Conversations with Tyler

Episodes

Joe Studwell on Africa, Asia, and What Development Actually Requires

February 18, 2026

Joe Studwell discusses Africa's development, highlighting rising population density, private sector growth, and a viable manufacturing future.

Andrew Ross Sorkin on Market Bubbles, Banking Rules, and the Real Lessons of 1929

February 4, 2026

Debating 1929: Were speculators heroes? Andrew Ross Sorkin and Tyler Cowen discuss market bubbles, leverage, and lessons for today's economy.

Diarmaid MacCulloch on Christianity, Sex, and Unsettling Settled Facts

January 21, 2026

Historian Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the evolving history of sex and Christianity, challenging settled facts about monogamy, power, and faith.

Brendan Foody on Teaching AI and the Future of Knowledge Work

January 7, 2026

Mercor CEO Brendan Foody on training AI with elite human experts, the rapid rate of model improvement, and the future of knowledge work.

Conversations with Tyler 2025 Retrospective

December 23, 2025

Tyler Cowen and producer Jeff Holmes reflect on 2025's top episodes, answer listener questions on AI, and revisit 2015's pop culture.

Alison Gopnik on Childhood Learning, AI as a Cultural Technology, and Rethinking Nature vs. Nurture

December 17, 2025

Alison Gopnik on how children learn like Bayesian scientists, are more conscious than adults, and what our education systems get wrong.

Gaurav Kapadia on New York City, Investing, and Contemporary Art

December 10, 2025

Investor Gaurav Kapadia on judging quality in investments, NYC urbanism, and contemporary art, emphasizing concentrated bets and cross-domain insight.

Dan Wang on What China and America Can Learn from Each Other

December 3, 2025

Dan Wong and Tyler Cowen debate the US vs. China models: America's lawyerly suburbs vs. China's engineering-driven infrastructure.