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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.
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TCV platform is curated by Jeff Hulett.
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Join our team - become a TCV contributor!
Learn about why you should join The Curiosity Vine.
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
Architects of the Enrichment: How Jefferson, Smith, and Hamilton Built the Modern World
The Case for Keeping the Faith It is remarkably easy to get discouraged by the headlines of today. When we look at political division or the lingering injustices of our world, it’s tempting to think we are backsliding. But to feel that way is to forget exactly how far we have come. 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 the time of our founding, the "good old days" were often brutal.
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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
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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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The City-Center Illusion: Why Your Brain Thrives on the Road, Not the Destination
Why is understanding our own brain and neurobiology so difficult? After all, it is right behind our eyes; we carry it around and use it all the time. Part of the challenge lies in our social mental models. It turns out, the very structures that make us successful together in groups provide the wrong framework for thinking about how our individual brains operate. This article explores how our models for building community are fundamentally different from the way our biological
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Mortgage Rates Update: February 5th, 2026
As we move into early February, the mortgage market continues to display a high degree of technical resistance. For the week ending February 5, 2026, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose by 1 basis point to 6.11 percent. This marginal increase occurred even as the benchmark 10 Year Treasury rate fell by 3 basis points to 4.21 percent. In my professional assessment, the divergence between primary and secondary market yields is the primary story this week. When mortgage rates r
Bill Knudson
Feb 71 min read
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Treasury Rates Update: January 29th, 2026
The U.S. Treasury market remained focused on the Federal Reserve this week as the central bank held rates steady during its January 28th meeting. As an economist who has navigated many cycles, I find the resulting yield curve behavior particularly telling of a market anticipating a shift toward normalization despite ongoing short-term inversions. For the week, the 10-year Treasury rate showed zero change, maintaining its position after a 9bp climb over the preceding 14 days.
Bill Knudson
Jan 311 min read
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Mortgage Rates Update: January 29th, 2026
The final week of January 2026 brought a slight shift in the mortgage landscape, characterized by a minor decoupling between primary rates and benchmark yields. For the week ending January 29, 2026, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate edged up by 1 basis point to settle at 6.10 percent. This incremental rise occurred despite a 2 basis point decline in the 10 Year Treasury rate, which fell to 4.24 percent. As an experienced economist, I look closely at these diverging movements. W
Bill Knudson
Jan 311 min read
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Mortgage Rates Update: January 22nd, 2026
The mortgage market for the week ending January 22, 2026, demonstrated a notable divergence between primary mortgage rates and secondary market yields. As an experienced economist, I find this week's data particularly revealing regarding lender sentiment and risk positioning. While the 30-year fixed mortgage rate experienced a modest increase of 3 basis points to settle at 6.09 percent, the underlying 10 Year Treasury rate surged by a more significant 9 basis points to 4.26 p
Bill Knudson
Jan 241 min read
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Treasury Rates Update: January 22nd, 2026
As we approach the critical Federal Reserve meeting on January 28th, the Treasury market has signaled a decisive shift. This past week, we observed a broad-based move higher in yields, suggesting that the market is recalibrating for a potentially more hawkish path than previously anticipated. The 10-year Treasury rate surged by 9 basis points (bp) over the last seven days. This brings the cumulative two-week increase to 11bp, effectively reversing the softening we saw in mid-
Bill Knudson
Jan 241 min read
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Treasury Rates Update: January 15th, 2026
The U.S. Treasury market showed signs of a tactical shift this week as the yield curve flattened slightly. While the headline 10-year rate appears stable, the internal dynamics of the market suggest investors are recalibrating their expectations for both short-term policy and long-term growth as we approach the next Federal Reserve meeting. The 10-year Treasury rate edged down by 1 basis point (bp) for the week, matching its cumulative 1bp decline over the past 14 days. Despi
Bill Knudson
Jan 171 min read
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Mortgage Rates Update: January 15th, 2026
The mortgage market experienced a significant move toward improved affordability during the week ending January 15, 2026. As an economist who closely tracks market volatility, I find the latest data particularly encouraging because mortgage rates outpaced the downward movement of benchmark Treasury yields. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped by 10 basis points to settle at 6.06 percent. During the same period, the 10 Year Treasury rate saw a more modest decline of 2 basis
Bill Knudson
Jan 161 min read
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Treasury Rates Update: January 8, 2026
Entering the first full week of 2026, the Treasury market is exhibiting a steady, albeit cautious, temperament as it digests the transition into the new year. We are observing a yield curve that continues to pivot into a more positive position, characterized by softening at the very short end and a marginal drift higher in longer-dated maturities. The 10-year Treasury rate concluded the week up a nominal 1 basis point (bp), mirroring its cumulative 1bp increase over the past
Bill Knudson
Jan 91 min read
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