Podcast Episodes

391. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up

Episode 391

Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve Levitt wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really need in the moder…

Published on 6 years, 2 months ago

390. Fed Up

Episode 390

Mary Daly rose from high-school dropout to president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She thinks the central bank needs an upgrade too. It starts with recognizing that the economy is mad…

Published on 6 years, 3 months ago

389. How to Make Meetings Less Terrible

Episode 389

In the U.S. alone, we hold 55 million meetings a day. Most of them are woefully unproductive, and tyrannize our offices. The revolution begins now — with better agendas, smaller invite lists, and an …

Published on 6 years, 3 months ago

Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be

It began as a post-war dream for a more collaborative and egalitarian workplace. It has evolved into a nightmare of noise and discomfort. Can the open office be saved, or should we all just be workin…

Published on 6 years, 3 months ago

388. The Economics of Sports Gambling

Episode 388

What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on real games? We’re about to find out. A recent Supreme Court decision has cleared the way to bring a…

Published on 6 years, 3 months ago

The Future of Meat (Rebroadcast)

Global demand for beef, chicken, and pork continues to rise. So do concerns about environmental and other costs. Will reconciling these two forces be possible — or, even better, Impossible™?

Hosted b…

Published on 6 years, 4 months ago

Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Rebroadcast)

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit.

Hosted by Sim…

Published on 6 years, 4 months ago

387. Hello, My Name Is Marijuana Pepsi!

Episode 387

Research shows that having a distinctively black name doesn’t affect your economic future. But what is the day-to-day reality of living with such a name? Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck, a newly-minted Ph.D.…

Published on 6 years, 4 months ago

How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast )

A kid’s name can tell us something about his parents — their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz…

Published on 6 years, 4 months ago

386. How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War

Episode 386

Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-market capitalism, right? Not quite. The supermarket was in fact the endpoint of the U.S. government’…

Published on 6 years, 5 months ago