Smoker-in-Chief
…And who’s the most famous smoker she knows? Our president, of course. On went the shirt. I have no idea if Obama has given up smoking or not. But considering…
Getting solid answers in medicine can be hard — especially when the normal tools are off-limits. Dr. Bapu Jena discusses a research method that’s helping to solve some of science’s…
As the Biden administration rushes to address climate change, Stephen Dubner looks at another, hidden cost of air pollution — one that’s affecting how we think….
Critics — including President Obama — say short-term, high-interest loans are predatory, trapping borrowers in a cycle of debt. But some economists see them as a useful financial instrument for…
Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn’t always work out. That’s where “temptation bundling” comes in.
Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn’t always work out. That’s where “temptation bundling” comes in.
Since his last visit to People I (Mostly) Admire, the formerly top-ranked golfer has become the sport’s most controversial figure. Why has he partnered with the Saudi government — and…
Economists have discovered an odd phenomenon: many people who use social media (even you, maybe?) wish it didn’t exist. But that doesn’t mean they can escape….
…And who’s the most famous smoker she knows? Our president, of course. On went the shirt. I have no idea if Obama has given up smoking or not. But considering…
…risky sex, suicide, drinking, and smoking. The share of 9th- to 12th-graders who have ever smoked cigarettes, for instance, has fallen from 70.1 percent in 1991 to 46.3 percent in…
…limits of the discipline. It took more than fifty years for the world’s scientists to reach an agreement on the dangers of smoking, and there are still serious scientific disagreements…
…several years or more. Steep “sin taxes” on cigarettes, combined with anti-smoking campaigns, have achieved reductions in smoking rates. In other contexts, empirical evidence suggests that dramatic price increases are…
…we get everyone in Shanghai to pay 10 cents a day.” Blah blah. Always look back and ask yourself: “Am I smoking crack?” Every day check the ashtray. Is there…
…better identification (for example, through screening programs) or better survival. The history of exceptionally heavy smoking and the more recent increase in obesity in the United States suggest that a…
…for instance, is the drastic decline in smoking in recent years. It’s great news that fewer people smoke but, according to Vanderbilt economist Kip Viscusi, people who quit smoking tend…
…the single greatest challenge in healthcare today – so many of the things that people suffer from and die of are based in our habits or antics, from smoking to…
…graduation or non-smoking and when disadvantage is measured by family resources or maternal education, but we also find buffering effects for a number of other outcome-disadvantage pairs. We generally find…
…preferences when it comes to smoking cigarettes: blacks, for instances, heavily prefer menthol to non-menthol cigarettes. On average, blacks smoke less than whites. But blacks suffer a higher rate of…
…18-25 who reported smoking weed at least once a week were structurally different than a control group: They showed greater grey matter density in the left amygdala, an area of…
…Karlan, StickK is there to facilitate commitment contracts. Want to quit smoking? Go to StickK and sign a legally binding contract that requires you to donate a specified amount of…
…wrapping ourselves in Snuggies as the recession sets in. What else symbolizes our new austerity? Apparently, tobacco pipes. The Wall Street Journal reports that pipe smoking is on the rebound,…
…obesity mostly has to do with the widespread availability of very cheap, very tasty, very abundant food. They also find that a widespread decline in cigarette smoking has helped drive…
…print revenues depended heavily on tobacco advertising, and seven out of every ten men smoked. For men and eventually for women, smoking was seen as a sign of freedom and…
University suspends blood drives to protest federal ban on gay blood donors. (Earlier) Can chimpanzees trade commodities? Smoking and SIDS link explained. States brace themselves for voting technology upgrades….
You know the saying: A winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?…
What does social media do to our self-esteem? How is envy affecting our politics? And should you go to your high school reunion? Take the Seven Deadly Sins survey: freakonomics.com/nsq-sins/…
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?…
What happens when a public health researcher deep in coal country argues that mountaintop mining endangers the entire community? Hint: it doesn’t go very well.
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?…
Fear is a popular tool in public health campaigns. But is it an effective one? Bapu Jena discusses new research on whether we can — and should — scare people…
How far would you go to extend your life? What’s the best way to stay sharp as your brain ages? And does Keith Richards deserve a Nobel Prize?…
