The podcast discusses the Maine Potato War of 1976, where deep-pocketed Western potato kingpins waged a battle in the futures market to control the potato market. This war led to the decline of Maine's potato industry and influenced the type of potatoes we eat today. The podcast explores the tactics employed by potato farmers and traders, the role of commodities markets, and the aftermath of the war. It also touches on the state of Maine as a 'harvest land' famous for its potatoes and discusses ideas for improving the economy.

Exploring the concept of giving cash to help people out of poverty, the podcast discusses the positive impacts of receiving a large sum of money in Kenya, the cost-effectiveness of replacing grass roofs with metal roofs, and the concept of buying cows as a form of investment. It also delves into the effectiveness of giving cash without conditions, the potential of universal basic income, and the study on monthly vs lump sum payments in a UBI experiment in Kenya.

Spanish Galleons in the 16th century faced mysterious shipwrecks, higher than normal rates. Three economists explore the incentives for profit and risk at the time to solve the mystery. The podcast discusses the challenges faced by Spanish ships, potential culprits for the sinkings, and the influence of bribes on the captains. It also touches on the concept of financial assistance to alleviate poverty.

In this year-end episode, the hosts revisit past stories, including a Hollywood strike captain, honesty researchers, and a special member of their team. They explore the reasons behind Americans not taking vacations, uncover cheating in the Hollywood strike, and discuss the increasing transparency in social science research. They also highlight a lawsuit and fundraiser for Data Colada's legal defense, and the importance of support and determination in their work.

The Planet Money hosts and The Indicator hosts debate the economic indicators of 2023 and predict the indicator for 2024. Topics include the soft landing, consumer sentiment, housing market, interest rates, Bidenomics, and junk fees. Listeners can vote for the winner on Planet Money's Instagram. The hosts also discuss perceptions of the future, the impact of interest rates, populist pitches, and upcoming episodes.

Explore the world's largest auction of Christmas trees, the critical shortage of trees in the country, and the hosts' journey to sell trees in New York City. They learn about negotiating tree prices, resort to desperate measures, and discuss the financial results and market conditions.

Argentina's search for economic stability, high inflation, the collapse of the local currency, the idea of dollarizing Argentina, the process and potential success, implications and challenges of dollarization, the cultural relationship between Argentinians and the US dollar, complications of dollarization, potential recession and loss of seniorage, exploring the possibility of dollarization in Argentina's economy

Examining the challenges and benefits of hybrid work, including the negative effects of full-time remote work on productivity, the inefficiencies of communication and collaboration in hybrid work settings, and the importance of effective design and management for promoting in-person interactions and coordination among colleagues. Also explores the shifting perception of working from home and its productivity benefits due to the pandemic.

This podcast explores the toxic environment of an anonymous economics message board, uncovering the origins of the toxic posts and questioning if it reflects deeper issues within the field. Engineer Kyle Jensen's discovery of security flaws on the website raises concerns about identity exposure. The study reveals toxic posts from prestigious institutions, raising ethical concerns. The podcast also discusses the controversial nature of the economics job rumors site, EJMR, and the potential benefits and challenges of Argentina adopting the US dollar as its national currency.

Explore the nostalgia and influence of 90s advertising, the rise of soap opera marketing, and the birth of the iconic 'Got Milk' campaign. Discover how advertising has evolved from catchy jingles to performance marketing in the 21st century.