…that it’s addictive and toxic. How much sense does that make? We hear from a regulatory advocate, an evidence-based skeptic, a former F.D.A. commissioner — and the organizers of Milktoberfest….
Stephen Dubner’s conversation with the Virgin Group founder, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”…
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
…context where the prediction markets have been very successful. It doesn’t seem like Intrade.com covered the show (why?). But realitymarkets.com showed David Archuleta to have a commanding lead even after…
Also: Why do so many people feel lost in their 20s?…
A look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
How do so many ineffective and even dangerous drugs make it to the market? One reason is that clinical trials are often run on “dream patients” who aren’t representative of…
A look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
…Freakonomics Radio show called “An Economist’s Guide to Parenting.” He had a great deal to say on the topic, all of it interesting and much of it provocative. I think…
If you can make it through three years of law school, you too might end up on a billboard. Zachary Crockett makes the case.
…do we actually know about what all that screen time does to us? We look back at some compelling studies that show, actually, it may change us for the better….
Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?…
The U.S. immigration system is a massively complicated machine, with a lot of worn-out parts. How to fix it? Step one: Get hold of some actual facts and evidence. (We…
…on healthcare than any other country, with so-so outcomes. Atul Gawande — cancer surgeon, public-health researcher, and best-selling author — has some simple ideas for treating a painfully complex system….
Changing the clocks has been linked to car accidents and heart attacks. This week, Bapu Jena sheds some light on the damage we might be doing by springing forward and…
Where’s the line between an addiction and a bad habit? Why do definitions of mental illnesses change over time? And what’s the most addictive thing in the world?…
Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve Levitt wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really…
When it comes to end-of-life medical care, getting it right can be hard — even for doctors. Bapu Jena discusses surprising research on how we can live better — and…
…comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The carrot doesn’t always work, however. The attendance rate at Crater High School in Central Point dropped last year when school…
…Authors Claire Crawford, Lorraine Dearden and Ellen Greaves found (along with several previous studies, like this one and this one) that children born in summer months generally score lower on…
…teacher in Maryland, as a study aid for students preparing for their AP Psychology exam. How are you biased? Let Bradley Wray count the ways. Hat tip: Authentic Organizations blog….
…read it in the next ten years. Every couple years in an undergrad class I teach I put a question on the final exam that says “For 10 points, Describe…
After struggling to schedule a flu shot for his own toddler, host Bapu Jena went down a research rabbit hole. He discovered that the time of year kids are born…
I had my annual physical the other day, and my doctor asked the typical battery of questions before the physical exam began. As we got to the end of the…
…about science and technology. It is not technical or hard to understand (like, say, Scientific American). Rather, it is loaded with fascinating articles about cutting edge advances in technology, written…
I have wondered about it many times, and I’m guessing you have too: if you lived right around the corner from your destination (school, work, church, whatever), wouldn’t you always…
…That would mean laying out $240 to conduct an exam for which the woman’s insurance company would pay him $58 — a loss of more than $180 even before accounting…
…replete with considerable potential for communication breakdowns. At best, a common result is that doctors don’t get the full story of a patient’s condition; at worst, the patient can wind…
…their name. Ex: “Officer, my son Andrew and I were just on the way to our prenatal exam.” Or “The twins and I were just running a few errands.” [Thanks…
