The Bewildering Lack of Data on History's Other Great Manias, Crashes and Panics - David Harding

The transcript discusses the speaker's interest in collecting historical data, particularly to illustrate financial bubbles from 1825. The speaker believes this is an underexplored theme in history, focusing on human behavior related to money and markets. They aim to update Charles Mackay's work on manias, panics, and crashes, and explore wider phenomena like herd behavior. Financial markets are seen as a convenient laboratory for studying human behavior, with the speaker's expertise in markets, data, and numbers.

Why does the speaker emphasize the collection of historical data?

• To satisfy academic curiosity and illustrate historical financial events

• To write a book on history

• To sell data to historians

• To create a personal archive

What is a key theme in Charles Mackay's work mentioned by the speaker?

• The impact of wars on economies

• The development of global trade

• The rise of modern technology

• Manias, panics, and crashes in financial markets

Which historical events does the speaker mention as examples of herd behavior?

• The Industrial Revolution

• The Crusades and National Socialism

• The American Civil War

• The Renaissance

Why are financial markets considered a convenient laboratory for studying human behavior?

• They are unpredictable and chaotic

• They provide a controlled environment

• They reflect human tendencies to follow trends and make irrational decisions

• They are influenced by government policies

What is the speaker's area of expertise?

• Cultural studies

• Political science

• Market analysis and data

• Historical literature