Search the Site

Search Results for: think like a child


Parents Are Less Happy. So What?

…parental over-investment in their children is causing parents to be unhappy. He infers from this that we should invest less in each child, and have more children. In the classic…



Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 167

The Three Hardest Words in the English Language

Why learning to say “I don’t know” is one of the best things you can do.

Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 525

In Search of the Real Adam Smith

How did an affable 18th-century “moral philosopher” become the patron saint of cutthroat capitalism? Does “the invisible hand” mean what everyone thinks it does? We travel to Smith’s hometown in…

Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 89

A Cross Between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones

Heeding the warnings of public health officer Charity Dean about Covid-19 could have saved lives. Charity explains why she loves infectious diseases and why she moved to the private sector….

More Evidence of Cultural Bias in Testing

…to identify what was missing from the picture. “She forgot her necklace,” the child answered. “Well, yes, but what else?” her mother asked. “She forgot her bracelet,” the child answered….



Another Explanation for Sex Selection in China?

child following a daughter was 5.5 percent more likely to be a boy after land reform, doubling the prevailing rate of sex selection. Mothers with higher levels of education were…



Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 511

Why Did You Marry That Person?

Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society….

Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 72

What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?

Breakthroughs in biotech that seem like science fiction are becoming reality. Why aren’t more patients benefiting from them?…


Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 52

Little League

Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-year for-profit travel leagues. Zachary Crockett peers inside the dugout….

Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 27

What Can Bin Laden Teach Us About Medicine?

When trust in doctors or the healthcare system is lost, it’s really hard to get back. Bapu Jena explores the ripple effects of a C.I.A. operation to catch Osama bin…

Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 511

Why Did You Marry That Person? (Replay)

Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society….

Is High Unemployment Hurting Kids' Grades?

…Belsky, Vandergrift, Houts, & Morrison, 2008). The problem appears to be amplified under a system like No Child Left Behind, where funding is tied to test scores. Communities hard-hit by…



Boy, Are We Stupid

…baby-name-consulting business. According to this Reuters report, parents in Britian spend “up to 45 hours” picking out a name for their child, “a combined 30 million hours annually.” Let’s see:…



Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 1

Steven Pinker: “I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully”

By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the Harvard psychologist and linguist has become a very public intellectual. But the self-declared “polite Canadian” has managed to enrage people on…

Help Wanted: Babysitters. Salary: Six Figures.

…they did it with the blessing of the state. All four had been in-home child-care providers. Collectively they have 17 children. For years, the government has paid them to stay…



Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 74

How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?

It’s not a new question, but it’s a tricky one to study. Bapu explains why, and talks about how an N.F.L. labor dispute helped him get some answers….

Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 43

Arne Duncan Says All Kids Deserve a Chance — and Criminals Deserve a Second One

Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3×3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught…


Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 96

School Buses

Districts across the country are facing shortages of school bus drivers. Can technology help? Zachary Crockett takes a seat in the back….


Consumer Reports Gets Less Independent

After misinterpreting the data on the side-impact crash tests it ran on child car seats, Consumer Reports is changing its methodology on such tests, enlisting the help of experts in…



Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 239

The No-Tipping Point (Replay)

The restaurant business model is warped: kitchen wages are too low to hire cooks, while diners are put in charge of paying the waitstaff. So what happens if you eliminate…


Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 211

The Economics of Sleep, Part 1

Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?


The Best Third-Grade Teacher Ever

…needs and less likely to put up a fight. But experiments like Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone hint at the enormous impact that early educational support can have on lifetime…



Pitch Me Your Day

…you day? Child:???? Fine. Parent:? What happened? Child😕 Not Much. I’ve never asked my kids to pitch me their day.? But many a time I have asked them to tell…



Episode image
Follow this show
Episode 242

Is the World Ready for a Guaranteed Basic Income?

A lot of full-time jobs in the modern economy simply don’t pay a living wage. And even those jobs may be obliterated by new technologies. What’s to be done so…