Planet Money
NPR
SummaryEver wonder why the world works the way it does? Planet Money is your go-to guide for peeling back the layers of our complex global economy. Instead of dry lectures or dense jargon, this show turns complicated headlines and everyday mysteries into gripping narratives. Whether the team is investigating the hidden mechanics behind a soccer penalty kick, exploring the psychological toll of digital espionage, or tracing the historical collapse of a 90s tech startup, they make the invisible forces of commerce and behavior feel deeply personal. The podcast excels at finding the human pulse in technical topics. You will hear stories about everything from the unintended consequences of city tree ordinances and the logic behind student loan caps to the strange, largely unregulated world of dietary supplements. Through a mix of investigative reporting, expert interviews, and a healthy dose of curiosity, Planet Money breaks down how the rules of the economic game are written and how they impact our lives in the real world. If you are looking for a show that consistently challenges your assumptions, connects the dots between pop culture and policy, and explains how incentives drive everything from major political shifts to your local rental market, this is it. It is smart, fast-paced, and dedicated to proving that economics isn’t just about money—it is about the fascinating, often unpredictable ways that people make decisions.
Updated Jul 8, 2026
Episodes
Our mission: Find the world’s best economic ideas (Summer School World Tour)
Travel the globe to learn how water markets in Australia and inflation targeting in New Zealand solve scarcity.
How to win a penalty shootout (with game theory)
Master the art of the penalty kick by using game theory to stay unpredictable and outsmart the goalie under pressure.
Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?
The Trump administration is capping federal graduate student loans, hoping to force colleges to lower tuition prices.
We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail?
Too much money, no deadlines, and no clear customers turned a brilliant smartphone startup into a total flop.
Before Kalshi and Polymarket there was the Iowa Electronic Markets
Before modern betting platforms, economists used the Iowa Electronic Markets to prove that prediction markets work.
The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough
The movie Alien is a masterclass in labor economics, revealing how company towns and monopsony power control workers.
Can computer hackers get inside your mind?
Security researchers uncover a diabolical cyber weapon designed to sabotage nuclear programs by hacking reality.
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
When city laws forbid cutting down a dangerous tree, homeowners are caught in a fight over their property rights.
Two indicators for lowering the rent
Institutional investors are not the primary cause of high rent, so fixing housing affordability requires more supply.
Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?
The supplement industry is a massive, largely unregulated wild west where magic pills rarely work as promised.
There's no business like dough business
Retailers use strategic clustering and irresistible smells to turn impulse buys into a highly profitable business model.
The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
Companies are using a legal loophole to bypass FDA safety checks and add untested chemicals into your food.
The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes
Leaked recordings reveal how wealthy Americans use a complex tax loophole in Malta to shield millions from the IRS.
The giant factory town that might be a giant mistake
Brazil built a massive industrial hub in the Amazon, but it reveals why escaping the middle-income trap is so hard.
Vacation and why Americans take so little
The US is the only rich nation that doesn't guarantee paid vacation, a unique policy choice rooted in labor history.
Jerome Powell and the Future of Fed Independence
Jerome Powell joins a historic line of Fed chairs navigating political pressure as the future of central bank autonomy.
Do prediction market bettors make anything better?
Prediction markets claim to be sophisticated financial tools, but critics argue they are just unregulated gambling.
How to get through the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is threatening global trade and challenging the future of maritime security.
BOOKstore Economics
Bookstore buyers hold the power to make or break a title through a ruthless thirty-second vetting process.
A pro-worker experiment in private equity
A private equity firm is experimenting with giving workers ownership stakes to boost productivity and retention.
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