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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.
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Featured Posts
Capitalism: The Right Way and the Wrong Way
Whenever someone asks me, "What do you think of capitalism?" I find myself pausing. My answer usually begins with a question of my own: “Well, it depends—who is asking and how are they using the word?” For some individuals, "capitalism" functions as a broad indictment. It serves as a catch-all shorthand for modern economic challenges. When people ask from this perspective, they often hold fixed viewpoints; they seek an opportunity to confirm their own biases or spark a debate
The Tragedy of the Data Commons - An Ancient Problem with a Modern Twist
For today's university graduates, the modern job hunt resembles shouting into the digital abyss. Diligent students follow the traditional playbook. They earn good grades, upload tailored resumes to job boards, and click "Apply Now." Then, silence follows. We are tempted to believe the challenge is a lack of jobs. The root cause is a deeper, structural challenge. The digital labor market is undergoing a significant structural transformation due to the vast availability of da
How Colleges Exploited Student Loans to Kill the Liberal Arts
In 1828, a Yale report on academic instruction declared: "Our object is not to teach knowledge peculiar to any one of the professions; but to lay the foundation common to them all." This noble promise established the liberal arts as a dedicated space for personal exploration, intellectual breadth, and the pursuit of a "North Star." By definition, the liberal arts exist to facilitate this exploration. They provide the map and compass for a student to discover an intellectual i
A Century of Economic Engineering and its Discontents
- What Paul Samuelson got right, what he got wrong, and how he motivated a century of economic thinkers to get it right. Paul Samuelson transformed economics from a collection of literary observations into a formal, deductive science. In his seminal 1947 work, Foundations of Economic Analysis, he established a universal mathematical framework based on the principle of constrained optimization. By applying the calculus of thermodynamics to human decision-making, he provided a
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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
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
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
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
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
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
Treasury Rates Update: December 11th, 2025
The US Treasury market experienced a notable week, heavily influenced by the Federal Reserve's rate decrease of 25 basis points on December 10th. This action immediately triggered a clear pivot in the yield curve, with short-term rates declining while longer-term maturities moved higher, reflecting the market's expectation of short-term easing but potentially persistent inflation concerns further out. Upcoming Key Economic Data Release: Next net new job release is Dec 16 fo
Bill Knudson
Dec 13, 20252 min read
Treasury Rates Update: December 4th, 2025
The U.S. Treasury market made a strong directional move this past week, signaling a distinct anticipation of future policy changes ahead of the December 10th Fed meeting. We saw a clear pivot in the yield curve toward a more positive, or steepening, position. This dramatic shift involved a significant drop in the shortest-term rates alongside a broad rise in longer maturities, painting a picture of expected short-term easing coupled with persistent long-term inflation or grow
Bill Knudson
Dec 6, 20251 min read
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