Epsilon Theory Podcast
Episodes
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Horsepower
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is no animal more important to the ascendancy of Western Civilization than the horse, and no invention more important than the horse collar. Aft...
Cursed Knowledge #14: In Defense of Marie Antoinette
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marie Antoinette has a rather interesting historical footprint. For all that her image is iconic and her reputation infamous, it's not all the truth. ...
Cursed Knowledge #13: Subverting Censorship
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Golden Age of Hollywood was full of drama. On and off screen. It was the age of carefully cultivated images. Fake names and secret procedures. And...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part 13 of the Notes from the Field series discusses the Narrative Machine, which can help us see the invisible memes that drive our political behavio...
Cursed Knowledge #12: Resurrectionists
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's in a name? Quite a bit actually. Names and titles can be all that's needed to make some one a hero or a villain. So we're looking at some villa...
Cursed Knowledge #11: Locks of Love
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Locks of Love is one of the most well known and well regarded charities in America. But things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes the smokescreen...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Hollow Men, Hollow Markets, Hollow World
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past 25 years, our leaders have intentionally constructed an Apocalypse Now world of proclamation and fiat, where our wealth has grown much f...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: A Song of Ice and Fire
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are the human animal. We are non-linear. We ARE a song of ice and fire. It’s a song that has built cathedrals and fed billions and taken us to...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Icarus Moment
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a Cartoon Age, an era not of alienation per Karl Marx, but of alienation per Groucho Marx. What’s the cause, what’s the future, and wha...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Good Job!
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is Part 11 of Ben's Notes from the Field series. I don’t need to calculate a Sortino ratio to know if my dogs are doing a Good Job. Same with a...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Too Clever By Half
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The inevitable result of financial innovation gone awry, which it ALWAYS does, is that it ALWAYS ends up empowering the State. When too clever by half...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Three-Body Problem
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if I told you that the dominant strategies for human investing are, without exception, algorithms and derivatives? I don't mean computer-driven i...
Cursed Knowledge #10: This Podcast Never Happened
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've all fallen victim to a bad retcon at some point in our lives. When the story we've been following takes a turn no one was prepared for and we ha...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Pecking Order
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pecking order is a social system designed to preserve economic inequality: inequality of food for chickens, inequality of wealth for humans. We ar...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Clever Hans
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part 7 of Ben's Notes from the Field series reminds us that you don’t break a wild horse by crushing its spirit. You nudge it into willingly surrend...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Sheep Logic
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 6 of the Notes from the Field Series, Ben observes that we think we are wolves, living by the logic of the pack. In truth we are sheep, living...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Arborist
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 4 of the Notes from the Field Series, Ben identifies how the natural lines of a tree and shaping the tree to follow those lines over time is a...
Cursed Knowledge #9: Cat Eyes, Full Ass, Can't Smile
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've all felt insecure about our looks at one point or another. Especially in our chronically online world where how you look can be your whole brand...
Cursed Knowledge #8: Bad Publicity
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Someone once said there's no such thing as bad publicity. With all due respect, this person is an idiot. Publicity, both good and bad, can have major ...
Cursed Knowledge #7: Birkin Bags
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Birkin bags are one of the ultimate symbols of status. But how did that happen? And are they worth the hype?
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Always Go to the Funeral
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a pose that very sick farm animals sometimes take when they’re near death, where they lie down and twist their head way back into their sh...
Cursed Knowledge #6: F*ck Almonds
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Move over Hollywood! Almonds are one of the most lucrative and fastest growing industries in California. Unfortunately they're not as good for us as y...
Cursed Knowledge #5: Hot Coffee
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The McDonalds Hot Coffee lawsuit is the archetypal example of nonsense litigation. But there's a lot more to the story than most people know.
Epsilon Theory #13: Wanting
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's the only question that really matters here in the Age of Nudge: why do we want what we want? A conversation with Luke Burgis, author of Wanting: ...
Cursed Knowledge #4: Olympics
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Olympic games are known as a time of triumph and glory. The truth is that a lot more work goes into creating and maintaining that narrative than y...
Cursed Knowledge #3: The Molassacre
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Boston Molassacre was one of the great tragedies of the early 20th century. So why isn't it treated like one?
Epsilon Theory #12: Proof of Plant
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I want to change the language of crypto from mining to growing, and I don't mean in a metaphorical sense. This is a method for the tokenization of sym...
Cursed Knowledge #2: Harvey Weinstein and the Oscars
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Harvey Weinstein is a terrible person who did terrible things. But he doesn't get nearly enough credit, or more accurately blame, for his role in dest...
Cursed Knowledge #1: The Fast Saga
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Fast and Furious movies are famous for intense action and ridiculous plots. But the truth about how these stories get made has more to do with the...
Epsilon Theory #11: A Working Narrative
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We write a LOT about work. And the responses we get are ... weird. Once again, the most important narratives are the ones we tell ourselves.
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Long Now pt 4 - Snip!
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Long Now has severed the tether between taxation and spending – the most important policy relationship in our social lives. Here’s what we’r...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Long Now pt 3 - Wink
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
They have mastered the art of stealing our tells. At scale. Here’s how we resist. At scale.
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Long Now pt 2 - Make Protect Teach
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time to start a fire. To burn, yes, but also to illuminate. How? Make – Protect – Teach.
Epsilon Theory on Tape: The Long Now pt. 1 - Tick Tock
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Long Now is the economic stimulus and the political fear that we pull forward from the future into the present. Tick-tock.
Epsilon Theory #10: In Praise of Bitcoin
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What made Bitcoin special is nearly lost, and what remains is a constructed narrative that exists in service to Wall Street and Washington rather than...
Epsilon Theory #9: Make, Protect, Teach
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do we change the world? Not through corporations and political parties from the top-down, but through men and women of good will from the bottom-u...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Things Fall Apart, Part 4
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Take back your vote. Take back your distance. Take back your data. How to make our way as citizens in a fallen world, with Clear Eyes and Full Hearts...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Things Fall Apart, Part 3
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of a four-part series on what it means to have a polarized electorate and a monolithic market. The Fed, China and Italy are the Three Horsemen ...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Things Fall Apart, Part 2
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of a four-part series on what it means to have a polarized electorate and a monolithic market. How do things fall apart in a monolithic market?...
Epsilon Theory #8: Leverage and Its Discontents
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three fund collapses in three months, even as markets hit new highs. What do the Archegos, Greensill, and Melvin Capital blow-ups have in common? Leve...
Epsilon Theory on Tape: Things Fall Apart, Part 1
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 1 of a four-part series on what it means to have a polarized electorate and a monolithic market. Today’s note: the Age of Ridiculousness and th...
Epsilon Theory #7: Inflation Investing
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're going to Pack-source a slate of investment strategies for an inflationary world. Here are five tentpoles to organize and support that effort.
Epsilon Theory #6: The Business of Wall Street
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Very little of investing today is buying and selling shares of common stock in individual companies. Instead, we buy and sell what Wall Street calls "...
Epsilon Theory #5: The Gnostic Nationalism Narrative
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every political movement has a political philosophy, and for Trumpism and MAGA it’s the Dominion theology of the charismatic/Pentecostal church. Ne...
Epsilon Theory #4: Hunger Games
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's happening with Reddit and Gamestop and Robinhood is a revolution, but not the revolution you think. This isn't a "democratization" of Wall Stre...
Epsilon Theory #3: The Ireland Event
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rusty and I discuss the dramatic spike in Covid cases in Ireland over the last two weeks of December, and the risk of seeing a similar "Ireland Event"...
Epsilon Theory #2: Personal Finance
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Brian Portnoy, author of The Geometry of Wealth, about the role of money in shaping a life of meaning. How do we give better advic...
Epsilon Theory #1: Bitcoin
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can Bitcoin preserve its revolutionary potential after a Wall Street bear hug?
Epsilon Theory - Is Volatility Back?
28 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this special episode of the Epsilon Theory podcast, we share an excerpt from a conference call we recorded on February 13 discussing our thoughts o...
Epsilon Theory - Make America Good Again
15 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 26 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, we welcome back Rusty Guinn, our executive vice president of asset management, to talk about political ma...
Epsilon Theory - Failure to Inflate
19 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 25 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, we’re joined by Peter Cecchini, Chief Market Strategist, Head of Equity Derivatives and Cross-Asset Str...
Epsilon Theory - The Jukebox Theory
21 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with episode 24 of the Epsilon Theory podcast! Ben shares his thoughts on the inflation narrative and a new idea reminiscent of C-SPAN to m...
Epsilon Theory - Where’s the Punch Bowl?
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 23 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, we’ve assembled the all-star team – Jeremy Radcliffe (Salient’s President), Rusty Guinn (Salient’...
Epsilon Theory - Does It Fly, Really?
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 22 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, we’re in Las Vegas at the 2017 EQDerivatives conference. Both Dr. Ben Hunt and our guest, Devin Anderso...
Epsilon Theory - 1999 v2.0
11 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 21 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Brad McMillan, CFA, CAIA, the chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financia...
Epsilon Theory - Change is in the Air
17 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
By the time we got to episode 20 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, change was bound to happen. Coming to you from our New York office, Dr. Ben Hunt and p...
Epsilon Theory - Information, Please.
28 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 19 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Rusty Guinn, Salient’s executive vice president of asset management. Picking ...
Epsilon Theory - Big Data, Big Compute
09 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 18 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Neville Crawley, the former CEO of Quid, Inc., a data intelligence software com...
Epsilon Theory - What Now?
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 17, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined once again by Downtown Josh Brown. He’s an author, CNBC contributor, and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. Th...
Epsilon Theory - Alternative Facts
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A new year and a new president. On episode 16, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Rusty Guinn, executive vice president of asset management at Salient, to expl...
Epsilon Theory - Mailbag #2
23 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 15 and the last of 2016, host Dr. Ben Hunt answers listeners’ questions about the Eurozone and what’s next in Italy, OPEC, and rates.
Epsilon Theory - Richie Incognito
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 14 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Salient President and Chief Strategy Officer Jeremy Radcliffe and co-CEO, Chief...
Epsilon Theory - The Day After
11 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 13 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined in San Antonio by Grant Williams, founder and publisher of Things That Make You Go...
Epsilon Theory - Karnak
27 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 12 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt takes a trip down memory lane to look back on the cause of the 2008 financial crisis. He app...
Epsilon Theory - Anthem!
13 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 11 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by two of his daughters, Hannah Hunt and Harper Hunt, to find out if they have an ...
Epsilon Theory - The First Presidential Debate
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 10 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Joshua Brown, author, CNBC contributor, and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. ...
Epsilon Theory - Jubilee!
14 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back in Houston on Episode 9 of the Epsilon Theory podcast. Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Salient’s chief investment officer Lee Partridge and d...
Epsilon Theory - Magical Thinking
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Live from New York in episode 8 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt tackles LIBOR, the money market, and explores magical thinking and wh...
Epsilon Theory - Full House
10 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode seven of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt is joined in San Francisco by Salient's president Jeremy Radcliffe and deputy CIO Ru...
Epsilon Theory - Dungeons & Dragons
27 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode six of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt is joined again by Salient deputy chief investment officer Rusty Guinn to talk about a...
Epsilon Theory - Reader Mailbag #1
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode five of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt riffles through the mailbag to answer reader questions. Join the conversation and sub...
Epsilon Theory - Brexit Special
30 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On a special episode of the Epsilon Theory podcast, hosts Dr. Ben Hunt and Jeremy Radcliffe discuss the economic and historical context of the Brexit ...
Epsilon Theory - Southern Accents
03 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode three of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Salient’s chief risk officer Rusty Guinn. Through anecdotes about Don...
Epsilon Theory - Crisis Of Faith
03 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On episode two of the Epsilon Theory podcast, hosts Dr. Ben Hunt and Jeremy Radcliffe examine why the once-trusted models in finance and politics are ...
Epsilon Theory - The Introduction
22 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In episode one of the Epsilon Theory podcast, hosts Dr. Ben Hunt and Jeremy Radcliffe discuss the origins of Epsilon Theory, how Dr. Hunt came aboard ...