I’ve been reading Tyler Cowen’s new book, [amazon_link id=”0525953736″ target=”_blank” ]Average is Over[/amazon_link], and will post a review next week. As a taster, though, here is a comment from the short section on the state of economics:

“Economics is becoming less like Einstein or Euclid and more like studying the digestive system of a starfish.”

This intriguing description of the subject comes in the context of a chapter on how technology is changing science in general. For economics, the changes mean much more data and higher standards for empirical research, alongside a recognition of the complexity of the analysis or theory required. Field experiments, RCTs and laboratory experiments are where the action is in terms of scientific progress.

[amazon_image id=”0525953736″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation[/amazon_image]

I agree with the direction of this argument but am a bit more pessimistic about the extent to which these changes have a grip on the profession in general. A lot of economists are still not very interested in starfish guts.