Making Sen$e Mar 14 The economics week in review with Nobel laureate Robert Solow Paul Solman interviews Nobel laureate Robert Solow abut the week's economics news and looks ahead to the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week.
Making Sen$e Feb 20 Why is there more violence for violence’s sake today? Despite the rise of ISIS, terrorism doesn't look like it used to, says University of Texas at Dallas economist Todd Sandler. In his opinion, violence for violence's sake is now much more prevalent. But why?…
Making Sen$e Feb 16 How to get what’s yours from Social Security One day while playing tennis, Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff informed Paul Solman about a strategy for maximizing the benefits that he and his wife were eligible to collect. They decided everyone else should know that secret, too, and are…
Making Sen$e Feb 13 How to get what you want from online dating Looking for love for Valentine's Day? In this Q&A, Paul Solman speaks with OkCupid co-founder Christian Rudder, author of "Dataclysm," about what works and what doesn't on online dating sites. Helpful hint for men: Learn your grammar.
Making Sen$e Dec 18 Where to give your money this holiday season, according to behavioral economics If you're fortunate enough to be able to donate money this holiday season, which organizations will be receiving your checks? Paul Solman speaks with Yale behavioral economist Dean Karlan about the causes that are using funds most efficiently.
Economy Sep 15 How Xerox became a leader in diversity — and why that’s good for business In the early 1990s, Xerox wasn’t just a company. “To Xerox” was a verb, reflecting the company’s singular focus on producing copying machines. But faced with competition from digital imaging, Xerox has had to change their focus; they’re now in…
Making Sen$e Jul 30 Big Mac index: Is the U.S. dollar overvalued? Everyone knows prices in the U.S. vary regionally, just like certain products are cheaper in China, say, or far cheaper in the Ukraine. But that hardly demonstrates that the renminbi or hyrvnia currencies are overvalued, Paul Solman says, noting that…
Making Sen$e Jun 06 200K more Americans and 200K more jobs, but 300K more ‘want a job’ With 217,000 jobs added to the economy, payrolls now exceed their pre-recession level. But even if the economy is pumping out enough jobs for a workforce that also grew by roughly 200,000, there are now nearly 300,000 more Americans than…
Making Sen$e Jun 04 Can Americans compete with quality-driven Germans? Werner Eikenbusch, BMW’s head of workforce development for the Americas, left high school in the 10th grade for an apprenticeship program that combined on-the-job training with vocational school. He eventually returned to school to become an engineer, and at BMW’s…
Making Sen$e May 22 The surprising bull: Thomas Piketty on Wall Street You've heard French economist Thomas Piketty talk about inequality and a global wealth tax to tap into the high rate of return on capital. The stock market is the source of much of that high-end wealth, and Piketty doesn't see…