There's a behind the scenes industry that helps big brands decide questions like: How big should a bag of chips be? What's the right size for a bottle of shampoo? And yes, also: When should a company do a little shrinkflation?

From Cookie Monster to President Biden, everybody is complaining about shrinkflation these days. But when we asked the packaging and pricing experts, they told us that shrinkflation is just one move in a much larger, much weirder 4-D chess game.

The name of that game is "price pack architecture." This is the idea that you shouldn't just sell your product in one or two sizes. You should sell your product in a whole range of different sizes, at a whole range of different price points. Over the past 15 years, price pack architecture has completely changed how products are marketed and sold in the United States.

Today, we are going on a shopping cart ride-along with one of those price pack architects. She's going to pull back the curtain and show us why some products are getting larger while others are getting smaller, and tell us about the adorable little soda can that started it all.

By the end of the episode, you'll never look at a grocery store the same way again.

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We often hear that air travel is worse than it's ever been. Gone are the days when airplanes touted piano bars and meat carving stations — or even free meals. Instead we're crammed into tiny seats and fighting for overhead space.

How did we get here? Most of the inconveniences we think about when we fly can be traced back to the period of time just after the federal government deregulated the airlines.

When commercial air travel took off in the 1940s, the government regulated how many national airlines were allowed to exist, where they were allowed to fly, and how much they could charge for tickets. But the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 swept all these restrictions aside – and stopped providing subsidies for the air carriers. Airlines had to compete on ticket prices. That competition led to a more bare-bones flying experience, but it also made air travel a lot more affordable.

In this episode, we trace the evolution of air travel over the past century to discover whether flying really is worse today — or if it's actually better than ever. We'll board a plane from the "golden age" of air travel, hear the history of one of the original budget airlines and meet feuding airline CEOs. Along the way, we'll see how economic forces have shaped the airline industry into what it is today, and what role we, as consumers, have played.

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You might have seen ads for online banking services that seem to offer a lot of great stuff — accounts you can open in minutes and without a minimum balance or monthly fees. The ads seem to say: "These aren't your parents' boring old banks." But the truth is: Even though they might resemble banks, they aren't.

These "bank-like" companies are a type of "fintech" or financial technology company. And this is a story about the potential risks of putting your money into these apps.

Banks go through a whole regulatory gauntlet in order to exist. But, in the past several years, there has been a rise in fintechs that skirt regulations. And many of these pose a real threat to even the most savvy of depositors.

When a little known tech company filed for bankruptcy a few months ago, thousands of people couldn't access the millions of dollars they saved. On today's show, we meet some of the people affected and learn what the fintech industry reveals about banking regulation.

Today's show was hosted by Erika Beras and Sally Helm. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and Sofia Shchukina with help from James Sneed. It was edited by Jess Jiang and fact-checked by Kevin Volkl. It was engineered by Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez with help from James Willetts. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.

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"Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy."

That is the bold promise in Planet Money's tagline. And we believe the show does live up to it. Over the last year, we've told stories about breakdancing, rum, pagers, buffets, colors, and heartbreak.

But then one host wondered: what if we really held ourselves to that promise? What if we challenged ourselves to find economic meaning in the most esoteric and far-flung topics imaginable?

That's when we turned to you, our listeners. And boy did you deliver. You sent in ideas so obscure, so banananas, so guaranteed to stump and bamboozle that our host maybe started to regret her life choices...but she was resolved to give it a try.

This episode was hosted by Sally Helm and Keith Romer. It was produced by James Sneed. It was edited by Molly Messick and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Kwesi Lee. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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In 1968, just moments after Robert F. Kennedy was shot, a young photographer for The Los Angeles Times — Boris Yaro — captured the scene in an image that's haunted the nation ever since. In this episode of the StoryCorps podcast, we remember RFK and we revisit the story of that famous photo.

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As we celebrate StoryCorps' 20th anniversary, we bring you the story of a man who integrated his high school as a teenager in Knoxville, Tennessee, and how a StoryCorps listener comment helped him reckon with his past five decades later.

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For most of StoryCorps' existence, we've recorded people in person at our storybooths. But on this episode of our special series celebrating 20 years of StoryCorps, we're looking back to when we stepped outside the recording booth to capture stories. Sometimes because we wanted to hear new voices... and sometimes because we had to.

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Mary Johnson-Roy first came to StoryCorps in 2011 to speak with Oshea Israel, the man who murdered her son. In the latest episode from our special series celebrating StoryCorps' 20th anniversary, we'll share updates on a conversation none of us imagined would happen back when StoryCorps started.

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Jackie Miller and her son, Scott Miller, always shared everything with each other, even if it was hard. Scott knew his mother wanted to live life on her own terms, but he wasn't prepared for how she wanted to end it.

If you want to leave the StoryCorps Podcast a voicemail, call us at 702-706-TALK. Or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

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Nat was absolutely beaming as he proudly showed off his new Saab to his soon-to-be inlaws. Beaming that is right up to the moment that it started to roll downhill without a driver. Could Nat possibly have made a worse first impression? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk.
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The New York-based folk rock band perform songs from their latest album, Valley of Abandoned Songs.

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World Cafe's new concert series highlights music from Louisiana's Cajun Country.

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Tune in to a mini-concert with Latin pop and hip hop group 2MX2, plus learn about the foundation cultivating Fort Collins' music scene.

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Just like their name implies, this desert rock trio is buzzy, loud and fun.

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The band co-founded by Lowell George and led by Bill Payne has flourished with their gumbo approach to rock and roll.

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Heavily inspired by cumbia, the London-based band has a straightforward ethos: have fun.

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Conflict is a part of life. But in a polarized world, reaching a resolution is harder than ever. This hour, TED speakers explore creative and extraordinary ways of approaching conflict. Guests on the show include authors Shaka Senghor and Ebony Roberts, zoologist Lucy King, and radio journalist Jad Abumrad.

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Conflict is a part of life. But in a polarized world, reaching resolution is harder than ever. This hour, TED speakers explore creative and extraordinary ways of approaching conflict. Guests on the show include authors Shaka Senghor and Ebony Roberts, zoologist Lucy King, and radio journalist Jad Abumrad.

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Original Broadcast Date: September 4, 2020. Conflict is a part of life. But in a polarized world, reaching a resolution is harder than ever. This hour, TED speakers explore creative and extraordinary ways of approaching conflict. Guests on the show include authors Shaka Senghor and Ebony Roberts, zoologist Lucy King, and radio journalist Jad Abumrad.

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Jason Reynolds is an award-winning author and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. This hour, Jason speaks with Manoush about reaching kids through stories that let them feel understood. This conversation is part of a collaboration between NPR and the Library of Congress National Book Festival. For more information about the festival visit loc.gov/bookfest

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Original broadcast date: September 17, 2021. Jason Reynolds is an award-winning author and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. This hour, Jason speaks with Manoush about reaching kids through stories that let them feel understood.

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MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history.

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Original Broadcast Date: September 4, 2020. Conflict is a part of life. But in a polarized world, reaching a resolution is harder than ever. This hour, TED speakers explore creative and extraordinary ways of approaching conflict. Guests on the show include authors Shaka Senghor and Ebony Roberts, zoologist Lucy King, and radio journalist Jad Abumrad.

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Original broadcast date: May 6, 2022. MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history.

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There are two sides to every coin — and sometimes our strengths become weaknesses. This hour, TED speakers explore the mixed blessings and volatile flip sides of mental health, parenting and AI. Guests include developmental psychologist Yuko Munakata, entrepreneur Andy Dunn and AI researcher Yejin Choi.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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Writer Anne Lamott has garnered a cult following with her shockingly honest prose on love, death, faith, writing and more. This hour, her wisdom from a career that has spanned 20 books and 40 years.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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For centuries, humans have relied on the oceans for resources and food... but even the deepest sea has its limits. This hour, TED speakers discuss how we can save our seas to save our planet. Guests include marine biologists Asha de Vos, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, and Alasdair Harris, and oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Original broadcast date: June 25, 2021.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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Thanks to advances in AI, chatbots can act as personalized therapists, companions, and romantic partners. The apps offering these services have been downloaded millions of times. If these relationships relieve stress and make us feel better, does it matter that they're not "real"?

On this episode from our special series Body Electric, host Manoush Zomorodi talks to MIT sociologist and psychologist Sherry Turkle about her new research into what she calls "artificial intimacy," and its impact on our mental and physical health.

Binge the whole Body Electric series here.

Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.

Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.

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Early adopters are flocking to AI bots for therapy, friendship, even love. How will these relationships impact us? MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle delves into her new research on "artificial intimacy." Later in the episode, host Manoush Zomorodi speaks with Somnium Space founder Artur Sychov.

Note: A few weeks ago, we talked to Sherry Turkle in a Body Electric episode called "If a bot relationship FEELS real, should we care that it's not?" Today's episode is an even deeper dive into that conversation with Sherry. We hope you enjoy it!

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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Everything is not what it seems. We can easily disguise ourselves in both the digital and physical world. This hour, TED speakers explore the ways we go incognito... from espionage to virtual reality. Guests include former CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez, artist Holly Herndon, anthropologist Mary L. Gray and digital fashion designer Gala Marija Vrbanic. Original broadcast date: August 26, 2022.

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Sometimes, the only way to make an impact is to be loud. This hour, three female performers talk about the rewards — and consequences — that come from speaking out and making people feel uncomfortable. Guests include comedian Lilly Singh, Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova and actor, playwright and director Sarah Jones.

Original Broadcast Date: October 20, 2023.

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Big life decisions are never easy. Should you follow a plan? Make a hard pivot? Improvise as you go? This hour, TED speakers who've made extreme life choices and their advice for getting unstuck. Guests include comedian and musician Reggie Watts, biomedical researcher Sonia Vallabh and conservationist Kristine McDivitt Tompkins.

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UCLA Arts and UCLA Film & Television Archive bring seven projects to “Art & Science Collide” from July through May 2025.

The program is co-led by the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Pasadena City College.

Fifteen of the campus’s academic programs and specialties were also ranked in the top 10 nationwide.

The newly constructed six-story, 62-unit apartment building in West Los Angeles adds 142 beds to UCLA’s inventory. Move-in begins Oct. 1.

Newsroom is highlighting Bruins who are creating the future at UCLA by advancing the strategic plan’s goals and priorities.

Students gathered at the Pauley Pavilion Club on the evening of Nov. 5 to talk, share opinions and watch the results of the 2024 elections roll in.

Toronto, ON – With the pace of change in healthcare and the life sciences sector accelerating at unprecedented rates, a new Executive MBA program from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management aims to prepare working professionals in the sector to lead their organizations, businesses and health systems. The Global Executive MBA in Healthcare & […]

Toronto, ON – Current faculty members and a former doctoral student from the areas of accounting, organizational behaviour and strategic management have received awards for their research papers from academic associations and publications. A paper published in Administrative Science Quarterly was honoured with two top awards last month. Whitened Résumés: Race and Self-Presentation in the Labor […]

Toronto, ON – Mikhail (Mike) Simutin, an associate professor of finance at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, has been appointed the associate director of research for the International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM). In the new role he will drive ICPM’s research initiatives and strengthen the organization’s position as a global pension […]

TORONTO, ON — A study led by University of Toronto psychology researchers has found that people who play action video games such as Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed seem to learn a new sensorimotor skill more quickly than non-gamers do. A new sensorimotor skill, such as learning to ride a bike or typing, often […]

Toronto, ON – The co-founders of Toronto-based start-up Exact Media, who are graduates of the Rotman Commerce program at the University of Toronto, have been named to the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 list of the young innovators redefining marketing and advertising. Daniel Rodic, BCom’12, and Elena Sahakyan, BCom’09, are two of the three co-founders […]

Toronto, ON – A professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management who has become known for his research and teaching on catastrophes and risk management has been named to the 2017 Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 management thinkers in the world most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed […]

Toronto, ON – A book on disruption and innovation by a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management has received a 2017 PROSE Award for Excellence award. The Disruption Dilemma by Prof. Joshua Gans won in the ‘Business, Finance & Management’ category. The PROSE Awards recognize excellence in publishing, and are sponsored […]

Toronto, ON – The world’s preeminent trading competition for university students returns for its 14th year at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. The students, along with their faculty advisors, from 52 different universities which include teams from China, Iceland, India, and South Africa, will participate in the competition which takes place from February […]

Toronto, ON – For the second year in row a team from the Master of Financial Engineering program at Baruch College in New York City has won the Rotman International Trading Competition. The 14th annual edition of one of the world’s preeminent trading competitions was hosted by the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management […]

Toronto, ON – Seven faculty members at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management have received awards for achievements in research and teaching. Four faculty members were awarded with the 2016 Roger Martin Awards for Excellence in Research and Teaching. Established by Prof. Roger Martin, a former Dean of the Rotman School, the awards are […]

Toronto, ON – A finance professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management received the Governor’s Award from the Bank of Canada. Mikhail (Mike) Simutin, an assistant professor of finance, will receive the award for 2017. The award recognizes outstanding academics at a relatively early stage in their careers, who are working at Canadian […]

Toronto, ON – Handwipes aren’t just for germs anymore.  Their uses may extend to more flexible thinking and reorienting one’s priorities. A pair of researchers at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management has found the physicality of cleaning one’s hands acts to shift goal pursuit, making prior goals less important and subsequent goals more […]