Econ 102 with Noah Smith
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AI Business Models, Rare Earths, and China's Economic Challengesby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on November 11, 2025 at 2:01 pmIn this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore AI's effects on productivity, how AI business models will shake out, the US and China's rare earth minerals industries, and China's economic challenges, including demographics, real estate, […]
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Manufacturing's Future, The Electric Tech Stack, and Automationby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on October 8, 2025 at 1:01 pmIn this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg cover the transformation of global manufacturing, the rise of the electric tech stack, the landscape of jobs and economic policy, and the state of today's online discourse. – SPONSORS: NetSuite […]
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Who Profits from AI?by Econ 102 with Noah Smith on August 27, 2025 at 11:01 amIn this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore how AI is reshaping the economy, jobs, business profitability, industry competition, and financing, while drawing historical parallels and offering insights into its broader societal impact. […]
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AGI Thought Experiment with Dwarkesh Patel, Noah Smith, and Erik Torenberg | From the a16z Podcastby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on August 15, 2025 at 11:00 amIn this episode from the @a16z podcast, Dwarkesh Patel, Noah Smith, and Erik Torenberg discuss AGI, exploring how AI might transform labor markets, economic growth, space exploration, and geopolitical dynamics in the coming decades. – SPONSORS: Zcash […]
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Making Sense of Milei, AI & Employment, and America's Futureby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on July 31, 2025 at 11:01 amIn this episode, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore Argentina's economic reforms under President Milei, development models in emerging economies like Vietnam, and how AI might reshape our workforce and population dynamics in the coming decades. – […]
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Sam D'Amico and Noah Smith | How China Masters Manufacturing (And How America Can Catch Up)by Econ 102 with Noah Smith on July 22, 2025 at 11:01 amThis week, we’re airing a live conversation between Noah Smith and Sam D’Amico, founder and CEO of Impulse Labs, about how China’s Electric Tech Stack and tightly integrated supply chains are fueling its lead in industries from EVs to robotics, while […]
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The 2nd China Shock: Why Chinese Companies Are Making Zero Profitby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on July 15, 2025 at 11:01 amThis week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg analyze recent global events—from a political shift in New York to the Israel-Iran conflict—while exploring U.S.-China economic dynamics, evolving industrial policies, and the risk of a recession. The conversation […]
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Derek Thompson & Noah Smith | Why America Can't Build, Abundance & Substackby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on July 8, 2025 at 2:01 pmIn this episode of Econ 102, we're republishing a conversation between Noah Smith and Derek Thompson recorded live on Substack in June. They explore Derek’s shift from The Atlantic to Substack and unpack the “abundance agenda” — a vision for […]
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What Replaces Twitter? With Noah Smith & Chris Best, CEO of Substackby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on June 21, 2025 at 11:01 amThis week, we're republishing a conversation from last month between Noah Smith and Substack CEO Chris Best, originally streamed on Substack Live. They discuss the future of media in an AI-driven world, including Noah's vision for AI-powered newsletters, the […]
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China, Tesla, and the Electric Tech Stack Revolutionby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on June 12, 2025 at 11:00 amThis week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss China’s economic strategies, technological advancements, and geopolitical challenges, contrasting them with U.S. policy. They discuss topics from the Hong Kong protests to battery manufacturing and emphasize […]
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Cost Disease, USAID Debate, and is Curtis Yarvin Trapped in 2020by Econ 102 with Noah Smith on June 4, 2025 at 11:00 amThis week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore persistent economic myths and recent developments—from cost disease in services like healthcare and education to stagnating manufacturing productivity, rising higher education costs, drug pricing policies, […]
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Noah Smith & Matt Yglesias: We're Losing the Tech War to China (And Nobody Cares)by Econ 102 with Noah Smith on May 28, 2025 at 11:00 amThis week, we're republishing a conversation Noah Smith and Matt Yglesias live on Substack this past Monday. They revisit a wide-ranging conversation on the transformative role of electric motors, batteries, and industrial policy in a politically polarized […]
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India-Pakistan, Building Back Military Power, and Immigrationby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on May 23, 2025 at 11:01 amThis week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg examine global conflicts—especially India-Pakistan tensions—the U.S. military and industrial strategy amid rising threats from China, and the implications of AI and electrification, emphasizing the need for smarter […]
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The Middle Class Myth, China's Future, and What Really Happened in 1971by Econ 102 with Noah Smith on May 15, 2025 at 11:01 amThis week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg debunk myths about the American middle class and globalization, analyze historical data on wage stagnation and trade, assess China’s technological rise, and discuss U.S. economic resilience and policy responses to […]
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You Can't Tariff Your Way to Greatnessby Econ 102 with Noah Smith on May 2, 2025 at 11:00 amThis week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore how nostalgia influences politics and economic policy in the US and China, comparing their consumer cultures, industrial strategies, and the complex effects of tariffs on domestic economies and global […]
