The NYT had a piece comparing efforts to detect financial crises to efforts to detect earthquakes. This implies that some fundamental new methodology is needed.

In fact, the economic crisis was entirely predictable and predicted by people who understand economics. The more obvious problem is the incentive structure within the economics profession. It provides economists with no incentive to break with conventional wisdom even when it is obviously wrong and provides no sanction against those whose failure to break with conventional wisdom led to disastrous consequences for the economy and the country.

Unless this incentive structure is changed, no improvements in methodology will make any difference at all.