In an interview for SFR's new cover story, "Born Poor," Santa Fe Institute economist Samuel Bowles suggested that the government invest directly in individuals, perhaps by giving everyone a lump sum to use however they wish—say, $250,000.

“It sounds very radical,” Bowles says, “but it's very consistent with economic ideas.”

It makes as least as much sense as giving hundreds of billions of dollars to Wall Street's largest banks—some of which helped cause the recession—so that the banks can lend it back to taxpayers at outrageous interest rates.

SFR wondered what people would actually do with a cool quarter-mil, if it dropped in their laps. So, we asked.



Surprisingly, no one said they would buy a one-way ticket to the Yukon and put the remainder in gold, guns and goats.



This video was shot and edited by Corey Pein, with footage by SFR intern Dan Trottier.