Aug 26 Can cash incentives reduce deforestation in rural Uganda? By Making Sen$e Editor A pilot program, which paid households in 60 villages to refrain from cutting down trees, put a significant dent in the pace of deforestation in the test area. Continue reading
Aug 01 Why do so many investors believe trouble lies ahead? By Making Sen$e Editor Researchers find that media coverage of adverse market outcomes is correlated with investor crash beliefs. Continue reading
Jul 22 Column: Why different viewpoints lead us to the best solutions By Vikram Mansharamani Bringing different points of view to the table turbocharges problem solving, as the results of science and innovation competitions attest. Continue reading
Jul 06 How ‘gambler’s fallacy’ affects your decision-making By Making Sen$e Editor A bias against deciding the same way in successive situations can affect whether a foreigner is deported, a business gets a loan or a batter strikes out. Continue reading
Jun 27 Does being paid hourly vs. yearly change how you save? By Dan Ariely, Aaron Nichols According to a well-established psychological theory known as “construal theory,” the answer is yes. Continue reading
Jun 20 The science behind why power corrupts and what can be done to mitigate it By Dacher Keltner We gain power by advancing the welfare of other people, and yet, when we feel powerful, we lose those very skills that got us there and take more than our fair share. Continue reading
Jun 09 Why the secret to gaining power is different today By Paul Solman Is it better to be feared than loved? Or are charisma and community-building the answer? Economics correspondent Paul Solman talks to Dacher Keltner, author of the new book "The Power Paradox."… Continue reading
May 31 The best insurance policy on Earth: waiting until 70 to take Social Security By Paul Solman Viewing Social Security as an investment is economically blockheaded. Instead, think of Social Security as an insurance policy. Continue reading
Apr 26 What Oprah and Warren Buffett can teach us about risk By Denise Cummins What do Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffett have in common? They are both calculated risk takers. Continue reading
Apr 18 The realities of living as an independent contractor By Laura Zulliger, Wendy De La Rosa, Kristen Berman Being an independent contractor often means variable pay and complicated taxes. Continue reading