This week we discuss whether moving from measuring Gross Domestic Product vs Gross National Happiness would improve underlying results for the world. There's a hint of an opinion in the title of the article we reference. The aim of maximising happiness is doomed to fail as a public policy
The biggest news is that Brian has a substack! You should all go subscribe to it
Also referenced:
You can always contact us at affixpodcast@gmail.com or podcastaffix@gmail.com. I think you can also just reply to this email on substack?
The show notes can be delivered to you in handy substack form! If you click no other link in this then please subscribe to the substack!
You can always contact us at affixpodcast@gmail.com or podcastaffix@gmail.com. I think you can also just reply to this email on substack?
Main Article on housing
The show notes can be delivered to you in handy substack form! If you click no other link in this then please subscribe to the substack!
You can always contact us at affixpodcast@gmail.com or podcastaffix@gmail.com. I think you can also just reply to this email on substack?
Main Article rich friend poor friend
Chanticleer podcast
At the end of Age of Average was a link called So you say you want a devolution. It's... fine, though I only read it a couple of weeks ago and already remember nothing
Why do all cars look like putty? - note: Neither Brian or us has watched this sow ho knows what it is!
An Alphard - Looks like what the Yakuza would drive to the school drop-off
The ACT clearly had it's top west corner cut off
FTL is a pretty great game
We have a substack now!! If you click on no other link ever on the show notes except this one then you'll get all the show notes from now on in your email!!
Please contact us we miss you! I think you can also just reply to this email if you’re on substack?
You can also find us on discord or reddit
The obligitory Big list of coffee bets
This week we discuss the Age of Average by Alex Murell. We're sort of stumped by what to make of it, as it superficially makes some good points, but falls flat at the landing.
In Diablo II news the 1 hour mark has been broken on both Paladin and Assassin! Obviouslly not on necromancer, that would be laughable. Brian would laugh at you and you won't be sure why!
We have a substack now!! If you click on no other link ever on the show notes except this one then you'll get all the show notes from now on in your email!!
Please contact us we miss you! I think you can also just reply to this email if you’re on substack?
You can also find us on discord or reddit
The obligitory Big list of coffee bets
This week we discuss a list of job applications questions submitted by a user. List below!
We have a substack now!! If you click on no other link ever on the show notes except this one then you'll get all the show notes from now on in your email!!
Please contact us we miss you! I think you can also just reply to this email if you’re on substack?
You can also find us on discord or reddit
The obligitory Big list of coffee bets
This week we discuss an ok-ish book that proves to be a good kicking off point for a conversation Die with Zero by Bill Perkins. Brian skimmed some blogs on it and Chris listened to the podcast version.
We also have quite a lot of fun seeing how many people we kill or let die in absurd trolley problems
Other stuff!
We have a substack now so that you can read your blogs like a normal person instead of someone who reads blogs as links from their podcatcher. I think probably not many people do that which is why no one reads my show notes
In Danny Kahneman’s book Thinking Fast and Slow they discuss why you might prefer more total pain in order to feel less total suffering.
One of the greatest posts on the /r/financialindependance subreddit was Build the Life You Want, Then Save for It by Mr. Llama, surprisingly also a Diablo II streamer. Strange overlap between these two worlds.
Please contact us we miss you!
This week we discuss The Wife Drought by Annabel Crab.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets
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Meaning is a jumper you have to knit yourself - it keeps you warm
Fortune 500 companies employ 17.5% of the total U.S. workforce
Please contact us we miss you!
This week we once again discuss whether progress is over, or even if people still want progress! The lure of technocracy can be great or terrible
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets
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Pluto 1994 vs 2018 - PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK! I REALLY LIKE WHEN PEOPLE CLICK MY LINKS!
Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue. A true story of a real conspiracy by Ryan Holiday
Why did we wait so long for the bicycle? I must have linked this 5 times so far. If you haven't read it then you really should. It's amazing.
Blueprint for Armageddon - A Dan Carlin podcast on the politics, technology and horror of WWI
Dall-E 2 is an AI that can actually understand you and draw what you describe. It feels genuinely possible that it's "woken up"
China Covid updates from Zvi. He's probably not as amazing as he was mid-pandemic, but I still think he's worth a read.
Please contact us we miss you!
Chris wants to get into micro-grids. If you know anything about them please tell me! Our main article is about jobs that pay in status instead of money.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets
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The year ahead - by the RBA. Chris got the gist, maybe you will too?
Context is that which is scarce. Also apparently editors? I feel like that sentence could be much snappier?
Minds almost meeting - a podcast of two highly intelligent and unorthodox thinkers recorded at the bottom of the ocean via two cans on a string
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
This will be the last of our regularly scheduled episode. As our lives ramp up and we take on different responsibilities we have decided to take a break from our schedule. We may come back from time to time, so if you'll have us in your feed, we'd love to stay!
This week we mostly talk about ways we could use more energy after Matt Yglesias convinced us that we should
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
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Winners take all - a commentary on billionaire philanthropy by Anand Giridharadas
Chris' fancy coffee machine - The Delonghi Dinamica S vs X-men
Technology connections and Malcom Gladwell both love dishwashers!
80,000 hours rates climate change as "This is a pressing problem to work on, but you may be able to have an even bigger impact by working on something else."
Plasma cutters cut steel beems using electricity, contrary to what some say.
Brian becomes a world record holder! He's not any more, but he was!!!!!
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
This week we discuss what's gone wrong with science and the replication crisis. We also discuss how inequality may improve life globally riffing off Scott Sumner.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
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A plug for effective altruism - the statistical life you can save is still a life!
Dominic Cummins has thoughts on how to make the government actually control the government again.
Max the axe sure loved firing public servants.
The data colada blog broke the story of the dishonesty in Dan Ariely's work on dishonesty.
Psychology's "priming" is probably not real
Diablo 2 resurrected has finally been released!
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This week we discuss why the internet intelligentsia really do not like the Australian lockdowns (each word is a different link, that's how much they hate us).
I try to explain to Brian why Slime Mold Time Mold thinks we're getting fat. Something to do with chemicals?
Brian is launching his world famous youtube channel!!!
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
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Stubborn Attachments - by Tyler Cowen. If we think that future lives are as valuable as our own, then economic growth is one of the highest moral imperatives. (Funny that an economist would have that thesis)
A history of factory safety - possible pre-reading for a future episode!
I tried to find a reference for my story about mega-yacht story, but I did find an article explaining how much yacht you can afford! I can afford a dinghy.
John Howard sacked many high-ranking public servants upon coming to power in the night of the long knives
The Jolly Swagman podcast has a fascinating episode on Australia's (botched) vaccine rollout.
Ben and James from Exponant discuss the idea that you have to make your priority stack explicit when thinking about complicated issues.
Why are we getting fat?
Doomsday by Nero, what a banger
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
After opening this discussion saying we have no feedback or followup we spend half this podcast musing on questions raised about government power and growth. Our main topic this week is how politics isn't as bad as you think. You're allowed to not vote for someone because you don't like their tax policies, you don't have to paint them as an existensial threat to our entire way of life.
If you know whether an Australian minister can fire a public servant we really want to know!!
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
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The giving what we can pledge is a movement founded by EA to encourage giving 10% of their income and then not feeling like you have to keep doing "more"
The case against crisis-mongering - our main topic curtesy of Matty Glesias (or maybe Matt Yglesias, no one knows)
Fight club perfectly encapsulated the post-cold war malaise of the late 90s
Go find Brian on youtube talking about diablo 2 speed runs! (what else)
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
This week we once again revisit the topic of wealth and income inequality, first through the lens of cryptocurrency and then through the lens of if it matters at all (I mean....probably...at least a bit).
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
Digitization and the demand for physical books
Nintendo sues a ROM website and wins.....not that much money compared to the size of Ninentdo
If this podcast has no other impact than getting more subscribers to pay for green-fleet then I shall consider it a massive success
Against overuse of the gini coefficient - Vitalik Buterin including the chart we said we'd link
The Motte and Bailey arugment is everything wrong with political debate in 2020?
Should we care about wealth inequality?
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
A discussion of aging and wisdom, more forms of government that we should try, and Chris exhorts you, yes you specifically, to become a billionaire.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
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I'm just going to put a link to Marginal Revolution here. I feel like all we do is reference blogs we found there first.
Rob Wiblin is the director of research at 80,000 hours. He makes podcasts of about that length regularly.
Paul Graham (not Marc Andresson) muses on life is short.
Wait but why on being in the tail end of many important experiences in your life
The eleventh podcast about the Menzies government. Finally I have something to listen to.
You should be a billionaire - and if you do, don't forget our top tier Patreon!
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
Our major topic this week is on Tricameral Legislatures by slime-mold time-mold. What if instead of 2 branches of government we had 3? According to this article, something either very silly, or possibly a little profound.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
Could a issue and project tracking system work outside of software?
Using prediction markets to fund investigative journalism
The 80,000 hours podcast. I know our podcast can go long, but 80,000 hours might be too long.....
Don't read this article if you want to know why denim is blue. It's useless.
The culture wars are long wars. Millenials and Gen X are drastically losing their religion compared to other generations
Hello Internet - the quintessential "two guys talking" and an inspiration for this podcast
So many world records you'd think it's an leap year. Which raises the question, when will Diablo II speedrunning be recognised as an olympic sport?
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
Our main topics this week are Brian pushing back to the tyranny of merit on the Jolly Swagman podcast. Brian actually recorded an entire rant on this, but has mellowed to the point where we're willing to share his musings with you. Chris found Noah Smith's interview with Marc Andreesen fascinating and used it to kick off 7 million tangents.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
The Dutch East Indies are a real colony that did exist.
The Standards Store is also something that exists, which is crazy to me.
The Internet's Own Boy - a story of an amazing man who was taken from us too soon
On Cultural Progress - A pushback to the article discussed in Episode 24 by super-listener SurelyKnott
Napolean was the best general ever according to a hard to scrutinise machine learning algorithms
It's time to build and technology saves the world. Marc Andreeson sure loves the tech industry, but he makes some good points.
Just in Time manufacturing and Lean Manufacturing. Chris's original career
Nassim Taleb's Black Paper trashing bitcoin
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
We are moving the show to fortnightly. We still love you all, it's just a lot of work (mostly for Brian)
This week we talk about total factor productivity growth, and whether higher wages (through worker power, alternatives like UBI or minimum wage laws) cause greater innovation. Chris forgets that the Dutch had colonies despite his Oma (grandmother) growing up in one, and we discuss peak culture, and whether the Affix Podcast actually *is* peak culture and it's all downhill from here.
You can also find us on discord or reddit
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
9 is unlucky in Japan, not China - in Japan specifically, the number 9 is a bad-luck number that sounds like “suffering” when spoken aloud
Our main article by Noah Smith on total factor productivity growth.
Hotels are investing in robot vacuum cleaners.
Labour cost differences during the industrial revolution.
The superstar effect vs unions.
Brian's topic this week is "This is what peak culture looks like"
The Three Body Problem - an amazingly imaginative science fiction trilogy.
Why didn't we invent the bicycle a hundred years earlier?
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
If you can, this might be more fun to watch on Twitch or YouTube where you can read the chat and see our pretty faces.
This week is our live show. Editing is light and trolls are unfortunately fed. We riff on "Conversations with Tyler" by doing over-rated vs under-rated. Let chat adjudicate our coffee bets and talk with chat.
You can also find us on discord
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
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The code of Hammurabi is the first mention in the history of insurance
SPACs and SPARCs by Matt Levine. Financial innovation continues to innovate!
Scott Alexander on Fussell on Class (my favourite way to read history is to read Scott Alexander summarising it to me)
Nassim Taleb: The most intolerant wins
The Three Body Problem - Liu Cixin one of the most imaginative works of sci fi we've ever read.
The solarwinds hack by planet money
A beginner's guide to irrationality - Dan Ariely's MOOC
It continues to be difficult to hire tech talent into the NSA
~23% of vacuum cleaners were robotic in the USA in 2020
Our live show is in one week on Brian's twitch stream!!!!! 13th of June 8pm AEST!!!!
Please contact us or support us on Patreon!
This week Chris and Brian discuss whether we should burn down Atlanta in the name of science (don't worry, we'd let all the people out first). Then, substacks actually change Chris' life (in a pretty minor way, but still!)
You can also find us on discord
Big list of coffee bets - now also on Melange app.
Sorry to anyone who downloaded this episode while it was called "Untitled" and the show notes unfinished!
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How Australia can fix the plasma market
Attack of the Civilization State - China is a fully self-contained civilization and continuing to assert itself in the modern world
Returns to scale in broken windows. Should we destroy a small Australian city? Maybe Brisbane?
Chinese nail houses and the tragedy of the anticommons
The history of insurance - it's debatable. For the first 3000 years of insurance it seemed to be exclusively to cancel loans, in 1676 a company was set up to make actual payments on a policy
I feel like I've linked this before, but if you're thinking of making a big change in your life, you should probably just go for it!
So he waited, continuing to pretend to be a boring center-right liberal. "What would a real center-right liberal do?" he asked himself, and figured he might as well deregulate some stuff and pass capitalist policies. The Turkish economy entered an unprecedented boom, and a (presumably baffled) Erdogan was hailed as a genius.
Bryan Caplan - Revenge of the Game Theorist
Moral Costs of Chicken vs. Beef
Offset some of those moral costs with Greenfleet or if you're American perhaps Terrapass
Pain is not the unit of effort! "To this day there's a gremlin on my shoulder that whispers, "If you're happy, you're not trying your best."
The Hardcore something something Assassin WORLD RECORD!!!!!!!!
