The Latest

A side view of feet on a scale Research Brief / Health

Modest Financial Incentives Help with Weight Loss

Tying payments to weight, rather than behaviors, marginally more effective

People with luggage Research Brief / Economy

Modern Monetary Theory: Fiasco in Latin America, Option in U.S.?

The populist model, embraced by some on the American left, resembles policy that helped torpedo some smaller economies

Illustration of a man and woman in business attire Research Brief / Workplace

Mobile Workers More Likely to Cold-Shoulder a Dishonest Co-Worker

Research compares U.S. behavior to norms in Asia

Politicians looking at a report Feature / Government

Might More Lobbying Groups, Rather than Fewer, Be Good for Industry and the Public?

Make the influence industry more competitive, a theoretical study suggests

A woman with long hair hangs up a for sale sign Research Question / Real Estate

Middlemen: Matchmakers or Sources of Strategic Information?

Probing that question using a database of for-sale-by-owner home listings

Nursing home at night - looking through multiple windows Feature / COVID-19

Medicare Ratings Didn’t Predict Nursing Homes’ Initial COVID-19 Vulnerability

Rate of spread in the surrounding community was a bigger indicator of risk

Illustration of dollar bills folded into a Staff of Hermes Research Brief / Health Care

Medicare Could Save by Subsidizing Providers’ Capital Spending

Projects that make health care delivery more efficient require upfront financial help

Research Brief / Debt

Medical Debt in Collection Estimated at $140 Billion

Poorer residents of states refusing to expand Medicaid hit hardest

A cargo ship loaded with cargo container sits at a dock in Iceland Research Brief / Pricing

Measuring the Impact of Currency Moves on Consumer Prices

It varies across goods and services and can be blunted by monetary policy

Person using a computer to check their 401K Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Maximizing Retirement Savings: More Nudging Required

Tweaking 401(k) website design and language can significantly boost worker contributions, yet HR doesn’t always see these opportunities

City street Research Brief / Health Care

Maximizing Life Saving through Better Placement of Defibrillators

Just putting one where the last cardiac arrest occurred isn’t optimal — more calculations to get to fewer steps

Telescopes with sky and clouds Research Brief / Innovation

Maximizing Capacity Utilization of Unique Equipment

An algorithm to reduce telescope repositioning time boosts productivity between 10% and 25%

Four children independently working on a math assignment Research Brief / Gender Gap

Math Gender Gap: Nonexistent for Blacks, Notable for Affluent Whites

Well-to-do families doting on their sons at daughters’ expense?

Two man fist bumping as they sit in front of a computer at a desk Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Matching Incentives with the Right Relationship

The kind of reward matters less than the type of connection between giver and recipient

A screen grab of the Volunteer Match website that reads "How do I?' on an orange and white background. Research Brief / Technology

Matching Algorithms Work Fine — Until Bypassed By External Links

How to rebalance supply and demand amid today’s chaotic internet traffic

Illustration of car outline made of parts Research Brief / Manufacturing

Mass Customization Makes Forecasting Parts Purchases a Manufacturer’s Nightmare

A method that establishes a range of needs — and then tightens the range — works better