I came across a flock of turkeys on my run, and after carefully navigating around them I listened to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was an engaging panel on recent US labor news with Seth Harris, Kim Kelly, Michael Z. Green, and Dave Jamieson on the Power At Work podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkkET5T1pJg

Next was an intriguing talk by Michele Bisceglia on modeling the effects of privacy regulations on digital platforms and their users at the Toulouse School of Economics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J59Z90dnp10

Next was an informative review of the latest BLS employment numbers by Camelia Kuhnen at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrwMyine4bI

Next was "Blood Relations" by Jenny Bangham. Bangham lays out in devastating detail the tight links between blood type (group) science and its institutions and the eugenics movement, with further developments ultimately culminating in the advent of genetics. This book also shows how the world wars supercharged both the science and practice of blood types, further augmenting the power and influence of the scientists and institutions pushing racist ideologies. Bangham also demonstrates how the scientific innovations of population-level data collection and statistics, driven in no small part by eugenicist desires to paint a scientific veneer over their racist beliefs, continues to echo to the modern day. Highly recommend https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo61909220.html

Next was "Free Agents" by Kevin Mitchell. This book connects physics, evolutionary history, and neuroscience to build a compelling case for the existence of free will and why/how it evolved. Despite it not being Mitchell's area of expertise, the sections on physics are excellent, and the chapters tracing evolutionary developments around sensing, cognition, and decision making are similarly insightful. Highly recommend https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691226231/free-agents

Next was "A Perfect Mess" by David Labaree. This is a thorough sociological investigation of US higher education, for better and for worse. On the positive side, Labaree posits a convincing theory of the causes and results of the hierarchical nature of that system, including financial requirements, market structure, and surrounding institutions. It is notably, however, lacking in any quantitative backing for sweeping statements until reaching the 21st century. This makes it hard to take many of the claims Labaree makes at face value, especially given that he completely ignores the extremely illiberal nature of the US throughout history, most egregiously segregation in schools. If you're interested in the sector, however, it's worth a skeptical read https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo19995111.html