Naked Capitalism

I have come to see Naked Capitalism as a platform aimed at encouraging critical thinking through a finance and economics blog. I began writing in December 2006 after noticing a significant lack of coverage in the US regarding the seriousness and breadth of risk underpricing in various credit instruments. It was clear to anyone with a decent understanding of financial markets, who followed sources like the Financial Times and Bloomberg, that the official story was misleading.

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What Science Says About Food Additives

1 day ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Yves here. This post usefully goes a bit deeper into the regulatory system for food additives. It should come as no surprise that in the US, it remarkably permissive. The article alludes to but does not address the idea that some foods, particularly snack foods, are engineered to seem very rewarding, such as the mouth feel of a Cheeto.
Links 4/22/2025 | naked capitalism

2 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith |Conor Gallagher

NASA’s Curiosity rover finds major clue that Mars was once habitable Space.com Study explores the impact of growing up without siblings on the brain and behavior of adults Medical Xpress Could the Pope’s Death Mean the Demise of Liberal Catholicism?
As Appetite for War and Repression Rise in the New Western (Dis-)Order, Palantir Is Making a Killing

2 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith |Nick Corbishley

Silicon Valley’s darkest and most secretive unicorn takes flight. For almost two years, the British government has been holding an inquiry-cum-whitewash into the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the recent witnesses to that inquiry was Louis Mosley, the executive vice-president of Palantir Technologies UK (and, incidentally, the grandson of the 1930s British fascist Oswald Mosley), who during his testimony saw a rare opportunity to plug his company’s products.
Satyajit Das: On Cinema –Surviving Childhood | naked capitalism

2 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Yves here. Regulars may recall that Satyajit Das has written other articles about movies that we have been honored to publish, such as Desperately Seeking Entertainment and New Asian Cinematic Obsessions. Here, he looks at some prominent examples from the genre of leaving childhood behind and what that really amounts to.
Before Banks: Historical Lessons for Rethinking Credit

3 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Yves here. Many of you have read David Graeber’s Debt: The First 5000 Years. This article does not attempt to give such a broad look, but instead focuses on the period just before modern banking started getting its headway, as demands for credit increased due to the rise of the bourgeoisie and the increase in trade. Yet these informal arrangements served often to finance borrowing for emergencies and regular seasonal needs.
Links 4/19/2025 | naked capitalism

5 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Plants Feel Pain and Might Even See Nautilus (Dr. Kevin). More reasons to feel guilty. Q-CTRL Unveils Jam-Proof Positioning System That’s 50x More Accurate Than GPS Interesting Engineering Depleted Uranium Battery: Turning Nuclear Waste into Power IEEE Spectrum. Chuck L: “Still far to go to prime time.
Trump and Rubio Signal US on Verge of Halting Ukraine Peace Negotiations

5 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Yes, it’s unseemly to say, “I told you so.” But it was remarkable to see most (one might say pretty much all) commentators on the Ukraine war beat go gaga after Trump called Putin to discuss negotiating to end the Ukraine war, among other things, on February 12. The tacit and sometimes explicit view was that the US and Russia, to resort to Trump-speak, could do a deal, and the US could force Ukraine to fall in line.
Come-Gimme! Why Do We Shrug When Apes Cross the Language Barrier?

5 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Yves here. Perhaps one answer to why researchers are underwhelmed by the linguistic accomplishments of apes is that, as fellow primates, we set unduly high expectations for them. Another might be that parrots are so good at pronunciation, and when highly trained, communication, that apes don’t seem as impressive as they ought to be given their higher cognition level.
"Is Trump About to End Democracy in the USA?"

6 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Yves Smith

Yves here. The headline from Richard Murphy may seem overwrought, but Trump actions have been so wildly out of bound that nothing is impossible. The latest Trump salvo against legal protections and civil rights is expected to come on or before April 20, as in Easter Sunday. Waging Nonviolence gives the background: With President Trump constantly flooding the zone, there’s a chance to think ahead about the possible implementation of the Insurrection Act.
Links 4/18/2025 | naked capitalism

6 days ago | nakedcapitalism.com | Conor Gallagher

Palo Alto Scientists Just Caught a Colossal Squid on Camera (Finally!) KQED Climate/Environment Global temperatures are going sharply up while US cities’ financial ability to cope with the ravages of accelerating climate change is going sharply down Moving Day Is your Ohio homeowners insurance spiking?