Innovation Hub

Millions of American adults can’t read at a high enough level to keep track of their health care or help with their kids’ homework. Professor Mark Seidenberg says a disconnect between reading researchers and teachers is partly to blame.

The gig economy has exploded over the past decade. Could Paul Ryan's new health care proposal halt that progress?

How does inequality affect our lives? Alan Berube and Alexandra Killewald explain. Then, according to Walter Scheidel, there are ways to significantly reduce inequality. But they're all... uncomfortable. Then, why does America spend more on health care than any other country in the world. And finally, you can thank Obama for your next Uber ride. But don’t get too comfortable: here’s how the new health care proposal might affect the gig economy.

Beyond the headlines, beyond the soundbites, what is the state of inequality in America? Alan Berube of The Brookings Institution, and Harvard’s Alexandra Killewald joins us to answer that question.

The innovations that have made our health care so effective also contribute to what makes it so expensive. MIT economist (who also worked on the Affordable Healthcare Actt) Jon Gruber says we should do a cost-benefit analysis on new drugs to keep costs low.

There’s a way to reduce inequality… but you aren’t going to like it.

Dating in the digital age equates to a slew of websites and apps that all purport to offer paths to love. But, while we may have more ways to find that special someone than ever before, actually forging those bonds isn’t quite as easy as swiping right.

Three things to know: Con men - and women - have been around for as long as we’ve been around. So why do we keep falling for their tricks? Maria Konnikova explains the science of the swindle. There’s no international law on time zones or daylight savings. And the result? Chaos. But Steve Hanke has a simple solution: universal time. Flint, Michigan, was just the beginning. Marc Edwards says that our country is relying on a network of very old pipes, many of them lined with lead.

Should you respond to that suspiciously attractive suitor on OkCupid? Should you invest your money in a “too good to be true” land deal? Before you trust anyone, listen to Maria Konnikova talk about the history and psychology of cons.

Americans are becoming increasingly dependant on our calendars. But what happens when you start to schedule free time? Bad things, says Selin Malkoc.