April 9, 2024
Complexity, Permissionless Innovation, and the English Dance
The dreary weather this week in Chicago has been dispiriting, making me feel listless and in need of a mood lift. Nothing does the trick like two of my favorite things: examples of emergence in complex systems, and Jane Austen, especially when I can think about ways to apply the analysis to reducing barriers to…
April 9, 2024
The Myth of Net Neutrality and the Reality of Network Management
The concept of “net neutrality”— that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data on the internet equally — fails to acknowledge the realities of network management and the benefits of a free-market approach to internet services. Despite the claims made in the original net neutrality order, no significant instances of blocking, throttling, or paid…
April 8, 2024
April 22, 2024: Is Climate Change to Blame for Natural Disasters? The Science and Politics of Extreme Weather
When natural disasters happen, climate change is often blamed as a culprit. But attribution research actually shows that infrastructure, institutions, and technology are more important factors in how costly weather is to human communities. This panel will examine the tension between the rhetoric and reality of extreme-weather attribution and what this means for policymaking and…
April 8, 2024
Addictive Design: The Legislative and Litigation Synergy Driving Florida’s Social Media Crackdown
When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill last month banning anyone “younger than 14 years of age” from holding accounts with certain social media platforms, it garnered coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA Today. The New York Times deemed the law “one of the more restrictive measures that a state has enacted so far in an escalating nationwide…
April 8, 2024
The Twitter Electorate Isn’t the Real Electors
Over the past few years, I have watched my parents, family, and friends retreat from online spaces. They used to comment on political issues online; now they just lurk. So a couple of years back, while working at the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University (CGO), I made sure we asked a…
April 8, 2024
What Countries Have Decarbonized the Fastest?
Last month here at THB, I used the “Kaya Identity” to explain the concept of decarbonization, which refers to a reduction in the ratio of carbon dioxide emissions to GDP. I showed data at the global level, which indicates that the world as a whole not only remains far off the pace of decarbonization that would be…
April 8, 2024
April 8, 2024: The American Dream Lecture Series: Jonathan Haidt on Social Media and the Fragmentation of American Life
Event Summary On April 8, AEI held the fourth lecture in the American Dream Lecture Series. New York University’s Jonathan Haidt delivered the lecture on his new book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Dr. Haidt argued that the sharp rise of unhappiness in children in…
April 8, 2024
Mass General Brigham Puts Antiracism Ahead of Their Patients’ Health
The new policy could compromise the well-being of black women and babies in the name of ‘equity.’ Last Tuesday, Mass General Brigham announced it will stop reporting to child welfare officials suspected incidents of abuse or neglect solely because a fetus or a newborn is exposed to drugs. The Boston health network’s new policy also requires written consent for testing of…
April 4, 2024
The Problem With Saying ‘Sex Assigned at Birth’
As you may have noticed, “sex” is out, and “sex assigned at birth” is in. Instead of asking for a person’s sex, some medical and camp forms these days ask for “sex assigned at birth” or “assigned sex” (often in addition to gender identity). The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association endorse this terminology; its use has also exploded in academic…
April 4, 2024
Open App Markets Act: A Misguided Approach That Could Stifle America
Rumor has it the Open App Markets Act (OAMA) could make a comeback in Congress. Its supporters posit that large tech companies, such as Apple and Alphabet, are throttling competition and innovation. Yet these arguments run contrary to objective evidence. And the stakes are high—not only does OAMA-like legislation risk undoing Congressional efforts to address the TikTok challenges, it…