Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leaking roof. We take the guided tour.

• SOURCES:
  • Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Inside the British Museum: stolen treasures and a £1bn revamp," by Alice Thomson (The Times, 2025).
  • "British Museum gems for sale on eBay - how a theft was exposed," by Katie Razzall, Larissa Kennelly, and Darin Graham (BBC, 2024).
  • "British Museum chief Nicholas Cullinan: ‘I start with the idea that everything is possible,'" by Jan Dalley (Financial Times, 2024).
  • "Who Benefits When Western Museums Return Looted Art?" by David Frum (The Atlantic, 2022).
  • The Will of Sir Hans Sloane, by Sir Hans Sloane (1753).
  • The Portland Vase (The British Museum).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard." by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why tariffs could bring the economy back to the Covid era.

• SOURCES:
  • Austan Goolsbee, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Internet Rising, Prices Falling: Measuring Inflation in a World of E-Commerce," by Austan Goolsbee and Peter Klenow (American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings, 2018).
  • Microeconomics, by Austan Goolsbee, Steven Levitt, and Chad Syverson (2012).
  • "Does the Internet Make Markets More Competitive? Evidence from the Life Insurance Industry," by Jeffrey Brown and Austan Goolsbee (Journal of Political Economy, 2002).
  • Survey of Consumers (University of Michigan).
  • Adobe Digital Price Index.

• EXTRAS:
  • "Was Austan Goolsbee’s First Visit to the Oval Office Almost His Last?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • "Is $2 Trillion the Right Medicine for a Sick Economy?" by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
  • "Fed Up," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).
  • "Why the Trump Tax Cuts Are Terrible/Awesome (Part 2)" by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
  • "Ben Bernanke Gives Himself a Grade," by Freakonomics Radio (2015).
  • "Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?" by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of The World for Sale, help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.

• SOURCES:
  • Javier Blas, opinion columnist at Bloomberg News.
  • Jack Farchy, energy and commodities senior reporter at Bloomberg News.

• RESOURCES:
  • The World For Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth's Resources, by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy (2021)
  • The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich, by Daniel Ammann (2010).

• EXTRAS:
  • "How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Update)" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "The First Great American Industry," by Freakonomics Radio (2023).