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Stay Curious.
Make the most of your college experience.
Jeff Hulett
Curator, The Curiosity Vine
Stay Curious.
The Curiosity Vine is an idea incubator.
Our contributors have experience and interest in a variety of high-impact topics, such as science, technology, conservation, mathematics, data science, public policy, economics, and others. Our objective is to promote early-stage ideas, enable idea collaboration, and test idea purchase.
TCV platform is curated by Jeff Hulett.
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TCV's ideas are used to provide seminars, write books, build businesses, and especially to help people.
So take a look around the site, feel free to ask or answer your own questions, and enjoy your own curiosity exploration!
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Featured Posts
The RepDem Duopoly: How a Collusive Oligopoly is Cannibalizing the American Economy
Since the inauguration of the second Trump administration in 2025, the American business community has found itself in an uncharacteristic state of alarm. The common grievances echo through the halls of the Chamber of Commerce and across the factory floors of the Midwest: a sharp "Trump Slump" in international tourism fueled by new visa hurdles and negative sentimant; chronic labor shortages in agriculture and construction due to aggressive deportation mandates; a supply chai
Architects of the Enrichment: How Jefferson, Smith, Madison, and Hamilton Built the Modern World
The Case for Keeping the Faith It is remarkably easy to get discouraged by today's headlines. When we look at political division or the lingering injustices of our world, it’s tempting to think we are backsliding. The data tells a completely different story. A story we should be proud of and a story that should motivate us to do and be better. As Billy Joel famously sang in Keeping the Faith , "The good old days weren't that good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems." At t
Win/Win Economics: How Adam Smith Showed Us the Way to Prosperity
A Legacy of Enrichment. This year, we celebrate the 250-year anniversary of Adam Smith's publication of The Wealth of Nations . It is, of course, no coincidence that 1776 was also the year the American colonies declared independence from the British; both events signaled a radical shift toward individual liberty and self-determination. We owe much of our modern prosperity to the insights of Adam Smith. By identifying the mechanics of market economics, Smith helped kick off t
Insurance Gerrymandering: The "La La Land" Tax Hitting Many Americans
In the world of policy, there is a recurring pattern where a small group of influential leaders—the "Anointed"—decide that their personal vision for society is more important than the hard facts of the market. They don't see themselves as politicians; they see themselves as rescuers. Their vision is simple: "We can make dangerous places feel safe by making them artificially cheap to live in." But in economics, there is no such thing as a free lunch. When the Anointed decide t
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Mortgage Rates Update: January 8th, 2026
As we open the first full week of 2026, the mortgage market has exhibited a remarkable degree of stability, characterized by a parallel shift in both primary and secondary market yields. For the week ending January 8, 2026, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased by a marginal 1 basis point to settle at 6.16 percent. This incremental move was mirrored precisely by the 10 Year Treasury rate, which also rose by 1 basis point to 4.19 percent. In my experience, such synchronize
Bill Knudson
Jan 91 min read
Beyond the Resumé: Decoding the Biological Signals of Leadership Success and Burnout
This article explores my leadership story through the lens of neurobiology. At the time, I was a young leader in my 30s. I lacked the vocabulary to describe my own neurodiversity, but I was acutely aware of my "differentness." I was fortunate to navigate those internal challenges in a way that eventually empowered my amazing teams and fueled our collective success. I offer these insights to help you connect your own unique neurobiology to your work environment; we all possess
Jeff Hulett
Jan 411 min read
Mortgage Rates Update: December 31st, 2025
As we close out the year, the mortgage market has provided a final bit of positive news for prospective homeowners and those looking to refinance. For the week ending December 31, 2025, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate decreased by 3 basis points, settling at 6.15 percent. This drop is particularly noteworthy because it occurred while the 10 Year Treasury rate actually rose by 3 basis points to 4.18 percent. From my perspective as an economist, this inverse movement is a stron
Bill Knudson
Jan 21 min read
Treasury Rates Update: December 31st, 2025
As we close out the final week of 2025, the U.S. Treasury market has provided a clear signal of continued yield curve normalization. In what is typically a quiet holiday period, we observed a deliberate pivot in the curve toward a more positive position. This week’s activity was characterized by a modest rise in longer-term rates and a marginal decline in short-term yields, further easing the inversion that has dominated the landscape. The 10 Year Treasury rate concluded the
Bill Knudson
Jan 21 min read
The Stability Premium: Navigating the Four Nevers of Banking Data
Banks and consumer platforms like Amazon share one significant asset: they both sit atop vast reservoirs of consumer data. However, this is where the comparison ends. The differences lie in the geometry of time, the weight of impact, and the persistence of uncertainty. Amazon’s feedback loop is near-instant; a "full cycle" from purchase to delivery is measured in days. In contrast, banking lives in the long-view. It may take years for credit card behavior to reveal its risk p
Jeff Hulett
Dec 30, 202513 min read
Treasury Rates Update: December 25th, 2025
The U.S. Treasury market showed resilience and a slight upward bias during the holiday week ending December 24th. Despite the typical seasonal lull, the market continued its gradual adjustment following the recent Federal Reserve rate decrease, with the yield curve showing further signs of normalization. The 10 Year Treasury rate finished the week up 3bp. This modest gain contributes to a cumulative two-week increase of 2bp. Daily volatility was contained, with the largest mo
Bill Knudson
Dec 26, 20251 min read
The Invisible Moat: Modern Zoning and the Persistence of the Feudal Mindset
In the Middle Ages, the architecture of exclusion was honest. If you were a feudal lord seeking to protect your status and wealth from the "unwashed masses," you built a castle. You surrounded that castle with a deep, water-filled moat and a drawbridge remaining resolutely upright. The message was unmistakable: We are in here; you are out there. Our safety depends on your exclusion. As we examine the modern American housing landscape, it is tempting to believe we have evolved
Jeff Hulett
Dec 24, 20255 min read
Treasury Rates Update: December 18th, 2025
Following the flurry of activity surrounding the Federal Reserve's December 10th meeting, the Treasury market entered a period of relative calm this week. While we saw some volatility earlier in the month, the current environment suggests a market that is in digestion mode, weighing recent policy shifts against new economic data. Upcoming Key Economic Data Release: Next net new job release is January 9 Next inflation release January 13 Next Fed meeting is January 28 Tr
Bill Knudson
Dec 19, 20251 min read
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