Chris Blattman
@cblatts
Economist & political scientist @UChicago @HarrisPolicy studying conflict & organized crime. My book is Why We Fight: http://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/636263
Someone was mugged in front of my home earlier this week, hit over the head and had backpack with passport taken, and I wish I had a ring to share footage with the victim or police, who otherwise had no information on the assailants.
I think we’re supposed to think this is bad, but using technology to detect and deter crime is in fact good.
1⃣One week from now, Trump’s 50% tariffs on Brazil are set to take effect—marking the deepest crisis in decades in the relationship between the Western Hemisphere’s two largest nations. A few thoughts: 🧵
Now the most prominent feature of my running route. I love Chicago & Hyde Park for its bold innovative architecture. I think that means you have to take the bad with the good. When running through the trees of Jackson Park, best thing I can say is that it cuts a majestic figure.
Arrest Obama for his presidential library design
Confirms my impression that Chicago is the largest and most vibrant city in the country, maybe the world, with the relatively worst array of natural splendor and outdoor activities within 150 miles. Unless you are a boater. I am not.
One in 6 Maine homes are vacation homes—which Census defines as "vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use." The lowest density of vacation homes in America is Illinois—one in 125. via @_brianpotter
Waymo is a godsend for working parents. Need to hand off the baby between meetings? Put them in a Waymo and send them to your partner across town. Impossible before now. Really grateful we have this technology 🙏
This is so incomprehensible to me. Congress has repeatedly told the White House that they want to continue support for PEPFAR. It's a conservative initiative. It's shockingly cost-effective. Who is the constituency for this???
I can only hope that one day these people will understand the crime in which they've taken part
Hunter Biden’s interview with Andrew Callaghan has nearly 2 million views just on YouTube since it dropped yesterday. The comment section is filled with people expressing their appreciation and admiration of him after listening to him speak. Nearly just as many are expressing…
Tragic. Qualitative, comparative, theoretically informed (or theory generating) work in economic history is foundational. e.g. I cannot imagine understanding the 20th century without Barry Eichengreen. The optimal amount of qualitative economic history is surely >20% of papers.
4/ 🧪 Methods: From Time Series to Causal Inference In 2000, 70% of papers used mostly descriptive time-series analysis. Now? It's <40%. Econometrics (IVs, DiD, panel models) are dominant. Machine learning & text mining are on the rise. Qualitative work? Nearly extinct.
Very cool
🧵@econhist Transformed: What 25 Years of Data Reveal 1/ No longer just descrtive stats & British factories. It’s global, data-driven, and methodologically bold. We analysed 25 years of publications in 5 top journals using NLP and network analysis. Here’s what we found 👇@voxeu
New newsletter: We need to talk about how GLP-1 drugs seem to be good for practically everything—and what that means for the future of medicine and health Hundreds of studies have now shown that GLP-1s, such as Ozempic and Zepbound: - seem to curb alcohol, cocaine, and tobacco…
RIP Ozzy
There was only one Ozzy 💙 Look back to Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame"