Where this was said
Introducing Sludge — and the Man Who Named It
At 7:27 · chapter starts 6:20
Stephen Dubner brings in Richard Thaler, a University of Chicago Booth professor and Nobel Prize winner, to define the episode's central concept. Thaler explains that 'choice architecture' — the design of decision-making environments — can either smooth the path (nudge) or clog it (sludge). A nudge is WD-40; sludge is gunk. Thaler claims credit for coining the term, with characteristic wit noting that while others have made the same claim, 'they haven't written a book that rhymes with it.' Dubner adds biographical color: he once spent a memorable afternoon with Thaler visiting London cabinet ministers, watching him dispense nudge advice about tax forms and attic insulation. Thaler is described as unusual among academic economists for his can-do, real-world engagement — a trait that makes him a natural guide to understanding and fighting sludge.
Nudge is the WD-40 of life — it makes things easy. Sludge is gunk: the deliberate or careless friction that makes life harder than it needs to be. Richard Thaler, who coined both terms, makes the case that most sludge is either incompetent or intentional, and rarely innocent.
