In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-backed golf league that’s challenging the P.G.A. Tour. Can a sporting event…
Thanks to daily Covid testing and regimented protocols, the new football season is underway. Meanwhile, most teachers, students and parents are essentially waiting for the storm to pass. And school…
Who decided that we’re fully mature at 18? Should 16-year-olds have the right to vote? And why are young people bringing their parents to job interviews?…
The Ford Motor Company is ditching its legacy sedans, doubling down on trucks, and trying to steer its stock price out of a long skid. But C.E.O. Jim Hackett has…
In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-backed golf league that’s challenging the PGA Tour. Can a sporting event…
How do so many ineffective and even dangerous drugs make it to market? One reason is that clinical trials are often run on “dream patients” who aren’t representative of a…
…effort in American history to provoke popular interest in sustainable agriculture, encompasses such a hodge-podge of sub-genres-localism, organic, “deep organic,” “artisanal” production, anti-GMO, foragers, farmers’ markets, free-range meats, slow food,…
Congress just passed the biggest aid package in modern history. We ask six former White House economic advisors and one U.S. Senator: Will it actually work? What are its best…
…the unthinkable.” But throughout history, we seem to have lost that ability after other major crises (The Depression, the Panic of 1837) and, despite warning signs, not acted until the…
…filmed version of a book that represents such a vital piece of U.S. history. But because it is history, and particularly because McCullough does such a masterful job of rendering…
…activists who strive to protect them. None thought it would be fun to marry multiple men. Q Have there ever been examples in history of skewed gender ratios among populations?…
…at the RAND Corporation as a part of their research programming group. He studied history as an undergrad at the University of Chicago and received a masters in computer science….
…its history and mores, etc. If I were, what I’m about to tell you probably wouldn’t have come as a surprise. Not long ago, in an airport far from home,…
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…
…and storied history of functioning at a loss despite government subsidies. So, as we enter what appears to be a new era (maybe?) of government austerity, it seems worth asking…
…to them the following questions: This year marked the first time in human history that more people lived in cities than in rural areas. What problems and opportunities does this…
…about President Bush. History will decide. In the last 7 years, the conservative movement has experienced some growing pains. The good news is that the movement continues to grow after…
Quotes Uncovered Here are more quote authors and origins Shapiro’s tracked down recently. Who Found Proof in the Pudding? Dying for Opinions and Making History Who’s Pete? A while back,…
…up state and federal spending on healthcare in export-driven port states like New Jersey. In his book Trucking Country, Shane Hamilton, an assistant professor of history at the University of…
The world is a more peaceful place today that at any time in history — by a long, long shot.
John Steele Gordon writes great historical non-fiction; his last book was Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power. Among many other things, he discusses how it was…
…deceased), longtime history professor at Boston University. One of the most popular teachers on campus, he was said to be loathed by the university’s former president John Silber (which may…
…farm at $15 per are, the distance around which is 640 rods? 10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt. U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes) 1. Give…
…virtually unique in history, and a long time in the making.? It was born out of (at least) three major developments.? The first was the demise of the Divine Right…
…experienced through most of our history is a thing of the past? That’s the topic of our latest Freakonomics Radio on Marketplace podcast. (You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the…
A look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
As cities become ever-more expensive, politicians and housing advocates keep calling for rent control. Economists think that’s a terrible idea. They say it helps a small (albeit noisy) group of…
A look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
He’s an economist who studies even weirder things than Steve. They discuss whether economics is the best of the social sciences, and why it’s a good idea to get a…
Is it really in a restaurant’s best interest to give customers free bread or chips before they even order?
