The economist Preston McAfee is trying to do some good
I first met Preston McAfee in Barcelona about 10 years ago. I was giving my paper on Lojack, which I had given way too many times because it was the…
What happens when the most disturbing ideas are also the best?
I first met Preston McAfee in Barcelona about 10 years ago. I was giving my paper on Lojack, which I had given way too many times because it was the…
In this special episode of Freakonomics, M.D., host Bapu Jena looks at data from birthday parties, March Madness parties, and a Freakonomics Radio holiday party to help us all manage…
Back in September I blogged about my admiration for Kevin Murphy after he won a MacArthur Genius grant. Here are links to two interviews with Murphy that give you a…
…race.” And there were three separate mentions of the Luck Effect in the 4/29-5/5 issue of the Economist. In an article about how Goldman Sachs continues to bring innovations to…
Dubner and Levitt field your queries in this latest installment of our FREAK-quently Asked Questions….
…of economists is often – not always, certainly, but often – deeply obtuse. Now, again, this is my problem, having to do with my preferences and my skills. Research economists,…
Is art really meant to be an “asset class”? Will the digital revolution finally democratize a market that just keeps getting more elitist? And what will happen to the last…
…economists are clueless on this topic. There’s the late Albert Bartlett’s hugely popular videos – or Tom Murphy’s article “Exponential Economist Meets Finite Physicist.” The key issue is that exponential…
…include glowing, hyperbolic terms. Bapu talks about this “groundbreaking” research (see what we did there?) in a wide-ranging discussion with physicians and an economist about the gender gap in medicine….
What does Pride and Prejudice have to do with nuclear deterrence?…
…a task that can turn out to be awfully difficult. In addition to being great economists (see my last post about what it means if you win the Nobel when…
People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.
Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ transplants — money alone can’t solve the problem. That’s when you need a market-design wizard…
There are all kinds of civics-class answers to that question. But how true are they? Could it be that we like to read about war, politics, and miscellaneous heartbreak simply…
…policy. In practice, however, economists are generally doubtful that carbon taxes provide that kind of free lunch. Nevertheless, the report from The Economist, and glowing accounts from other media this…
(Photo: Marcin Wichary) I have a friend with whom I regularly eat out at restaurants and from time to time we disagree on how much to tip. Traditionally, I have…
…economist — who supports the suspension?” After Clinton side-stepped the question, he pushed on: “But can you name an economist who thinks this makes sense.” Clinton’s response: “Well I’ll tell…
O.K., maybe the steps aren’t so easy. But a program run out of a Toronto housing project has had great success in turning around kids who were headed for trouble.
The gig economy offers the ultimate flexibility to set your own hours. That’s why economists thought it would help eliminate the gender pay gap. A new study, using data from…
(Photo: Cliff) In his book Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow quotes a letter that speaks to the hoary economic historians’ debate about the profitability of slavery. Washington noted that in…
Breaking news! Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and social media algorithms add fuel to the fire. Stephen Dubner investigates. (This is part of the…
Keith Hennessey Keith Hennessey is the outgoing chief economic adviser to President Bush and director of the National Economic Council. When Obama takes office, Lawrence Summers will take his place….
As the Supreme Court considers overturning Roe v. Wade, we look back at Steve Levitt’s controversial research on an unintended consequence of the 1973 ruling….
Bapu Jena was already a double threat: a doctor who is also an economist. Now he’s a podcast host too. In this sneak preview of the Freakonomics Radio Network’s newest…
…precedent, believe it or not, when it comes to University of Chicago economists achieving political success. Paul Douglas, a professor in the University of Chicago economics department (best known for…
…created the biggest standard-of-living boost in U.S. history. The only problem, argues the economist Robert Gordon, is that the Second Industrial Revolution was a one-time event. So what happens next?…
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…
Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative risks?
…and over again, but expecting different results. Sudden Death (1983) Rob asked: “There is no free lunch” is a phrase used by economists since at least the 19th century, but…
