archive
Planet Money
Watch: Planet Money Live At The 92nd Street Y
July 12, 2012 Clips from last month's live show: Chana sells a bond, Jacob barters in a world without money, and everyone plays periodic table bingo.
Planet Money
Boom Town, U.S.A.
November 23, 2011 Rising gold prices mean Elko, Nev., is doing great. But people there know the good times won't last forever.
Planet Money
Video: Why Gold?
November 10, 2011 A chemical engineer explains why gold — more than any other element — has been used as money. It's the second in our video series with Slate.
It's All Politics
Lawmakers Holding Gold Appear Ready For A U.S. Default
July 26, 2011 As Washington edges the government to the brink to a credit default, the price of gold has never been higher.On Capitol Hill, many lawmaker-investors have seen it as a good investment for years.
Planet Money
The Gold Boom, Then And Now
July 21, 2011 In January, 1980, the price of gold went through the roof. The rise was driven by worries that sound familiar today — inflation, a lack of faith in governments. But the details were different in some crucial ways.
Planet Money
Gold: The 4,000-Year-Old Bubble
May 20, 2011 A bubble occurs when the price of something is way above its fundamental value. But what's the fundamental value of gold?
Planet Money
Gold Mania! Yukon & Afghanistan Edition
May 13, 2011 Here's some weekend reading, courtesy of the global gold boom. In the Yukon, a guy jumps into the river in the middle of winter, looking for gold. In Afghanistan, it's Black Hawk helicopters and mud huts.
Planet Money
Why We Left The Gold Standard
April 21, 2011 A key moment in economic history includes a nervous breakdown, a global panic, and a presidential adviser who was an expert on cows and chickens.
Planet Money
A 'Wingnut Argument' For The Gold Standard
February 11, 2011 "Sex, mathematics, music, gold — all these things are universal," James Grant says. Grant has called for a return to the gold standard, even though most economists find the idea "laughable."
Planet Money
Panning For Gold In Panama
January 6, 2011 Weighing gold on a bottle cap scale. And making gold teeth from gold you've mined yourself.
