Making Sen$e Apr 26 The bubble dynamics of bitcoin Can bitcoin be a currency if you never know its value? Living outside the traditional banking network by design, its fluctuating value makes it too cumbersome for petty transactions. Yet despite the hurdles, bitcoin and its underlying technology is seen…
Making Sen$e Apr 19 The argument for a U.S. trade deficit with China America's growing trade deficit is one of President Trump's main arguments for imposing tariffs on China. And yet most economists would agree instead with the doctrine of trade deficits and its benefits for consumers. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.
Making Sen$e Apr 12 The how and why of buying bitcoin The basic idea of bitcoin is simple: Instead of a financial institution holding a bank ledger, a chain of computers linked through the internet are all using the same software to record and verify every transaction. But how can a…
Making Sen$e Apr 12 This is how Bitcoin works Bitcoin was released nearly a decade ago, but many consumers still don't know much about how it works.
Making Sen$e Apr 09 Merle Hazard has a new song. This one’s about self-driving trucks With this post, Making Sen$e debuts Merle Hazard’s newest effort to combine economic comedy and analysis: “Dave’s Song."…
Making Sen$e Mar 29 How to make big money in the sneaker business For the love of sneakers, a billion-dollar secondary market has bloomed, where collectors buy and sell rare kicks for hundreds or even thousands. Economics correspondent Paul Solman profiles two so-called “sneakerheads”: one a major collector and brand ambassador who’s turned…
Economy Mar 29 Is increasing income inequality a fact or a myth? A new academic paper making the rounds of the economics profession contradicts conventional wisdom: that incomes of the top 10 percent, 1 percent and especially the tippy-top .1 percent, have been pulling away from the rest of Americans.
Making Sen$e Mar 22 Seeing China’s economic evolution in one family’s story When journalist Scott Tong began reporting on China's explosive economy, he was advised to look past the new skyscrapers of Shanghai and take the long view. In “A Village With My Name,” he explores his own family's history, finding stories…
Making Sen$e Mar 15 Why sneakerheads are obsessed with the quest for a rarer pair At "Sneakerhead" conventions around the country, anyone can buy, sell or trade a pair, and much-hyped limited releases demand premium prices. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on what drives this specialty sneaker culture.
Economy Mar 13 Austin Goolsbee says the Trump tariffs are like his Aunt Trina’s lasagna Host Peter Sagal asked for Goolsbee's take on the Trump tariffs, and the economist, quite amusing himself, offered this anecdote about his aunt Trina and uncle Bob, who lived in Lubbock, Texas.