My Mom, the Psychic
…a graduate student at MIT, I put a prediction in one of my early papers. My mentor Jim Poterba made me take it out. “Nothing good ever comes of predictions,”…
A tiny behavioral-sciences startup is trying to improve the way federal agencies do their work. Considering the size (and habits) of most federal agencies, this isn’t so simple. But after…
If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there’s a good chance you’ll barely be punished. Why?
…think that’s a terrible idea. They say it helps a small (albeit noisy) group of renters, but keeps overall rents artificially high by disincentivizing new construction. So what happens next?…
Colonoscopy is strongly recommended for Americans over 45. But a new study suggests its benefits have been overstated. Should we change how we screen for colorectal cancer?…
…a graduate student at MIT, I put a prediction in one of my early papers. My mentor Jim Poterba made me take it out. “Nothing good ever comes of predictions,”…
…New York Times Magazine, didn’t want to have just another book party. His new book, Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate (Free Press, April 13, 2010), is a memoir about…
…boatload if he’s right. Here’s the current trading contract for a new GOP majority in the House: Price for 2010 US House of Representatives Control at intrade.com A GOP Senate…
It’s not quite Minority Report, but the L.A. Times reports that the LAPD is working with UCLA mathematicians to pursue a sophisticated form of predictive policing. In the not-too-distant future,…
…that we have a winner of my Freakonomics prediction contest.? A signed copy of Carrots and Sticks will soon be making its way to David V who just about nailed…
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…
…economics, Smeal College of Business, and Andrew Kleit, professor of energy and environmental economics, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. For more details on the weather predictions markets, visit lema.smeal.psu.edu/prediction….
Are those travelers on their laptops just showing off? Why does V8 taste better at 35,000 feet? And why won’t Angela chat with her seatmate?…
…stood up by the mayor, nearly drowning on a highway, and eating way too much barbecue, he came away impressed. (Part 1 of 2 — because even podcasts are bigger…
We revisit an episode from 2016 that asks: Has our culture’s obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be taken care of?…
How using peer pressure — and good, old-fashioned shame — can push people to do the right thing.
…a lot of fuzzy facts. We wanted to test Americans’ knowledge — so, to wrap up our special series on immigration, we called some Freakonomics Radio listeners and quizzed them….
…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…
New York Times columnist Charles Blow argues that white supremacy in America will never fully recede, and that it’s time for Black people to do something radical about it. In…
In this busy time of year, we could all use some tips on how to get more done in less time. First, however, a warning: there’s a big difference between…
…think that’s a terrible idea. They say it helps a small (albeit noisy) group of renters, but keeps overall rents artificially high by disincentivizing new construction. So what happens next?…
…like my life back” and Christine O’Donnell‘s “I’m not a witch.” I would welcome suggestions of notable quotations from 2011, particularly ones from politics or popular culture or entertainment or…
…Christine O’Donnell‘s “I’m not a witch.” I would welcome suggestions of notable quotations from 2011, particularly ones from politics or popular culture or entertainment or sports or business or technology….
…of the sports-economics blog Wages of Wins, and is a frequent contributor to the Freakonomics blog. Last week I looked at the labor negotiations in the NBA. Since then, the…
In a special episode of No Stupid Questions, Angela Duckworth and Mike Maughan talk about unfinished tasks, recurring arguments, and Irish goodbyes….
In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says it’s time for liberals to face the facts: U.S. marriage rates have plummeted but the babies keep coming,…
In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says it’s time for liberals to face the facts: U.S. marriage rates have plummeted but the babies keep coming,…
If you think talent and hard work give top athletes all the leverage to succeed, think again. As employees in the Sports-Industrial Complex, they’ve got a tight earnings window, a…
The gist: If U.S. schoolteachers are indeed “just a little bit below average,” it’s not really their fault. So what should be done about it?
She’s the author of the bestselling book Grit, and a University of Pennsylvania professor of psychology — a field Steve says he knows nothing about. But once Angela gives Steve…
