BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Memento EPFL//
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Bar Talk: Informal Social Interactions\, Alcohol Prohibition\, and
  Invention
DTSTART:20201221T170000
DTSTAMP:20260405T163231Z
UID:91df910cf612a5f509f7ef3680721a34d177bdb797c5843cba19143b
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Mike Andrews (NBER)\nMike Andrews (NBER)\n"Bar Talk: Informal 
 Social Interactions\, Alcohol Prohibition\, and Invention"\nDiscussant: Ch
 ristian Helmers (Santa Clara University)\n\n\nAbstract\nTo understand the 
 importance of informal social interactions for invention\, I examine a mas
 sive and involuntary disruption of informal social networks from U.S. hist
 ory: alcohol prohibition. The enactment of state-level prohibition laws di
 fferentially treated counties depending on whether those counties were wet
  or dry prior to prohibition. After the imposition of state-level prohibit
 ion\, previously wet counties had 8-18% fewer patents per year relative to
  consistently dry counties. The effect was largest in the first three year
 s after the imposition of prohibition and rebounds thereafter. The effect 
 was smaller for groups that were less likely to frequent saloons\, namely 
 women and particular ethnic groups. Next\, I use the imposition of prohibi
 tion to document the sensitivity of collaboration patterns to shocks to th
 e informal social network. As individuals rebuilt their networks following
  prohibition\, they connected with new individuals and patented in new tec
 hnology classes. Thus\, while prohibition had only a temporary effect on t
 he rate of invention\, it had a lasting effect on the direction of inventi
 ve activity. Finally\, I exploit the imposition of prohibition to show tha
 t informal and formal interactions are complements in the invention produc
 tion function.\n\n\nEPFL Virtual Innovation Seminar\nEVIS is a bi-weekly v
 irtual seminar series focusing on Science\, Technology and Innovation topi
 cs studied through the lens of Economics\, Entrepreneurship\, Strategy and
  Finance.\n 
LOCATION:Zoom
STATUS:CONFIRMED
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR