hits very close to home.
00:00 Introduction and Overview
00:31 America’s Real Causes of Death vs. Media Coverage
04:54 Heart Disease, Suicide, Homicide: Comparing Risk to Headlines
07:47 Terrorism Coverage and the Outlier Problem
09:27 Why Our Brains Misread Danger
11:48 New Ohio Bill on Paternity Testing
13:59 The Ethics of Mandatory vs. Optional Paternity Tests
17:05 PolyMarket Odds for 2028 GOP Presidential Candidates
21:48 What Yoga Can Teach Economists About Property Rights
23:31 Self-Ownership, Labor, and the Logic of Markets
27:01 Voting, Consent, and Withdrawing From the Regime
34:13 Environmental Ethics and “Not Stealing From the Earth”
36:23 Can You “Steal” From Your Future Self?
37:25 Identity Over Time: Are You the Same Person Decades Later?
42:08 Do Children Have Full Rights? And When Should They?
43:42 Drug Laws, Nanny States, and Personal Autonomy
45:21 Age Restrictions and the Problem of Arbitrary Lines
50:34 Should Your Future Self Be Considered a Separate Entity?
56:28 AI Voice Impersonation and AI Safety
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Words & Numbers
Words & Numbers touches on issues of Economics, Political Science, Current Events and Policy. Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new Words & Numbers podcast featuring Antony Davies Ph.D and James Harrigan Ph.D talking about the economics and political science of current events. Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcasts, learn more at civl.com