2024:16 The Joy of Maths with Colm O'Regan
22 February 2024 - 36 minsThis week, we delve into the perennial question: Why do so few students depart school with a genuine love for mathematics? Is the way we teach maths the crux of the issue? Joining us is Colm O'Regan, host of his own Mathematics podcast, to show us the story behind the numbers. Maths, essential across various studies including economics, embodies the evolution of human thought, guiding us from guesswork to certainty - yet is widely loathed by students. It begs the question, does our approach to teaching often lack the engaging storytelling found in other subjects like history and English? Could this be what's hindering students' connections with maths? From the Ishango Bone to Pythagoras, the...
King Trump and the Bubble Economy
In this week’s second instalment on bubbles, we dive into America’s tech-driven exuberance and the dangers of the Magnificent Seven. Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, and their pals commanding a third of the S&P 500. Are they truly unshakable titans, or is it the dot-com bubble all over again? As the bubble inflates, Monsignor Joe Rogan is busy offering absolution to the tech bros, preparing them for King Trump’s coronation. But history warns us: bubbles don’t burst gently, and fragility hides behind the façade of strength. Join us as we explore irrational exuberance, FOMO, and why the "next big thing" always feels unstoppable, until it doesn’t. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33 mins
16 January Finished
Monsignor Joe Rogan and the Tech Bro Confessions: Risk, Bubbles, and MAGA Tailwinds
This week, we’re talking risk. From California’s burning insurance markets to the fragile dominance of America’s “Magnificent Seven” tech giants. Are Apple, Tesla, and their crew as unshakable as they seem, or are we teetering on another financial bubble? Meanwhile, over in the confessional, Father Joe Rogan is busy absolving tech bros like Zuckerberg of their woke sins, ushering them into the MAGA fold, complete with MMA moves and chains. Join us as we dig into the psychology of bubbles, the absurdity of concentrated risk, and why diversification isn’t just for your stock portfolio, it’s a survival strategy. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
36 mins
14 January Finished
The Epiphany: What Joyce, the Dead, Musk and Twitter Teach Us About Economic Power
We explore today's seismic changes in media and society, by tracing historical parallels between James Joyce’s The Dead (1907) and today’s digital age. Joyce’s observations on in The Dead about generational divides, the rise of newspapers, and societal shifts echo loudly in 2025, as new gatekeepers like Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos wield unprecedented influence over the flow of information. How did media transform from a tool of advertisement to the battleground for ideas? What can we learn from Joyce’s depiction of societal upheaval in 1907 as we navigate the tribalism and cultural revolutions of today? Join us from a snowy Ireland - as it was in The Dead - while we unpack history’s lessons, from the industrial age’s middle-class explosion to the rise of modernism and today’s chaotic digital landscape. Are we witnessing a similar hinge moment, and what does it mean for the future? Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33 mins
9 January Finished
America’s $30 Trillion Gamble: How Debt Could Rewrite the Global Economy
We examine the cracks forming in America’s financial dominance, with $30 trillion in debt—equal to 100% of GDP—making it the largest debtor nation in history. Drawing parallels to Britain’s fall from economic supremacy after WWI, we explore how reliance on foreign creditors, MAGA billionaires, and a dangerously overconfident debt-driven system are pushing the U.S. toward a potential reckoning. With bond vigilantes ready to re-emerge and global markets watching closely, could the U.S. be repeating the mistakes of past empires? Join us as we unravel the hidden fragilities, bold financial tactics, and the high stakes of America’s economic future. P.S you can check out Elizanomics here, I'll be posting at least weekly in 2025: https://elizanotaro.substack.com Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
32 mins
7 January Finished
Runways to Reality: How Airports Reflect the World Around Us
This week, we’re diving into a surprising truth: airports are the most democratic spaces in society. Think about it—everyone passes through them, from business tycoons to backpackers, families returning home, and adventurers chasing the sun. In this episode, we explore what Dublin Airport, a global hub unmatched by any other city its size, reveals about Ireland’s place in the world. With over 50 transatlantic flights a week and connections to places as unexpected as Nashville, Dublin Airport tells a fascinating story about how interconnected and diverse Irish society has become. Airports aren’t just gateways—they’re barometers of economic growth, diversity, and even innovation. Why is Ireland exporting microchips instead of machinery? And what does all this mean for a country that’s striving to avoid the perils of economic monoculture? Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
31 mins
2 January Finished
Swiftonomics and Centrist Dads: 2024 in Review
Happy New Year! Join us as we nurse our hangovers and take a ride through 2024’s greatest hits—economic and otherwise. From the explosive surge of Swiftonomics (yes, Taylor Swift boosted Ireland’s GDP!) to the surprising resilience of the Centrist Dad Economy, we unpack the stories that defined the year. Did Apple’s €13 billion tax debacle teach us anything? Are we more Boston or Berlin as we outpace Europe in growth? And how did a housing market on the brink coexist with 160,000 fans belting out Anti-Hero in Croke Park? It’s Ireland’s year of contradictions, featuring corporate tax quirks, and the existential debate about whether we’re Connecticut with bad weather or the EU’s cheekiest tax haven. We’re diving deep into the economics of everything that happened this year. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
36 mins
31 December 2024 Finished