Our mission: Find the world’s best economic ideas (Summer School World Tour)
Come along as we travel the world in search of the best economic ideas to bring home!From the beaches of Barbuda to the fjords of Norway,...
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Episodes
Latest first
How to win a penalty shootout (with game theory)
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest soccer scorer of all time. But when it comes to penalty kicks, Messi is merely average. Why? Maybe...
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Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?
Will limiting how much students can borrow force schools to lower their prices? The Department of Education thinks so. It has a new plan to...
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We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail?
In the early 90’s, a company called General Magic began working on a portable device that would allow people to check email, make phone...
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Before Kalshi and Polymarket there was the Iowa Electronic Markets
Prediction markets aren’t new. Election betting was common until the 1940s, then mysteriously faded away.There was an entire political era...
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The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough
Maybe the real monster in the Alien franchise isn’t actually the killer alien. Because behind the acid blood and jump scares is an even...
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Can computer hackers get inside your mind?
The cyber weapon that might have prevented nuclear war.The U.S. and Israel have long been in conflict with Iran over their nuclear...
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It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing a tree now requires a permit....
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Two indicators for lowering the rent
One specific type of affordable housing used to be popular in American cities, kept rents low, then nearly vanished. Is it time to...
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Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?
One reason the $70 billion supplement industry is set to double in the next seven years? Lax regulation.On today's show, we tell the story...
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There's no business like dough business
Have you ever walked around a street, mall, or airport and noticed two or three of the same franchise restaurant within walking distance?...
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The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
99% of chemicals in our food right now were added without FDA approval. Many were added in secret, through a sneaky loophole built into the...
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The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes
Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the line between tax avoidance and tax evasion...
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The giant factory town that might be a giant mistake
How does a poor country become a rich country? There's a simple blueprint — or at least, that's what many economists used to believe. But...
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Vacation and why Americans take so little
Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic choice. Every single worker in the...
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Jerome Powell and the Future of Fed Independence
If you have a credit card, hope to buy a house, or just want stable grocery prices – let’s talk about the future of Fed independence!It’s...
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The secret meeting that launched OPEC
Recently, a listener wrote in with a question about OPEC and oil prices. She was prepping for a camping trip… thinking about how much it...
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Diary of a WNBA negotiator
Today the WNBA season tips off, but Dallas Wings veteran forward Alysha Clark has already won a high-stakes competition. She – and a Nobel...
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How we got free agents in baseball
Curt Flood was the best center fielder in baseball and one of the game’s highest paid players. He took the St. Louis Cardinals to the World...
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How to make a BOOK into a bestseller
In the world of commercial publishing, there are few crowning achievements more coveted than a place on the New York Times Best Seller...
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