Freakonomics Radio cover image

Freakonomics Radio

584. How to Pave the Road to Hell

Apr 18, 2024
In this discussion, Joshua Angrist, a Nobel laureate from MIT, Zoe Cullen from Harvard focusing on labor economics, and Marina Gertsberg of the University of Melbourne explore the often overlooked consequences of well-meaning policies. They delve into how good intentions can inadvertently harm those they aim to help, examining pay transparency laws and their paradoxical effects on wages. The impact of the #MeToo movement on academic collaborations is also highlighted, showcasing how it has inadvertently affected women's professional relationships and research opportunities.
43:42

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The #MeToo movement caused a decline in collaborations and productivity among junior female academics due to concerns over sexual harassment accusations, highlighting unintended consequences impacting career outcomes.
  • Pay transparency laws unintentionally linked bargaining practices across workers, resulting in compressed pay and overall decline in wages, showcasing the unintended consequences of such regulations.

Deep dives

Unintended Consequences of the Me Too Movement

Junior female academics started fewer new projects with male co-authors after the Me Too movement, leading to a decline in collaborations and productivity. This drop in collaborations due to concerns over sexual harassment accusations, showcasing how good intentions of the movement resulted in unintended consequences impacting career outcomes.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode