Higher Ed, Being a Dorm Room Socrates, and the American Workforce

"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

In episode 5, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the promise and failings of higher education, working class economic prospects, the American healthcare system, and more. Noah’s articles are linked below. Econ 102 is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Episode preview

(01:23) How Noah joined, and then left academia

(04:29) The current state of universities

(09:30) Universities should invest in student companies indirectly

(11:03) Why Americans are falling out of love with college

(15:37) What stopped colleges from being able to provide a job and intellectual fulfillment

(15:48) Sponsor: NetSuite

(19:55) It's not harder for the average non-college educated American to get jobs nowadays

(22:00) Michigan's rust belt

(24:08) Was populism driven by economic or socio-cultural factors?

(26:23) Is the working class grievance justified?

(29:00) Why we don't have a healthcare system like Japan or Korea's

(31:42) Healthcare and housing instead of UBI

(36:45) Expectations around higher ed

(41:00) Why aren't employers starting their own universities?

(43:50) Custom training programs for big corporations

(45:57) What higher education will look like a decade from now

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LINKS:

Americans are Falling Out of Love with the Idea of College https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/americans-are-falling-out-of-love

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X / TWITTER:

@noahpinion (Noah)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [e-mail].