Alex Hodnett
@alexhodnett.bsky.social
playing hopscotch at the firm/state frontier
Just seen something mentioning how Musk's net worth is greater than the GDP of South Africa - which happens a lot but mixes up stocks (net worth) and flows (GDP, which is value per year).
But then I was curious about what country he is equivalent to, based on comparing flow with flow.
But then I was curious about what country he is equivalent to, based on comparing flow with flow.
October 19, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Just seen something mentioning how Musk's net worth is greater than the GDP of South Africa - which happens a lot but mixes up stocks (net worth) and flows (GDP, which is value per year).
But then I was curious about what country he is equivalent to, based on comparing flow with flow.
But then I was curious about what country he is equivalent to, based on comparing flow with flow.
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
Price discrimination can be welfare improving (nobody likes it)
NEW:
Latest twist of FIFA Club World Cup pricing strategy. 72 hours ago, standard admission ticket for first semi-final (Chelsea v Fluminense) at $473.90.
By yesterday, $44.60. Now $13.40. Those who bought on Wednesday paid a 35x multiple of price today
www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...
Latest twist of FIFA Club World Cup pricing strategy. 72 hours ago, standard admission ticket for first semi-final (Chelsea v Fluminense) at $473.90.
By yesterday, $44.60. Now $13.40. Those who bought on Wednesday paid a 35x multiple of price today
www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...
Tickets for Club World Cup semi-final reduced from $473 to $13
www.nytimes.com
July 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Price discrimination can be welfare improving (nobody likes it)
The decision to move to Scotland remains flawless
Oh, here we go again…
UK record max 40.3°C, 19 July 2022.
Max possible in current climate is just above 45°C (Kay et al. 2025 doi.org/10.1002/wea....)
GEFS shows non-zero chance of 43°C in 2 weeks (caveat: GEFS land model sometimes overdries —> overheats)
UK record max 40.3°C, 19 July 2022.
Max possible in current climate is just above 45°C (Kay et al. 2025 doi.org/10.1002/wea....)
GEFS shows non-zero chance of 43°C in 2 weeks (caveat: GEFS land model sometimes overdries —> overheats)
P13 from today's GEFS 00Z!
June 18, 2025 at 11:36 AM
The decision to move to Scotland remains flawless
What’s great about AI is now everyone can have an evil advisor whispering in their ear and corrupting them
What has been created with ChatGPT is a pure reinforcing loop. Neither the user nor the AI is connecting with reality, and there are just one person's opinions being fed in, so there is nothing to balance them. And then if OpenAI deliberately code for engagement/sycophancy then it's even worse.
June 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM
What’s great about AI is now everyone can have an evil advisor whispering in their ear and corrupting them
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
Everything is political economy, tariff pass through edition
Once again, economics worked in exactly the way we knew economics worked, because the sun had risen before many times, even though we (again) pretended we didn't know how economics worked, because of politics:
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Once again, economics worked in exactly the way we knew economics worked, because the sun had risen before many times, even though we (again) pretended we didn't know how economics worked, because of politics:
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
June 8, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Everything is political economy, tariff pass through edition
Once again, economics worked in exactly the way we knew economics worked, because the sun had risen before many times, even though we (again) pretended we didn't know how economics worked, because of politics:
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Once again, economics worked in exactly the way we knew economics worked, because the sun had risen before many times, even though we (again) pretended we didn't know how economics worked, because of politics:
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
I wish to recind all my criticism of the Eurovision juries (for a year)
May 18, 2025 at 1:41 AM
I wish to recind all my criticism of the Eurovision juries (for a year)
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
"I'm going to govern in econometrics" is a winning campaign slogan for the ages.
April 29, 2025 at 2:59 AM
"I'm going to govern in econometrics" is a winning campaign slogan for the ages.
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
we could discuss the trade policy of the 1930s but that would be a Smoot point
April 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
we could discuss the trade policy of the 1930s but that would be a Smoot point
Unbelievably, my idea to buy a coffee machine "because it will be cheaper to make my own" appears to be retrospectively becoming a brilliant decision
April 1, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Unbelievably, my idea to buy a coffee machine "because it will be cheaper to make my own" appears to be retrospectively becoming a brilliant decision
“Fund managers to debate ethics of just wars before investment decisions”
EXC: More than 100 Labour MPs & peers hv urged British banks/fund managers to stop viewing all defence investments as “unethical”, in bid to boost UK arms industry
Letter on ESG rules is backed by Labour Growth Group & ex-Nato gen sec Lord Robertson, who's leading SDR
www.ft.com/content/062f...
Letter on ESG rules is backed by Labour Growth Group & ex-Nato gen sec Lord Robertson, who's leading SDR
www.ft.com/content/062f...
Class UK defence investments as ethical, Labour MPs urge banks
Letter to lenders and fund managers seeks to sweep away elements of ESG rules that hamper arms companies
www.ft.com
March 6, 2025 at 10:40 AM
“Fund managers to debate ethics of just wars before investment decisions”
Lesson one of diplomatic language:
Perhaps more accurately, the Army did the “we will study that” that means “no”
February 12, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Lesson one of diplomatic language:
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
Thermostatic public opinion is up there with compound interest as one of the most powerful forces in the universe
NEW - DEI programs Favorability poll
🟢 Favorable 48% (+19)
🟤 Unfavorable 29%
YouGov
🟢 Favorable 48% (+19)
🟤 Unfavorable 29%
YouGov
January 28, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Thermostatic public opinion is up there with compound interest as one of the most powerful forces in the universe
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
Ironically, most penguins aren't aware that today is Penguin Awareness Day and they think it's just a regular Monday. The reason for this, of course is that they refused to adopt the new Gregorian calendar in 1582, and still adhere to the old Julian one, for tax purposes.
January 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Ironically, most penguins aren't aware that today is Penguin Awareness Day and they think it's just a regular Monday. The reason for this, of course is that they refused to adopt the new Gregorian calendar in 1582, and still adhere to the old Julian one, for tax purposes.
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
The LA wildfires have given landlords an opportunity to raise rents. California has anti-price-gouging regulation that might prevent that.
If you want to step beyond Econ 101, here’s a recent Econometrica paper that shows how price caps can raise welfare.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3...
If you want to step beyond Econ 101, here’s a recent Econometrica paper that shows how price caps can raise welfare.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3...
Econometrica | Econometric Society Journal | Wiley Online Library
Policymakers frequently use price regulations as a response to inequality in the markets they control. In this paper, we examine the optimal structure of such policies from the perspective of mechani...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The LA wildfires have given landlords an opportunity to raise rents. California has anti-price-gouging regulation that might prevent that.
If you want to step beyond Econ 101, here’s a recent Econometrica paper that shows how price caps can raise welfare.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3...
If you want to step beyond Econ 101, here’s a recent Econometrica paper that shows how price caps can raise welfare.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3...
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
One of those brilliant suggestions you read and think to yourself, 'Why on earth haven't I thought of or read about this idea before? It's so damned obvious!'
Why stopping knife crime needs to start in the kitchen
Phasing out pointed-tip kitchen knives in favour of round-tip knives is a natural extension of the UK’s progress on weapons control.
theconversation.com
January 3, 2025 at 7:28 AM
One of those brilliant suggestions you read and think to yourself, 'Why on earth haven't I thought of or read about this idea before? It's so damned obvious!'
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
Instead, we should look to history, path dependency, institutional structures, politics, and economics. For Tokyo, I think urban planning—walkability, mixed use neighborhoods, affordable real estate—all contribute to the richer media and commercial systems that feed into culture.
November 27, 2024 at 6:44 AM
Instead, we should look to history, path dependency, institutional structures, politics, and economics. For Tokyo, I think urban planning—walkability, mixed use neighborhoods, affordable real estate—all contribute to the richer media and commercial systems that feed into culture.
No one can ever complain about the lack of a written constitution for the UK ever again! researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CB...
researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk
November 27, 2024 at 11:27 AM
No one can ever complain about the lack of a written constitution for the UK ever again! researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CB...
RTing for my current thinking about signals
Analyzing the expressive content of government action, focusing on the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty aimed at protecting women against violence, signed and ratified by 39 countries, from Güneş Aşık and Naci H. Mocan https://www.nber.org/papers/w33169
November 23, 2024 at 6:19 PM
RTing for my current thinking about signals
Reposted by Alex Hodnett
i am standign for election. i promise to do Nothing 🥇
November 22, 2024 at 7:09 PM
i am standign for election. i promise to do Nothing 🥇
JMP season is great bc you see so much interesting and new research being disseminated. Really interesting on the overlap between industrial policy and innovation
Hey #EconSky, I'm on the job market with an #EconJMP about open source software. OSS is a global public good, widely used and provided by the private sector, but the target of recent industrial policy.
Paper: jeffgortmaker.com/files/Open_S...
1/
Paper: jeffgortmaker.com/files/Open_S...
1/
November 22, 2024 at 4:45 PM
JMP season is great bc you see so much interesting and new research being disseminated. Really interesting on the overlap between industrial policy and innovation