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physical vs intangible investment
October 4, 2019

Companies Are Shifting Investment Away from Physical Capital, with Far-Reaching Consequences

Buildings and machinery are out. Software, IP, and research are in. Here’s why it matters.

A man decides whether to buy an extended warranty for a TV.
October 3, 2019

No, Extended Warranties Are Usually Not Worth It

So why do so many people keep buying them?

Parents' belief in traditional gender roles can affect daughters' math performance.
September 3, 2019

Daughters’ Math Scores Suffer When They Grow Up in a Family That’s Biased Towards Sons

Parents, your children are taking their cues about gender roles from you.

High-frequency traders working quickly
September 3, 2019

Some High-Frequency Trading Strategies Can Damage the Stock Market’s Health

But a small tweak to how trading orders are processed could help.

An H1-B Visa holder applies for a job
August 14, 2019

The Business Case for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Two economists propose a bipartisan immigration overhaul, with an eye towards the future of the labor force.

China's expanded monetary policy after the Great Recession helped support less productive companies.
August 1, 2019

China Weathered the Global Recession with an Aggressive Stimulus Package. But Did It Prop Up the Wrong Firms?

A cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of credit expansion.

History offers lessons in the enforcement of antitrust laws.
July 1, 2019

Should Antitrust Laws Really Be Changed, or Should We Just Enforce the Laws We Have?

A presidential assassination brought the trust-busting Teddy Roosevelt to power. The episode offers lessons for today’s antitrust regulators.

A worker helps another worker learn at a computer.
June 3, 2019

A Nation’s Wealth May Depend on How Much Its Workers Can Learn on the Job

New research suggests that formal schooling is not the panacea to global inequality that many have long believed it to be.

Toy soldiers and artillery prepare to charge forward on a strategy game board.
June 3, 2019

One Nation Invades Another. What Will Happen Next?

Game theory reveals why some conflicts escalate and others don’t.

A trader looks at a volatile stock market chart made up of newspaper headlines.
June 3, 2019

What Causes Stock Market Swings?

Tariffs? Job reports? Oil prices? A new volatility index pinpoints which factors make investors feel uncertain.

An investor uses two connecting ladders to climb a tall dollar sign.
May 2, 2019

A Comprehensive Model for Building Winning Stock Portfolios

Linking fundamental analysis and portfolio optimization may be the key to solving the “investor’s problem.”

April 4, 2019

When an Industry Consolidates, What Happens to Wages?

A surprisingly consistent answer has emerged in one sector: healthcare.

Two women at a retirement party, looking at an almost empty piggy bank.
April 1, 2019

Three Quarters of Americans Aren’t Putting Enough into Their 401(k)s

With employers shifting away from pensions, there’s an urgent need for improved financial literacy.

Sitting outside of the patent office, three inventors hold similar-looking inventions, while one inventor holds a distinct-looking invention.
March 4, 2019

How Much Does Innovation Drive Economic Growth?

A study of millions of patents lifts the veil on how new ideas influence productivity.

A home made of dollar bills blows away
January 7, 2019

Not Everyone Benefited from Lower Interest Rates During the Great Recession

The Fed wanted to help struggling homeowners. But new lending rules undermined its efforts.

A job hunter googles job information.
December 5, 2018

What Google Is Teaching Economists About Unemployment Insurance

Search data can tell policymakers whether extending unemployment benefits delays job-seeking.

A master baker and her unhappy apprentice.
December 4, 2018

Why Do Trainees Get Stuck with So Much Grunt Work?

There must be faster ways to get them up to speed. Yet grueling apprenticeships persist in medicine, law, and the trades.

Socioeconomic divide on the same street.
November 6, 2018

How Closely Do Our Beliefs About Social Mobility Match Reality?

The answer differs between Americans and Europeans, and between liberals and conservatives.

Two coffee growers harvest safely
August 14, 2018

How the Coffee Industry Is Building a Sustainable Supply Chain in an Unstable Region

Three experts discuss the challenges and rewards of sourcing coffee from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Being uncomfortably hot makes us less likely to help.
July 3, 2018

Take 5: What Science Says about Your Summer Vacation

Kellogg faculty explore the psychology and economics of common travel conundrums.

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