All Research

All Research

The New NIH Director Has His Work Cut Out For Him
Article
The New Atlantis

The New NIH Director Has His Work Cut Out For Him

In the wake of Covid, trust in scientific and medical experts has eroded and become starkly polarized, threatening the ability of science agencies to sustain broad public support. The National…

How Virologists Lost the Gain-of-Function Debate
Article
The New Atlantis

How Virologists Lost the Gain-of-Function Debate

For years, scientists kept the debate about risky virus research among themselves. Then Covid happened. As President Trump prepares to crack down on virology research, the expert community must face…

The Pacing Problem in Electricity
Article
Knowledge Problem

The Pacing Problem in Electricity

The electricity industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation characterized by smaller-scale, decentralized, and digital technologies. But transitions are rarely easy. Significant challenges arise as the rapid pace of technological innovation…

Eight Pathways to Overcome Vetocracy and Unlock Abundance
Article
AEIdeas

Eight Pathways to Overcome Vetocracy and Unlock Abundance

The recent release of Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson has brought much needed attention to the problem of sclerotic government, especially vetocracy. Vetocracy is an emergent property of…

Free Speech Tradeoffs and Roleplaying Chatbots: Sacrificing the Rights of Many to Safeguard a Few?
Article
AEIdeas

Free Speech Tradeoffs and Roleplaying Chatbots: Sacrificing the Rights of Many to Safeguard a Few?

First Amendment law entails tradeoffs. Consider Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, a case the US Supreme Court heard in January. It involves an online age-verification statute that ostensibly is designed…

The Supreme Court Seems Unlikely to Revive Nondelegation Doctrine in FCC Case
Article
AEIdeas

The Supreme Court Seems Unlikely to Revive Nondelegation Doctrine in FCC Case

Earlier this month, I previewed the arguments in Federal Communications Commission v Consumers’ Research. The case asks the Supreme Court whether the FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF) violates the nondelegation…

Another Courtroom Loss for AI Creations, as “Automatoners” Prevail Again
Article
AEIdeas

Another Courtroom Loss for AI Creations, as “Automatoners” Prevail Again

Last month, a federal appeals court confirmed what most legal regimes around the world—patent offices, administrative judges, and even supreme courts—have long held: Machines cannot themselves create. Readers of this…

Economics and Politics of Tariffs
Article
The Honest Broker

Economics and Politics of Tariffs

In recent years, when teaching my senior policy capstone course I would often pivot the course on short notice to discuss current events, updating the readings on the syllabus, and…

“Drill, Baby, Drill” is Nothing Short of a Myth and Populist Rallying Cry
Article
The Honest Broker

“Drill, Baby, Drill” is Nothing Short of a Myth and Populist Rallying Cry

Who uttered the quote that is the title of this post? A prominent climate activist, perhaps? Or maybe, a progressive Democratic member of Congress? No and no.  The quote comes…

​​Generative AI: The Emerging Coworker Transforming Teams
Book
AEIdeas

​​Generative AI: The Emerging Coworker Transforming Teams

Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to transform workplaces, fundamentally changing tasks, teamwork, and organizational dynamics. Several recent studies highlight promising early findings about how AI is affecting knowledge workers, suggesting…

We Still Haven’t Reckoned with Covid’s Costs
Book
National Review

We Still Haven’t Reckoned with Covid’s Costs

Five years ago, a new coronavirus to which no one was yet immune was sweeping the globe, shutting down schools and sporting events. In March 2020, masks had not yet become…

We Still Haven’t Reckoned with Covid’s Costs
Article
National Review

We Still Haven’t Reckoned with Covid’s Costs

Five years ago, a new coronavirus to which no one was yet immune was sweeping the globe, shutting down schools and sporting events. In March 2020, masks had not yet become…

Global Energy Demand Set to Accelerate
Article
The Honest Broker

Global Energy Demand Set to Accelerate

The International Energy Agency has just published its Global Energy Review 2025. In this post I share the five most important take-aways I see in the report. I encourage you to…

Another Day Ending in “Y,” More Meritless Lawsuits Against the Fossil Energy Producers
Op-Ed
RealClearEnergy

Another Day Ending in “Y,” More Meritless Lawsuits Against the Fossil Energy Producers

One would think that Republicans would know better. One would think that Republicans from an important oil- and gas-producing state would know better. One would think, or hope, that they would prioritize…

Return of the Landline: A Regressive or Welcome Scenario?
Article
AEIdeas

Return of the Landline: A Regressive or Welcome Scenario?

If there has been one inexorable trend in the telecommunications industry over the past 30 years, it has been the decline of the household landline phone connection. While Figure 1 illustrates the…