Weekend Reads: June 22, 2018

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Inside the Crypto World’s Biggest Scandal

Gideon Lewis-Kraus | Wired |Retweeted by Andrea O’Sullivan

Gideon Lewis-Kraus of Wired details the story of Tezos and how the blockchain can be both “a utopian dream…and a living nightmare.”

Comedians Reveal What the LA Stand-Up Scene Actually Pays

Justin Caffier |Vulture | Shared by Tyler Cowen

In Vulture, Justin Caffier found there is more fiction than fact surrounding the claim that a new “comedy gold rush” is flooding the LA stand-up scene.

The Case for Getting Rid of Borders—Completely

Alex Tabarrok | The Atlantic | Retweeted by Bryan Caplan

Alex Tabarrok thinks the argument for open borders is both economic and moral. Learn more about his perspective in The Atlantic.

The Tragic Roots of America’s Favorite Cherry

Anne Ewbank | Atlas Obscura | Retweeted by Michael Farren

The man who cultivated America’s favorite cherry was largely forgotten from history. Was it the result of limiting Chinese immigration? Find out in Anne Ewbank’s piece for Atlas Obscura.

Don’t Break up Google — the Market Will Sort Everything Out

Jeff Jacoby | The Boston Globe | Shared by Don Boudreaux

Remember when experts lamented that no company could break Yahoo’s and MySpace’s dominance over search platforms and social media? Jeff Jacoby does. Writing for the Boston Globe, he explains why they were wrong and where we should go from here with Google.

IBM Unveils System That ‘Debates’ with Humans

Cate Metz and Steve Lohr | The New York Times | Shared by Tyler Cowen

Could we soon be faced with a machine that talks too much? The advent of artificial intelligence revolution is expanding into new territory.

This “Silly Walk” Sign at a Crosswalk in Norway Is the Future of Traffic Management

Dan Solomon | Fast Company | Shared by Tyler Cowen

One of Norway’s villages created a fun and innovative way to get people wanting to cross the street.

Thinking about a Trade War (Very Wonkish)

Paul Krugman | The New York Times | Shared by Tyler Cowen

How would a trade war go for the US? How much would this impact world trade? How much would this cost the US? Paul Krugman attempts to answer these questions and more in his complex analysis of trade in The New York Times.

Can Men Wear a Baseball Cap without Looking like a Frat Boy?

Scott Christian | The Wall Street Journal | Tweeted by Brian Knight

Read two perspectives on this beloved “modern-day cowboy hat” and why it is criticized and praised from different sides of the “aisle” of fashion.

The Ultimate Démarche: France Wants to Oust English from the EU

Valentina Pop | The Wall Street Journal | Tweeted by David Beckworth

France wants to say “au revoir” to Great Britain and reinstate French as the default language of EU institutions. Find out why French President Emmanuel Macron thinks continued English domination is “not inevitable” in Valentina Pop’s analysis in The Wall Street Journal.