Five prominent MIT economists gathered in early October to talk about the root causes of the global economic crisis, and they warned that actions taken in the following few weeks could make all the difference in determining the length and severity of the crisis.  And they all agreed that tough times were coming.  This week, they gathered again.  And nearly six months after their first panel, their talk remains sobering, but they did speak to some positive signs they are seeing.  

Richard Caballero, head of the MIT economics department, chaired the panel.  He opened by saying "Don’t take it personally — I really hope this is the last of these panels."  He was joined by Andrew Lo of the Sloan School of Management; Bengt Holmstrom, Professor of Economics, and James Poterba, Professor of Economics.

For comparison sake, you can watch the the October 8 panel featuring the same economists here.