This is not scientific. This is scientific-ish.

I'm Angela Duckworth. I'm Stephen Dubner. And you're listening to No Stupid Questions.

Today on the show, when is a good deed an invitation for more bad deeds?

Hello, the Duckworths are not here to collect your poop.

Also, what is the most significant choice that a human being can make in their lifetime?

Whether to part your hair on the left or right, I think, is the obvious choice.

Angel, I have a question for you about moral hazard, sort of, and poop angels.

Do you know what a poop angel is?

I think I know what moral hazard is.

Poop angels is a little tougher.

So I learned the phrase in a post on Next Door, which is this sort of neighborhoody version of Facebook.

I know Next Door. So one New York

City resident was proposing that others join him in going around their neighborhood and pick up

dog poop that belongs to other people's dogs from those inconsiderate owners who leave it on

the street. Even though it's theoretically illegal to leave dog poop on the street, many people do it.

So this guy is saying, look, it wasn't our dogs, wasn't my dog, but we'd all be better off if you would join me in being a poop angel, walk around picking up the poop.

So I want to know what you think of the overall value of this idea.

Would you consider it an act of civic-mindedness, as disgusting as it may seem, with the net gain?

Or do you think it is a sort of case of moral hazard where you not only let the offenders off the hook, but you encourage them

and potentially others to in fact offend more because now they know these poop angels will be

taking care of things. And they'll just walk their dogs and not even take a plastic bag with them

when they leave the house. Maybe they'll go buy dogs for the express purpose of

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