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Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games in history.

The game's staying power may in part be because of strong American lore — the idea that anyone, with just a little bit of cash, can rise from rags to riches. Mary Pilon, author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game.
But there's another origin story – a very different one that promotes a very different image of capitalism. (And with two sets of starkly different rules.) That story shows how a critique of capitalism grew from a seed of an idea in a rebellious young woman's mind into a game legendary for its celebration of wealth at all costs.

This episode was made in collaboration with NPR's Throughline. For more about the origin story of Monopoly, listen to their original episode Do Not Pass Go.

This episode was produced by Emma Peaslee, mastered by Natasha Branch, and edited by Jess Jiang.

The Throughline episode was produced by Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, Lawrence Wu, Laine Kaplan-Levenson, Julie Caine, Victor Yvellez, Anya Steinberg, Yolanda Sangweni, Casey Miner, Cristina Kim, Devin Katayama, and Amiri Tulloch. It was fact-checked by Kevin Volkl and mixed by Josh Newell.

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You might expect to find economic concepts in the pages of an economics textbook. But you know where you can really see a lot of economic concepts in action? Buffets.

Here at Planet Money we believe there's a lot of economics going on at the all-you-eat buffet, tucked in between the mountains of brisket and troughs of mashed potatoes. From classic concepts like adverse selection, sunk costs, diminishing marginal returns, to more exotic economic mysteries, like the flat rate pricing bias.

Today on the show, we're headed to the place where the modern buffet may have been born: Las Vegas. Our mission? To feast ourselves on all the economics we can handle at the all-you-can-eat buffet. And along the way, an economist and fellow buffet-lover will teach us his hyper-rational strategy for optimizing his buffet experience.

Today's show was produced by James Sneed and Nick Fountain with help from Emma Peaslee. It was edited by Jess Jiang, engineered by James Willetts, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.

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There's a behind the scenes industry that helps big brands decide questions like: How big should a bag of chips be? What's the right size for a bottle of shampoo? And yes, also: When should a company do a little shrinkflation?

From Cookie Monster to President Biden, everybody is complaining about shrinkflation these days. But when we asked the packaging and pricing experts, they told us that shrinkflation is just one move in a much larger, much weirder 4-D chess game.

The name of that game is "price pack architecture." This is the idea that you shouldn't just sell your product in one or two sizes. You should sell your product in a whole range of different sizes, at a whole range of different price points. Over the past 15 years, price pack architecture has completely changed how products are marketed and sold in the United States.

Today, we are going on a shopping cart ride-along with one of those price pack architects. She's going to pull back the curtain and show us why some products are getting larger while others are getting smaller, and tell us about the adorable little soda can that started it all.

By the end of the episode, you'll never look at a grocery store the same way again.

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People often say that money can't buy you happiness. Sometimes, if you ask them to tell you more about it, they'll mention a famous 2010 study by Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton. That study found that higher household income correlates with greater emotional well-being, but only up to around $75,000 a year. After that, more money didn't seem to matter.

This was a famous study by two famous academics. The result stood for over a decade. And it feels good, right? Maybe the rich aren't so much happier than anyone else. But researchers have recently done a complete 180 on this idea. In 2021, psychologist Matt Killingsworth found nearly the opposite: That more money does correlate with more happiness. And that the relationship continues well beyond $75,000 per year.

Today on the show: Does more money mean fewer problems? Two researchers with totally different takes come together to hammer out a better understanding of the relationship between money and happiness.

This episode was hosted by Sally Helm and Nick Fountain. It was produced by Sean Saldana, Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, and Emma Peaslee. It was edited by Meg Cramer and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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Recently, the state of Washington embarked on an ambitious new plan to combat climate change. Taking a page from economics textbooks, the state instituted a statewide "cap and trade" system for carbon emissions. The state establishes a cap on the total amount of carbon pollution it is willing to allow each year, and then gives away or auctions off carbon emission permits that add up to that total. Companies can then trade those permits on the open market.

Economists love cap and trade plans because they establish a limit on carbon emissions while letting the market find the most efficient way for decarbonization to occur. But cap and trade has had a hard time catching on, especially in the U.S.

The stakes are high for Washington's new plan. If it succeeds, it could convince other states to implement their own versions, but if it fails, it might serve as a cautionary tale. On today's show, we take a look at how Washington's grand experiment with cap and trade is faring.

This episode was hosted by Keith Romer and Kenny Malone. It was produced by Emma Peaslee and edited by Emily Siner. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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Back in the 90s, the federal government ran a bold experiment, giving people vouchers to move out of high-poverty neighborhoods into low-poverty ones. They wanted to test if housing policy could be hope – whether an address change alone could improve jobs, earnings and education.

The answer to that seems obvious. But it did not at all turn out as they expected.

Years later, when new researchers went back to the data on this experiment, they stumbled on something big. Something that is changing housing policy across the country today.

Today's episode was originally hosted by Karen Duffin, produced by Aviva DeKornfeld, and edited by Bryant Urstadt. The update was hosted by Amanda Aronczyk, produced by Sean Saldana and fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Our supervising executive producer is Alex Goldmark.

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The Philadelphia-born singer found a thriving community of jazz and blues musicians after moving to Japan.

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Frontman BJ Barham talks about working with producer Shooter Jennings and tackling the complexity of Southern identity on the band's new album.

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Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances Chance, social psychoneuroimmunologist Keely Muscatell and environmental researcher Karen Bakker.

We want to dedicate this episode to Bakker who passed away in August 2023, only a few months after giving her TED Talk. Her research and legacy continue to inspire.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted

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When problems arise, it's tempting to wait for someone else to address it. But sometimes, the only person who can fix it... is you. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on how to do it yourself. Guests include physicist and engineer Kate Stone, humanitarian programmer Tiffani Ashley Bell, builder and youth educator Emily Pilloton-Lam and videographer Jack Corbett. Original broadcast date: May 5, 2023.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system.

Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances Chance, social psychoneuroimmunologist Keely Muscatell and environmental researcher Karen Bakker.

Original broadcast date: March 8, 2024

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On March 7, Dana Cuff will discuss architecture’s ability to design more equitable futures at UCLA’s Faculty Research Lecture.

The newly constructed six-story, 62-unit apartment building in West Los Angeles adds 142 beds to UCLA’s inventory. Move-in begins Oct. 1.

A new study finds higher temperatures increase evaporation enough to cause drought without any reduction in precipitation.

A curated selection of stories from across the UCLA campus spotlighting Native American voices, histories and research.

TORONTO, ON — A new study shows that while the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has significantly reduced some of the toxins that contribute to smog, the city continues to violate the Canada-wide standards for ozone air pollution. Smog, which can cause or aggravate health problems such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is produced by […]

TORONTO, ON — Eleven U of T researchers have been selected as recipients of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders funds totalling $1,873,485. The John R. Evans Leaders Fund was established to assist institutions in attracting and retaining talented researchers. Candidates for funding must be either recognized leaders or have demonstrated the […]

TORONTO, ON — A landmark study on gender equality among religious minorities in Canada sharply disputes the stereotype Muslim women are more repressed by men than other groups of immigrants. Sharia law, burqas, honour killings and overseas terrorism directed at girls and women grab headlines and shape public opinion, but workforce participation rates among immigrants […]

Toronto, ON – A book on disruption and innovation by a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management has received a 2017 PROSE Award for Excellence award. The Disruption Dilemma by Prof. Joshua Gans won in the ‘Business, Finance & Management’ category. The PROSE Awards recognize excellence in publishing, and are sponsored […]

NRC and CCAB invest over $1M to advance innovative therapies first discovered at UofTToronto, ON – An innovative collaboration between government, industry, and academia aims to accelerate the development of cancer treatments in Canada. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Toronto-based Centre for the Commercialization of Antibodies and Biologics (CCAB) have put […]

Toronto, ON – A finance professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management received the Governor’s Award from the Bank of Canada. Mikhail (Mike) Simutin, an assistant professor of finance, will receive the award for 2017. The award recognizes outstanding academics at a relatively early stage in their careers, who are working at Canadian […]

Toronto, ON – Researchers at the Citizen Lab, based at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, published a report today that reveals how discussions about a nationwide government crackdown on rights lawyers and activists in China are censored on WeChat and Weibo, two of the leading social networks in China. The crackdown […]

Toronto, ON – OPEN IMPACT, an online resource to help investors find financial investment products that make money – and make the world a better place – launched today at www.openimpact.ca. Impact investing is a fast-growing approach to investing that seeks financial returns as well as measurable social and/or environmental impact. According to a JP […]

Toronto, ON – Starting Tuesday, June 6 the next generation of leaders will graduate from Canada’s top university. This year, U of T will host 27 different ceremonies (two more than in 2016) over 13 days for almost 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the university’s three campuses in downtown Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga. They […]

Toronto, ON – Handwipes aren’t just for germs anymore.  Their uses may extend to more flexible thinking and reorienting one’s priorities. A pair of researchers at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management has found the physicality of cleaning one’s hands acts to shift goal pursuit, making prior goals less important and subsequent goals more […]

Toronto, ON – Andres Lombo, Aiden Aird, Carl Pinter and Jack Stanley have been named The University of Toronto’s recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships. Created in 2011 by Canadian business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, this annual scholarship program encourages promising high school graduates to embrace STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in their future […]

Future mining engineers from 10 Canadian universities go toe to toe in national competition WHAT: The Canadian Mining Games is an annual competition between 10 mining engineering universities in Canada. At this two-day championship, student teams are tested on the skills and knowledge required to work in the mining industry as they complete a series […]

National conference will spark discussion on reinventing education to prepare tomorrow’s diverse engineering leaders to address challenges we can’t yet imagineToronto, ON – The toughest problems facing humanity in the 21st century — from water scarcity to urban intensification to personalized medicine — will be tackled by tomorrow’s engineers. Many of the issues they will work to solve […]

University of Toronto Engineering, Google and Actua partner on Innovate U, a day-long STEM event for children in grades 3–8, featuring hands-on coding, circuitry and moreToronto, ON – More than 1,400 students from Grades 3–8 will descend on the University of Toronto on Friday, May 13 for Innovate U, a massive day of hands-on activities […]

Suggests similar evolution occurs on separate islandsToronto, ON – A University of Toronto-led team has reported the discovery of a new lizard in the middle of the most- visited island in the Caribbean, strengthening a long-held theory that communities of lizards can evolve almost identically on separate islands. The chameleon-like lizard – a Greater Antillean […]

Universities announce their 2016 Schulich Leader Scholarship winners Toronto, ON – Kevin Han, Jun Ran Xu, Haleema Khan and Sabrina Cruz have been named University of Toronto’s recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships. Created in 2011 by Canadian business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, this annual scholarship program encourages promising high school graduates to embrace […]

Toronto, ON – At the Japan-Canada Summit Meeting in May 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted that Japan wished to support Japanese studies at Canadian universities in order to promote mutual understanding between the two countries. Today, based upon this commitment, the Government of Japan is conferring US$5 million on the University of Toronto to […]

Toronto, ON – Paleontologists at the University of Toronto (U of T) and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) have uncovered a new fossil species that sheds light on the origin of mandibulates, the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on Earth, to which belong familiar animals such as flies, ants, crayfish and centipedes. The […]

The following is a list of University of Toronto experts who can comment on the changes to the Canadian anthem. Judith Taylor, Professor Women & Gender Studies Institute Expertise: Women’s movement, Identity politics, Why changing the anthem matters Tel: (416) 946‑5720 Email: jtaylor@chass.utoronto.ca Robert Bothwell, Professor of International Relations at U of T’s Munk School […]

The following is a list of University of Toronto experts who can comment on Brexit: economic impact to Canada and the world. Laurence Booth, Professor in Structured Finance at Rotman School of Management Expertise: International Business Tel: (416)978‑6311 Email: booth@rotman.utoronto.ca Peter H. Pauly, Professor of Economics, Research Associate at the Institute for International Business at the […]

The following is a list of University of Toronto experts who can comment on Brexit: impact on UK-Canada foreign policy and trade deals. Robert Bothwell, Professor of International Relations at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs Expertise: History of Canada/UK relations, Commonwealth ties Tel : (416) 946‑8948 Email: bothwell@chass.utoronto.ca Nelson Wiseman, Professor of Political Science […]

Massive deposit may be world’s most important animal fossil discovery in decadesKOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Yoho National Park’s 505-million-year-old Burgess Shale – home to some of the planet’s earliest animals, including a very primitive human relative – is one of the world’s most important fossil sites. Now, more than a century after its […]

TORONTO, ON — The University of Toronto is the top university in Canada and one of the best in the world, reports the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2014. This year, the prestigious ranking – which analyzes the top universities worldwide on research output, the quality of faculty and the quality […]

TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto has received a $5‑million gift from an anonymous donor to strengthen Indigenous education research in Canada. The gift, which is the largest donation ever made to a Canadian faculty of education for Indigenous education research, will establish a prestigious […]

TORONTO, ON-   The global paralysis on the Syrian crisis has led to the largest refugee crisis ever witnessed by the international community, with millions of Syrians being uprooted and displaced. The Canadian government has announced a plan to welcome 25,000 refugees by the end of February in 2016 but much work needs to be done […]

Toronto, ON — A number of journalists, activists, politicians and public figures in Latin America have been targeted by a large-scale hacking campaign since 2008, according to a new report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. Researchers have named the malicious actor behind the attacks as “Packrat,” to highlight the attacker’s preference for Remote […]

Toronto, ON – Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab are publishing a report today that provides detailed evidence regarding the use of the services of Canadian company Netsweeper, Inc. to censor access to the Internet in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Internet censorship is growing globally, and many countries now block access to large swathes […]

Toronto, ON — Public health researchers created a first-of-its-kind peer education project targeting black women to improve breast and cervical cancer awareness and screening for black women living in Toronto’s Malvern community. “There is a lot of silence in the black community. People think that cancer is not a black issue and many survivors are […]

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario, Launches New Oncology Program for Pharmacists Toronto, ON – The Office of Continuous Professional Development at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario, is introducing the first comprehensive program in the province for pharmacists focused on […]

How our billion-year-old cousin, baker’s yeast, can reveal — more reliably than leading algorithms — whether a genetic mutation is actually harmful.Toronto, ON – It’s easier than ever to sequence our DNA, but doctors still can’t exactly tell from our genomes which diseases might befall us. Professor Fritz Roth is setting out to change this by […]

Four of the six new inductees have U of T rootsToronto, ON – Members of University of Toronto’s faculty and alumni will be inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame at a ceremony taking place today at McMaster University, taking four of this year’s six spots. “This is something in which we can all […]

Toronto, ON –  In what University of Toronto President Meric Gertler called “an historic investment in Canadian science and innovation,” the federal and provincial governments are joining with the university to provide almost $190 million to upgrade almost half of U of T’s research labs over the next two years. The announcement of the Lab […]

Toronto, ON – Researchers at the University of Toronto have investigated the amount of free sugar in Canadian prepackaged foods and beverages. The results suggest that new guidelines and better food labeling is needed to help consumers make better choices. Free sugar, commonly referred to as added sugar, is considered a “hidden” source of calories, as […]