Themes Unconventional Explanations

Sometimes the best way to reach the right answer is to be unafraid of asking the question sideways. Take Jonathan Haidt, who looks to psychology to explain our current political climate. Or Danish economist Bjorn Lomborg, who contends that rather than attempting to fix all society's problems at once, we should decide what to fix first. Or Eva Vertes, explaining her hunch that stem cells -- the body's own repair system -- may actually be the root of cancer when they go awry. Or economist Steven Levitt, who uses data and anecdotes to explain why so many crack dealers still live with their moms.

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