Words & Numbers

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

Episodes

Episode 446: The Job Numbers Shock

August 16, 2025 • 42 mins
In this episode, James and Antony unpack the shocking BLS revision that wiped out over 100,000 jobs on paper, what it really means for the economy, and why data transparency matters more than ever. They also dive into the wave of fan misconduct hitting the WNBA, break down the DOJ’s new denaturalization push and its wider implications, and touch on a few other stories shaping the week that you won’t want to miss. Learn more about y...
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Episode 445: Too young to vote?

August 13, 2025 • 42 mins
In this episode, James and Antony discuss the surprising ecological effects of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone, highlighting how these changes mirror economic principles. They explore the broader implications of government interventions, such as COVID-19 lockdowns and economic data revisions. The conversation also touches on the voting age debate, questioning whether 16-year-olds should vote and the potential impacts of such a ...
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Episode 444: The Wealth Tax Trap

August 9, 2025 • 41 mins
Ant and James discuss the wealth tax, what its proponents wish would happen, and what would really happen were it implemented. They also get into why so many dogs are overweight, and the cutting-edge genetic engineering that promises to wipe out malaria by altering mosquito DNA. As if that weren’t enough, they also address the futility of US debt donations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Episode 443: Private Equity in Business

August 6, 2025 • 32 mins
This episode examines the role of private equity in business, focusing on its ability to transform assets and support entrepreneurs. In this episode, James and Antony aim to provide a balanced view of the opportunities and challenges associated with private equity, offering insights into its impact on the business landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Episode 442: Surveillance Pricing?

July 30, 2025 • 49 mins
Explore how inflation quietly erodes your purchasing power, and the deceptive game of monetizing debt and what it means for your future. Dive into the digital clampdown on adult content as age verification systems signal the end of the internet’s unrestricted era. Ant and James grapple with the morality of price discrimination based on search history — who really benefits, and who gets left behind. Join CiVL for member-exclusive...
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Episode 441: A Budget Surplus? Really?

July 23, 2025 • 36 mins
In this week's Words & Numbers, Ant and James tackle the misunderstood world of corporate stock buybacks—are they economic malpractice or just savvy business? The duo then pivots to publicly funded media, taking aim at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and questioning its continued reliance on taxpayer dollars in an age of abundant private alternatives. They also examine the federal government's rare (and tiny) budget surplus...
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Episode 440: Debunking the Religion of Decline

July 16, 2025 • 55 mins
In this episode of Words & Numbers, James and Ant announce their new partnership with CiVL and reflect on the state of modern life. Using Jurassic World and a Nobel Prize winner’s comments as a springboard, they unpack the economics of innovation, incentives, and monopolies. They take on popular claims that life has gotten worse—breaking down the real costs of housing, cars, and higher education over time—and challenge the doom-and...
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Episode 439: The America Party

July 9, 2025 • 34 mins
Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcast. Join CiVL for member-exclusive access to our show, bonus content, and live Q&As. https://civl.com/ Get 50% off your annual subscription with code: WORDSANDNUMBERS Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James!http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/words...
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Episode 438: Do We Need an 8 Hour Work Day?

July 2, 2025 • 30 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-ratio-of-workers-to-social-security-beneficiaries-is-at-a-low-and-projected-to-decline-further/ https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/TR02/lr5A3-h.html https://www.n...
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Episode 437: Rosy Projections

June 25, 2025 • 37 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60392 https://sciencenews.dk/en/the-stem-cell-race-to-rewire-the-parkinsons-brain Foolishness of the Week https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/19/politics/trump-non-...
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Episode 436: What About Buying From China?

June 18, 2025 • 37 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.pcmag.com/news/chatgpt-gets-absolutely-wrecked-in-chess-match-with-1978-atari https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/564133/marines-carry-out-first-known-detention-of-civilian-in-los-...
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Episode 435: End of a Bromance

June 11, 2025 • 34 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/trading-investing/us-debt-downgrade https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/world/social-cohesion-poverty-top-agenda-at-milei-pope-meeting.phtml https://w...
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Episode 434: The Moon!

June 4, 2025 • 31 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://thehill.com/business/housing/5326389-homesellers-outnumber-buyers-housing-market/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/gabbard-considering-ways...
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Episode 433: Whence Shame?

May 28, 2025 • 29 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://x.com/TopShelfSports0/status/1923122877366161873 Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pennsylvania-kindergartener-jello-shots-rcna207337 Words & Numbers Back...
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Episode 432: Where Are the Democrats?

May 21, 2025 • 36 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ais-threat-to-google-just-got-real-8280b4ee Foolishness of the Week https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/trump-intelligence-briefing-frequency-00338946 Word...
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Episode 431: The Republic Fails

May 14, 2025 • 53 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2025/05/05/bag-leather-dinosaur-t-rex.html https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/skilled-trades-high-school-recruitment-fd9f8257 https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18...
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Episode 430: Is Insurance Worth It?

May 7, 2025 • 51 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/08/fake-job-seekers-use-ai-to-interview-for-remote-jobs-tech-ceos-say.html https://fortune.com/article/slate-auto-20000-dollar-electric-pickup-jeff-bezos/ Fooli...
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Episode 429: The Veil of Ignorance

April 30, 2025 • 33 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department Foolishness of the Week https://www.mediaite.com/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-declares-evi...
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Episode 428: What Good is the Department of Education?

April 23, 2025 • 40 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/chatgpt-spends-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-on-people-playing-please-and-thank-you-but-sam-altman-says-its-worth-it https://gptforw...
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Episode 427: Consumer Sentiment

April 16, 2025 • 32 mins
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/trump-hater-of-evs-says-hes-buying-a-tesla-66553ef8?st=8QPVxR&reflink=article_imessage_share https://interestingengineering.com/energy/device-capture-ele...
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