It was a nearly perfect spring day in Boston, and luckily in the late afternoon I was able to get out for a short run and listen to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was an engaging conversation with Liset M de la Prida on how neuronal subtypes influence population manifolds, how neuroscience should think about and use models, and more on the Brain Inspired podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAIKmxkH6UA

Next was a fantastic discussion between Ann Lipton and Michael Levin on the latest on the corporate governance case study gift that keeps on giving that is Tesla and how activist investors think on the Shareholder Primacy podcast. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKGu5BV9LuI

Next was a compelling talk by Jin Ryong Kim on designing multisensory interfaces, particularly thermal-tactile integration at UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nL8QV9GhIc

Next was a great talk by Douglas Guilbeault on emergent directedness in social contagion theory at the Network Science Institute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Xx8BNJwFs

Next was a wide-ranging panel on past, present, and future challenges in competition policy around the world at the New York University School of Law with Daniel Amato, Ioannis Lianos, and Angela Huyue Zhang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVeIGOMaFDU

Next was an informative session on the state of global corporate affairs at the Saïd Business School with Rupert Younger, Stewart Prosser, Chris Coulter, Krista Pilot, and Jonathan Hirasawa Ashton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQxJnZ2YpXA

Next was a riveting session on how capitalism conquered the world at UC Berkeley with Trevor Jackson, Chenzi Xu, and Dylan Riley. This is an extremely thought-provoking panel, causing one to think deeply about the meaning and nature of capitalism and the implications for how we think about how we organize our societies and economies. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qimNs8TvW1A

Last was "A Revolution Down on the Farm" by Paul Conkin. This is one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read, building an incredibly insightful picture of the arc of farming in the US from 1929 - 2008, with Conkin combining his personal history, deep case studies, macro history, and economic and scientific research on the sector. This combination of different analytical techniques is extremely rare, and Conkin makes it extremely engaging with his brilliant writing style and deft combination of different approaches in each chapter. The depth of technical and sectoral change over this period is difficult to overstate, with Conkin convincingly arguing that productivity improvements in agriculture have long been underappreciated by both academics and society more broadly. Understanding this core industry is absolutely essential for thinking about work and productivity, and this book is the perfect entry point. Highly recommend https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813125190/a-revolution-down-on-the-farm/