Why Superman Doesn't Take Over The World

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The Indicator from Planet Money Why Superman Doesn't Take Over The World Why Superman Doesn't Take Over The World Listen · 10:00 10:00

The superhero universe may be a fantasy (sorry, superfans), but that doesn't mean superheroes are free from the laws of economics. Quite the reverse, in fact: superheroes are subject to the dismal science, just like the rest of us. That's how Brian O'Roark sees it, anyhow. He's an economics professor at Robert Morris University and author of "Why Superman Doesn't Take Over The World." He uses superheroes in his econ classes, to show how economic concepts work - and sometimes don't work - and how everyone, even those of us who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, is governed by economic law.

Music: "Wonder Woman" and "The New Adventures of Superman."

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