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cover of episode LIVE: The Myth of the Million Dollar Tulip Bulb

LIVE: The Myth of the Million Dollar Tulip Bulb

2023/1/20
logo of podcast Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

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Andrew Odlizko
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Ann Goldgar:查尔斯·麦凯关于17世纪荷兰郁金香狂热的大部分描述是基于二手资料和带有偏见的宣传材料,而非客观事实。他的说法夸大了事件的经济影响,实际的经济损失远小于他的描述。 Tim Harford:麦凯对郁金香狂热的描述存在严重偏差,夸大了其经济影响。虽然荷兰人确实对郁金香表现出极大的热情,但这并非一场摧毁荷兰经济的灾难。历史学家研究表明,郁金香狂热对经济的影响微乎其微。 Andrew Odlizko:麦凯对19世纪40年代英国铁路投资热潮的预测与他的历史观点相悖。他当时认为铁路投资是安全的,这与他之前对其他历史泡沫的分析相矛盾。铁路投资热潮最终以灾难性的崩溃告终,这证明麦凯的判断是错误的。 Tim Harford:麦凯的投资建议——寻找‘时代所需’的投资——并不总是有效。许多看似稳固的投资,例如互联网公司在1999年的表现,也可能遭遇泡沫破裂。因此,仅仅依靠‘时代所需’的标准来判断投资风险是不够的。 麦凯认为无需后见之明就能识别泡沫,这是一种错误的观点。识别泡沫并非易事,即使是经验丰富的经济学家也可能犯错。麦凯对铁路投资热潮的判断失误,缺乏谦逊,夸大了识别泡沫的容易程度。 19世纪40年代的铁路投资热潮是历史上最大的技术狂热之一,其崩溃也是最大的金融危机之一。即使铁路和互联网等投资最终获得成功,也不代表当时的投资是明智的,铁路投资热潮给投资者带来了巨大损失。麦凯对铁路投资热潮的沉默说明他对自身判断的错误缺乏反思。

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Tim Harford debunks the myth of the tulip mania, highlighting how Charles Mackay's account was exaggerated and not entirely factual. Harford explores how understanding past financial bubbles can help interpret today's markets.

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Recorded before an audience at the Bristol Festival of Economics (11/17/2022)

The Dutch went so potty over tulip bulbs in the 1600s that many were ruined when the inflated prices they were paying for the plants collapsed - that's the oft-repeated story later promoted by best-selling Scottish writer Charles Mackay. It's actually a gross exaggeration. 

Mackay's writings about economic bubbles bursting entertained and informed his Victorian readers - and continue to influence us today - but how did Mackey fare when faced with a stock market mania right before his eyes? The railway-building boom of the 1840s showed he wasn't so insightful after all. 

For a full list of sources used in this episode visit Tim Harford.com)

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