Words & Numbers

James and Ant predict the near-present. Who's gonna win in this hot mess of an election? They also talk a bit about who's gonna lose.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview00:26 Listener Feedback: The Death Penalty and Inalienable Rights02:18 Does Imprisonment Violate the Right to Liberty?04:09 Can You Forfeit Your Inalienable Rights?06:25 Punishment, Rehabilitation, and the Purpose of Prison08:42 Elizabeth Holmes, Fraud, and Criminal Justice10:22 Should Criminals Be Forced to Repay Their Victims?12:07 Pete Hegseth’s Political Future in Tennessee13:48 Foolishness of the Week: Nicki Minaj for White House Press Secretary?17:19 Political Spam and the 2026 Midterm Elections18:49 Midterm Election Predictions: Polls vs. Betting Markets25:51 Will Democrats Take Control of Congress?28:10 Could Trump Face Another Impeachment?31:50 The Odds of Democrats Winning the House and Senate34:03 Texas Senate Race: Ken Paxton vs. James Talarico35:35 Trump’s Approval Ratings and the Midterms37:13 Ohio Governor’s Race: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Declining Odds39:00 Alaska Senate Race: Mary Peltola vs. Dan Sullivan41:51 Maine Senate Race: Can Susan Collins Survive?44:43 Tariffs, Inflation, and Republican Voter Discontent46:44 Michigan Senate Race: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers49:04 What Happens if Trump Is Removed From Office?57:05 Which Is More Reliable: Polls or Prediction Markets?1:02:24 Redistricting Battles in Texas and California1:04:21 The Political Consequences of Redistricting1:05:15 Be Nice to Each Other and Closing Thoughts

James and Ant talk about Ant’s long-ass walk, and what that means about how we think.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview00:20 Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos Documentary05:02 Listener Stories and Words & Numbers Down Under07:11 Gun Control, Self-Defense, and an Australian Home Invasion11:02 Concealed Carry and the Value of Firearms Training16:18 Tesla’s Flying Car and the Future of Transportation18:08 California’s Racism Lawsuit Against Tesla22:40 Foolishness of the Week: Chicken McNuggets Delivered to Prison by Drone27:50 Flock Cameras, Surveillance, and Halloween29:39 Ant’s 125-Mile Walk Through England32:33 Is Constant Noise Making It Harder to Think?39:28 The Disappearance of Peace and Quiet41:06 Walking, Meditation, and Where Ideas Come From49:38 Are National Cultures Becoming Homogenized?54:48 How American Craft Beer Changed in 45 Years57:41 Why European Trains Work Better Than American Trains1:00:42 A Regulation Even Libertarians Might Support1:03:58 How Rich Are Americans Compared to Britain?1:05:50 Closing Thoughts: Be Nice Without Anyone Knowing

Ant and James go a little further than most in discussing the death penalty as we brace ourselves for the first public execution in the US since 1936.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:13 MIT’s Certificate in Piracy03:59 Political Arguments, Social Media, and the Electoral College07:30 Chuck Grassley, Aging Politicians, and Age Limits12:28 Foolishness of the Week: Arrested Over a Shrek Meme14:06 Political Speech and the First Amendment16:56 Free Speech, Government Censorship, and Public Figures19:51 The Death Penalty and the Right to Life22:04 Can the Government Be Trusted With Capital Punishment?25:02 Nidal Hasan and the Case for Public Execution28:06 Should Executions Ever Be a Public Spectacle?32:38 The Morality of Taking a Human Life35:43 Public Executions, War, and the Slippery Slope38:20 Are These Signs of a Dying Political Regime?41:25 Principles, Revenge, and the Death Penalty44:19 Closing Thoughts and Words & Numbers Backstage

David Friedman joins us once again to discuss differing legal systems (and Renaissance fairs).00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:14 Furries, Renaissance Fairs, and Pittsburgh Subcultures06:42 Rethinking the Social Security Retirement Age10:46 Foolishness of the Week: The BBC Loses Its Mind17:02 David Friedman on Alternative Legal Systems17:58 Renaissance Fairs vs. Historical Recreation23:04 Competing Legal Systems Throughout History28:15 Benefit of Clergy and Medieval English Law30:29 How Multiple Legal Systems Can Coexist32:06 Order Without Law and Enforcing Social Norms35:27 Civil Asset Forfeiture and Incentives in Punishment36:45 Amish and Romani Legal Systems39:50 How Romani Communities Enforce Their Own Laws46:11 Sharia Law and Islamic Legal Systems in America53:08 When Crime Is Against the State vs. the Victim55:17 Private Justice and Compensation in Iraq57:46 Tribal Responsibility and Saudi Legal Traditions59:09 David Friedman’s Current Projects and What’s Next1:00:11 Climate Change, Population Growth, and Economic Orthodoxy1:02:39 Where to Find David Friedman’s Work

James and guest co-host Tom Krannawitter try to figure out (and explain) what the normative standard of nature is.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:08 Trump, the Midterms, and the Future of the Republican Party06:27 Colorado Republicans and the Changing Conservative Movement09:42 What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative?16:02 Aristotle, the American Founding, and the Role of Virtue18:58 Foolishness of the Week: Mike Johnson and the $5,000 Checks21:46 The New Deal, Government Spending, and Buying Votes26:57 Why Culture Matters More Than Politics30:13 The Normative Standard of Nature32:50 Natural Law, Human Nature, and Right and Wrong34:41 Aristotle on Virtue and Friendship38:46 Can Morality Exist Without Religion?40:04 Learning from Experience, Age, and Human Nature44:29 Can Political and Cultural Norms Be Unjust?46:42 The Declaration of Independence as a Moral Standard47:54 The Intellectual Origins of American Progressivism49:05 Hegel, John C. Calhoun, and the Rejection of Natural Rights50:33 How the German Model Transformed American Education52:56 Progressivism and the Rejection of Nature