Two quick links that I think readers might find useful. First, a fascinating interview on NPR with a bee biologist. There’s a lot of interesting colorful detail (e.g., bees feeding on mammal tears), but the big thing which I appreciate is the balance between being sanguine and being overly alarmed by the phenomenon of “colony collapse.” Second, a Planet Money podcast, the case against patents. The point isn’t that one has to agree with the case against patents, but that patents are not part of our inalienable natural rights. It behooves us to examine now and then the utility in our world of the granting of patents, as well as the concept of intellectual property more broadly. Yes, it strikes many people as a crazy idea, but it’s surprisingly a common idea floated by economists.
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