Econ Journal Watch is an online journal which looks at economics in an unusual and helpfully provocative manner. The current issue asks the question: Does economics need an infusion of religion or quasi-religious formulations? There is a really interesting essay by Nicholas Taleb and Rupert Read which argues that religion performs a useful risk management function by transmitting risk-control heuristics across generations.
According to Robert Shiller , speaking at Davos, Bitcoin is a perfect example of a bubble - story here . Shiller sees Bitcoin as a backwards step in the evolution of money. George Selgin , a free banker, takes an opposing view - click here . Although he doesn't believe that Bitcoin is money, he sees its development as a fascinating turn in the evolution of money. In particular, he lauds the fact that Bitcoin production is constrained and cannot be infinite. There is a short video below where Bitcoin explain how it works.