The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

In this episode, our guest is a young star economist: Kyle Myers from Harvard Business School! We talked about the current clash between the Trump administration and Harvard, NIH, "Elasticity of Science", Covid, and more!Current Host: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen)Timestamps:00:00 Intro, Trump, and Harvard 06:35 “Elasticity” of Science 20:43 Funding for Science: Is there a better way? 24:53 Covid and Elasticity of Science 28:03 Let's Switch to More Personal Questions! 30:55 What is Kyle's Production Function of Research?34:55 If he couldn't be an economist, what would he be in a parallel universe?36:35 What's something you believe about research or academia that many others in economics don't agree with?38:43 “This or That?”40:13 Never Have I Ever!

In this episode, our guest is Jonathan Haskel from Imperial College and we talked about productivity puzzle in the UK, general productivity slowdown, intangible capital, and finance! Current Host: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen)04:00 Productivity Puzzle in the UK 11:12 Productivity Slowdown and Intangible Capital29:25 Finance and Intangible Capital Investment35:34 Some “personal” questions!41:53 Game on! This or That? 

In this episode, our guest is Walker Hanlon who is an Associate Professor in Economics at Northwestern University. We talked about if necessity is the mother of invention, different theories about directed technical change, why the British Industrial Revolution specifically persisted and more! 06:40 Necessity: the mother of invention? 08:20 What is directed technical change? 09:50 Theories on directed technical change 15:10 Laissez-Faire and Walker's New Book!20:00 Why did The British Industrial Revolution persist?32:25 Cheezy Question and “This or That” Game!

In this episode, our guest is Sascha Becker from the University of Warwick, and we talk about religion, how it is related to economic growth, Max Weber's theory on the Protestant Ethic, Erasmus, Luther, power dynamics, and more! 14:00 Religion and Economic Growth 17:00 Max Weber and The Protestant Ethic Theory 21:47 Digging for the Data 28:28 Objections from Various Disciplines 32:15 Diffusion of Ideas, and Innovations 35:59 Power Shift, Luther, and the Church 46:05 Cheezy Questions! 49:55 This or That? Who are you going to write a book with?!

In this episode, our guest is Robin Burgess from the LSE and we talked about the direction that the Environmental Economics is taking, new datasets, approaches, tension between economic growth, and climate change, and more! Current Host: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) Podcast Owners: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) 01:30 Deforestation and Political Incentives 06:25 The Direction of Environmental Economics 10:50 A Personal Story by Robin Burgess and His Production Function 14:30 His New ERC Grant and The Projects Ahead! 21:00 Economic Growth and Climate Change Tension 25:40 Whose Turn(!) to Pollute? 34:30 Green Policies 42:50 Cheezy Questions!

Our guest is Raffaella Sadun from Harvard Business School and we talk about organisations, managerial culture and capital, competition, natural disaster managements, and more! Don't miss out! 05:30 Productivity, Management, and World Management Survey 13:00 Through Which Channels Does Management Affect Productivity? 15:00 Key Factors Behind Good Management 18:41 What is "Managerial Capital"? And How to Find Them? 22:30 Decentralisation, Top Down vs Bottom Up Approach 28:00 How Did Management Practices Change As a Response to the Pandemic? 31:00 CEO Pay, and Gaps in the Literature 37:00 Cheezy Questions!

In this episode, our guest is Michela Giorcelli who is an applied microeconomist and economic historian from UCLA. We talk about the evolution of managerial practices, how policies during WW2 affected management and productivity, the "American Way of Business", and many more! Host: Ruveyda Gozen Podcast Owners: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) Time Stamps: 07:52 Historical Evolution of Management Practices 12:52 The Effects of WW2 on Management 20:55 Export of Management Practices to Japan 25:23 The American Way of Business 32:16 Cultural and Institutional Influences on Management 44:39 Gaps in the Literature 47:56 Cheezy Questions!

In this episode, our guest is Sabrina Howell who is a Professor of Finance at the NYU Stern. We talk about how to finance innovations, fintechs, venture capitalists, private and public equity, and the role of government! Current Host: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) Podcast Owners: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) Time Stamps: 06:15 Financial Problems and Inventors: Equity Financing, Debt Financing, Private and Public Equity 11:05 Life Cycle Decisions of Innovation and Financing 19:49 Venture Capitalists, Gender, Minorities, and Entrepreneurship 27:10 Fintechs, and Access to Financial Services 28:36 Government Intervention, and Direction of Technology 36:30 Policy Suggestions, Theory and Practice 41:37 Gaps in the Literature 44:38 Cheezy Questions!

Our guest in this episode is Philippe Aghion! We talk about Marx, Schumpeter, creative destruction, capital accumulation, history, middle income countries, political economy, and more!

In this episode, our guest is Stefanie Stantcheva and we talked about taxation, incentives for inventors, history, slavery and wealth accumulation, zero-sum attitude towards immigrants, and more! Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) 08:30 Taxation and Innovations 13:30 Policy Implications of Taxes and Innovation Incentives 22:17 Historical Facts on Wealth Inequality in the US 28:08 Social Economics Lab: Attitudes towards Climate Change 38:15 Social Economics Lab: Zero-Sum Attitude, and Income Inequality 44:30 Cheezy Questions!

In this episode, our guest is Daron Acemoglu from MIT and we talked about innovation dynamics, automation, elitism, institutions, history, and more! 06:05 Automation and declining labor share 17:20 But why do firms choose (so-so) automation? 25:00 Education is a solution! Or is it NOT? 27:20 First Industrial Revolution, Social Change, Elitism 30:50 Democracy and automation 34:40 What will governments do then? Cheezy Questions: 40:40 What is Daron's production function? 42:00 Which economist or philosopher had the largest impact on your thinking? 43:30 Privilege to write a non-causal paper in Economics

In this episode, we talk about lost talents or lost Einsteins and Marie Curies in an economy, the relationship between inequality, innovation, and inflation, and more! Let us know your thoughts, comments, and questions! 05:00 Lost Einsteins and Marie Curies 12:00 Creative Destruction and Inequality 20:00 Inflation, Inequality, and Innovation 25:00 Cheezy Questions! Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@jvanreenen)

In this episode, our guest is Naomi Lamoreaux from Yale University. We dive into history to talk about big corporations, patent trolls and sharks, and litigation wars between companies! Take a look at this episode and let us know your thoughts @POID_cast on X or email us at lsepoidcast@gmail.com! Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) 02:55 Patents or Prizes for Innovations? 07:07 Litigation Wars and Property Rights 11:10 Who are Patent Trolls?  19:24 Standard Oil Company, Innovations, Mergers  28:55 What Does an Ideal Patent System Look Like?  38:04 Cheezy Questions! Any Strategies to Publish a Paper? 43:12 Mean (!) Comments by Referees

In this episode, our guest is Ben Jones from Northwestern University. We are talking about how production of knowledge has changed over time, whether gender-diverse teams perform better, whether we have a bias towards multi-authored papers, immigration, age, and entrepreneurship, and more! Take a look at this episode and let us know your thoughts @POID_cast on X or email us at lsepoidcast@gmail.com! Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) 06:00 Production of Knowledge 09:40 Multiple Co-authors and Gender: Who Gets the Credit? 25:00 Burden of Knowledge 33:00 Immigration and Entrepreneurship 41:00 Age and Entrepreneurship 46:30 Cheezy Questions!

Why isn't there a solution for cancer? Is there an incentive problem in the economy? What are exclusivities? To hear about these questions and for more, join us in this episode! For your questions and comments: @POID_cast (X) and lsepoidcast@gmail.com (email) Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen)

In this episode, we talk about new or unorthodox ways of measuring innovation with Petra Moser. Are patents a necessary condition for innovation? Which one is better: a patent system or secrecy? How does immigration affect innovations? How does motherhood affect productivity? And her experience and suggestions as an economist and economic historian. Let us know what you think! Email: lsepoidcast@gmail.com X: @POID_cast Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@jvanreenen)

In this episode, we dive into the production of science with Pierre Azoulay from MIT Sloan School of Management. We dig deeper the relationship between science and technology, how they feed into each other, the impact of superstar scientists, and policies to encourage innovation, and more!  Email us at lsepoidcast@gmail.com OR X it out here: @POID_cast Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) & John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) 03:45 Interdisciplinary vs Pluri-disciplinary Academic Research 06:18 How does science feed into technology and vice versa? 10:24 The production function of science 14:50 Does science progress one funeral at a time? 37:20 What is Pierre's production function of research?

In this episode, we dive into "The Economics of Creative Destruction" with Ufuk Akcigit. We talk about what creative destruction is, how this notion evolved over time, the dynamics between firms and political institutions, developing economies, and more! Email us at lsepoidcast@gmail.com OR X it out here: @POID_cast Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) & John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) 2:30 What is creative destruction, and how did this notion evolve over time? 20:30 Defensive Innovation through Political Connections and Patent Thickets or Innovation Pushing the Frontier? 25:00 Superstar Firms, Market Power, and Innovation 37:30 Diffusion of Innovation and Barriers in Developing Economies 41:30 Frontier Research and Potential Research Questions on Innovation 50:30 Green Innovation 54:00 Robert Lucas 58:14 Ups and Downs, Successes and Failures

Welcome to the Innovation and Diffusion Podcast! In this episode, we introduce what this podcast is about, why we do this podcast, and give you a quick glimpse of what's awaiting you in the upcoming episodes! For any comments and suggestions, please email us at lsepoidcast@gmail.com or  Twitter @POID_cast Hosts: Ruveyda Nur Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) & John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) The Economic and Social Research Council funds this podcast through the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID) at the London School of Economics and Political Science.