#AcademicRunPlaylist - 9/9/25

I got to spend today hanging out with this guy, and while enjoying Boston’s early fall weather I listened to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was a great talk by Anders Humlum on using self-report data and macro Danish data to reveal the small labor market effects of generative AI at the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1CZQDDPoGM

Next was a nice talk by Philipp Hacker on how the EU AI Act applies to fine tuning at the Merantix AI Campus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDtPpT25k6Q

Next was a fascinating talk by Terry Harrison on the ecology and behavior of Australopithecus afarensis at the ASU Institute of Human Origins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94JytYQTVM4

Next was an interesting talk by Pascaline Dupas on the effects of competition and management training at CEPR https://www.youtube.com/live/nN0X-aAo21s?si=qgBwIBg1lYx4bBrI&t=131

Next was “The Market in Global International Society” by Barry Buzan and Robert Falkner. This book provides an excellent overall of the history of economic theories about global trade as well as the history of global trade regimes themselves. The authors importantly demonstrate how traditional approaches that segment off the state and market are fundamentally flawed, showing how a continuum of configurations, as well as features that simply exist or don't, are a much more effective way to characterize trade policies. Highly recommend https://academic.oup.com/book/59007/ 

Next was “How Railways Transformed the World” by Patrick Allitt. Allitt provides a great, wide-ranging history of railroads and their influence across every aspect of society. It is, however, confined to the West, with the very small exception of a bit of history on colonial India and the Shinkansen. Highly recommend https://www.amazon.com/How-Railways-Transformed-the-World/dp/B0D4FC7CZV 

Last was “The Great Reversal” by Thomas Philippon. Philippon makes a compelling case that America's hands off approach in competition policy is behind many of today's economic woes, and contrasts that with the experience of the EU. This book is unashamedly academic in orientation, frequently diving into core economic concepts around firm competition, but this discipline wanes when going outside the economic sphere. Philippon also wildly vacillates between blanket criticism of government intervention and praising it in specific circumstances. However, as a rigorous look at the need for more proactive antitrust policy, this is an extremely useful book. Highly recommend https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674260320