From Airbnb to eBay, the best ways to combat bias
‘When leading orchestras began to audition musicians behind a screen, the recruitment of women surged’
Economics: a discipline in need of diversity
‘As long as economics professors tend to be white men, women and minority students may feel the subject just isn’t for them’
Rich the banker? What’s not in a name . . .
‘Nominative determinism hits a mental sweet spot. We chuckle when we hear that a senior judge is called Igor Judge’
Trump, Brexit and prediction in an age of uncertainty
‘Uncertainty causes recessions because it makes consumers, employers and investors hesitate before spending’
The sweatshop dilemma
‘While sweatshops are probably better than nothing, that doesn’t mean nothing is better than sweatshops’
The Ig Nobel prizes: in praise of ridiculous research
‘The awards are enormously silly but the research they highlight might tell us something about the world’
There’s magic in mess: why you should embrace a disorderly desk
Feeling guilty about being untidy? Don’t. A cluttered space can help you be more organised
Big decision ahead? Just roll the dice . . .
‘Most of us could do with a little more randomness in our lives’
Why central bankers shouldn’t have skin in the game
‘Yes, incentives matter. But they often matter for all the wrong reasons’
How insurers keep the money pump flowing
‘Obsessing about risks is arbitrary and illogical. But that does not mean we don’t do it’
What happens in a world where mediocrity rules?
‘It can be quite pleasant to relax and be a little bit crappy for a while’
Can trivia help us to be less ignorant of our own ignorance?
‘A broad base of knowledge helps to clue us in to the times when we are stumbling towards a humbling’
Are universities worth it?
‘To enjoy higher wages, smart people must waste time and money going to the trouble of acquiring a degree’
Does hosting the Olympics make us happier?
‘Careful surveys of wellbeing are an important tool in figuring out the wisest way to spend public money’
The meaning of trust in the age of Airbnb
‘The reason eBay and Airbnb work is not because of brilliant online reputation systems but because most people aren’t crooks’
An algorithm for getting through your to-do list
‘We all have days of switching focus from one task to another but never actually doing anything. Can we borrow a solution from computers?’
Fossil fuels have had an aeon’s head start
‘Fossil fuels have a formidable head start as our entire existing energy system revolves around them’
Metropolitan myths that led to Brexit
‘The pressing issue for the UK has not been rising inequality but weak growth’
Brexit and the power of wishful thinking
‘We are quite capable of clinging on to our beliefs by picking whatever facts support them’
Did economists fail us over Brexit?
‘Most economists think the British public shot itself in the foot, and did so against expert advice’
We’re all winners or losers now
‘When we stop admiring how much the pie has grown, we start fighting each other for a larger slice’
How do you make the Olympics pay? Fudge the figures
‘Hosting the games is not unlike building a church for one single, glorious wedding celebration’
How to fuel a rewarding culture
‘Money matters, but sometimes we find financial incentives to be insulting or grubby’
The dubious power of power poses
‘Many notable results in psychology are now being questioned because later research has reached different conclusions’
Worth the wait?
‘If you miss your plane or your train, it hardly matters that the queue was a nice place to chill’
