Words & Numbers

Words & Numbers is one of the highest-rated economics podcasts in the world. Each episode, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan dig into economics, political science, and current events to explain what’s actually happening and why it matters.

Words & Numbers is a education podcast hosted by Free the People, with 530 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Free the People hosts Words & Numbers, a education show with 530 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #525

  Episode 525: Athens v Berlin

  Sep 24, 202657 min

  James and Tom Krannawitter, who is pinch-hitting for Ant this week, discuss the differences between the Greek and German educational methods, and why we should care. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:17 Trump’s Triumphal Arch, Snipers, and Government Militarization 05:25 When Police Destroy Your Property and Don’t Pay for It 09:07 Qualified Immunity and Holding Police Accountable 12:32 Could Insurance Help Police the Police? 17:27 Foolishness of the Week: Homeschooling Disqualifies a Firefighter 20:19 Homeschooling, Accreditation, and the Education System 23:12 Classical Education vs. the Modern University 25:22 How Accreditation Reshaped American Higher Education 28:33 What a Real College Education Looks Like 33:21 Socrates, Classical Education, and the Pursuit of Truth 36:04 The Greek vs. German Models of Education 41:01 Methodology, Old Books, and the Modern University 43:16 How to Pursue a Real Education in College 45:17 What Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Plato Have in Common 45:59 The Intellectual Origins of Progressivism 47:25 Machiavelli, Technology, and Conquering Nature 50:00 Social Engineering and the Progressive Project 52:30 Natural Rights, Human Will, and the Limits of the Enlightenment 54:35 Closing Thoughts

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  Episode #523

  Episode 523: It’s Always 9/11

  Sep 10, 202654 min

  Ant and James reflect on 9/11, both the day and its legacy. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:24 Citizens United, Super PACs, and Money in Politics 6:48 Corporate Donations, Trump, and Political Influence 10:50 AI Is Putting an Entire Industry Out of Business 13:56 AI, College Cheating, and the Future of Education 17:28 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Threatens to Halt Trade 20:48 Why Trade Deficits Aren’t What Politicians Think 22:24 25 Years Later: Remembering 9/11 25:25 Where We Were When the Attacks Happened 29:03 How 9/11 Changed America Overnight 31:39 Fear, Terrorism, and the Wars That Followed 9/11 34:22 How 9/11 Changed the Nature of War 35:17 The War on Terror and America’s “Wars on Nouns” 42:28 TSA, Security Theater, and the Post-9/11 Surveillance State 44:30 The Militarization of American Law Enforcement 46:06 Did Americans Trade Freedom for Security? 48:31 Fear, Crime, and the Lasting Legacy of 9/11 50:32 Closing Thoughts: Have Some Charity in Your Heart

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  Episode #522

  Episode 522: Disinteresting Rates

  Sep 3, 202653 min

  What's the deal with bonds and interest rates? Find out on Words & Numbers, where we will use both words and numbers to get to the bottom of things. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:42 Free Speech and the First Amendment 7:45 Rutgers Dean Caught Recording Students 09:55 Renaming the Great Lakes “Lake America” 11:41 Foolishness of the Week: George Santos Gets Banned From Kalshi 14:27 Is the Government Running Out of Places to Borrow? 20:24 Why Treasury Investors Are Demanding Higher Returns 22:10 The Federal Debt and the Interest Rate Spiral 24:06 Can the Government Tax Its Way Out of the Deficit? 26:24 Will the Government Eventually Monetize the Debt? 27:43 The Federal Reserve vs. the Treasury 33:05 Scott Bessent’s Plan to Push Interest Rates Down 36:42 Is the Treasury Gambling on Short-Term Debt? 41:37 Is the Treasury Trying to Conduct Monetary Policy? 44:38 Are We Seeing the Beginning of a U.S. Debt Crisis? 49:03 Can Social Security Force Congress to Confront the Debt? 51:35 Closing Thoughts: Find an Excuse to Be Nice

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  Episode #521

  Episode 521: A Priest Walks Into a Podcast

  Aug 27, 20261h 2m

  A priest shows up. Antony doesn’t confess, James doesn’t convert, but they all talk about human dignity. Checkout Fr. James Martin, SJ 's book, 'Work in Progress.' https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062694480 0:00 Introduction and Overview 0:29 The Ultimate Quiet Quitting Story 4:32 Scott Bessent’s $950 Billion Bond Buyback Plan 8:05 Is the Treasury Conducting Its Own Monetary Policy? 12:14 Foolishness of the Week: American Airlines Does It Again 16:57 Father James Martin on Pope Leo, AI, and Human Dignity 20:50 What Happens When AI Meets Humanlike Robots? 22:48 AI, Loneliness, and Replacing Human Relationships 24:57 Can Free Markets Serve the Common Good? 29:22 Property Rights, Poverty, and the Role of the Church 34:53 Who Gets to Define the “Common Good”? 36:17 Subsidiarity, Data Centers, and Local Decision-Making 41:18 Human Rights vs. Human Flourishing 43:38 Wealth, Profit, and the Morality of Capitalism 48:00 What Did Jesus Mean by “The Poor Will Always Be With You”? 51:22 Individual Charity vs. Community Responsibility 55:15 Social Media, Human Dignity, and the Loss of Community 1:00:09 Father James Martin’s Work in Progress

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  Episode #520

  Episode 520: The Death of Data

  Aug 20, 202647 min

  When government statistics are under question, it gets pretty hard to know what the hell is actually going on. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:32 Civil Disobedience, Crime, and Flock Cameras 06:17 License Plate Tracking and the Surveillance State 10:52 Rising Treasury Yields and Federal Borrowing 12:20 Surge Pricing, Markets, and Government Intervention 15:48 Monopolies, Standard Oil, and De Beers 20:01 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Tariffs on Brass Instruments 24:02 The Death of Reliable Government Data 27:00 Why Politicizing Economic Data Matters 30:21 Immigration Data, Jobs, and the Economy 33:01 Immigration and Social Security 36:39 Migrant Workers, Business Planning, and Regulation 41:39 Why Reliable Data Keeps Prices Lower 44:06 Final Thoughts on Kindness and Grace

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