Blair Fix

I’m a political economist based in Toronto. I spend my time thinking about the future of humanity, and how we can create economic theory that’s relevant to real-world problems. In this blog, I tell you about what I’m learning. You can read the academic version of my work here and here.

oil extraction in Drayton valley

A Case Study of Fossil-Fuel Depletion

I’m calling the analysis ‘a case study of oil-and-gas depletion’. In this post, I’ll analyze oil extraction like you’ve never seen it before — resolved down to the individual well. The results give a fascinating window into how humans exploit fossil fuels.

February 16, 2022

bacteria

Institution Size as a Window into Cultural Evolution

In this essay, I explore the idea that the size composition of human institutions, as it exists today, provides a record of cultural evolution.

October 25, 2021

excavator

Can the World Get Along Without Natural Resources?

Contrary to the proclamations of neoclassical economists (like Robert Solow), the world cannot get along without natural resources. That this fact needs stating is a testament to the shallowness of economic theory.

June 19, 2020