May 25, 2026

In this episode, we discuss zero-sum games and zero-sum thinking with our guest, Nageeb Ali. We begin by looking at the broader picture of how zero-sum thinking has become increasingly prominent in today’s public debate and how it relates to Akerlof’s classic “lemons” problem.

Drawing on ideas from economics and...

May 13, 2026

In this episode, we speak with Thilo Klein about daycare allocation in Germany – a problem that is still mostly run by uncoordinated offers, even though it is well understood in matching theory. The gap isn't theory; it's the missing layer that turns academic mechanisms into systems municipalities can actually run....