Aija Leiponen
@aijaleiponen.bsky.social
Professor of digital innovation strategy @Cornell
Interested in decarbonization innovation
Interested in decarbonization innovation
Whoa! According to Jason Furman the only US industry to grow this year has been data centers & IT
This seems significant.
"U.S. GDP growth in the first half of 2025 was almost entirely driven by investment in data centers and information processing technology, according to Harvard economist Jason Furman."
"U.S. GDP growth in the first half of 2025 was almost entirely driven by investment in data centers and information processing technology, according to Harvard economist Jason Furman."
Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune
Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?
fortune.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Whoa! According to Jason Furman the only US industry to grow this year has been data centers & IT
Electrify! Electrify! Electrify!
And develop cheap green hydrogen.
And develop cheap green hydrogen.
Electrification could now reach 75% of all energy demand, as the road-transport and heating sectors rapidly electrify 🔥🚗
These two sectors account for 50% of global energy use and are now ready to switch from fossil molecules to clean electrons.
https://loom.ly/BwyhReA
These two sectors account for 50% of global energy use and are now ready to switch from fossil molecules to clean electrons.
https://loom.ly/BwyhReA
November 9, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Electrify! Electrify! Electrify!
And develop cheap green hydrogen.
And develop cheap green hydrogen.
Cornell's agreement actually explicitly restored academic freedom but it allows gov access to anonymized admission data (but not set the criteria).
Now would be a great time to stop legacy admission practices across the ivies and other top private universities.
Now would be a great time to stop legacy admission practices across the ivies and other top private universities.
A good summary of why Cornell's capitulation to authoritarian extortion is an affront to democracy and academic freedom. aaup-cornell.org/2025/11/07/s...
November 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Cornell's agreement actually explicitly restored academic freedom but it allows gov access to anonymized admission data (but not set the criteria).
Now would be a great time to stop legacy admission practices across the ivies and other top private universities.
Now would be a great time to stop legacy admission practices across the ivies and other top private universities.
Reposted by Aija Leiponen
Finland has a goal to be net zero GHG emissions by 2035.
Emissions were declining, the LULUCF removals were strong, the plan was looking good, but then LULUCF collapsed.
Net GHG emissions have actually risen over the last decade!
www.treasuryfinland.fi/investor-rel...
1/
Emissions were declining, the LULUCF removals were strong, the plan was looking good, but then LULUCF collapsed.
Net GHG emissions have actually risen over the last decade!
www.treasuryfinland.fi/investor-rel...
1/
October 23, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Finland has a goal to be net zero GHG emissions by 2035.
Emissions were declining, the LULUCF removals were strong, the plan was looking good, but then LULUCF collapsed.
Net GHG emissions have actually risen over the last decade!
www.treasuryfinland.fi/investor-rel...
1/
Emissions were declining, the LULUCF removals were strong, the plan was looking good, but then LULUCF collapsed.
Net GHG emissions have actually risen over the last decade!
www.treasuryfinland.fi/investor-rel...
1/
Unreal
October 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Unreal
Reposted by Aija Leiponen
New WP (by me and others) on how disclosure mandates:
(1) increase disclosure (primarily of negative outcomes), and (2) how expectations of increased disclosure by others slows down innovation.
Link and more details in @florianederer.bsky.social's thread...
(1) increase disclosure (primarily of negative outcomes), and (2) how expectations of increased disclosure by others slows down innovation.
Link and more details in @florianederer.bsky.social's thread...
Transparency helps innovation ... until it doesn't.
My new paper with Cunningham, Hodgson, and Wang (on the JM!) studies the 2017 FDA Final Rule, which required drug firms to publicly disclose all clinical trial results.
Disclosure increased, but innovation slowed.
cowles.yale.edu/sites/defaul...
My new paper with Cunningham, Hodgson, and Wang (on the JM!) studies the 2017 FDA Final Rule, which required drug firms to publicly disclose all clinical trial results.
Disclosure increased, but innovation slowed.
cowles.yale.edu/sites/defaul...
October 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM
New WP (by me and others) on how disclosure mandates:
(1) increase disclosure (primarily of negative outcomes), and (2) how expectations of increased disclosure by others slows down innovation.
Link and more details in @florianederer.bsky.social's thread...
(1) increase disclosure (primarily of negative outcomes), and (2) how expectations of increased disclosure by others slows down innovation.
Link and more details in @florianederer.bsky.social's thread...
Reposted by Aija Leiponen
The Portland Frog army has now infiltrated Tulsa, OK and they’ve made an unlikely alliance with the T-Rex infantry and Sharks on Hoverboards mercenary forces.
This is truly terrifying.
This is truly terrifying.
October 14, 2025 at 12:59 AM
The Portland Frog army has now infiltrated Tulsa, OK and they’ve made an unlikely alliance with the T-Rex infantry and Sharks on Hoverboards mercenary forces.
This is truly terrifying.
This is truly terrifying.
Reposted by Aija Leiponen
Ending slavery increased GDP by 9.1% as slavery reduced the welfare of the enslaved substantially, while only generating minuscule welfare gains to slave owners. Fascinating topic that once again highlights how coercive instructions are economically detrimental!
www.nber.org/papers/w3435...
www.nber.org/papers/w3435...
The Economic Geography of American Slavery
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
October 13, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Ending slavery increased GDP by 9.1% as slavery reduced the welfare of the enslaved substantially, while only generating minuscule welfare gains to slave owners. Fascinating topic that once again highlights how coercive instructions are economically detrimental!
www.nber.org/papers/w3435...
www.nber.org/papers/w3435...
An NFT of a stock is not a stock
The crash is going to be brutal when it comes.
Robinhood says "it might offer "tokenized" equity in OpenAI. By "tokenized," Business Insider reports, Robinhood means "blockchain-enabled representations of securities like stocks." In reality, they have no connection to OpenAI equity whatsoever."
Robinhood says "it might offer "tokenized" equity in OpenAI. By "tokenized," Business Insider reports, Robinhood means "blockchain-enabled representations of securities like stocks." In reality, they have no connection to OpenAI equity whatsoever."
October 11, 2025 at 9:45 PM
An NFT of a stock is not a stock
Growth = minimizing the number of people who are hungry, sick, homeless, or not free, within planetary constraints.
It's not complicated (in principle).
It's not complicated (in principle).
”For sustained growth, governments often reach for tried-and-tested ideas, such as loosening regulations to build more roads or expand airports — giving less thought as to whether that growth is inclusive or undermines sustainability goals”
#Growth
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#Growth
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
End GDP mania: how the world should really measure prosperity
The obsession with economic output as a measure of human development puts sustainability on the back burner. Researchers can now help to devise better indicators.
www.nature.com
October 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Growth = minimizing the number of people who are hungry, sick, homeless, or not free, within planetary constraints.
It's not complicated (in principle).
It's not complicated (in principle).
Heehee
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
October 1, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Heehee
Umm... That's not how copyright works
Exclusive: OpenAI is planning to release a new version of its Sora video generator, which creates videos featuring copyrighted material unless copyright holders opt out of having their work appear.
OpenAI’s New Sora Video Generator to Require Copyright Holders to Opt Out
Executives at the startup notified talent agencies and studios over the last week.
on.wsj.com
September 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Umm... That's not how copyright works
Some of the white pines, symbols of peace, that are around my house located on the traditional land of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ may have been here in the 1820s when Erie canal was built and the Haudenosaunee were cheated out of their lands, displaced, and largely decimated.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/n...
New York Faces Painful History as It Marks the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial
www.nytimes.com
September 29, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Some of the white pines, symbols of peace, that are around my house located on the traditional land of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ may have been here in the 1820s when Erie canal was built and the Haudenosaunee were cheated out of their lands, displaced, and largely decimated.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/n...
Reposted by Aija Leiponen
Only in Finland: the single biggest taxpayer criticises government for cutting taxes
Miki Kuusi: Hallituksen leikkaukset ovat vieneet suomalaisten uskon tulevaisuuteen
Suomen kovin veronmaksaja, Woltin toimitusjohtaja Miki Kuusi sanoo, että Suomi on jumiutunut menneisiin menestyksiin ja lamauttavaan leikkauskierteeseen.
yle.fi
September 26, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Only in Finland: the single biggest taxpayer criticises government for cutting taxes
Reposted by Aija Leiponen
Far as I can tell, Robert Redford was:
* successful at everything he tried
* genuinely intelligent & insightful
* desired by women
* envied by men
* an absolute mensch to everyone he dealt with
* a tireless, lifelong philanthropist
... and he died peacefully in his sleep.
10/10 life. No notes.
* successful at everything he tried
* genuinely intelligent & insightful
* desired by women
* envied by men
* an absolute mensch to everyone he dealt with
* a tireless, lifelong philanthropist
... and he died peacefully in his sleep.
10/10 life. No notes.
September 16, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Far as I can tell, Robert Redford was:
* successful at everything he tried
* genuinely intelligent & insightful
* desired by women
* envied by men
* an absolute mensch to everyone he dealt with
* a tireless, lifelong philanthropist
... and he died peacefully in his sleep.
10/10 life. No notes.
* successful at everything he tried
* genuinely intelligent & insightful
* desired by women
* envied by men
* an absolute mensch to everyone he dealt with
* a tireless, lifelong philanthropist
... and he died peacefully in his sleep.
10/10 life. No notes.
I hope this is accurate
Despite all the noises off, most big corporates are still increasing investment in sustainability, because climate risks and real and clean tech is competitive. www.businessgreen.com/news-analysi...
Why reports of the demise of corporate climate action have been greatly exaggerated
Global survey of corporate executives shows capital investment in sustainability and climate risk efforts is increasing - and so are the financial returns
www.businessgreen.com
September 16, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I hope this is accurate
No way
Just FYI to fellow rapidly aging academics attempting to hold onto cultural references our students understand. College seniors this year were born after all three Lord of the Rings movies.
September 16, 2025 at 4:14 AM
No way
We seem to circling back to this
September 15, 2025 at 7:01 PM
We seem to circling back to this
Global business should be all over climate change, particularly the financial sector. Risk management is their core.
Climate change is very bad for business and their economic analysts see the writing very clearly on the wall.
Climate change is very bad for business and their economic analysts see the writing very clearly on the wall.
September 14, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Global business should be all over climate change, particularly the financial sector. Risk management is their core.
Climate change is very bad for business and their economic analysts see the writing very clearly on the wall.
Climate change is very bad for business and their economic analysts see the writing very clearly on the wall.
Why are the Nordics happier and healthier than most countries? Lower inequality. It's costly but generates huge benefits for all.
(Which eventually results from unregulated capitalism and socio-economic inequality)
Status competition leads to social dominance hierarchies and conspicuous consumption.
There are always alternatives.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Status competition leads to social dominance hierarchies and conspicuous consumption.
There are always alternatives.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
September 13, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Why are the Nordics happier and healthier than most countries? Lower inequality. It's costly but generates huge benefits for all.
A keeper
September 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
A keeper
Research agents are here!
September 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Research agents are here!