successful nonprofit entrepreneur has written about his time on wall street for the new york times and forbes magazine and joins us now from our los angeles studio sample welcome to the show.

new series started last year. l he received an economic award from a journalism in 2006 and runner-up in 2010. this radio award services were awarded on several occasions. new york times, and magazines ranging from forbes to wire and a number of other radio and television programs. he lives in oxford. he is a visit fellow at matt field college. alex is a professor at georgia mason university. he works on public and law economics. patton and the effectiveness of bounty hunters compared to the police, problems related to the judicial systems and how poverty rates affect trial decisions. he looks into the problem of organ transplants and market supply increases the ones available. and regulatory issues most specifically drug regulation. he is a co author of the hugely successful blog marginal revolution. and a co-founder of an online university program. he has written a series of text books. he is a fellow at the marcade center as well. the idea for the afternoon is to have each speaker speak for 25 minutes and then we will open it up for q&a and try to conclude the session by 1:30 p.m. without further ado, i would like to turn it over to tim harford. [ applause ] >> the thing that annoys me about dthis d