LECTURES
Can we Solve Scarcity?
Can we Survive Abundance?
Stephen Day, VCU Economics Education
Tuesday, March 24, 7:00 pm
Scholé House, 819 S. Cathedral Place, VCU
Things are too expensive, but the vast productive potential of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) promises to make things cheap. But is this promise real? We are faced with a crisis of affordability coupled with uncertainty about the rise of AI and its impact on work. This brings a paradox: we feel the pinch of scarcity at the same time that new technology offers the potential for vast new abundance. Why the tension? Are we too worried? Not worried enough? Can we live confidently in such uncertain times? The answer lies in the intersection between sound economic thinking and data about the effect of technology on people’s lives, and a Christian view on the meaning of work. This seminar will be interesting both for people who want big thinking about the future of human society, and those who simply want to know how to plan for their next steps as a worker.
Stephen Day, PhD, is a term associate professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Business and director of the VCU Center for Economic Education. He teaches undergraduate and graduate economics, and in his work with the Center he trains K-12 teachers on how to teach economics and personal finance. He has written many peer-reviewed articles on teaching K-12 economics. Dr. Day runs a blog called Paper Robots: Helping Families Talk About Money and Work, and his ideas have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, Parents, Minimalist Moms, and Junior Scholastic. He is passionate about using economic thinking to guide people toward wise decision-making in life.
Other lectures coming:
Angel Parham Adams, UVA Sociology
Why Study in Times of Turmoil?
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Audio recordings of previous events
“I’m Listening“ with the Taylor Barnett Quartet
“Choose Today: A Christian’s View of Economics” by Dr. Stephen Day
“Suffering, Evil, and God, part 2,” by Dr. Andrew Moon (philosophy)