Stephen Dubner

It is pretty phenomenal. If you ever need a good cry, a happy cry, just type in cochlear implant activation on YouTube. You'll see little kids hearing sound for the first time and their parents flipping out with joy.

The cochlear implant is a remarkable piece of technology, but really it's just one of many remarkable advances in medicine and elsewhere, created by devoted researchers and technologists and sundry smart people. You know what's even more remarkable? How often we fail to take advantage of these advances.

The cochlear implant is a remarkable piece of technology, but really it's just one of many remarkable advances in medicine and elsewhere, created by devoted researchers and technologists and sundry smart people. You know what's even more remarkable? How often we fail to take advantage of these advances.

The cochlear implant is a remarkable piece of technology, but really it's just one of many remarkable advances in medicine and elsewhere, created by devoted researchers and technologists and sundry smart people. You know what's even more remarkable? How often we fail to take advantage of these advances.

Those blood pressure numbers are even worse today than they were when we first published this episode in 2020. Clearly, we still have not figured out how to get the science to the people who need it. Prescription adherence is a very difficult nut to crack.

Those blood pressure numbers are even worse today than they were when we first published this episode in 2020. Clearly, we still have not figured out how to get the science to the people who need it. Prescription adherence is a very difficult nut to crack.

Those blood pressure numbers are even worse today than they were when we first published this episode in 2020. Clearly, we still have not figured out how to get the science to the people who need it. Prescription adherence is a very difficult nut to crack.

You wouldn't think you'd have an adherence issue with something like the cochlear implant. It has such an obvious upside.

You wouldn't think you'd have an adherence issue with something like the cochlear implant. It has such an obvious upside.

You wouldn't think you'd have an adherence issue with something like the cochlear implant. It has such an obvious upside.

In one study, only half of the participants wore their device full-time.

In one study, only half of the participants wore their device full-time.

In one study, only half of the participants wore their device full-time.

Today on Freakonomics Radio, what to do about that very real issue, because you see the same thing not just in medicine, but in education and economic policy and elsewhere. Solutions that look foolproof in the research stage are failing to scale up.

Today on Freakonomics Radio, what to do about that very real issue, because you see the same thing not just in medicine, but in education and economic policy and elsewhere. Solutions that look foolproof in the research stage are failing to scale up.

Today on Freakonomics Radio, what to do about that very real issue, because you see the same thing not just in medicine, but in education and economic policy and elsewhere. Solutions that look foolproof in the research stage are failing to scale up.

We'll go in search of that magic sauce right after this.

We'll go in search of that magic sauce right after this.

We'll go in search of that magic sauce right after this.

John List is a pioneer in the relatively recent movement to give economic research more credibility in the real world.