Episodes (Page 17)
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California's 1996 end to affirmative action in public universities created natural experiment showing how policy instantly reshaped university demographics and long-term outcomes
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Ivan Lozano Ortega discovered a black market in poisonous frogs being poached from Colombian rainforests and sold to collectors worldwide
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Pandemic created enormous natural experiments proving economic theories like the bullwhip effect, where supply chain volatility increases with distance from customers
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Mike Shanks started a moving business in Seattle in 1978 but was cited for operating without a permit by enforcement officers he calls 'the furniture police'
Mike The Mover
The Furniture Police
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Twin studies have been used since the 1800s to answer fundamental questions about how much genetics versus environment shape human behavior and traits
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Tech workers Aashka and Nilanjan face a 60-day deadline to find new jobs after layoffs at Amazon and Google or lose their visas
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New research indicates breakthrough innovations are more likely to come from smaller, younger companies rather than established corporations
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Economist Michael Kremer pioneered randomized controlled trials in development economics by testing school aid effectiveness in Busia, Kenya in the early 1990s
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Sony Pictures licensed Spider-Man film rights from Marvel in the 1990s when Marvel wasn't yet a movie studio, creating long-term complications
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Planet Money created first AI-written episode by feeding AI real research and interviews to generate original scripts
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Planet Money explored AI-generated voice technology that can convincingly imitate specific individuals, raising ethical and economic questions
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AI tools like ChatGPT now perform knowledge work previously thought safe from automation
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Lyle Jack attempts to build a wind farm on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota but faces major obstacles connecting it to the electric grid
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Planet Money Predictions returns with economic forecasters scoring last year's predictions on jobs, housing, and inflation
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MIT labor economist David Autor argues that AI could reverse four decades of technology-driven inequality and help rebuild the middle class
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Traditional inflation explanation cites too much money chasing too few goods, but 1970s wage-price spiral provides alternative mechanism
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In the 1800s, every U.S. town kept its own local time based on sun position, creating confusion with 23 times in Indiana alone and train crashes
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Burt Banks inherited Delaware property but discovered neighbor's goat pen extended onto his land, prompting legal action when negotiation failed
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Explores the multi-billion dollar influencer industry and how content creators monetize social media followings on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
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Erika Williams pursued an MBA and became a financial advisor at Wells Fargo in 2012, joining a relatively uncommon position for Black professionals in banking