Tiago Mata - Playing with the History of Economics

Thiago Motta, a research fellow at Cambridge, discusses his role in the Economics Playground blog, its origins, and its transition to the INET website. The blog, started in 2007, serves as a platform for historians of economics to share research and ideas. Thiago's academic journey, including his PhD and postdoc experiences, is highlighted. The collaboration with INET has increased the blog's visibility and allowed for real-time commentary on economic meetings. Thiago's current research focuses on economic journalism across different countries, supported by a grant at Cambridge.

What was Thiago Motta's initial reaction to moving the blog to the INET website?

• He was excited and immediately agreed.

• He was surprised and unsure if it was a good fit.

• He refused the offer outright.

• He had been planning the move for a long time.

What was the primary reason for starting the Economics Playground blog?

• To publish economic research papers.

• To create a platform for historians to discuss their work.

• To compete with mainstream economic blogs.

• To promote economic policies.

How did joining INET change the blog's activities?

• It became a private blog.

• It became a platform for real-time commentary on meetings.

• It stopped focusing on academic discussions.

• It started publishing in mainstream media.

What is the main focus of the Economics Playground blog?

• To become a leading policy discussion platform.

• To contribute to academic debate within the community.

• To host economic conferences.

• To publish daily economic news.

What was Thiago's academic background before starting his current research project?

• He studied political science.

• He had a background in economic history.

• He was a journalist.

• He worked in economic policy.

What is the scope of Thiago's current research project on economic journalism?

• It focuses on a single country's economic journalism.

• It studies economic journalism in five different countries.

• It only looks at economic journalism in the US.

• It is a theoretical study with no practical research.

Who is involved in Thiago's current research project on economic journalism?

• Only Thiago is working on it.

• A team including postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students.

• A group of journalists.

• A team of economists from INET.