Stephen Dubner

Richard Thaler likes to talk about what he calls the curse of knowledge, this idea that when you're the firm making some interface or product or service for you consumers, you know how everything works and it doesn't seem that complicated. Whereas if you're coming at it from the outside, it's a different picture. How much credit do you give that theory?

Richard Thaler likes to talk about what he calls the curse of knowledge, this idea that when you're the firm making some interface or product or service for you consumers, you know how everything works and it doesn't seem that complicated. Whereas if you're coming at it from the outside, it's a different picture. How much credit do you give that theory?

Richard Thaler likes to talk about what he calls the curse of knowledge, this idea that when you're the firm making some interface or product or service for you consumers, you know how everything works and it doesn't seem that complicated. Whereas if you're coming at it from the outside, it's a different picture. How much credit do you give that theory?

So one more thing, Neil, do you think that maybe sludge has peaked?

So one more thing, Neil, do you think that maybe sludge has peaked?

So one more thing, Neil, do you think that maybe sludge has peaked?

Okay, we will not lessen our resolve either. Next week, in part two of this sludge series, we look for solutions. I'd like to thank our guests today, Richard Thaler, Ben Handel, and Neil Mahoney. Although, between you and me, that's not how we say Mahoney's name around here.

Okay, we will not lessen our resolve either. Next week, in part two of this sludge series, we look for solutions. I'd like to thank our guests today, Richard Thaler, Ben Handel, and Neil Mahoney. Although, between you and me, that's not how we say Mahoney's name around here.

Okay, we will not lessen our resolve either. Next week, in part two of this sludge series, we look for solutions. I'd like to thank our guests today, Richard Thaler, Ben Handel, and Neil Mahoney. Although, between you and me, that's not how we say Mahoney's name around here.

When we were preparing to interview him, we kept misspelling his last name in our internal emails, so we came up with a mnemonic device to remember. M-A, as in Massachusetts, where Mahoney grew up, and then H-O-N-E-Y, Honey. And that's why Neil Mahoney is known around here as Massachusetts Honey Boy. I hope he doesn't mind. You don't even want to know what we call Richard Thaler.

When we were preparing to interview him, we kept misspelling his last name in our internal emails, so we came up with a mnemonic device to remember. M-A, as in Massachusetts, where Mahoney grew up, and then H-O-N-E-Y, Honey. And that's why Neil Mahoney is known around here as Massachusetts Honey Boy. I hope he doesn't mind. You don't even want to know what we call Richard Thaler.

When we were preparing to interview him, we kept misspelling his last name in our internal emails, so we came up with a mnemonic device to remember. M-A, as in Massachusetts, where Mahoney grew up, and then H-O-N-E-Y, Honey. And that's why Neil Mahoney is known around here as Massachusetts Honey Boy. I hope he doesn't mind. You don't even want to know what we call Richard Thaler.

Anyway, thanks to all of them. And special thanks to all our listeners who sent in their sludge tape. If you want to hear more about healthcare sludge, check out an episode we made a while back, number 456, called How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare. And we will be back next week with Sludge Part 2. Until then, take care of yourself. And if you can, someone else too.

Anyway, thanks to all of them. And special thanks to all our listeners who sent in their sludge tape. If you want to hear more about healthcare sludge, check out an episode we made a while back, number 456, called How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare. And we will be back next week with Sludge Part 2. Until then, take care of yourself. And if you can, someone else too.

Anyway, thanks to all of them. And special thanks to all our listeners who sent in their sludge tape. If you want to hear more about healthcare sludge, check out an episode we made a while back, number 456, called How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare. And we will be back next week with Sludge Part 2. Until then, take care of yourself. And if you can, someone else too.

Freakonomics Radio is produced by Stitcher and Renbud Radio. You can find our entire archive on any podcast app, also at Freakonomics.com, where we publish transcripts and show notes. This episode was produced by Augusta Chapman.

Freakonomics Radio is produced by Stitcher and Renbud Radio. You can find our entire archive on any podcast app, also at Freakonomics.com, where we publish transcripts and show notes. This episode was produced by Augusta Chapman.