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Episode 390

Fed Up

Mary Daly rose from high-school dropout to president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She thinks the central bank needs an upgrade too. It starts with recognizing that…

Episode 81

Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Money? (Replay)

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…

Episode 81

Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Money?

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…

Starting Over

I have a favorite thought exercise, especially when thinking about the sort of complex, dynamic systems that are interesting but difficult to write about: the health-care system, e.g., or education,…



Is There a Market for "Conscious Capitalists"?

educational system? As an educational innovator who has created several highly successful schools, including a charter high school named the 36th best public school in the U.S., I found when…





Is Tuition by Major a Good Idea?

A Florida state task force on education has just released a recommendation to adjust tuition, by major. “Tuition would be lower for students pursuing degrees most needed for Florida’s job…



Is College Worth It? Non-Grads Say Yes

…have a successful career. Despite their belief in the value of post-secondary education, though, only 38 per cent definitely planned to attend college to get more education in the next…



Can Religion Offset the Effects of Child Poverty?

…defined by factors like family income, the parents’ levels of education, and “child characteristics including parental assessments of the child.” Using the National Survey of Families and Households, they questioned…



In Praise of Smaller Schools

We are in the midst of a nationwide search for a single magic bullet in education. But the more evidence that is gathered, the more obvious it becomes that no…



The Numbers Game: Is College Worth The Cost?

…current state of American higher education. Among some of the more interesting nuggets: Only 19% of college presidents say the U.S. system of higher education is the best in the…



Nobody Better Than Arne Duncan

…old and he had the second-best job in education. He had nowhere to go but down, since the only better job would be secretary of education. For all his accomplishments…




It's Crowded at the Top (Ep. 125)

…associated with high educational skill) underwent a reversal. Many researchers have documented a strong, ongoing increase in the demand for skills in the decades leading up to 2000. In this…



Episode 122

How Much Does Your Name Matter?

A kid’s name can tell us something about his parents — their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?

Episode 122

How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Replay)

A kid’s name can tell us something about his parents — their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?

Episode 464

Will Work-from-Home Work Forever?

The pandemic may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean we’ll return to full-time commuting and packed office buildings. The greatest accidental experiment in the history of labor has lessons…

Episode 582

Why Is Everyone Moving to Canada?

As the U.S. tries to fix its messy immigration system, our neighbor to the north is scooping up more talented newcomers every year. Are the Canadians stealing America’s bacon? (Part…

Episode 259

Ten Signs You Might Be a Libertarian

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate, likes to say that most Americans are libertarians but don’t know it yet. So why can’t Libertarians (and other third parties) gain more…

Episode 12

Is America Ready for a “No-Lose Lottery”? (Update)

Most people don’t enjoy the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. But we do love to play the lottery. So what if you combine the two,…

EXTRA

Domonique Foxworth Full Interview

Stephen Dubner’s conversation with the former N.F.L. player, union official, and all-around sports thinker, recorded for our “Hidden Side of Sports” series….

Episode 488

Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?

In this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt speaks with the palliative physician B.J. Miller about modern medicine’s goal of “protecting a pulse at all costs.” Is…

Episode 143

How Sinful Are “No Stupid Questions” Listeners?

What does the Seven Deadly Sins survey tell us about the people who listen to this podcast? Are we more afflicted by sloth or by lust? And what does Angela…

Episode 16

Exit Interview: Schools Chancellor, NYC

Having already amassed an eventful resume — the Clinton White House, the Department of Justice, and Bertelsmann — Joel I. Klein spent the past eight years as chancellor of the…

Episode 65

What’s the Best Advice You’ve Ever Received?

Also: why don’t you need a license to become a parent?…

Episode 13

The “No-Lose Lottery,” Part 2

It’s the banking tool that got millions of people around the world to stop wasting money on the lottery. So why won’t state and federal officials in the U.S. give…

Episode 196

Is There a Better Way to Fight Terrorism?

The White House is hosting an anti-terror summit next week. Summits being what they are, we try to offer some useful advice.

Episode 427

The Pros and Cons of Reparations

Most Americans agree that racial discrimination has been, and remains, a big problem. But that is where the agreement ends.

Episode 235

Who Needs Handwriting?

The digital age is making pen and paper seem obsolete. But what are we giving up if we give up on handwriting?