Econ job market candidate at UT-Austin, working on maternal and child health in Indiahttps://bsky.app/profile/nathanfranz.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/nathanfranz.bsky.social/post/3mfdhp7lki226Something I realized today: "All models are wrong, but some are useful" applies in economics, but the usefulness is mainly rhetorical, not in describing reality. Models are engines of persuasion.21 Feb 2026 01:25 +0000at://did:plc:ttvke2kyagdhtrckustm76fp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfdhp7lki226https://bsky.app/profile/nathanfranz.bsky.social/post/3mfathse4vs2lThe disdain with which some people smack and kick the buttons for automatic doors really bothers me20 Feb 2026 00:18 +0000at://did:plc:ttvke2kyagdhtrckustm76fp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfathse4vs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/nathanfranz.bsky.social/post/3mex5phxjdk2yTwo self-driving cab brands at the same intersection. How long before one company starts running adversarial displays to mess with the other's vision model?16 Feb 2026 03:54 +0000at://did:plc:ttvke2kyagdhtrckustm76fp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mex5phxjdk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/nathanfranz.bsky.social/post/3lwci7fo64c2xApplying to NEUDC Feels like they're trying to tell me something13 Aug 2025 18:44 +0000at://did:plc:ttvke2kyagdhtrckustm76fp/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwci7fo64c2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/nathanfranz.bsky.social/post/3llv3hj3zk227Even if you think that having an overall trade deficit is bad, trying to zero out trade deficits with each country individually doesn't make sense. A quick example:03 Apr 2025 04:39 +0000at://did:plc:ttvke2kyagdhtrckustm76fp/app.bsky.feed.post/3llv3hj3zk227