David Friedman’s Substack

David Friedman's Substack explores a wide range of subjects from economic principles and climate change to intellectual debates and law enforcement, emphasizing critical thinking, skepticism towards mainstream narratives, and the interplay of natural and social sciences in understanding human behavior and societal issues.

Critical Thinking and Truth Seeking Political and Economic Theories Science and Climate Change Legal and Ethical Considerations Societal and Cultural Analysis Philosophy and Morality Education and Learning Methods Technology and Society

The hottest Substack posts of David Friedman’s Substack

And their main takeaways

Breaking the Walled Garden of Childhood

0 implied HN points • 06 Jul 10
  1. Children need to be allowed to explore and learn from the real world, not just be sheltered from it.
  2. There is a shift towards treating children as inexperienced and incapable individuals, rather than as valuable contributors.
  3. Encouraging children to engage in meaningful activities and responsibilities can be more beneficial than just focusing on protecting them.

EBay and Second Price Auctions

0 implied HN points • 02 Jul 10
  1. In second price auctions, bidders aim to bid their maximum value to win.
  2. EBay's second price auctions may not always work as expected in practice.
  3. Market dynamics and thin demand for items can influence auction outcomes on EBay.

The Ambiguity of "Equal Rights"

0 implied HN points • 12 Jun 10
  1. The meaning of 'Equal Rights' is not always clear and can be open to interpretation.
  2. Different perspectives can determine what rights are considered equal or unequal.
  3. The concept of equal rights may be more complex and ambiguous than initially perceived.

Cell Phone Catch 22

0 implied HN points • 25 May 10
  1. Buying phones from Amazon can be cheaper than directly from Verizon.
  2. Activate phone immediately after receiving to avoid double billing.
  3. Consider timing and logistics when ordering multiple phones to avoid extra charges.

Following Arguments Where They Lead

0 implied HN points • 18 May 10
  1. Individuals may be willing to spend more on schooling than it is really worth, leading to negative externalities on others.
  2. People should follow the implications of their arguments, even if it leads to political conclusions they may not like.
  3. For libertarians and economists, recognizing market failures is important for understanding situations where individual rationality may not lead to group rationality.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

My Response to Robert Frank's Reply

0 implied HN points • 11 May 10
  1. Access to best health care is influenced by social rank, not just by absolute values.
  2. Education quality should be assessed both absolutely and relatively in society.
  3. Local status comparisons impact motivations and should be considered in arguments about income redistribution.

Robert Frank's Reply

0 implied HN points • 10 May 10
  1. Robert Frank and David Friedman have differing views on the importance of relative position in society.
  2. Social rank affects access to resources like healthcare and education.
  3. Positional concerns in society can be complex and may impact views on redistributive taxation.

Robert Frank, Status, and Income Redistribution

0 implied HN points • 05 May 10
  1. People care about their relative status, not just their absolute income level.
  2. Concern with status in the workforce can lead to market outcomes that resemble income redistribution.
  3. There are critiques of using concern with status to justify government income redistribution.

A Suggestion for College Admissions Offices

0 implied HN points • 10 Mar 10
  1. Colleges struggle to accurately assess students' writing ability in the admissions process.
  2. One suggested solution is to have applicants write an essay in a controlled environment, within a short time frame.
  3. This method aims to distinguish between applicants' true writing skills and those of others who may have helped with their application essays.

Accidental Incentives: Speculation and Reputational Enforcement

0 implied HN points • 19 Feb 10
  1. Individual actions in markets often lead to desirable outcomes even though those outcomes were not the original intent.
  2. Speculation can sometimes benefit others unintentionally, yet profits may not always reflect the social value of the action.
  3. Reputational enforcement, like boycotting a dishonest store, can encourage commercial honesty, but works best when it is easy to determine who is at fault.

Cookie-cutter Elites

0 implied HN points • 18 Feb 10
  1. Elite colleges look for a standardized academic record in applicants.
  2. The ideal student for these colleges may prioritize admission over education.
  3. Admissions processes may prioritize checking boxes over genuine learning or skills.

Bayh's Withdrawal: A Conjecture

0 implied HN points • 16 Feb 10
  1. Indiana senator Evan Bayh made a last-minute decision not to run for reelection, making it difficult for others to enter the primary.
  2. Bayh may have avoided announcing his withdrawal earlier to prevent a divisive primary fight that could cost the Democrats the election.
  3. His late withdrawal may have enabled the state democratic committee to choose a stronger candidate for the election.

Jewish and Irish Law

0 implied HN points • 03 Jan 10
  1. Ancient Irish law was privately enforced without a central authority for court verdicts.
  2. In Jewish law, ambiguous cases are handled by only compelling payment with reasonable proof of debt.
  3. There are similarities between Jewish and Irish law, suggesting Jewish law may have been influenced by Irish law.

Toleration vs Diversity

0 implied HN points • 23 Dec 09
  1. Toleration and diversity can sometimes conflict with each other.
  2. Emancipation can lead to a loss of cultural diversity.
  3. Being too tolerant can endanger unique cultural identities.

Jewish Law, Oaths, and Expensive Religious Rules

0 implied HN points • 22 Dec 09
  1. Some religions impose costly requirements on their members.
  2. In Jewish law, oaths play a significant role in resolving legal disputes.
  3. Religious rules that impose costs can act as a signal of true believers in the religion.

Science, Journalism, and (self) Censorship

0 implied HN points • 22 Nov 09
  1. Two news stories showed differing coverage on the same event of hacked climate research emails.
  2. Email exchanges revealed discussions about manipulating reviewers and withholding data from independent researchers.
  3. Ethical concerns raised around pressuring journals to reject work by climate skeptics.

Wanted: Technological Revolutions

0 implied HN points • 28 Oct 09
  1. The author is exploring the potential of non-human animals with human-like abilities for technological revolution.
  2. Genetic engineering or advancements in brain understanding could potentially create animals capable of human-level communication.
  3. The existence of animals able to communicate on a human level would lead to various legal and ethical questions and issues.

For Your Own Good

0 implied HN points • 16 Sep 09
  1. Asylum seekers try to enter wealthy, developed nations like Australia with the help of smugglers.
  2. Government officials trying to prevent asylum seekers are not necessarily acting in their best interests.
  3. Stopping desperate people from escaping dangerous situations may not always be justifiable, despite officials claiming it is for their own good.

Obama Supports Vouchers

0 implied HN points • 12 Sep 09
  1. Obama supports requiring everyone to have health insurance
  2. Low income consumers would get subsidized health insurance
  3. Obama's health plan includes a 'public option' voucher system

Harald Podcasts are Now All Up

0 implied HN points • 15 Jun 09
  1. David Friedman has finished recording all podcasts for his novel Harald.
  2. Listeners can report any issues with the podcasts via email.
  3. The completion of the Harald podcasts is a notable update.

Arctic Sea Ice Briefly Continued

0 implied HN points • 11 Jun 09
  1. There was an inconsistency in the claim about Arctic sea ice shrinking
  2. NASA/JPL responses seemed to focus on defending the conclusion rather than addressing the actual data discrepancy
  3. It's important to verify claims and data from sources like NASA/JPL before accepting them as truth

Fairness in Sports: A Modest Proposal

0 implied HN points • 21 May 09
  1. Increase resources to improve output - like in agriculture.
  2. Limiting one aspect can lead to enhancements in other areas - as seen with a nuclear limitation treaty.
  3. Consider changing specific rules or constraints to address fairness concerns in sports.

A Healthcare Idea: Insurance That Doesn't Pay

0 implied HN points • 18 May 09
  1. Paying for healthcare out-of-pocket with insurance for extraordinary costs can help control expenses.
  2. Insurance companies bargaining prices could lead to lower healthcare costs for individuals.
  3. Consider options like companies that negotiate pricing instead of traditional insurance for medical care.

The VP and the Power of Tie Breaking

0 implied HN points • 03 May 09
  1. The power of the VP to break ties in the Senate might seem small, but it can actually be significant
  2. The probability of the VP's vote affecting the outcome of a motion is equal to the common probability p
  3. The voting power of the VP, when choosing to exercise it, is half that of an ordinary senator

Read then Listen or Listen then Read

0 implied HN points • 22 Apr 09
  1. Consider assigning reading after the relevant class instead of before to reinforce ideas and give students a second chance to understand.
  2. Students who do the assigned reading may already know the answers or conclusions being discussed in class.
  3. Allowing students to read the chapter after the first class but before the second can keep material fresh for class discussions and provide an opportunity to ask questions.

Ways of Changing the World

0 implied HN points • 08 Apr 09
  1. In large population societies, changing the dynamics of the system's incentives is crucial for achieving different outcomes.
  2. Democracy works with coarse and fine controls - majority voting and special interest lobbying - driven by free information.
  3. Influencing the free information available to voters can impact political outcomes, making it a valuable approach for academics and influencers.

Airline Safety: Precautions or Placebo?

0 implied HN points • 15 Mar 09
  1. Recent successful ditching of airliner in Hudson was a first for large passenger jets.
  2. Prior to this incident, crash landings were the closest anyone had come with full-sized passenger jets.
  3. Questions raised about the effectiveness of airline safety precautions like life vests and flotation devices.

Teaching Statistics with World of Warcraft

0 implied HN points • 14 Feb 09
  1. Using World of Warcraft for teaching statistics can provide real-life examples for students to understand and apply statistical inference.
  2. Statistical analysis, specifically Bayesian statistics, can be used to determine whether observed patterns in a game are due to actual changes or random chance.
  3. Understanding probabilities and using Bayes' Theorem can help interpret statistical results more accurately in various scenarios.

Rationality, Nudges and Slippery Slopes

0 implied HN points • 18 Jan 09
  1. Individuals are assumed rational in economics, even though their actions may not always be completely rational.
  2. Behavioral economics has revealed predictable patterns of irrational action that can be influenced through 'soft paternalism' or 'nudges.'
  3. The concept of 'libertarian paternalism' can lead to a slippery slope where what is meant to be optional becomes effectively mandatory.

"Accepting responsibility"

0 implied HN points • 12 Dec 08
  1. Accepting responsibility does not always mean taking meaningful action.
  2. It is important to hold individuals accountable for their actions.
  3. Accepting responsibility should involve more than just empty words.

One Good Thing About the Election Outcome

0 implied HN points • 14 Nov 08
  1. Listening to Barack Obama as President is more pleasant than most politicians.
  2. Obama has displayed a sense of humor and humility in his interactions.
  3. One negative outcome is when the President, House, and Senate are all held by the same party.

When a Pecuniary Externality Isn't

0 implied HN points • 14 Nov 08
  1. Economic arguments focus on the impact of actions on different parties.
  2. Externalities can result in actions that make us worse off overall.
  3. Classifying an externality as either normal or pecuniary depends on the relationship between the actor and those affected.

Palin, Cameron, Eisenstadt, Africa: Whom to Believe?

0 implied HN points • 11 Nov 08
  1. Sarah Palin was criticized for not knowing certain aspects of foreign policy.
  2. There was uncertainty and controversy around the sources and validity of the critique.
  3. The conclusion drawn was that the story was likely not accurate.

No Neutrals

0 implied HN points • 07 Oct 08
  1. Online discussions often assume people have to pick a side in arguments.
  2. Some individuals are labeled as supporters of one side based on compliments or criticisms.
  3. Many engage in political arguments more to support their team rather than discuss ideas.

What if Neither Candidate is Eligible?

0 implied HN points • 04 Oct 08
  1. There have been legal challenges questioning the eligibility of presidential candidates due to birth circumstances.
  2. The citizenship status of candidates like Obama and McCain were debated, but experts mostly believed they were eligible.
  3. If a court were to rule a candidate ineligible after the election, it raises complicated questions on succession and the presidency.

The Price of Money and Other Errors

0 implied HN points • 02 Oct 08
  1. The interest rate is not the price of money; it's what you give up to get money.
  2. The amount of money in circulation does not directly impact the interest rate.
  3. The proposed bailout is not about preventing a money shortage, but about facing a loss of wealth in the economy.

The Bailout, the Election, and Strategic Politics

0 implied HN points • 28 Sep 08
  1. Most U.S. political leaders support the bailout, but many voters are suspicious of it.
  2. Obama is leading in the polls over McCain.
  3. Supporting the bailout may have long-term benefits for the Republican party, regardless of its immediate impact on the economy.

Extended Democracy: Iran and Israel

0 implied HN points • 26 Sep 08
  1. Iranian position on Israel is to have democracy where all Palestinians get to vote, potentially resulting in a Muslim state.
  2. The Supreme Leader in Iran holds the ultimate authority over the armed forces and foreign policy, while the President implements his will as the executive head of government.
  3. To apply consistent democracy principles, options include electing the Supreme Leader in Iran by majority vote or placing authority over Israeli government in the hands of a selected leader from the Israeli rabbinate.

The "Obama is a Muslim" issue

0 implied HN points • 24 Sep 08
  1. There have been attempts to argue that Obama is Muslim, but those claims are based on misinterpretations and assumptions.
  2. One argument suggests that because Obama had a Muslim step-father and attended a mosque as a child, he may be viewed as an apostate in Islamic law.
  3. It is important to be careful with assumptions and interpretations when discussing sensitive topics like someone's religion or background.

Minor Irritations

0 implied HN points • 12 Sep 08
  1. Weather predictions can be inaccurate, and catastrophic events don't always result in total fatalities.
  2. Child death rates have decreased globally, but some areas still face challenges in reducing deaths.
  3. Media headlines can sometimes mislead by focusing on negativity rather than the actual positive progress.