What would happen if the helmets meant to protect football players’ heads were removed from the game? SuperFreakonomics’ co-author Stephen Dubner reports on the surprising outcomes, with safeguards and incentives included, of course.
People (and economists) have long thought that humans have a basic inclination toward altruism. Stephen Dubner tells the story of how this was called into question and how studies complicate the picture of what motivates human beings.
Our contributor Beth Kobliner brings in a new 6-year survey out today which says people are behaving more ethically at work while the economy is slow. Stephen Dubner is skeptical, however, that people reliably self-report their own ethics practices.
Stephen Dubner joins us to explain and defend the Freakonomics approach to global warming: reject the idea that reducing carbon emissions should be the sole focus for addressing global warming, and dive into an array of bold ideas for ‘geoengineering.’
Stephen Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books joins us all this week. We’ll ask him what motivates the questions he asks in his new book. Today’s topic is health care costs and the impact of ‘all-you-can-eat’ insurance plans.
