675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?
15 May - 57 minsNot exactly. But their runaway success with games like Wordle says something bigger about the way we live now. (Part one of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”)
SOURCES:
Alex Hardiman, chief product officer at The New York Times.
Jonathan Knight, S.V.P. and general manager for New York Times Games.
Eric Zimmerman, game designer, professor of game design at the N.Y.U. Game Center.
RESOURCES:
"Wordle Is a Love Story," by Daniel Victor (New York Times, 2022).
The Rules We Break: Lessons in Play, Thinking, and Design, by Eric Zimmerman (2022).
Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them, by...
Series Episodes
674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?
Great. Then depressed. Then great again. Stephen Dubner gets the full story from David Lang; we also hear from some fans, and the New York Philharmonic’s president. The math and the aftermath of “wealth of nations.” (Part two of a series.)
45 mins
8 May Finished
Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger? (Update)
Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. In this updated replay of a 2022 episode, we hold a very Smithy tug of war.
1 hour 8 mins
6 May Finished
673. What Is Money?
That’s what the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang wanted to learn. So he turned Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations into an oratorio. We tag along as Lang’s piece heads toward its world premiere with the New York Philharmonic. (Part one of a two-part series.)
54 mins
1 May Finished
672. What Makes Judy Faulkner Run?
Epic Systems manages the electronic health records for hundreds of millions of people. This makes Faulkner a healthcare heavyweight and one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in history. So why haven’t we ever heard much from her? Stephen Dubner travels to Verona, Wisc., to explore the Faulknerverse.
1 hour
24 April Finished
Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)
New York City’s mayor called them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. In an updated episode from 2025, we ask: Is the rat a scapegoat? And what does our rat hatred say about us?
40 mins
22 April Finished
