QE3? Not So Fast. Let's Debate the Merits of QE2 First
…housing crisis and a financial crisis. Now we have neither and oil is less than $100. So inflation is in a galaxy far, far, away, no matter what gold says….
Khan Academy grew out of Sal Khan’s online math tutorials for his extended family. It’s now a platform used by more than 115 million people in 190 countries. So what…
Anne-Marie Slaughter was best known for her adamant views on Syria when she accidentally became a poster girl for modern feminism. As it turns out, she can be pretty adamant…
A conversation with the iconic singer-songwriter, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “How to Be Creative.” …
In three stories from our newest podcast, host Zachary Crockett digs into sports mascots, cashmere sweaters, and dinosaur skeletons….
Must one always strive for excellence? Is perfectionism a good thing? And can Mike have two bad days in a row?
…housing crisis and a financial crisis. Now we have neither and oil is less than $100. So inflation is in a galaxy far, far, away, no matter what gold says….
For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for…
How do TV producers decide how much money to give away? A little psychology and a lot of math. Zachary Crockett phones a friend….
…statements for the purchased tickets, and after many customers had already gone on their trips, thereby “using” the insurance!). In order to cancel, Jon was required to listen to a…
A kitchen wizard and a nutrition detective talk about the perfect hamburger, getting the most out of garlic, and why you should use vodka in just about everything.
…in stock is far lower than 26 percent. If you earn $100,000, you can expect that Social Security will replace about 25 percent of your income upon retirement. That replacement…
Are you a problem solver or an opportunity seeker? Why is it so hard to find a good leader these days? And could you be Angela’s next boss?…
…obesity-related diseases would rise by 13-16%, leading to 2.6% increase in national health spending In the U.K.: Prevalence of obesity among men would increase from 26% to between 41 —…
The human foot is an evolutionary masterpiece, far more functional than we give it credit for. So why do we encase it in “a coffin” (as one foot scholar calls…
…33 38 Germany 30 28 26 30 Canada 26 27 25 28 Russia 15 24 21 27 Norway 23 24 22 25 Austria 16 15 14 16 Sweden 11 13…
…4-7 Nevada 31% 25% (McCain) ARG – Dec. 19-23, ’06 New Jersey 39% 21% (McCain) Quinnipiac – Jan. 16-22 North Carolina 34% 26% (McCain) ARG – Jan. 11-15 Ohio 30%…
…26,266 miles. Not to be left out, we decided it was a good time to convene a Freakonomics Quorum. We rounded up a handful of sports economists and asked them…
Major League Baseball is off to one of its wettest starts ever. The league came into this week having already postponed 26 games, which is 6 more than were washed…
(Photo: Fang Guo) A new survey of 500 financial service professionals in the U.S. and the U.K. finds that 26 percent of survey respondents “had observed or had firsthand knowledge…
…now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.” Shortly thereafter, on February 26, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak unexpectedly called on that country’s Parliament to amend the Constitution to…
An unusual auction began late yesterday on eBay.? I’m selling my “right to regain weight.”? Why would anyone in their right mind be willing to pay me cash to buy…
How does comparing yourself to others affect your well-being? What do you do when there’s no one left to blame? And should we all just move to Finland?…
They can’t vote or hire lobbyists. The policies we create to help them aren’t always so helpful. Consider the car seat: parents hate it, the safety data are unconvincing, and…
…among all previous participants in our reader-generated Q&A’s: he answered every question you asked. If thoroughness counts for anything — not to mention candor and the willingness to engage sticky…
Also: What’s the best way to handle rejection?…
The prisoner’s dilemma is a classic game-theory problem. Robert, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, has spent his career studying it — and the ways humans can cooperate,…
What happened when the Rooney Rule made its way from pro football to corporate America? Some progress, some backsliding, and a lot of controversy. (Second in a two-part series.)…
When a doctor’s shift ends, or a physician retires, are patients left in the lurch? Bapu Jena looks at the challenge of managing medical transitions….
Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good. Would the Covid-19 crisis be an opportune time to reverse this tendency?
Should you become an artist or an accountant? Did Sylvia Plath have to be depressed to write The Bell Jar? And what can Napoleon Dynamite teach us about the creative…
