Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories.
135 episodes transcribedA day on the job includes hundreds of quarters, giant balls of lint, and fishing weird stuff out of machines. Zachary Crockett throws in a load. SOURC...
Running a campground isn’t all eating s'mores around the campfire. Zachary Crockett fans the flames. SOURCES:Mark Lemoine, owner, Coloma/St. Joseph KO...
When gas prices skyrocket, do station owners get a windfall? And where do their profits really come from? Zachary Crockett pulls up to the pump. SOURC...
Every year, thousands of products are recalled from store shelves. How does the process work — and who foots the bill? Zachary Crockett gets a refund...
In a sport that generates more than $3.5 billion a year, teams compete in cars that cost $70 million to develop and build — and a split-second to cras...
The world’s oldest advertising medium has reconfigured itself for the digital age. Zachary Crockett looks up. SOURCES:Anna Bager, president and C.E.O....
Some singles choose to skip the apps and get fixed up the old-fashioned way — but it doesn't come cheap. Zachary Crockett puts himself out there. SOUR...
They have thousands of congregants and millions of dollars in income. Zachary Crockett passes the collection plate. SOURCES:Julie Roys, founder of the...
Pure maple syrup can be five times as expensive as “pancake syrup,” but maple farmers — and breakfast connoisseurs — say it’s worth it. Zachary Crocke...
Why did it take so long to invent a longer-lasting bulb? Zachary Crockett finds the answer illuminating. SOURCES:Heather Dillon, mechanical engineerin...
How do courts interpret those little icons on your phone? Zachary Crockett brings down the hammer. SOURCES:Eric Goldman, professor of law, associate d...
How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain. SOURCES:Meredith Baer, founder of Meridith Baer Hom...
They expose fraud, catch cheating spouses, and track down missing assets — but they don’t come cheap. Zachary Crockett takes the case. SOURCES:Ashley...
There are now nearly 12,000 satellites orbiting Earth. What does it cost to put them there, and how do they make money? Zachary Crockett launches an i...
How does a museum place a value on a priceless work of art? And how much does it cost to keep it safe? Zachary Crockett appraises the situation. SOURC...
Performing for passersby takes more than talent. Buskers have to cope with hecklers, civic regulations, aggressive competitors — and uncertain pay. Za...
They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail. SOURCES:Paul Bradley, presid...
What goes into creating an episode of The Economics of Everyday Things? And how do shows like this one make money? Zachary Crockett turns the mic on h...
When security cameras and facial recognition tools fail, law enforcement investigators fall back on a witness's memory and an artist's hand. Zachary C...
