Esther Duflo

Poverty detective

Why you should listen

Esther Duflo uses data and field experiments to fight poverty with scientific precision. A Nobel Prize-winning economist and co-founder of J-PAL, she pioneered randomized controlled trials in development economics, shaping global policies on education, health and microfinance. Her work challenges assumptions, addressing what truly lifts people out of poverty.

Esther Duflo’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Esther Duflo

In Brief

Remembering pastor Billy Graham, and more news in brief

February 21, 2018

Behold, your recap of TED-related news: Remembering Billy Graham. For more than 60 years, pastor Billy Graham inspired countless people around the world with his sermons. On Wednesday, February 21, he passed away at his home in North Carolina after struggling with numerous illnesses over the past few years. He was 99 years old. Raised […]

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Social experiments to fight poverty: Esther Duflo on TED.com

May 3, 2010

Alleviating poverty is more guesswork than science, and lack of data on aid’s impact raises questions about how to provide it. But Clark Medal-winner Esther Duflo says it’s possible to know which development efforts help and which hurt — by testing solutions with randomized trials. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: […]

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