Knowledge at Wharton

ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow and Shane Jensen to share his take on the men’s and women’s tennis tours, the emerging Sinner–Alcaraz rivalry, and the depth of talent in women’s tennis. Bill also dissects the 2025 college football landscape, sharing insights on conference strength, playoff expansion, coaching trajectories, and which teams have the best shot at this season’s national championship. Cade, Eric and Shane keep the conversation going, discussing recent golf highlights, including Justin Rose’s win and Ryder Cup implications, as well as emerging MLB storylines such as the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance, surging offensive stats, and surprising betting odds for perennial favorites like the Dodgers.

Cryptocurrency has evolved from a niche experiment to a global financial force. But how did we get here? In this episode, professor Itay Goldstein is joined by Duke professor Campbell Harvey and Neha Narula, director of the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, to explore the milestones that led to crypto’s rise, the forces that shaped its growth, and what the crypto landscape will evolve into.This discussion is part of a special series in the Ripple Effect podcast called “Future of Finance: The Rise of Crypto and Digital Money.”

John Zhang, Wharton Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, discusses how firms use tariff-induced economic conditions to raise prices and explore dynamic pricing strategies, balancing profit motives with consumer perceptions and competition.

Adobe's Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Communications Officer, Stacy Martinet, speaks with Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed about the company’s transformation from its PDF roots to a global leader in creativity and digital experience solutions, offering insight into Adobe’s strategic reinvention, generative AI integration, and data-driven consumer behavior research like its latest findings on Prime Day.

Generative AI promises productivity and cost-cutting gains, but it also has the potential to increase employee well-being. That’s why Wharton’s Stefano Puntoni wants companies to put their workers at the center of the AI conversation. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Research Spotlight” series.

A highlight of Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner's conversation with Seth Partnow—Data Science Manager for the NBA at PENN Interactive, former Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks, and author of The Midrange Theory—discussing what NBA work at PENN Interactive entails, expectations for draft picks and predicting player performance, and how talent distribution across NBA teams is changing.

Wharton’s Barbara Kahn and Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson talk about their book, Visual Marketing: A Practical Guide to the Science of Branding and Retailing. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Meet the Authors” series.

Wharton management professors Harbir Singh and Mike Useem discuss their book Resolute Japan: The Leaders Forging a Corporate Resurgence, which explores how a new model of leadership has transformed Japan's top companies. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Meet the Authors” series.

Research from Wharton professor Rebecca (Becky) Schaumberg and PhD student Zhiying (Bella) Ren reveals how disagreement in a conversation is often mistaken for bad listening, regardless of how engaged the listener is. Schaumberg explains their findings.