The Human Progress Podcast

Growth vs. Redistribution in the Fight Against Poverty | Kevin Corinth | Ep. 84

The United States has spent decades trying to reduce poverty through an expanding social safety net. But how much of the country’s progress against poverty is thanks to t

How Markets Make Us Better People | Walker Wright | Ep. 83

Our research fellow Chelsea Follett speaks with Walker Wright about the moral character of markets, the relationship between economic freedom and good behavior, the effec

Progress and the Price System | Brian Albrecht | Ep. 82

Our editor Marian Tupy speaks with economist Brian Albrecht about the role of prices in modern prosperity. They discuss why price controls fail, whether scarcity can eve

The Myth of American Decline | Michael Strain | Ep. 81

Our managing editor Chelsea Follett speaks with economist Michael Strain about the myth of American decline and the dangers of populism. They discuss the rise of populism

Rethinking the Gilded Age | Brian Domitrovic | Ep. 80

The Gilded Age has become one of the most common analogies for our own time, invoked as shorthand for economic inequality and political corruption. But that comparison mi

The System That Feeds Us | Jan Dutkiewicz | Ep. 79

The industrial food system is often treated as a symbol of everything people distrust about modernity: too processed, too corporate, too artificial, and too detached from

What Climate Science Really Says | Roger Pielke Jr. | Ep. 78

Roger Pielke Jr. joins Marian Tupy to discuss the latest climate research and how to think clearly about climate change.

America's Turn Against Markets | Samuel Gregg | Ep. 77

Samuel Gregg joins Chelsea Follett to discuss the rise of a more interventionist economic consensus and the case for markets in modern America. Check out his book, The N

Meaning and Morality in the Modern Age | Steven Pinker | Ep. 76

Steven Pinker joins Marian Tupy to discuss the so-called "crisis of meaning," the decline of religion, and what can give life purpose in a modern, largely secular world.

Discontent in the Age of Plenty | Brink Lindsey | Ep. 75

Our editor Marian Tupy speaks with writer and policy scholar Brink Lindsey about his new book The Permanent Problem: The Uncertain Transition from Mass Plenty to Mass Flo

Environmentalism Without Degrowth | Zion Lights | Ep. 74

Environmentalists often claim that solving climate change requires scarcity: less energy, less consumption, and less economic growth. Zion Lights, a former radical envir

The Pattern Behind History's Golden Ages | Johan Norberg | Ep. 73

Johan Norberg examines the conditions that create human flourishing and why golden ages so often come to an end. Buy his book, Peak Human.

The Misdiagnosis of American Mental Health | Chris Ferguson | Ep. 72

Psychologist Chris Ferguson joins Adam Omary to discuss American mental health, cognitive biases, and the dangers of narrative overreach. Buy his book, Catastrophe!: How

American Poverty Is a Measurement Problem | Scott Winship | Ep. 71

Scott Winship joins Marian Tupy to discuss how bad measurement choices distort the picture of poverty and inequality in the United States.

The New Right Manufactures Misery | Yaron Brook | Ep. 70

Yaron Brook joins Marian Tupy to discuss the pessimistic populism of the New Right.

Milei Midterms: An Update on Argentina | Marcos Falcone | Ep. 69

Policy analyst Marcos Falcone joins Chelsea Follett to discuss Milei’s recent electoral success and the economic reforms he might pursue using this new political leverage

How Liberty Made Progress Possible | Peter Boettke | Ep. 68

Peter Boettke joins Marian Tupy to examine the institutional foundations of the modern world. Check out his book, The Historical Path to Liberty and Human Progress.

Authoritarian Threats to Campus Free Speech | Sarah McLaughlin | Ep. 67

Sarah McLaughlin joins Chelsea Follett to discuss the rising influence of foreign authoritarian governments on college campuses. Check out her book, Authoritarians in th

Growth Comes From Ideas, Not Degrees | Bryan Caplan | Ep. 66

Bryan Caplan joins Marian Tupy to discuss the relationship between formal education and innovation. Check out his book, The Case against Education.

Is Progress Making Us Miserable? | Tim Lomas | Ep. 65

Psychology researcher Tim Lomas joins Chelsea Follett to explore surprising global trends in happiness, meaning, mental health, and more.