A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?
…particularly egregious ones come to mind. They’re somewhat technical: 1. Within the past year, the Congressional Budget Office has revised its projections of wage growth in Social Security upward, making…
…read those articles about the death of the American newspaper, I always wonder about the jobs that have been created by the changes in the news media. Q. Do you…
A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the South African divestment campaign, Chick-fil-A! Almost anyone can launch a boycott, and the media loves to cover them. But do boycotts actually produce the change…
Americans keep putting on pounds. So is it time for a cheeseburger tax? Or would a chill pill be the best medicine? In this episode, we explore the underbelly of…
What Do NASCAR Drivers, Glenn Beck, and the Hitmen of the N.F.L. Have in Common? Interviews and musings about danger and safety in the modern world.
A few days ago, I blogged about Nassim Nicholas Taleb‘s new book, The Black Swan, and solicited questions for a Q&A that NNT had agreed to answer. Here now is…
Millions and millions are out of work, with some jobs never coming back. We speak with four economists — and one former presidential candidate — about the best policy options…
…revenue or drive business away? -?Marty Stern A. I can’t comment on any particular taxpayer’s tax positions or tax strategies, but the Administration is concerned about U.S. companies’ shifting of…
What’s the connection between conversations about money and financial literacy? Could the taboo against talking about your salary be fading? And why did Angie’s teenage daughter call Vanguard to learn…
For years, economists promised that global free trade would be mostly win-win. Now they admit the pace of change has been “traumatic.” This has already led to a political insurrection…
…the facts surrounding global warming. Take the following true/false quiz to test your knowledge of the science, economics, and technology of global warming. Global-warming science questions: 1. The Earth has…
Steve and producer Morgan Levey look back at the first 100 episodes of the podcast, including surprising answers, spectacular explanations, and listeners who heard the show and changed their lives….
How is “negative reinforcement” different from punishment? Could positive reinforcement encourage prosocial behavior on a national scale? And what’s the deal with Taiwan’s dog-poop lottery?…
What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck, and the hit men of the N.F.L. have in common?
Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Steve spoke to her in 2021 about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women…
Bill Frist was a transplant surgeon before serving in the Senate, where he drove controversial legislation on embryonic stem cells and end-of-life care. Did he change politics? Or did politics…
What is the cost of admitting you’re wrong? How can intellectual humility make you more open minded? And will Stephen finally persuade Angela that rum-raisin is the best flavor of…
Also: Do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?…
To the law, everything is either a “person,” with rights, or a “thing,” without. Where does that leave dogs? Alexandra Horowitz considers animate things, living property, and what happens when…
We take it for granted that, when people are acutely ill, they should be in the hospital. Is there a better way?…
Also: why do we pad our speech with so much filler language?…
