Link: https://wordsandnumbers.libsyn.com/benevolence-backfires-the-cobra-effect
Sometimes laws with good intentions have unforeseen results that end up hurting the people they were meant to protect. James Harrigan and Antony Davies discuss the cobra effect and how government policy decisions bring about unintended consequences.
Original Air Date: September 4, 2019
Length: 33 Minutes 15 Seconds
Link: https://www.npr.org/2022/04/25/1094706897/you-should-probably-get-your-plane-tickets-soon
The Indicator this week discusses what is happening in the airline industry. After hard hits from COVID-19 they are finally expecting to make profits this year, but there are many factors that could crush those expectations. Limited staffing and picketing from fatigued pilots and higher jet fuel prices due to the limited supply of oil are just some of the major problems facing these airline companies. Ticket prices will go up as consumers bear the brunt of the oil shortage. Airlines are also cutting different flight paths as there is not enough incentive to keep servicing certain routes. The biggest take away is to book your tickets early and be prepared for rising prices.
Original Air Date: April 25, 2022
Length: 10 minutes 17 seconds
Link: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/compassion-rebroadcast/
Doctors Trzeciak and Mazzarelli talk about the compassion crisis in our healthcare system. In their book titled Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes A Difference, the doctors explain when healthcare workers show a little compassion it can decrease costs, improve medical outcomes, and even help with physician burnout.
Original Air Date: November 24, 2021
Length: 54 Minutes 28 Seconds
Link: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/fmd-kidney-transplants/
With 90,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list in the United States, it is shocking to learn thousands of these available organs are thrown away each year. Doctor Sumit Mohan and economist Alvin Roth discuss policy and incentive issues that lead to wasted kidneys.
Original Air Date: November 11, 2021
Length: 27 Minutes 3 Seconds
Link: https://www.aeaweb.org/research/dna-databases-deterrence-detection-doleac
Professor Jennifer Doleac discusses how registering offenders in a DNA database make them much less likely to be convicted of another crime in coming years. Doleac also speaks to the importance of economists when studying crime and how policy makers should consider the tradeoff between privacy and effective policing measures.
Citation: Anker, Anne Sofie Tegner, Jennifer L. Doleac, and Rasmus Landersø. 2021. “The Effects of DNA Databases on the Deterrence and Detection of Offenders.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 13 (4): 194-225.
Original Air Date: October 27, 2021
Length: 20 Minutes 25 Seconds
Link: https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/970726684/seeking-refuge-on-the-open-road
Have you ever thought about throwing all your belongings in a car and living on the open road? Bob Wells, a van nomad discusses how he turned his life on the road from a last hope into a chance to create hope and opportunity for others by documenting his nomadic life on YouTube. This episode discusses how the break from the societal “rat race” can end up being a much better economic choice for many.
Original Air Date: February 23, 2021
Length: 9 minutes 59 seconds
Link:Â http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2015/02/13/386005044/episode-603-a-rose-on-any-other-day
The Planet Money Team investigates the logistics and risks that accompany the iconic Valentine’s Day flower, the rose. Additionally mentioned is cost of shipping and seasonal demand.
Original Air Date: February 13, 2015
Length: 17 minutes 37 seconds
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