What economists found when they gave kids puzzles instead of math, and what it reveals about every student who has ever faded in the second half of a test. The short version: The gap between struggling students and their peers…
A few weeks before my second visit to Paris, I finished reading Nancy MacDonell’s Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion. The book is about a moment when Paris’s grip on…
What economists found when they tracked 1,676 students, their homework, and their hidden barriers to learning. The short version: The gap between struggling students and their peers is not about effort. It is about learning speed. And learning speed responds…
A new study tracks 6,430 students, their phone records, and their starting salaries. The finding that will surprise you isn’t about your own phone. Based on: Panle Jia Barwick, Siyu Chen, Chao Fu, Teng Li, Digital Distractions with Peer Influence:…
Economists find that two children from the same family income can face vastly different futures based solely on which side of town they grew up on. Based on: Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, Nathaniel Hendren, Maggie R. Jones, and Sonya…
This festive sourdough combines dried cranberries with bright orange zest in a lightly sweetened dough. The sweet starter (fed with honey rather than just regular flour and water) creates a softer crumb that complements the fruit perfectly without turning the…
This is the bread that started it all—a straightforward, reliable sourdough that delivers consistent results every time. Using my 1,000-year-old Camaldoli Monastery starter, this boule develops complex flavor during its long fermentation while maintaining an approachable crumb structure perfect for…
Every year, my husband and I kick off our tree decorating with a pot of this warming wassail simmering on the stove. The spices fill our home with that quintessential Christmas scent while we untangle lights and hang ornaments. It’s…
Every time I travel, I follow a familiar ritual. I charge my phone, tablet, and portable battery. Load new books onto my Kindle app. My husband ensures his game console is charged. This pre-flight preparation is our rational response to…
Why do talented musicians struggle to break through while less talented ones with the right family names receive opportunities effortlessly? This is not just unfair. It is inefficient. In labor markets with high information costs, evaluators use proxies to assess…