Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” the true story behind the anthem (bonus)
The brilliance of "9 to 5" is that it is catchy even though it’s also kinda depressing. You will be…
Branded fruit: How produce got “Honeycrisp-ified”
The produce aisle is changing. You’ve noticed this, I’m sure. It is now full of superstar fruits and vegetables: The…
The continent nobody owns & everyone benefits from (Summer School)
This episode is packed with your best economic ideas from around the world and a penguin interview. It all comes…
How the AIDS crisis helped create a multibillion-dollar death-speculation market
Investors will buy your life insurance policy today — and collect the payout when you die.
Getting entrepreneurial in Korea (Summer School)
This week’s stop on our world tour - Korea. A country divided into two very different power structures since the…
The grueling fight over who profits from AI music
AI can generate songs in seconds. But behind every AI track is a complicated question: Who should get paid? And,…
You bet your life insurance
Some of the biggest firms on Wall Street are, at this very moment, waiting for thousands of strangers to die…
Currency Chaos in Argentina (Summer School)
Just about everyone in Argentina is an expert in inflation and whether they like it or not, economic flexibility. Can…
The secret economics inside the new Planet Money board game
From Nobel Prize-winning research to the Laffer Curve, Scabby the Rat, Veblen's peacock, and more — the economic ideas and…
Older workers aren’t retiring. Should they be forced to?
When workers past retirement age can’t afford to retire — that’s one thing. When they can, and just don’t want…