We're launching a new school. It's called Alpha World School, where students will spend a year building schools in Kenya and Ecuador. This is not a simulation like Model UN, and it's not a fundraiser. This is the real version. Students will deploy solar power where the grid doesn't reach, engineer clean water systems, and use Starlink internet to bring kids there the same Alpha Timeback system our students use in the US. Every morning, wherever they are, this cohort will complete their academics, including AP courses, on Alpha Timeback. Every student also does real research. Maybe it's tree frogs in the Amazon, a hydroponic system for dry regions, or a community health study. They'll work with professors from places like MIT, Harvard, and Stanford to produce a published, peer-reviewed paper. We have 20 spots available. If you have a kid who wants to change the world and means it, this is for them.

1/ Can AI help researchers check whether published social science results actually reproduce? In our new PNAS paper, we tested this directly in the AI Replication Games: 288 researchers, 103 teams, and real replication packages from quantitative social science.

The workplace of tomorrow will look as unfamiliar to us as modern professional tennis did to tennis fans during the wooden-racquet era. — Ian Fillmore and Jonathan D. Hall deseret.com/opinion/2026/05/…

I just had the craziest experience at the airport. We are about to board a flight to Atlanta when the pilot from the incoming plane walks out of the jetway. Guy is probably late 50s, salt and pepper hair, military look. The kind of pilot you instantly feel good about seeing on your flight. Pilot walks over to the counter, gets on the PA system, and starts addressing everyone. “Folks, I’ve been doing this a long time. Flying one of these jets is easy. The hard part is looking at 130 people and telling them their flight is going to be delayed.” Audible groans throughout the boarding gate. Most people here are flying to Atlanta as a layover before another flight. 130 people just had their day become a complete mess. The pilot goes on. “I get it, trust me. But here’s the deal: During our landing, we had a small mechanical issue. I’m not your pilot for the next leg, but I don’t feel confident the jet’s safe to fly until we have a mechanical team look it over, and I don’t feel comfortable asking the next pilots to fly you guys until we get confirmation.” He points at the agents next to him behind the counter: “Now, none of this is the agents’ fault. Please be kind to them. I’m the one who made this decision, not them, so any inconvenience you experience is my fault. Just please know that I don’t do this lightly, and I’m only doing it because I believe it’s in the best interests of everyone’s safety.” Now this is where the story gets crazy. The pilot puts the microphone down, grabs his suitcase, and all the people in the gate… Start clapping. I’m not joking, everyone starts clapping for the guy. 130 people who just had their travel plans ruined give an ovation to the guy who made the decision and delivered the message. All because he addressed them with decency and transparency, took ownership of the decision, made it clear that it was necessary, and explained why it was in everyone’s best interest. It’s honestly one of the best examples of strong communication—of strong leadership, for that matter—that I’ve seen in a long time. @Delta, whoever your Atlanta to Wichita pilot was this morning, he’s one of the good ones. Please tell him the delayed passengers of flight 1637 appreciate what he did.

Our next meeting will be in Chicago September 25-26, 2026. You can submit a paper or ask to participate as a chair or discussant here: urbaneconomics.org/meetings/… #emuea2026 #uea2026

Congratulations to Yoshiki Wiskamp (London School of Economics) who won the student prize at our European #UEA2026 meeting in Barcelona this weekend. urbaneconomics.org/meetings/… Read his research papers: yoshikiwiskamp.com/

Today is the last day to register for the European Meeting of the UEA in Barcelona! See more details here: urbaneconomics.org/meetings/…

Trying to reach @bensasse for an EconTalk episode. He has done some extraordinary interviews recently but we would talk about some other things given that I am a president (as he was) of a small college (and later a big one) and I am a Jewish person of faith. If you have his email, please share at russroberts at gmail. Thanks!

legibility rules everything around me, part infinity

"The legalization of mobile sports gambling in America was a policy mistake and that the evidence is now clear enough to say so."

Does anyone I follow have arXiv endorsement privileges for econ.GN (General Economics)? I need an endorsement for a new submission. DMs open, happy to share the paper.

Junior Spatial Conference: December 14-15, CEPR, UPF and CREi (Barcelona) Call for Papers: mailchi.mp/cepr/junior-spati…

Reminder that you should apply for @tylercowen's Emergent Ventures grant. - clean application process - super fast decision - actually enough money to get work done - you will be dropped into a pool of geniuses for your entire life - very fun unconferences with great food - group chat where you can try to convert Tyler to your musical taste (emphasis on "try") - ongoing community support for your projects and interests - access to many other overlapping communities: progress studies, New Aesthetics, Then Do Better, Interintellect - again: **FUN**

And now my annual exhortation: young and healthy individuals do tragically pass away, sometimes out of the clear blue sky. Please make sure you buy term life for yourself. Your employer’s policy is not sufficient. You want plural millions of coverage if you follow me.

📣 Call for papers 📣 20th North American Meeting of the Urban Economics Association September 25 - 26, 2026 Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago Keynotes by Jens Ludwig and Steve Redding Please submit your paper by May 21st urbaneconomics.org/meetings/…

May 21 is the deadline to submit a paper to this year's Urban Economics Association Meetings in Chicago. The conference itself is Sept 25-26 at the Chicago Federal Reserve. Looking forward to a fantastic conference. Call for papers here: urbaneconomics.org/meetings/…