A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It's an easy narrative to swallow — but is it true? A trio of economists set out to test the theory. All it took was a Dutch postal worker's uniform, some envelopes stuffed with cash, and a slight sense of the absurd.
Today
683. In the New Space Race, Who Makes the Rules?
Governments started the space age. Now, billionaires and private firms are reinventing it. Guest host Steve Levitt explores what the past can teach us about a high-stakes future. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Blaise Agüera y Arcas, vice president and fellow at Google, ... Show More
56m 27s
Jul 29
How Gary Gulman Turned Depression Into Comedy Gold | Better in Person
Gary and Stephen talk about creativity, recovery, getting fired, and holding grudges. They also get outside and play basketball, which is a big part of how Gary stays well. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Hosted b ... Show More
47m 6s
May 2022
Money 2.0: The Rich and the Rest of Us
<p>Where do you stand on the income ladder? Do you think of yourself as rich, as poor, or as somewhere in between? Our perceptions of wealth — our own, and other people's — can affect us more profoundly than we realize. This week in our Money 2.0 series, we revisit two of our fav ... Show More
48m 47s
Dec 2023
Does being richer make you more self-interested?
As part of this month’s Econ Extra Credit series, we’ll look at a study about how likely drivers were to stop for a pedestrian waiting at a crosswalk. Turns out, the nicer the car, the less likely it was to stop. What can we learn about how wealth — or the lack of it — impacts ou ... Show More
7m 6s