Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL Interviews the world's leading thinkers, and the people shaping the century.

“The Federal Reserve Board sent its most explicit signal yet that the emergency supply of liquidity to financial markets is done and the most aggressive monetary policy easing in its 96-year history will eventually reverse.” – February 19th, Bloomberg. Citing “continued improvement in financial market conditions”, the US Federal Reserve…

Thought Economics

 

As I write this, my Bloomberg feed shows that, “Euro-region leaders [have] ordered Greece to get the bloc’s highest budget deficit under control and said they are prepared to take “determined” action to staunch the worst crisis in the currency’s 11-year history.”, with the FT adding, “Under an agreement hammered…

Thought Economics

 

History has seen humanity exist in a near constant battle for social, economic, political and (since the enlightenment) individual freedoms. These battles have been set against a backdrop of great change and conflict, as states, commerce and other bodies struggle to reconcile their needs for utility, their risk aversion and…

Thought Economics

 

In recent weeks, we have seen uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Yemen and Jordan where members of the populous have taken to the streets, demonstrating and disrupting a country over issues ranging from food inflation, corruption, freedom of speech, living conditions and basic human and economic rights.  Most notably of…

Thought Economics

 

In this article, we talk to John Brynjolfsson, Managing Director of Armored Wolf LLC, a global macro hedge fund. Previously, Mr. Brynjolfsson was a Managing Director with PIMCO, firm with in excess of $750 billion of assets under management. Mr. Brynjolfsson discusses the risks, opportunities and the future of the…
Thought Economics

 

The industrial revolution created the archetypal businessman, characterized by their ruthless attitude towards commerce. In a controversial paper, Jerry Bergman discusses the Robber Barons’ (a pejorative term used to describe businessmen in America) attitude to workers in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He describes how, “The robber barons’ lack…

Thought Economics

 

In this article, we talk to Professor Nick Bostrom, Director of the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford, discussing the profound changes humanity could experience over coming years including artificial intelligence, machine consciousness, the direction of human evolution, and risks to humanity itself.
Thought Economics

 

In this article, we have an enlightening talk to a world expert on Bioethics, Professor John Harris (Lord Alliance Professor of Bioethics at The University of Manchester). Professor Harris discusses the philosophy, practicality and laws surrounding bioethics, covering areas including genetics, human engineering, stem cell therapies, assisted suicide, the economics…
Thought Economics

 

In this article, we talk to Susan Payne, CEO of Emergent Asset Management and discuss Agriculture, a keystone industry for Sub-Saharan Africa, a region which is home to almost a billion people and presents one of the greatest humanitarian challenges and economic opportunities of modern civilisation. In this exclusive interview,…
Thought Economics

 

In this article, we speak to Kristiina Rintakoski, Executive Director of the Crisis Management Initiative (launched by Nobel Prize winner President Martti Ahtisaari) about global conflict, its relationship with economic inequality, climate change and energy. We talk about the dynamics of conflict and crisis situations, and how organisations like CMI…
Thought Economics

 

In this article, we speak to Jeremy Smith, Chief Strategy Officer at SecondMarket, where over 3,000 participants manage over $1 trillion, participating in the world’s largest centralized, independent marketplace and auction platform for illiquid assets from auction rate securities to private company shares, CDO’s, mortgage and asset backed securities. http://thoughteconomics.blogspot.com/2009/07/investing-and-trading-illiquid-assets.html

Thought Economics

 

All Interviews  (580)
Business & Economics  (343)
My interview with reMarkable CEO, Phil Hess. We discuss the thesis behind reMarkable that led to the creation of one of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies, and a product with millions of users, which made Time magazine’s list of Best Inventions of 2020. Phil digs into reMarkable’s traction and growth,…
In this interview, I speak to Baron Jon Moynihan on his new book, Return to Growth Volume One: How to Fix the Economy. We discuss the UK’s decades-long stagnant economy and looks at what can be done to resuscitate it. In our conversation, we explore the key dynamics affecting economic…
Culture, Society, Sports & Arts  (234)
Health & Medicine  (65)
In this interview, I speak to James Nestor (author of ‘Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art’) we discuss his extraordinary journey understanding how modern civilisation has forgotten the importance of the most important thing we do, breathing. We discuss the impact that poor breathing has on our health…
In this interview I speak to Professor Bruce Hood, a world-leading psychologist and happiness expert. Grounded in decades of neuroscience, Professor Hood’s recent book The Science of Happiness explores the simple, life-changing discoveries that can really impact our own happiness. In our conversation, we discuss the fundamental nature of happiness,…
Nobel Laureates  (20)
Politics & Policy  (162)
In this interview, I speak to Baron Jon Moynihan on his new book, Return to Growth Volume One: How to Fix the Economy. We discuss the UK’s decades-long stagnant economy and looks at what can be done to resuscitate it. In our conversation, we explore the key dynamics affecting economic…
Science & Technology  (120)