There’s this fundamental question in economics that has proven really hard to answer: What’s a good way to help people out of poverty? The old-school way was to fund programs that would support very particular things, like buying cows for a village, giving people business training, or building schools.
But over the past few decades, there has been a new idea: Could you help people who don’t have money by … just giving them money? We covered this question in a segment of This American Life that originally ran in 2013. Economists who studied the question found that giving people cash had positive effects on recipients’ economic and psychological well-being. Maybe they bought a cow that could earn them money each week. Maybe they could replace their grass roofs with metal roofs that didn’t need fixing every so often.
The success of just giving people in poverty cash has spawned a whole set of new questions that economists are now trying to answer. Like, if we do just give money, what’s the best way to do that? Do you just give it all at once? Or do you dole it out over time? And it turns out… a huge new study on giving cash was just released and it’s got a lot of answers.
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In the interest of New Year’s resolutions, we’re bringing you this bonus episode from our friends at the Ten Percent Happier podcast. Host Dan Harris speaks with meditation expert Jon Kabat-Zinn about starting a practice and being more mindful in our everyday lives.
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Picture the Pacific Ocean of the 16th century. Spanish Galleons sail the wide open seas, carrying precious cargo like silver, porcelain, and textiles. The waters are dangerous; ship logs show concerns over pirates. But pirates are not to blame for a mysterious event that keeps happening.
For, you see, one in five of the ships leaving from the port of Manila didn’t make it to Acapulco. It’s a shipwrecking rate much higher than rates for other routes of the time. And the mystery of the serial shipwrecking Spanish ships remains unsolved, until today.
Everyone involved with these Spanish ships were aligned in a goal: Don’t wreck the Spanish ships. And yet, wreck they did. Three economists took a look at the incentives for profit and risk at the time, and found the key to unlocking this ancient booty (of knowledge).
Our show today was produced by James Sneed, edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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Original Broadcast Date: January 13, 2023. Resolutions are easy to make, even easier to break. But what if a story or idea can motivate us in a whole new way? This hour, TED speakers offer different perspectives on our most common resolutions. Guests include neuroscientists Wendy Suzuki and Sandra Aamodt, science journalist Catherine Price, behavioral scientist Wendy De La Rosa, and authors Pico Iyer and A.J. Jacobs.
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The CEO of Astrobotic and NASA Deputy Manager for Commercial Lunar Payload Services discuss Peregrine Mission One ahead of its launch and landing on the lunar surface. HWHAP Episode 317.
It’s that time of year again! Our annual year-end tradition of checking in on the stories we’ve reported and the people we met along the way.
We’ll hear from a Hollywood strike captain who tried to pull off one last job, an update from the data detective trying to uncover the truth in academic research, and tribute to a very special member of the Planet Money family.
Check out the original stories:
Vacation, and why the U.S. takes so little of it
The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines
Did two honesty researchers fabricate their data?
Planet Money Records Vol. 1: Earnest Jackson, Planet Money Records Vol. 2: The Negotiation & Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a Hit
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Original broadcast date: June 16, 2023. Who will you be in 10 years? In 20 years? Envisioning how you will evolve is very hard. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on how to better plan for the future, while allowing for the unexpected. Guests include psychologist Hal Hershfield, journalist Shankar Vedantam, journalist Bina Venkataraman and philosopher Roman Krznaric.
TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.
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Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Fellow who researches Blue Zones, regions of the world where people tend to live longer. His research has looked at what habits and lifestyles contribute to longevity. In this bonus episode, he shares those habits with producer Fiona Geiran, and they discuss how Dan has incorporated many of them into his daily routine.
This bonus episode is normally something we share only with our TED Radio Hour+ supporters, but we’re making this one available to everyone. To get access to all of our bonus content, listen to the show sponsor-free and support our work at NPR, sign up for TED Radio Hour+ at plus.npr.org/ted
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Today on the show, hosts from Planet Money and The Indicator debate the economic indicators of this year and next year.
First up, we try to identify the figure that best captured the essence of 2023. The contenders: the possible soft landing, consumer sentiment, and the housing market.
And looking ahead to 2024, what will the economic indicator of next year be? Interest rates, Bidenomics, or junk fees?
Listen to our hosts make their case, and then tell us who won by submitting your vote via Planet Money’s Instagram or email us with “Family Feud” in the subject line. Voting ends on December 31st.
This episode was hosted by Jeff Guo, Kenny Malone and Wailin Wong. It was produced by Julia Ritchey and Willa Rubin with engineering help from Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Kate Concannon edits The Indicator.
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Music: Universal Music Production, “Terry And Mildred,” “Decked Out For The Holidays.” Audio Network – “Counting Down Seconds,” “Tijuana Choo Choo.”
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*Note: This episode originally ran in 2020*
‘Tis the season for Americans to head out in droves and bring home a freshly-cut Christmas tree. But decorative evergreens don’t just magically show up on corner lots, waiting to find a home in your living room. There are a bunch of fascinating steps that determine exactly how many Christmas trees get sold, and how expensive they are.
Today on the show, we visit the world’s largest auction of Christmas trees — and then see how much green New Yorkers are willing to throw down for some greenery. It’s a story where snow-dusted Yuletide dreams meet the hard reality of supply and demand. We’ve got market theory, a thousand dollars in cash, and a “decent sized truck”… anything could happen.
This episode was produced by James Sneed. It was edited by Bryant Urstadt. It was engineered by Gilly Moon. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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