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    How Esther Duflo Changed Economics and Won a Nobel Prize

    21 min
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    Apr 7, 2026
    EconomicsBiographySocial Science

    Big theories often fail to solve poverty. Discover how Esther Duflo uses small-scale trials to find what works and why she views herself as a plumber.

    How Esther Duflo Changed Economics and Won a Nobel Prize

    Best quote from How Esther Duflo Changed Economics and Won a Nobel Prize

    “

    Instead of asking, 'How do we end global poverty?'—which is an impossible question to answer—they started asking much more precise, well-defined questions. By making the question smaller, the answer becomes much more reliable.

    ”

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    Key Takeaways

    1

    The Nobel Prize-Winning Economist as Plumber

    0:00
    0:20
    0:36
    0:51
    2

    From the Archives of Moscow to the Halls of MIT

    1:03
    1:27
    1:59
    2:12
    2:37
    2:59
    3:29
    3:47
    3

    Breaking Down the Big Questions into Small Pieces

    4:13
    4:29
    4:57
    5:09
    5:35
    5:46
    6:11
    6:31
    6:52
    7:06
    4

    The Surprising Truth About Incentives and Lentils

    7:22
    7:36
    7:57
    8:03
    8:23
    5:09
    8:53
    8:57
    9:20
    9:35
    9:55
    10:09
    5

    Gender Dynamics and the Power of Grandmothers

    10:20
    10:35
    10:53
    10:58
    8:03
    11:45
    12:00
    12:17
    12:23
    12:46
    5:09
    13:21
    6

    The Economist as a Lifelong Learner and Teacher

    13:37
    13:53
    14:20
    14:26
    14:47
    14:59
    15:21
    15:29
    15:53
    16:06
    16:32
    7

    A Playbook for Evidence-Based Thinking

    16:49
    17:04
    17:29
    17:45
    18:03
    3:47
    18:45
    19:07
    6:31
    8

    Reflections on a Legacy in Progress

    19:38
    19:58
    20:19
    20:36
    20:54
    21:09
    21:23
    21:35
    21:45

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