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Freakonomics Blog

New York Times Blog

A Freakonomics Quorum: How Will the Recession Affect Clean Technology?Today

Way back when in 2006, here's what venture-capital legend John Doerr had to say about clean technology: "This field of greentech could be the largest economic opportunity of the 21st century." As recently as early 2008, plenty of investors and technology companies were still predicting a clean-tech boom. But now? With a recession that has scrambled nearly [...]

The Public Library RenaissanceToday

We usually hear about these declines in isolation. But taken together, they seem to suggest that cultural pursuits across the board are on the decline. Indeed, if nobody seems out buying books, movies and music, what are they doing with their leisure time instead? Apparently: going to the library.

The Cost of Fearing StrangersToday

What do Bruce Pardo and Atif Irfan have in common? In case you're not familiar with their names, let me rephrase: What do the white guy who dressed up as Santa and killed his ex-wife and her family (and then committed suicide) and the Muslim guy who got thrown off a recent AirTran flight on suspicion of [...]

Going Back to Work Is Not as Bad as It Used to BeToday

I'm home after five months away, and it's the first day back in my office. Before 2000, I would have viewed this day with great trepidation - piles of mail, numerous requests to do things for other people (referee papers, write promotion letters, etc.), and the possible heartbreaking rejection of a paper of mine by [...]

Cook, Ludwig, and McCrary: Setting the Agenda for Fighting CrimeToday

With macroeconomic issues taking center stage, it is not clear that other issues, like crime, will get much attention in the Obama administration. Personally, however, I think it is an excellent time to reflect on our current approach to fighting crime. The United States has enjoyed a great deal of success over the last 15 to [...]