Episode Details

What if the transactions society forbids are the ones we need to understand most? In this condensed recap of Into The Impossible, Brian Keating speaks with Nobel economist Alvin Roth about matching markets, kidney exchange, and the economics of so-called “repugnant transactions” — from surrogacy and paid plasma donation to prostitution, abortion, and medical aid in dying. Trimmed from the full-length interview to a quick, minutes-long listen, this summary shows how Roth uses market design and economics to ask when bans protect people, when they fail, and when harm reduction works better than prohibition. You’ll also hear why kidney exchange has saved lives, how academia’s hiring market can improve, and why fraud matters more than competition in truth-seeking fields. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.