Announcing: Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers — a Substack, YouTube channel, and podcast built around one idea: Economics is one of the most useful, surprising, and weirdly beautiful subjects in the world. It belongs to everyone — not just the people who happened to take it in college. 🧵

Teaching economics is what I know best — and what I most believe can make people's lives, and the world, better. A way of seeing the world more clearly. A salve for news that makes you anxious. A tool you'll use every day. And — once it clicks — fun.

Why "platypus"? The British thought it was a hoax. A mammal that lays eggs, swims with its eyes closed, hunts by sensing electrical fields. It defies the categories. So does economics, when done right.

The platypus has a sixth sense — it picks up signals invisible to everyone else. That's what good economics gives you. The promise: See clearly in murky waters.

What you'll get: 📺 YouTube — what's actually going on in the economy ✍️ Substack — short essays, the news through an economist's lens 🎙️ A podcast — thinking out loud, together, in an Aussie accent Start here:

If economics has ever felt out of reach, or out of step, or out of fashion — this is for you. Watch, listen, read — whichever screen you're on. I'd love to have you along. Subscribe at Let's get curious. Together.

@PlatypusEcon Go Justin go! Platypi of the world, unite!

@PlatypusEcon Good luck mate, hope it goes gangbusters

@PlatypusEcon Professor Wolfers! I am using these videos in my college course to help undergrads understand about how the economy works and politics matters. Love the non-partisan approach-- thank you! Keep it up!

@PlatypusEcon Thank you Justin!

@PlatypusEcon Looking forward to it. Go Blue too.

@PlatypusEcon Looking forward to it. Economists have taken a reputation beating these past few years, hopefully this can help rehabilitate the field.

@PlatypusEcon ❤️❤️❤️

@PlatypusEcon Very cool! Economics is becoming a must-read for working classes. Thank you.

@PlatypusEcon congrats

@PlatypusEcon Perfect! Looking forward to learning from you!

@PlatypusEcon Hell yeah! Love this Justin.

@PlatypusEcon 'sup, Economics.

@PlatypusEcon I love econ101 online

@PlatypusEcon Please critique Australia every now and then!

@PlatypusEcon Why do economists get economic wrong? You compared government bonds to cocaine yesterday

@PlatypusEcon LOVE IT!

@PlatypusEcon Economics or capitalism? Most economics courses only include capitalism as if capitalism is the only economic structure. Of course, that is a lie.

@PlatypusEcon love the Platypus idea could you also do one called ManateeEcon??? :) #ThankYou

@PlatypusEcon Why do you only follow the WSJ? I am a new follower on PlatypusEcon.

@PlatypusEcon "It belongs to everyone". Economists are among the most arrogant & harmful professionals and make a huge effort to kill any sort of pluralism within.

@PlatypusEcon Hey remember that time you tried to cancel Harald Uhlig because you got sucked into an irrational social hysteria, and you never did any soul searching about your lapse in judgement?

@PlatypusEcon Very impressive!🙌❤

@jgershman @PlatypusEcon You’re such a monotreme

@PlatypusEcon USA Public sector % of GDP =32%, CANADA 42. GERMANY 48, DENMARK FRANCE 56. RUSSIA CHINA 40 ? .

@PlatypusEcon I .. for years… thought people working in the economics were merely “bean counters”. They are also detectives!

@PlatypusEcon On Charlie Sykes, Justin Wolfers claims “Pelé never faced Europeans”. Is he insane? Pelé won two out three World Cups defeating Europeans in the finals (Sweden 1958, Italy 1970). Not to mention that his team, Santos, routinely steamrolled European powerhouses while touring.

@PlatypusEcon Thank you!

@PlatypusEcon great idea, let's start with some light fare: if China can issue USD bonds settling in Dubai, why can't the ECB (or BoJ, BoE, SNB) create USD (and needs access to Fed's swap lines)?

@PlatypusEcon Economics is the art of predicting the past..

@PlatypusEcon Why are you charging so much money to subscribe to this?

@PlatypusEcon *Everything* is in front of the paywall. The price is $0. Folks can chip in by subscribing if they want to support our work.

@PlatypusEcon Im happy to hear this! Sorry about the confusion.

@PlatypusEcon I took Economics in University