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In the fall of 2007, when the U.S. economy first seemed in peril, I began answering reader queries here on the Business Desk. I still do so, but this page has expanded to include posts from eminent economists, "far-flung correspondents," and a variety of voices that have intriguing and/or useful things to say about economics, broadly defined. Please feel encouraged to respond to any and all of them.

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Furry Robots, Foldable Cars and More Innovations from MIT's Media Lab

By Diane Lincoln-Estes and Elizabeth Shell

We recently visited the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for our story on George Mason University economist Tyler Cowen's ebook, "The Great Stagnation." Cowen argues that our economy is slowing down because the pace of innovation is stalling. We went to MIT for the counterargument. We found plenty of folks who were eager to prove Cowen wrong.

The Media Lab opened its doors 25 years ago and has since become known for developing cutting edge technologies. The lab's former director, Frank Moss describes it this way:

"There are musicians, mathematicians, visual artists, all working together to create and invent as their passions dictate."

Here's a sampling of some of the Lab's recent high-tech creations: