Nobel Economics Prize

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6hJj1.ALVJE&refer=home Princeton’s Paul Krugman Wins Nobel Economics Prize (Update3) By Simon Kennedy and Benedikt Kammel Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) – Princeton University professor and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize in economics for his work on trade theory. Krugman, 55, received the prize for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity,'' said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which selects the winners. His work explained how economies of scale influence trade and urbanization. It’s a total surprise,’’ Krugman said in a telephone interview. The Nobel laureate gained his reputation in economics by contributing to strategic trade theory, contending that countries could steal a march on other nations by subsidizing strategic industries. He has found broader fame with his newspaper columns that regularly attack President George W. Bush’s policies. A self-proclaimed liberal, Krugman has regularly taken Bush to task in his columns for the New York Times, slamming the president personally for everything from the war in Iraq to his big tax cuts. Mr. Bush has degraded our government and undermined the rule of law,'' Krugman wrote in a column on May 18, 2007. He has led us into strategic disaster and moral squalor.’’ Depression Parallels In an interview with Bloomberg Television on Oct. 10, Krugman said the current financial turmoil had similarities with the Great Depression. The parallels are stronger than I thought they would be,'' he said. We developed a financial system that is out of control. The only things people want to buy are T-bills and water.’’ The Princeton economist was honored for theories that help explain why world trade is dominated by countries that both import and export similar products, automobiles, for example. This kind of trade enables specialization and large-scale production, which result in lower prices and a greater diversity of commodities,'' the Royal Academy said in a statement today. Trade theory was stuck in a rut 25 years ago and Krugman was the creative thinker who brought new ideas to it,’’ said Tony Venables, a professor at the University of Oxford who wrote a book with Krugman. His work had a profound effect on what we know about international economics. Trade economics needed an analytical breakthrough as people were relying on old-fashioned models until he took them on.'' Krugman said today he saw little danger of a move toward protectionism in the U.S., no matter which party wins in next month's elections. Protectionism There may be a standstill, or slowdown at least, on new trade agreements, but I find reversal on trade agreements implausible,’’ he said in remarks via telephone to a group of reporters in Stockholm. Full-scale protectionism I don't see.'' In 1991, Krugman was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal by the American Economic Association, which is awarded to the best economist under the age of 40. Krugman was born in Long Island and studied economics at Yale University. He obtained a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977 before joining Princeton University. From 1982 to 1983 he served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. He has published a series of books and his ability to turn complicated economic theory into understandable prose led to him write an opinion column for the New York Times for the past eight years. Previous Winners Alfred Nobel, the Swede who invented dynamite, in his will in 1896 established awards for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, peace and literature. The economics prize was set up by Sweden's central bank in 1968. Former winners include Milton Friedman, Amartya Sen and Friedrich August von Hayek. The award's official name is The Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.’’ The prize consists of 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.41 million), a gold medal and a diploma. To contact the reporters on this story: Benedikt Kammel in Stockholm at bkammel@bloomberg.netSimon Kennedy in Washington at skennedy4@bloomberg.net Last Updated: October 13, 2008 08:17 EDT

better then fama

txs

Wasn’t Krugman on Enron’s advisory board?

“Wasn’t Krugman on Enron’s advisory board?” he was an economic consultant (which he openly admits), he had nothing to due with structuring SIVs to hide losses and eventually cause bankruptcy.

He was a vocal critic of Paulson’s bailout and instead, like many other sensible economists, was advocating govt injecting capital in troubled banks. If i am not wrong, he warned about housing bubble way back in 2005. can he b the next treasury secretary? tht’d mean Princeton prof at Fed and princeton prof at treasury …

why not fama?

What did Fama do recently worthy of a Nobel?

juventurd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What did Fama do recently worthy of a Nobel? EMH…

It’s supposed to be something done during the preceding year. Anything groundbreaking on EMH that I’m not aware of?

juventurd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It’s supposed to be something done during the > preceding year. Anything groundbreaking on EMH > that I’m not aware of? Nope…usually the nobel prize is done to a theory after being tested for years. Look at the Nash equilibrium…he received the nobel prize 20 years after his paper was written

strangedays Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > juventurd Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > It’s supposed to be something done during the > > preceding year. Anything groundbreaking on EMH > > that I’m not aware of? > > > Nope…usually the nobel prize is done to a theory > after being tested for years. Look at the Nash > equilibrium…he received the nobel prize 20 years > after his paper was written Are they really going to award someone talking about how efficient the markets are in 2008?

juventurd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > strangedays Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > juventurd Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > It’s supposed to be something done during the > > > preceding year. Anything groundbreaking on > EMH > > > that I’m not aware of? > > > > > > Nope…usually the nobel prize is done to a > theory > > after being tested for years. Look at the Nash > > equilibrium…he received the nobel prize 20 > years > > after his paper was written > > Are they really going to award someone talking > about how efficient the markets are in 2008? Well…this is another story :slight_smile:

juventurd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > strangedays Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > juventurd Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > It’s supposed to be something done during the > > > preceding year. Anything groundbreaking on > EMH > > > that I’m not aware of? > > > > > > Nope…usually the nobel prize is done to a > theory > > after being tested for years. Look at the Nash > > equilibrium…he received the nobel prize 20 > years > > after his paper was written > > Are they really going to award someone talking > about how efficient the markets are in 2008? Why not? Scholes and Merton were Nobeled after the collapse of LTCM.

“Why not? Scholes and Merton were Nobeled after the collapse of LTCM.” This is incorrect. They got their prizes in 1997 while they were at LTCM. LTCM blew up in 1998.

I wouldn’t really consider them at LTCM. They were there for marketing.

According to the book “When Genius Failed”, these Nobel Laureats were really involved in their daily investment strategy setting and planning. But in most cases, especially in the last few months, they were both bullied by the one or two key traders Meriweather favored. BTW, that book is a true page-turner.

The book is a page-turner, but from the book I had the feeling that those one or two key traders that Meriweather favored pretty much ran all the trading and determined all the positions. Merton, Scholes, and even Meriweather were more removed from the investment process.

NOVADCA Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > “Wasn’t Krugman on Enron’s advisory board?” > > he was an economic consultant (which he openly > admits), he had nothing to due with structuring > SIVs to hide losses and eventually cause > bankruptcy. he probably wouldn’t even know what a SIV/SPE is given his lack of accounting background

KoolBen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If i am not wrong, he warned about housing bubble > way back in 2005. He did indeed: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/opinion/12krugman.html Krugman for president!