Russ Roberts is an economist, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and president-designate of Shalem College. He is known for communicating economic ideas in understandable terms as host of the EconTalk podcast. Roberts categorizes himself as a proponent of classical economic liberalism. He has said, "I believe in limited government combined with personal responsibility. So I am something of a libertarian, but . . . that term comes with some baggage and some confusion." Roberts was awarded a B.A. in economics in 1975 from the University of North Carolina and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago in 1981 for his thesis on the design of government transfer programs under the supervision of Gary Becker. Roberts has previously taught at George Mason University, Washington University in St. Louis (where he was the founding director of what is now the Center for Experiential Learning), the University of Rochester, Stanford University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a regular commentator on business and economics for National Public Radio's Morning Edition and has written for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Roberts also blogs at Cafe Hayek with Donald J. Boudreaux at George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia. Roberts writes and publishes videos on economics, some of which have been viewed millions of times.[16] One of the most widely watched videos is Fear the Boom and Bust, a rap battle between 20th-century economists John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich von Hayek.
Lyrics to the song that was inspired by the interview:
THE NUMBERS GAME
VERSE
D
Statistics, get twisted
What kind of life are we living?
Bm A D
Our world is data-driven
Correlation's not causation
The truth is often hidden
My world is data-driven
BRIDGE C D - G F#/D Em - C D
G A
Got no destination. Distracted by the stations
D A Bm
Money and crap and those complications
G A
Still I try, and I I I I
CHORUS G Em C D
D
Got down, but don't know how to do this
Bm
Oh no, gotta hit the digits
G
I eat I sleep I feel
A
I'm living my life, flat out running, running on the running wheel
God knows, I do not to want to do this
All work, however I'll come through this
For life, for family, for pleasure
For now and on and on forever
OUTRO Em C D Em - C D G
Bm G
Every time the same
A Bm
Why do I even play?
G A D
I'm losing at the numbers game
VERSE
Bad sampling. Wrong baseline.
Mistakes are not forgiven
When your world is data-driven
Cos of bias, interpretation
I can't connect or make decisions
When the world is data-driven
BRIDGE
Got no destination. Distracted by the stations
Money and crap and all those complications
Still I try, and I I I I
CHORUS
Got down, but don't know how to do this
Oh no, gotta hit the digits
I eat I sleep I feel
I'm living my life, flat out running, running on the running wheel
God knows, I do not to want to do this
All work, however I'll come through this
For life, for family, for pleasure
For now and on and on forever
Every time the same
Why do I even play?
I'm losing at the numbers game
MIDDLE C Em F#/D G
G Bm A D
Gotta think to the future, look a long way deeper
G Bm A Bm
Need to ask what my values are, focus as a seeker
G A [Stop] D
On who am I. And why?
CHORUS