Joshua Gans' Newsletter

Joshua Gans' Newsletter focuses on analyzing impacts and responses to COVID-19 across various fields including economics, education, health protocols, and technology. It explores pandemic management strategies, vaccine distribution, data management in health crises, and the adaptation of businesses and societal structures amidst the pandemic, emphasizing on innovation and the need for swift adaptation.

Pandemic Management Economic Impacts of COVID-19 Education and COVID-19 Health Protocols and Screening Vaccine Development and Distribution Data Management in Health Crises Technological Adaptations to Pandemics Business Adaptation and Strategy Public Health Communication Societal Changes due to COVID-19

The hottest Substack posts of Joshua Gans' Newsletter

And their main takeaways

Smart Contracting’s Fine Print

0 implied HN points • 04 Jan 19
🕹 Technology Blockchain Smart Contracts Economics Innovation Cryptocurrency
  1. Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize smart contracts by using a distributed ledger with a 'Turing complete' virtual machine.
  2. Smart contract applications are currently limited, with a few examples being used as substitutes for escrow services or for generating controlled lists.
  3. Economic innovation is crucial for the success of smart contracts on the blockchain, as they need to incentivize human action effectively to ensure contract performance.

Can the blockchain make teams work?

0 implied HN points • 13 Oct 18
🕹 Technology Blockchain Cryptocurrency Algorithms
  1. Al Roth, a prominent economist, is engaged with a blockchain startup focused on knowledge workers, which shows promise for trust establishment.
  2. Covee proposes using a blockchain algorithm to automate team coordination, solving the challenge of ensuring everyone contributes to a project.
  3. Covee's solution involves peer evaluations with stakes, aiming to maintain fairness and accountability among team members, but potential challenges may arise in more dynamic project environments.

Breaking through hurdles set by economists

0 implied HN points • 08 Oct 18
🔬 Science Economics Innovation Climate Growth Technological Change
  1. The work of economists Bill Nordhaus and Paul Romer in integrating innovation and climate with economic growth has played a significant role in breaking down barriers and pushing for policy action.
  2. Nordhaus's approach helped quantify the costs of climate change mitigation, showing that the costs were manageable and shifting the debate from denial to action.
  3. Romer's endogenous growth theory emphasized the importance of science and innovation in driving economic growth, highlighting the need for systems to promote research and development.

Can AI make you happier with clothes?

0 implied HN points • 21 Apr 18
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Fashion Trends
  1. AI can help in making clothing decisions easier by predicting what to wear based on data and preferences.
  2. The use of AI in fashion has the potential to reduce errors in decision-making and revolutionize the clothing manufacturing industry.
  3. Challenges in implementing AI for fashion include training machines to make complex trade-offs and understanding individual preferences over time.

What’s a Bitcoin worth?

0 implied HN points • 20 Dec 17
💰 Finance Bitcoin Value Currency Investment Economics
  1. Bitcoin's value is subjective and relies on what people believe it's worth, creating uncertainty in determining its true value.
  2. Theories suggest Bitcoin could replace gold as a store of value and possibly reach a value of $47,755 or $38,000 per Bitcoin if it were to happen.
  3. Another theory proposes Bitcoin as a USD substitute, potentially reaching a value of $100,000 per Bitcoin if it becomes the world's reserve currency.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Ending the Bitcoin energy drain

0 implied HN points • 17 Dec 17
🔮 Crypto Bitcoin Energy Technology Competition Innovation
  1. Bitcoin mining consumes a significant amount of energy due to the proof of work mechanism, leading to high resource costs.
  2. The cost of running the Bitcoin network has drastically increased over time, surpassing the GDP of many countries, with no clear end in sight until around 2032 when the cap of 21 million Bitcoins is reached.
  3. Alternative cryptocurrencies with less energy-intensive mechanisms may eventually replace Bitcoin through competition, but for now, the excessive energy consumption continues.

The Bitcoin Bubble Post Mortem

0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 17
💰 Finance Bitcoin Crypto Investing Market Economics
  1. Bitcoin is the first purely digital bubble, making it different from previous bubbles that involved paper assets.
  2. Bitcoin's global accessibility allows anyone from anywhere to purchase it without needing traditional financial infrastructure.
  3. Although bitcoin transactions have low entry costs, they are slow and result in high transaction fees, indicating potential risks of speculation.

Economists found something surprising and you wont believe what happened next

0 implied HN points • 15 Apr 17
🔬 Science Research Replication Uncertainty Cooperation Experimental
  1. Uncertainty can actually increase cooperation in certain situations.
  2. To address breakdowns in cooperation in scientific studies, integration mechanisms like co-authorship can increase credibility and reliability of results.
  3. In the face of surprising experimental findings, proposing new mechanisms and experiments can lead to advancements in scientific knowledge.

The Trade-Off Every AI Company Will Make

0 implied HN points • 28 Mar 17
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Autonomous Vehicles Data Collection Product Development
  1. Training for AI, like pilots or cashiers, is essential for machines to learn and improve in performance.
  2. Determining what is "good enough" for machine intelligence involves considering the trade-offs in terms of error tolerance and level of in-house vs on-the-job learning.
  3. The decision of when to deploy AI systems into the real world for learning involves balancing the need for data with the potential risks to brand and customer safety.

Ken Arrow: The Greatest

0 implied HN points • 22 Feb 17
🚌 Education Academia Economics Philosophy Research Teaching
  1. Ken Arrow made significant contributions to economics and won the Nobel Prize in 1972, being one of the youngest recipients.
  2. Ken Arrow was known for his exceptional intelligence and quick thinking, leaving a lasting impact on economic science.
  3. Despite his brilliance, Ken Arrow remained humble, approachable, and had a humorous side, making him a unique and revered figure in the field.

Snapchat chooses execution over control

0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 17
💼 Business Strategy Innovation Entrepreneurship Competition Profitability
  1. Snapchat prioritizes execution over control to drive user engagement and product innovation.
  2. An execution strategy can be more profitable than a control strategy, as it allows for quicker market entry and cost-saving experiments.
  3. Snapchat's strategy mirrors Apple's approach of focusing on innovation rather than building barriers to entry, though profitability execution remains unproven.

10 Years Ago Today

0 implied HN points • 09 Jan 17
🕹 Technology Innovation Digital Revolution
  1. The introduction of the original iPhone was a significant consumer technological innovation, setting a standard for mobile device design with its large touch screen and user interface.
  2. Looking back at forecasts made after the iPhone release, the accuracy rate was quite high, predicting major changes like the iPad and touch screen options for MacBooks.
  3. Technological revolutions like the iPhone come unexpectedly, shaping the future in unpredictable ways.

What to Learn from US Govt Strategy on AI

0 implied HN points • 21 Dec 16
🕹 Technology AI Government Strategy Research Funding Regulation
  1. The US government's approach to AI shows urgency by preparing comprehensive national plans in a short amount of time.
  2. AI is seen as commercially significant with increased investment in human and financial capital.
  3. China has become a leader in AI research, surpassing the US in certain aspects, indicating a shift in global dynamics and the need for strategic preparation.

Falling Costs: Two Non-Technical Papers

0 implied HN points • 23 Nov 16
🕹 Technology AI Blockchain
  1. New technologies are causing falling costs, leading to significant implications.
  2. Machine intelligence is reducing the cost of prediction and emphasizing human judgment.
  3. Blockchain technology is reducing the cost of verification, potentially boosting economic activity.

Teslas use restrictions for autonomous driving

0 implied HN points • 18 Nov 16
🕹 Technology Business Model
  1. Tesla restricts using their autonomous driving feature for commercial ride-sharing outside of their own platform, which could impact Tesla sales.
  2. The purpose of Tesla's restriction on autonomous driving for ride-sharing remains unclear and seems to target existing companies unnecessarily.
  3. Tesla's restriction may be related to a future business model that integrates autonomous driving more closely and requires this limitation for operation.

The Simple Economics of Machine Intelligence

0 implied HN points • 17 Nov 16
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Economics Machine Learning
  1. Economists suggest that technological revolutions often involve a drop in the cost of certain activities, like communication or prediction.
  2. As machine intelligence becomes cheaper, tasks that were not historically prediction-based will start being viewed as prediction problems.
  3. With the decreasing value of prediction skills due to machine intelligence, the importance and value of human judgment skills will rise.

What if Trump voters were not all racists

0 implied HN points • 12 Nov 16
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Opinion
  1. Not all Trump voters are necessarily racist. Discrimination occurs when assumptions are made about individuals based on the group they belong to.
  2. Understanding the motivations of Trump voters goes beyond labeling them as racists. Economic factors and feelings of lack of control may play a significant role in voting decisions.
  3. Voting for Trump may have been a way for some individuals to exert control and send a message to the establishment, rather than a direct endorsement of racism or sexism.

How content is trapped

0 implied HN points • 26 Oct 16
💼 Business Media Digitization Profitability Strategy Content
  1. Digitization exposes weak links in traditional content business models and breaks them, emphasizing the importance of understanding the connection between content and returns.
  2. Successful businesses recognize early the need to adapt and delink aspects of their operations to stay profitable in the digital age.
  3. Content providers need to focus on social elements and consumer value, not just information, to remain relevant and successful in the changing media landscape.

Messiness and automation

0 implied HN points • 13 Oct 16
🕹 Technology Automation AI Aviation Risk management Ethics
  1. Messiness and disorganization can sometimes lead to innovation and better outcomes, challenging the belief that perfection is always necessary.
  2. There is a trade-off between automation for efficiency and the risk of losing skills and expertise, as highlighted in the context of pilot automation systems.
  3. Balancing the level of 'mess' or disorganization in our lives is essential, as too much or too little can both have detrimental consequences.

Reading and the Demand for Books

0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 16
📚 Literature Books Publishing Reading Authors Gifts
  1. Books are often purchased as gifts, adding to the display collection, rather than just to be read.
  2. Large physical bookstores are increasingly turning into gift stores, emphasizing the importance of books as gifts.
  3. Understanding the relationship between eBook prices and physical book sales as gifts is crucial for big publishers to succeed in the market.

Big Data and the Entertainment Industry

0 implied HN points • 04 Sep 16
💼 Business Entertainment Data Analytics Digital economy Book review Empirical Studies
  1. The book 'Streaming Sharing Stealing' by Mike Smith and Rahul Telang offers valuable lessons in the digital economy, particularly in the entertainment industry, emphasizing the importance of understanding and utilizing data properly.
  2. Entertainment executives often made critical errors due to not trusting data analytics for decision-making, relying instead on outdated assumptions and untested suppositions.
  3. Studies, like Sandra Barbosu's research, show that big data can provide valuable insights to industries like movie studios, helping them predict box office success and avoid producing movies that underperform.

The Disruption Dilemma

0 implied HN points • 23 Aug 16
💼 Business Disruption Innovation Entrepreneurship Economics Management
  1. Disruption in business can stem from new technological opportunities that incumbent firms fail to take advantage of, leading to their downfall.
  2. The concept of Creative Destruction from Joseph Schumpeter describes how capitalism thrives on constant innovation and change, challenging the idea of long-term profitability for established businesses.
  3. Innovation that disrupts industries can come in different forms, like customer-disruptive innovations that initially underperform but later improve, and architecturally-disruptive innovations that change the fundamental design of products or services.

Why Elon Musks new strategy makes sense

0 implied HN points • 25 Jul 16
🕹 Technology Electric Vehicles Solar energy Autonomous Vehicles Clean Energy Business strategy
  1. Elon Musk's new strategy for Tesla involves moving beyond the traditional car market and focusing on reconfiguring cities, energy systems, and environmental impact.
  2. Tesla's approach to building electric cars involved designing the vehicles from a clean slate, integrating software and hardware in a new architecture.
  3. Musk's plan to merge Tesla with SolarCity aims to create an integrated company that can innovate in clean energy solutions, including combining electric cars with solar power for reduced carbon footprint.

Apple makes changes to the App Store

0 implied HN points • 09 Jun 16
🕹 Technology Apps App Store Platform Competition
  1. Apple is making significant changes to its App Store, including allowing search-based advertising and reforming subscription pricing.
  2. The introduction of search-based advertising by Apple aims to help consumers find apps that are more valuable to them by allowing developers to signal their app's worth through keywords.
  3. Apple's new subscription pricing model offers a 15:85 split for subscriptions lasting more than one year, incentivizing developers to maintain user engagement and app quality.

Lepores missing cites

0 implied HN points • 23 May 16
💼 Business Books Criticism Literature Research Academic
  1. The author's book on disruption was not anchored with Jill Lepore's criticisms because many others had already tackled those points previously.
  2. The author aimed to rise above issues of personality and focus on ideas and evidence in the book rather than getting involved in other matters like personalities.
  3. The author brought together various academic literature on disruption to create the book.

Asking the right questions on Apple

0 implied HN points • 22 May 16
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Big Data Natural Language Processing Tech investment
  1. Apple's potential risk with AI: The article discusses how Google's advancements in AI could pose a threat to Apple, especially in big-data services and AI where Apple lags behind.
  2. The importance of in-house AI development: The importance of Apple investing in in-house AI talent and assets is highlighted to remain competitive, rather than relying on partnerships or acquisitions.
  3. Need for innovation and adaptation: The article emphasizes the need for Apple to adapt to potential industry shifts in AI interfaces, stay aware of dominant design trends, and align their capabilities accordingly.

What does a Skunk Works do?

0 implied HN points • 20 May 16
💼 Business Innovation Management Research Startups Technology
  1. Skunk works are organizational spaces for innovative projects away from the main operations, often initiated by established firms to explore radical ideas.
  2. Skunk works come in different models, like focusing on science and engineering, building research communities, acting as lead users, and aiming for audacious goals like a moon shot.
  3. Despite their innovative success, skunk works face challenges integrating their achievements into regular operations, requiring careful planning and management to ensure long-term success.

Et tu SSRN?

0 implied HN points • 17 May 16
💼 Business Acquisitions Publishing Platforms Capitalism
  1. SSRN, a social science paper repository, is being acquired by Elsevier, a legacy publisher, which may cause concerns about potential changes to SSRN's open-access policies.
  2. Academic platforms like SSRN provide valuable services, but they also need financial support to sustain their operations, often leading to acquisitions by larger entities.
  3. The acquisition of SSRN by Elsevier reflects the balance between providing accessible research platforms and the necessity for financial sustainability in the academic publishing ecosystem.

Trump likes to ‘win.’ Accept that and perhaps he can be neutralised

0 implied HN points • 07 May 16
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Elections Leaders Decision-making Conflict resolution
  1. Trump's main goal is to 'win' at all costs, viewing the world as zero-sum where there are winners and losers.
  2. Trump is willing to accept defeat when faced with inevitable losses, as seen in examples from 'The Apprentice.'
  3. It is important to understand Trump's response to defeat in order to strategize and possibly neutralize his actions in the short-term.

Why Facebook Messenger is a big deal for customer service

0 implied HN points • 06 May 16
🕹 Technology Social media Customer Service Messaging Artificial Intelligence Communication
  1. Facebook Messenger has been turned into a platform for customer service, allowing companies to use bots to chat with users, showing how small changes can have a big impact.
  2. The efficiency of Messenger for customer service is highlighted by its quick, familiar, and continuous interactions, bridging the gap between customers and companies.
  3. Using a messaging app like Messenger provides quick and convenient communication, with the potential to scale interactions efficiently and pave the way for AI integration in customer service.

Ford hedges to deal with disruption

0 implied HN points • 20 Apr 16
💼 Business Automotive Disruption Innovation Strategy Technology
  1. The auto industry is facing disruption from electric batteries, autonomous vehicles, and mobile phones. Traditional car companies like Ford are trying to catch up with new business models.
  2. The rise of mobile phones and ride-sharing apps present a challenge to carmakers' traditional business model of selling cars to individuals. Companies are exploring new approaches like car-sharing partnerships and separate business units.
  3. Ford's strategy of creating Ford Smart Mobility, LLC to focus on connectivity and mobility services is a unique response to disruptive technologies in the automotive industry. The move reflects Ford's effort to adapt to changing consumer needs and market trends.

Online Research Seminars: First Impressions

0 implied HN points • 10 Apr 16
🕹 Technology
  1. Online research seminars using platforms like HBX offer a great alternative to in-person events, with features like chat feeds, polling, and live interactions.
  2. Virtual reality may not fully replicate the experience of traditional seminars due to the lack of feedback from facial expressions and body language, suggesting a need for innovative approaches.
  3. A hybrid model combining virtual and in-person elements could be the future of hosting research seminars, allowing for both real and virtual audiences to participate.

Some thoughts on Facebook Live

0 implied HN points • 08 Apr 16
🕹 Technology Social media Streaming Innovation Competition
  1. Facebook Live allows anyone to broadcast live videos and store them for future viewing on the platform, challenging other social media video tools like Periscope and Meerkat.
  2. Facebook Live is a strategic move by Facebook to keep up with technological advancements and signal to competitors that it will aggressively match features.
  3. The introduction of Facebook Live showcases Facebook's commitment to innovation and experimentation, even if the immediate value to consumers is not entirely clear.

What would it take to disrupt Facebook?

0 implied HN points • 26 Mar 16
🕹 Technology Social media Innovation Platforms Disruption Mobile devices
  1. Platforms are hard to disrupt once established, as they have a strong network effect that keeps users loyal.
  2. Disruption can come from different angles - not just by picking off customers, but also by providing better value on the supply side.
  3. Companies need to stay agile and anticipate potential disruptions, restructuring internal teams to be ready for future threats.

Go AI and Game Theory

0 implied HN points • 12 Mar 16
🕹 Technology AI Game Theory
  1. An AI learned to play Go better than the best human, showcasing the power of innovation and adaptation in technology.
  2. The rise of AlphaGo in defeating human players raises questions about the limitations and possibilities of AI in strategic games.
  3. Despite AI advancements like AlphaGo, human knowledge and experience are still foundational, hinting at the ongoing partnership between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.

How to seed systems

0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🕹 Technology UI AI Systems Computing AR/VR
  1. New systems are born from the discovery of the right user interface for a technology, which lowers accessibility costs and incentivizes new applications.
  2. Apple has a history of seeding ecosystems by creating the right user interface - such as with graphical computing and mobile computing.
  3. The Vision Pro by Apple exemplifies the importance of UI innovation, especially for technologies like spatial computing, which has the potential for transformative impacts.

Digitization and the Rise of Trump

0 implied HN points • 03 Mar 16
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Media Candidates Disruption
  1. The rise of Trump is linked to digitization and social media disrupting traditional political processes, allowing unconventional candidates to gain traction.
  2. Trump's success challenges the established political norms and the power structures within his own party.
  3. Trump's approach to media and politics has deviated from the traditional 'Game of Scrutiny,' causing a shift in how political campaigns are conducted.

Game Theory and Apples Encryption Challenge

0 implied HN points • 17 Feb 16
🕹 Technology Privacy Security Innovation
  1. The FBI's struggle to decrypt an iPhone raises questions about user cooperation and Apple's capability, highlighting the importance of maintaining strong encryption.
  2. Apple's resistance to creating a backdoor for unlocking iPhones is driven by concerns about privacy erosion and the slippery slope toward invasive surveillance.
  3. The game theory aspect emphasizes the need for common knowledge in encryption, showing why tech companies like Apple are taking a stand for secure devices and innovation.