What does Ben Bernanke think about the recession? It s the worst crisis since the Great Depression, but we should see growth in the second half of this year.

We know this thanks to Bernanke s participation in an unusual, hour-long town-hall meeting Sunday hosted by Jim Lehrer. The discussion aired as a three-part series on The "NewsHour" this week.

Audience members asked a variety of questions, including What exactly is the Federal Reserve? and whether inflation could be a problem in the next couple of years (Bernanke said probably not). The event gave the Fed chief a chance to weigh in on a broad range of topics outside his job description including the federal budget deficit, the stimulus package, how to maintain a strong dollar, even basic investing advice (his response: diversify, and don t try to time the market).

Want the gist? Check out SmartMoney s two minutes of highlights or watch the entire three-part special here.

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