What Will Globalization Do to Languages? A Freakonomics Quorum
…not otherwise reach, to many other people this spread is a symptom of things they don’t want: the Christian faith, for instance, and political paternalism. So far, so unsurprising, you…
The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to…
…not otherwise reach, to many other people this spread is a symptom of things they don’t want: the Christian faith, for instance, and political paternalism. So far, so unsurprising, you…
Also: What does your desired superpower say about you?…
At 27 — and without a college degree — she was named chief technology officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Today, Marina Nitze is trying to reform the foster…
…grain feed for fattening cattle.” (James Edward Halligan, Elementary Treatise on Stock Feeds and Feeding, 1911, p. 207.) “I believe that corn is the best feed for cattle and hogs…”…
NYTimes.com, fully free for a few more days A Forbes.com article by Jeff Bercovici discusses the New York Times‘s plan to shut down a rogue Twitter feed called FreeNYTimes, which…
…Amazon. I also created my Amazon page, linked the RSS feed of my blog to it, created a video and uploaded it, linked my twitter feed to it, etc. I’m…
The comedian, actor — and now, author — answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
The comedian, actor — and now, author — answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
Also: what is the most significant choice you will ever make?…
The legendary venture capitalist believes the same intuition that led him to bet early on Google can help us reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But Steve wonders why his…
Birthdays! Why do Americans prefer Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July to theirs? Why do they make Stephen think of molasses and chicken feed? And is “Happy Birthday” the worst…
Advertisers have always been adept at manipulating our emotions. Now they’re using behavioral economics to get even better.
Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book…
Also: would you take a confirmation-bias vaccine?…
Former professional poker player Annie Duke has a new book on Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why…
…didn’t Australian aborigines invent farming, or why didn’t Siberian reindeer herders invent writing? And those breakthroughs required no genetic change, no special new human trait-just serendipitous cultural invention. I think…
…Dan Lovallo, I published an attempt in that direction in the Harvard Business Review in June 2011.) Q. Out of curiosity, why did you think that Freakonomics would change the…
Physicist Helen Czerski loves to explain how the world works. She talks with Steve about studying bubbles, setting off explosives, and how ocean waves have changed the course of history….
Khan Academy founder Sal Khan returns to share his vision for a new way to learn — and the conversation inspires Steve to make a big announcement.
A famous economics essay features a pencil (yes, a pencil) arguing that “not a single person on the face of this earth knows how to make me.” Is the pencil…
…be far from straightforward, as the crisis has hit a significant portion of the electorate, and politicians have so far failed to tackle the ongoing recession. If the ratification of…
Also: how can we stop confusing correlation with causation?
The last two years have radically changed the way we work — producing winners, losers, and a lot of surprises.
In his final years, Richard Feynman’s curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn’t able to….
…2011, the same level as 2010. Meanwhile, earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projected that overall motor vehicle fatalities declined 1.7 percent in 2011, reaching their lowest…
…the longest hours, who shops the most, to who is most trusting of others. The annual report, titled “Society at a Glance 2011 – OECD Social Indicators,” is chock-full with…
Economists have a hard time explaining why productivity growth has been shrinking. One theory: true innovation has gotten much harder – and much more expensive. So what should we do…
How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt’s divorce….
How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt’s divorce….
