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Behavioral economics
 
 
Predictably Irrational
Monday, March 24, 2008 at 11:00 am

Humans are supposed to be the thinking species. The planet’s creature of logic. Yet all of literature and abundant human experience tell us otherwise.
Now, a new work of behavioral economics looks at how dependably goofy we humans can be. How “predictably irrational,” whether we’re standing at the all-you-can-eat buffet, or fingering our credit card or [...]

 
Money on the Brain
Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 11:00 am

With a jittery economy, many Americans may think twice these days about where they invest their money. And yet, think as they may, smart people too often make dumb financial bets: on what will bring happiness, or yield big gains in the market.
To sort out why, a new breed of researcher — neuroeconomists — are [...]

 
Recent Shows
The Future of Aging
Thursday, November 5, 2009 image

A surge of new strategies to “manage” aging — from diets to testosterone. We’ll get the story.

Comments [31]
 
Climate, Congress & Copenhagen
Thursday, November 5, 2009 image

The Copenhagen climate conference is one month away. US climate action is going nowhere in Congress. We’ll look at the global implications of America’s domestic climate politics.

Comments [73]
On Point Blog
California, here we come! And we need your questions!

On Point is headed west!
No, no. Not for good. Only for one show. But it’s a very special show!  The NPR station in Thousand Oaks, California – KCLU – is celebrating their 15th anniversary. We’re lucky to have been on their airwaves for nearly seven years, and they invited us out west to host a live [...]

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For Love of Science – or Money?

A new study supports the idea that U.S. dominance in engineering and science is threatened — but not for lack of training and education. It has more to do with a lack of social and economic incentives.

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Matthew Hoh’s Resignation Letter

Matthew Hoh, a former Marine captain, became the first foreign service official to publicly resign in protest over the war in Afghanistan. The move has generated a lot of reaction. You can read Hoh’s resignation letter, posted by The Washington Post, which reported on it here.

More » | Comments [4]