In this episode of Econ Nerds Live, host Matt Hill and co-host Ariel Slonim welcome Jadrian Wooten from Monday Morning Economist (https://www.mondayeconomist.com/).

They start with a news quiz. Then talk about their favorite Monday Morning Economist posts:

• How much would the pizza from Home Alone be today?
• Why do we buy fancier eggs when egg prices rise?
• Does Taylor Swift actually add to the economy?

Then the conversation also gets very nerdy with a discussion on confusing terminology used in Economics.

00:00 Introduction to Monday Morning Economist

02:27 News Quiz

18:39 Pop Culture Economics and Home Alone

20:09 Challenges in Adjusting Prices Over Time

24:10 Comparing Historical Prices: Time vs. CPI

28:10 The Alchian-Allen Effect Explained (why are you buying more expensive eggs?)

31:54 The Impact of Taylor Swift on Local Economies

38:13 Teaching Economics: Challenges and Insights

41:03 The Challenge of Economic Terminology

55:03 Consumer Surplus/ DWL: Transformers, home buying, Delta

Referenced in the podcast:

https://www.mondayeconomist.com/

Planet money on sugar prices: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2013/04/26/179295426/episode-454-the-lollipop-war

Subscribe to our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EconNerds

In this episode, Matt Hill and Ariel Slonim discuss the fertility crisis with guest Susannah Petitt. They explore the decline in birth rates, the impact of education and marriage trends, and the economic implications of a shrinking population. The conversation delves into the importance of innovation, the role of social media, and potential policy solutions to encourage family growth.

Susannah shares insights on the misconceptions surrounding fertility and the need for supportive community structures. The episode concludes with reflections on the cultural narratives surrounding parenthood and the opportunity costs associated with raising children.

Chapters

04:16 The Shift from Overpopulation to Depopulation Concerns

19:11 Housing and Its Impact on Family Planning

25:08 The Influence of Technology and Social Change on Fertility

34:41 Balancing Childbearing and Career

45:29 Current Reads and Interesting Finds

57:16 Current Events: Tariffs and Trade Agreements

Check out Susannah’s substack Upward Bound: https://theupwardbound.substack.com/

In this episode of the Econ Nerds podcast, hosts Matt Hill and Ariel Slonim explore various economic themes ranging from pole vaulting incentives to the impact of tariffs on job creation. They discuss the implications of NYC's free bus proposal, the economic contributions of K-Pop sensation BTS, and the evolving landscape of creative jobs in the age of AI.

Then a life advice involving Bitcoin and personal finance decisions.

The episode concludes with reflections on community initiatives like the Buy Nothing group and the hidden costs associated with them.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and News Quiz Kickoff

16:52 AI and Art: The Future of Creativity

32:25 Life Advice

35:47 Consumer Surplus vs. Deadweight Loss: Buy Nothing

In this episode of Econ Nerds Live, hosts Matt Hill and Ariel Slonim delve into the pressing issue of national debt, exploring its implications and the government's options for managing it. Then a news quiz segment, where they test each other's knowledge on current events and economic trends. Then they unveil their new segment: "Not Investment Advice", where they give investment advice. The episode wraps up with discussions male friendships, homesteading and Lego Masters

00:00 - Government Spending and Economic Consequences

10:15 - Transitioning to Current Economic News and Quizzes

Investing Insights: Predictions and Market Trends

23:24 - NOT Investment Advice: Tattoo Removal

30:12 - Consumer Surplus and Deadweight Loss: Male Friendships, Homesteading and Lego Masters

Articles mentioned

All articles for the news quiz can be found at our substack: https://econnerds.substack.com/

Supersonics are back

https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/06/supersonics-takeoff.html

Male Friendships

https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/male-friendship

Homesteading:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2025/06/05/i-tried-homesteading/

In this episode of Econ Nerds, hosts Matt Hill and Ariel Slonim discuss the recent legal challenges surrounding tariffs, the economic implications of presidential power over tariffs, and the collective action problems faced by Congress. They explore how uncertainty in tariff policies affects businesses and consumers, and delve into the broader economic concepts at play. The conversation also includes a fun news quiz that highlights various economic principles. Then they try to figure out the pricing strategies of Trader Joe's. Finally, Ariel and Matt debate the best place to get wands.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

03:00 Tariff Pause and Legal Challenges

09:02 Congressional Power and Collective Action Problems

12:10 Impact of Tariffs on Business and Consumers

18:10 News Quiz and Economic Insights

34:26 Understanding Trader Joe's Pricing Strategy

45:39 Consumer Surplus and Deadweight Loss

50:23 Experiential Marketing: The Magic of Harry Potter World

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In this inaugural episode of Econ Nerds Live, hosts Matt Hill and Ariel Slonim discuss various economic topics, including the recent decision to stop minting pennies, the impact of AI on jobs, the price fluctuations of Ozempic. They also explore the challenges of innovation and idea generation, the pricing of non-alcoholic beverages, and the economic lessons learned from personal experiences, such as dealing with crows in the backyard.

00:00 - Introduction to Econ Nerds Podcast

01:13 - The Death of the Penny

07:56 - AI and Job Market Changes

09:59 - Video of the Week: Ozempic Pricing Loophole

14:51 - Post of the Week: Scott Sumner on Populism

19:46 - Paper of the Week: Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find, Nicholas Decker summarizes the paper here

22:44 - The Price is right? Price of Mocktails and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

29:48 - Consumer Surplus and Deadweight Loss of the week

33:55 - Archaeology Meets Economics - How to find ancient cities with trade theory

39:20 - The Impact of War on Economies

43:41 - Econ in the Wild: Personal Anecdotes

Other posts mentioned:

• Infinite Scroll on slop: https://www.infinitescroll.us/p/stop-calling-everything-slop?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1543281&post_id=164064724

• Pessimist’s Archive on Apple: https://newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org/p/thinking-different-is-never-popular?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=247795&post_id=162898051