Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)
Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code? SOURCES:Patti Cha...
9 Apr 202545min
628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?
There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.) ...
4 Apr 202548min
627. Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It
Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. Where does all this sludge come from — and how much is it costing us? (Pa...
28 Mar 202554min
Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Update)
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. SOURCES:Kirk D...
21 Mar 202548min
626. Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System
Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who is w...
14 Mar 20251h 3min
625. The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn’t Touched
Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others —...
7 Mar 20251h 3min
EXTRA: The Downside of Disgust (Update)
It’s a powerful biological response that has preserved our species for millennia. But now it may be keeping us from pursuing strategies that would improve the environment, the economy, even our own he...
5 Mar 202544min
624. The Animal No One Loves, Until They Do
To most people, the rat is vile and villainous. But not to everyone! We hear from a scientist who befriended rats and another who worked with them in the lab — and from the animator who made one the h...
28 Feb 202545min
