archive
Planet Money
How Nicki Minaj, Telly Savalas, And A Monkey Can Help Confused Shoppers
May 16, 2012 Companies can send helpful signals to consumers through flashy ad campaigns.
Planet Money
The TED Talk That Could Spawn A City
May 9, 2012 Paul Romer, an economist at NYU, pitches a radical new idea to developing countries: why not build a city from scratch?
Planet Money
How The Richest American Ever Learned To Spin The Press
May 1, 2012 It's not easy to generate public sympathy for the super rich. John D. Rockefeller learned that lesson the hard way.
Planet Money
America's 12 Million Amateur Innovators
April 23, 2012 Eric Von Hippel of MIT explains why so many Americans are inventing new products at home, even though the odds of commercial success are stacked against them.
Planet Money
Fifty-Five Inventors In One Room
April 17, 2012 Is this really a golden age for American inventors? Adam Davidson visits an inventors conference to find out.
Planet Money
Inside The Matzo Factory
April 10, 2012 Manischewitz has a brand new factory. Streit's hasn't upgraded its equipment since World War II. But Streit's has a secret weapon: tradition.
Planet Money
$1 Trillion In Tax Loopholes
April 3, 2012 Imagine a program where the government sent an annual check to homeowners with mortgages. That program basically exists, but we call it a tax deduction.
Planet Money
Gas Prices: 3 Reasons To Stay Calm
March 27, 2012 Americans may protest loudly, but their economic behavior indicates a remarkable indifference to the price of oil.
Planet Money
Nannies Who Make More Than $100,000 A Year
March 20, 2012 Wealthy parents can afford to seek out nannies with special skills — like driving a Zamboni, shooting guns to scare off bears, or managing an art collection.
Planet Money
Why Some Countries Go Bust
March 13, 2012 For centuries, economists have been trying to figure out why nations fail. A hot new theory blames the elites.
Planet Money
Even Dairy Farming Has A 1 Percent
March 6, 2012 Global trade has forced modern farmers to effectively become fast-paced financial derivatives traders.
Planet Money
London Is Eating New York's Lunch
February 29, 2012 If you follow the flow of money around the world, you might be surprised to find that the central node of global finance is London, not New York.
Planet Money
Why Are Harvard Grads in the Mailroom?
February 22, 2012 There are a number of professions in which workers are paid with a figurative lottery ticket.
Planet Money
Don't Mock The Artisanal-Pickle Makers
February 15, 2012 Contrary to popular belief, the revival of craft manufacturing isn't just a fad for Brooklyn hipsters.
Planet Money
Why Do We Still Care About The Dow?
February 8, 2012 The Dow is the most frequently checked and cited proxy of U.S. economic health. It's also one of the worst measures out there.