#AcademicRunPlaylist - 5/14/25

I had a lovely day in London, and I enjoyed going on a nice run along the Thames while taking some calls and listening to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was a compelling talk by Abraham Wickelgren on using a stock shorting scheme as an antitrust remedy at The GW Competition & Innovation Lab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUaOTJOYhYI

Next was a fantastic discussion between friends of the playlist Ann Lipton and Michael Levin on shareholder earnout disputes and recent developments in the proxy advisory industry on the Shareholder Primacy podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vQhtq5dHcE

Next was an excellent talk by Eric Posner on bringing antitrust to bear on labor markets at GW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpTmwaS8muM

Next was an amazing talk by Patrick Wallis on the apprenticeship industry in early modern England at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The stats on geographic mobility and urban concentration were shocking, and its implications for later economic growth were fascinating to contemplate. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/live/xr35zfWqHws?si=iz09AajfaHBqysyL&t=645

Last was "Nobody's Normal" by Roy Grinker. Grinker moves methodically through the centuries, detailing how attitudes and cultural knowledge about mental illness has changed over time. With the more recent medicalization of these conditions, he then investigates the origins of different diagnoses (shockingly many developed during WW2), treatments, and the implications of more recent technological advances. By combining historical analysis, personal narrative (Grinker's grandfather was a giant in the field), and scientific analysis this book provides incredible insights into one of society's most central phenomena. Highly recommend https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393531640