The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

In this episode, our guest is Salomé Baslandze from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and we talked about her academic journey, influential economists in her career, new data on product vs process innovations, firm growth, political connections, policy suggestions, and more!

Host: Ruveyda Nur Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen on X)

1:04 Her Academic Journey
4:52 Comparison between Academia and Policy Institutions
7:40 The "AI" Heat on Academia
22:57 Why do economists use theoretical models? 
29:50 The Role of Competition Authorities
32:56 Research Gaps in the Literature
36:00 Cheezy Questions!
38:03 Never Have I Ever!

In this episode, our guest is Thomas Philippon who is a Professor of Finance at NYU Stern. We talked about his academic journey from Physics to Economics, influential economists, competition, superstar firms, concentration, and more!

13:36 Debating Market Competition
24:23 Historical Context of Superstar Firms
27:49 Impact of COVID on Market Dynamics
30:23 Market Power and Concentration: Good or Bad?
34:19 Comparative Analysis: US vs Europe
41:52 Cheezy Questions and Never Have I Ever!

In this episode, our guest is Alberto Bisin, a Professor of Economics at NYU. We talked about his personal academic journey, the economics culture at the University of Chicago, culture for economic growth, evolution in economics, and more!

Host: Ruveyda Gozen (Cardiff Business School and CEP LSE)
Producers: Ruveyda Gozen (Cardiff Business School and LSE) and John Van Reenen (LSE)

01:50 Evolution of Economics
05:16 Experiences at the University of Chicago
13:50 The Role of Culture in Economic Growth
21:06 Let's Think of a Hypothetical County?
25:45 The Long Divergence between the West and Middle East
42:48 Cheezy Questions & Never Have I Ever!

In this episode, our guest is Fiona Murray from MIT. We talked about her academic journey, publication processes, Nobel Prize winners in Economics, gender, security-driven innovation, and more!

12:15 Entrepreneurship is about failure. How about you?
15:54 Publication Speed in Economics and Other Fields
18:22 Nobel Prize Winners in Economics
21:00 Gender, Innovation and Innovation Ecosystems
31:17 Market-Driven Innovations vs Security-Driven Innovations

In this episode, our guest is Nick Bloom from Stanford University! And we talked about academic production functions, diffusion of innovation, economic situation in the US and the UK, working from home, and more.

01:41 How did he decide to be an economist?
03:17 John Van Reenen and Nick Bloom
04:45 Co-authorship and Academic Production Function  
08:26 Diffusion of Innovation
16:25 Politics, Trump, and Long Run Innovation
20:28 How about the UK Politics? 
26:33 Working from Home, Academia, Undergrads and Grads
35:58 What are the gaps in the literature?
38:00 “Gollum” Strategy?
40:59 If he couldn’t be an economist in a parallel universe, what would he be?
42:32 Is there something in economics he believes in that others disagree with?
44:45 Never have I ever!