A Blueprint for Keeping Humans in Control of AI
New research teaches independent AI agents to ask for help — and builds oversight of models we don’t fully trust.
David Rubenstein on Leading the Parade
The D.C. denizen reflects on his time in Jimmy Carter’s White House, recalls how he got into leveraged buyouts, and shares why he thinks you're not working hard enough if you never fail.
Ask for More Pay and Get Penalized, Stay Quiet and Fall Behind
New research finds that class shapes not just who negotiates for higher salaries, but who pays a price for speaking up.
How Falling Interest Rates Widened Americans’ Wealth Gap
Low interest rates fueled an asset boom that benefited the wealthy — and would amplify the hit of potential Social Security cuts on low-income retirees.
The Dollar’s Dominance Is Eroding
Investors are increasingly eying alternatives to the world’s strongest currency.
AI Could Uncover the Hidden Ways People Work Together
The winners of the AI for Organizations Grand Challenge believe that identifying the “grammar of coordination” could have profound implications for the future of work.
Latest Stories
Idea Stories Opensearch
June 27, 2019
Written
Rising U.S. Inequality: How We Got Here, Where We’re Going
An economist and a business advisor discuss what might happen if the gap between rich and poor continues to grow.

June 24, 2019
Written
How Innovation Drives Economic Growth
Three Stanford scholars explore how we measure innovation, how innovation drives productivity, and how productivity affects inequality.

June 12, 2019
Written
How Well Do Refugees Integrate into American Society?
Nationality, education level, and other factors are linked to resettled refugees’ likelihood of becoming citizens.

June 06, 2019
Written
The Power of Dressing Progressive Economic Policies in Conservative Clothes
In political messaging, values can be more persuasive than policies, a new study finds.

May 29, 2019
Written
What Climbing Expeditions Tell Us about Teamwork
A new study mines decades of mountaineering data to measure how groupthink fares against top-down leadership.

May 29, 2019
Written
A Prognosis for Primary Care
With outpatient treatment on the rise, could better teamwork guard against error — and the accompanying malpractice suits?

May 23, 2019
Written
Will Investors Pay a Premium for Being Green?
Despite the surging focus on environmental sustainability, research suggests investors still care about the old kind of green.

May 20, 2019
Written
Bridgewater Investments Founder Ray Dalio: Invest in Idea Meritocracy
The investment icon says a system of thoughtful disagreement creates competitive advantage.

May 17, 2019
Video
Testing Rape Kits Saves Money and Stops Crime
Lawrence M. Wein finds that the benefits of testing outweigh the costs.

May 16, 2019
Written
The Case for Fair Value Accounting
A leading critic of current practices says they get the right answers mainly “by accident.”

May 15, 2019
Written
The Cersei Effect: How Businesses Turn Colleagues into Backstabbers
New research shows that people with shared goals can get lured into “pseudo competitions” that hurt all involved.

May 09, 2019
Written
Why Putting Yourself in Their Shoes Might Backfire
When our values don’t align, we struggle to see others’ viewpoints.

May 08, 2019
Written
Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 11: What’s Best for the Surrounding Community?
In areas tied to declining industries, corporate reorganization has better long-term impact than going-out-of-business sales, a new study finds.

May 03, 2019
Written
Five Common Communication Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Learn how to be more effective at your next meeting or presentation.

April 30, 2019
Written
Artificial Intelligence for the Perplexed Executive
AI can transform almost every industry. The biggest uncertainty may be the humans behind it.

April 26, 2019
Written
On Social Media, Sell Your Brand, Not Your Stuff
A new marketing study of Facebook users shows that hard-sell tactics stifle engagement, and engagement is gold.

April 24, 2019
Written
Why Self-Regulation Can Pay Off
Companies that try to fix problems on their own may sidestep more onerous regulations in the future.

April 24, 2019
Written
Roger McNamee: “Facebook Is Terrible for America”
Facebook’s loudest critic says social media profits by manipulating consumers.

April 12, 2019
Written
Getting Banks to Latch onto Blockchain
A Ukrainian native challenges the financial industry to lose its fear of decentralized transactions.

April 04, 2019
Written
How to Invest in Your Social Capital
Influencing others’ network ties shapes your status.

April 03, 2019
Written
Why Was the Last Recovery Slower Than Usual? Actually, It Wasn’t
A new study of financial crises going back to 1870 shows that they make for unusually nasty recessions.

March 29, 2019
Written
Better If It’s Man-Made?
Gender bias can negatively affect what we think about products made by women, especially in male-oriented markets.

March 22, 2019
Written
How to Design a Better Soda Tax
An analysis of Philadelphia’s sweet-drink “sin tax” finds a flaw in the system: Many people simply drive beyond city limits to buy their pop.

March 19, 2019
Written
Finding a Low-Cost Treatment for Clubfoot
Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld’s journey from online retail to academia to a healthcare nonprofit has paid off in ways that can’t be measured.
