our economics correspondent paul solman looks at what could motivate us into action. it's part of his weekly series: "making sense," which airs thursdays on the newshour. >> i think we could get people to both be more productive and happier. >> reporter: behavioral economist dan ariely, who's joined a chorus of economists bemoaning america's productivity slowdown. >> less productive as individuals, less productive as companies, and we're more miserable! >> reporter: but ariely thinks there's something corporate america can do to boost productivity: better understand human motivation. >> motivation, basically getting people to be happy at work, everybody benefits. >> reporter: thus his new book, "payoff." but before the specifics, a bit of back story. as a teen, ariely spent three years in the hospital, horribly burned. but it was just recently, when a stranger called him after her son suffered a similar fate, that he realized why people make an effort. >> she asked me to send her son an optimistic note about life. i didn't know what to say. you know, i, he was so badl

from washington, d.c., this is economics correspondent paul solman, grateful to be reporting for thepbs newshour. >> woodruff: in next thursday's making sen$e: how common elizabeth white's plight is these days, and her tips for how to be normal in the face of financial adversity, instead of continuing to fake it. >> woodruff: tonight marks president obama's final full day in office, and we look back at those years now with someone who was there with him from day one: his press secretary, josh earnest. john yang met with earnest at the white house to ask him about the challenges of the job, and what he wishes for his successor. >> i joined the campaign in april 2007, so it's been a while now. >> yang: josh earnest was there when barack obama was a senator running for president, and he'll be there when the lights go out on the obama white house. >> thank you all. it's been a genuine pleasure. >> yang: flash forward, eight years. >> yeah. >> yang: what does it feel like? >> it feels like that was a million years ago, but it feels like that million years has flown by. >> yang: earnest to

reporting from chicago, this is economics correspondent paul solman. >> woodruff: now, a profile of an artist of three continents who explores history and identity in today's global culture. jeffrey brown has our story. >> brown: on a recent morning in washington, d.c., this wind sculpture was lifted in and installed outside the smithsonian national museum of african art. it's the latest in a series of public art works on display around the world by the artist yinka shonibare. >> it's a free-standing sculpture, but it's a very dynamic sculpture, and it's very colorful. also, it's deceptive, because from a distance it feels like it's actually soft material. full of contradiction: the stuff >> brown: playful, deceptive, full of contradiction: the stuff of shonibare's works, most of all the sculptures for which he's best known-- colonial-style figures, some headless, some with globes for heads, in brightly colored african-style costumes. >> my work is really breaking down stereotypes, saying "you know what? what you see is not necessarily what you get." you might actually want to take tim

last week economics correspondent paul solman brought you the story of elizabeth white, who was once comfortably middle class but is now nearing traditional retirement age and struggling to make ends meet. tonight, paul looks at just how common her story has become. it's part of our weekly series "making sense" which airs thursdays on the newshour. >> i would say i feel optimistic, generally. >> reporter: 63-year-old elizabeth white has been severely underemployed for three years. >> i had $750 left to kind of make it through the end of the month. i've done it on less. >> reporter: debrah brukholder hasn't had a full-time job since 2009. >> i don't have enough to cover january bills and nothing changes. it's hard to predict what will happen the next month. you know? and calculating how many times do i have to go through this until i'm buried? >> there is a low-level stress that you, you know, that is wearing. >> reporter: one way to manage: airing out anxiety in what white calls a "resilience circle" of financially fragile friends-- all formerly middle-class, all well past 50. and all

paul solman helps make sense of the science behind motivation, and how it can be used to create happieructive workers. >> woodruff: and jeffrey brown's conversation with the stars of the new movie "hidden figures" about the african american women behind nasa's success in the '50s and '60s. >> this one is importan