Steve Levitt, Professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago, explores the unexpected link between legalized abortion and declining crime rates with Stanford's John Donohue and Amherst's Jessica Wolpaw Reyes. They delve into their groundbreaking research, revealing how abortion legalization may correlate with reduced crime and the complexities surrounding this controversial finding. The conversation also addresses misconceptions, the influence of environmental factors like lead exposure, and the role of data in public debates about sensitive topics.

Angela Duckworth, a renowned psychologist known for her work on grit, teams up with Jack Gallant, a neuroscience professor, Steve Levitt, a seasoned economist, and George Loewenstein, an expert in behavioral economics. They delve into why stories stick with us more than statistics, revealing how emotional narratives shape our decisions. The group examines the balance between compelling storytelling and factual accuracy in journalism while exploring the power of human connection through unique experiences, even if they may be embellished.

Steven Levitt is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago and the co-author of the bestselling book Freakonomics and its two sequels. In this episode, Steve discusses his unlikely path to a career in economics and his view of the current state, and limitations, of the field. He also gives his unique perspective on contemporary issues including climate change, mental health in education, how to evaluate whether an experiment is ethical, decision making, horse racing, and much more.    We discuss: How Steve ended up in economics (2:45); Current trends in the field of economics: macro vs. micro, usefulness of models, and the relationship between data and theory (8:45); Revisiting what Steve wrote about climate change in SuperFreakonomics, and why it’s unlikely to be solved with behavioral change (18:45); The consequences of a blurred line between climate science and advocacy (27:30); Answering climate questions with a “Manhattan Project for climate change” (31:45); Steve’s reflections on his career path and how he found his way by being himself (40:00); How Steve came to write Freakonomics (and its sequels), and the topics which caused the most controversy (53:00); How Steve came to appreciate mental health through parenting, and the need to emphasize mental health into the education system (1:10:15); Why people are bad at making decisions (1:26:45); Deliberating on why horse racing times haven’t advance much in decades (1:34:30); Reducing the impact of negative emotions by observing the world free of language (1:44:00); Changing our thinking about what it means to conduct experiments ethically (1:49:00); and More. Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Show notes page for this episode: https://peterattiamd.com/SteveLevitt  Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

The British art superstar Flora Yukhnovich, the Freakonomist Steve Levitt, and the upstart American Basketball Association were all unafraid to follow their joy — despite sneers from the Establishment. Should we all be more willing to embrace the déclassé?

Bapu Jena, an expert on healthcare pricing, joins researcher Steve Levitt to explore the complex link between price and quality in hospitals. They discuss how biases in price perception affect patient choices, drawing insights from an intriguing wine tasting experiment. The conversation reveals challenges with price transparency in healthcare, emphasizing why many prioritize quality over cost. Jena shares findings on market competition's impact on patient outcomes, painting a nuanced picture of what truly drives the effectiveness of healthcare services.