Question of the Day: What Are Your Best — and Worst — Retail Experiences?
We’re working on a new Freakonomics Radio piece about what might best be called “retail etiquette.” It was inspired in part by this blog post, about how the quantity and…
Discrimination can’t explain why women earn so much less than men. If only it were that easy.
You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s what Richard Thaler has done. The founder of behavioral economics…
We’re working on a new Freakonomics Radio piece about what might best be called “retail etiquette.” It was inspired in part by this blog post, about how the quantity and…
What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on real games? We’re about to find out. A recent Supreme Court decision has…
…Times column. I don’t know if it’s because I know James and like him so much that I think this is one of the best opening paragraphs I’ve ever read,…
…of hiring the best person? Which makes the participants feel better about the process? Which side of the Atlantic has it right? Bottom line to me is the importance of…
Fareed Zakaria says yes. But it’s not just political revolution — it’s economic, technological, even emotional. He doesn’t offer easy solutions but he does offer some hope….
…win best supporting actor;?Mo’Nique will surely win best supporting actress; and?Kathryn Bigelow will beat her?ex-husband to win best director. It’s time for me to confess: I’ve barely seen any movies…
…asked a group of people who give a lot of thought to this issue — Ludwig, Jesus Castro Jr., Eric Proshansky, and David Hemenway — the following: What’s your best…
How can you strive for excellence without overworking yourself? Why is perfectionism on the rise? And is Angela part of the problem?…
Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult?…
…what the government should do about it. They, like virtually all economists, think the auto industry bailout under consideration is not the right solution. They believe the best option is…
…how just how much I will need to improve. The best PGA tour pros tend not to have regular handicaps, but are said to be the equivalent of Plus 8…
…into a nondescript building across Lafayette Square. Plenty of good Republican economists served in his administration, but he never found a place for the best of them, Martin Feldstein; indeed,…
I’m always suspicious of companies who tout how environmentally friendly they are, when being green happens to coincide with cost savings for the firm. The best example is the ubiquitous…
How do friendships change as we get older? Should you join a bowling league? And is Angela more important to Mike than Mike is to Angela?…
Steve usually asks his guests for advice, whether they’re magicians or Nobel laureates. After nearly 60 episodes, is any of it worth following — or should we just ask listeners…
Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. We spoke with her in 2016 about why women earn so much less than men — and how…
Fareed Zakaria says yes. But it’s not just political revolution — it’s economic, technological, even emotional. He doesn’t offer easy solutions but he does offer some hope….
In hospitals, a softer pillow or a nicer room might be more than just amenities — they could improve outcomes for patients.
Also: how does a comedian cope with tragedy? With Eugene Mirman….
Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?…
…clichés to choose from,” said Horton, but the best covers, in his opinion, are “simple and direct.” From time.com He gave The Economist‘s “What Next?” cover (above left) low marks…
Soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe could soon hold one of the most important jobs in science. She explains why the ground beneath our feet is one of our greatest resources…
How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.
The U.S. spent the past few decades waiting for China to act like the global citizen it said it wanted to be. The waiting may be over.
Last week, we solicited questions for Harvard physicians Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband, the authors of Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right For You . They’ve come…
Ken Ono is a math prodigy whose skills have helped produce a Hollywood movie and made Olympic swimmers faster. The number theorist tells Steve why he sees mathematics as art…
…investor homes. With investor properties, the seller can usually wait for the best price and not worry about factors such as job transfers or school year timing. In that kind…
