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Econ 101: Why learn about economic inequality?

Professor Homa Zarghamee explores issues tied to wealth distribution and explains how economics translates into policies that affect people's lives.
Barnard professor Homa Zarghamee says learning about economic inequality is a fundamental part of understanding the modern economy.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Robots use game theory to understand how we think

Apr 30, 2020
Robots are doing their part in this pandemic — and they're using behavioral economics.
Robots are helping hospital staff manage the influx of COVID-19 patients. Pictured: An Indonesian technician listens to a robot known as Amy during a simulation on assisting medical teams.
Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images

In the COVID-19 economy, unintended consequences play a part in policymaking

A rise in domestic violence, a decline in car accidents and more.
FDA deregulation of COVID-19 antibody tests has led to a false sense of security for some, an unintended consequence of the move.
Al Bello/Getty Images

Economists are measuring the cost effectiveness of coronavirus lockdowns

Apr 23, 2020
New research shows a long lockdown could be cheaper than reopening too soon.
One economist says the way forward is "smart containment," somewhere in between total lockdown and a free-for-all.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The economy is a disaster. Should we stop talking about it?

Apr 16, 2020
Nobel economist Robert Shiller discusses the power of narratives during a pandemic.
Nobel economist Robert Shiller says the idea that we're in another Great Depression can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

How does the Fed find an extra $2.3 trillion?

Turns out it's much more akin to printing money than it is to borrowing.
The central bank announced yesterday it's making more money available to counteract the economic effects of the pandemic.
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

How to help the poor amid COVID-19? Give them money, says Nobel laureate Esther Duflo

Apr 9, 2020
If a segment of the population stops buying things, it could lead to a much larger economic crisis, Duflo warned.
Nobel laureate Esther Duflo points to direct cash transfers in coronavirus response.
Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Stiglitz: How the U.S. economy recovers from COVID-19 hinges on Americans' debt

Apr 2, 2020
"For those businesses that are getting so much help from the government, part of that should be used to help the debtors," said Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.
"What we need right now is a stay to make sure that people can pay by postponing it until the economy is running again," economist Joseph Stiglitz says of credit card debt.
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How a debt jubilee could help the U.S. avert economic depression

Apr 2, 2020
One economist believes hope of avoiding a COVID-19 economic depression lies in full forgiveness of personal debts.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A way to save both lives and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Nobel laureate and NYU professor Paul Romer says there's a path forward that limits the spread of the virus while letting most people get back to work over time.
"If we spent $100 billion right now, on protective gear and testing, we wouldn't be faced with a choice of let hundreds of thousands of people die or kill the economy," Nobel Prize-winner Paul Romer says.
Scott Olson/Getty Images