In 1932, the NYC Noise Abatement Commission received a letter from Mr. N. Schmuck of 137 Milton Street in Brooklyn about the noise from a nearby pickle factory. Other 1930s noise complaints included early morning ice deliveries, “ear splitting shrieks…
Brazil’s World Cup To-Do List
Preparing its transportation infrastructure for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, Brazil has one giant to-do list. In the air and on the ground, it has the participants, the officials and the fans that have to be moved around.…
The Symphony Orchestra Still Has a Glass Ceiling
In 1970, only 5% of the musicians in a symphony orchestra were women. By 1997, the proportion had risen to 25%. The reason was the blind audition. Performing behind a screen that prevented any gender identification, woman were evaluated and…
The Reason That Certain Quarterbacks Earn More
A 3.2 difference in a facial symmetry score can mean an extra $378,000 in pay for a quarterback. According to research from economist David Berri on salaries from 1995-2009, if a quarterback is better looking, his salary will exceed others…
Is the Super Bowl “Cheap” This Year?
From SeatGeek: January, 2013 $500-$2500 is the face value range for 2014 Super Bowl tickets. By contrast, in 1967, the least expensive box office ticket to the first Super Bowl would have cost you $6. Using an inflation calculator, I…
Why Do Young Adults Live With Their Parents?
In Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece, Malta and Italy, young people, age 25-34, live with their parents. But not in Denmark, Finland Sweden, and Norway. Below you can see the country stats: The Reasons Pew Research provided some insight about multigenerational U.S. households. In 2012, returning…
Have We Halved the Deficit?
In the State-of-the-Union, President Obama said, “Our deficits–cut by more than half.” Looking at the federal deficit as a percent of GDP, we can say that the deficit is much lower than 4 years ago. BUT… The deficit was an unusually…
One City With More Air Pollution than Beijing
By Madeleine Vance, guest blogger and student at Kent Place School. On January 17th, the smog in Beijing was so thick that the sunrise was virtually played on television screens around the city. Around the same time, air pollution levels…
Is $3.9 Million the Right Price for a Super Bowl Ad?
In an ad for the (Super Bowl) ad, Stephen Colbert talks about Wonderful Pistachios. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKAG7UJ-NWk Fox said its Super Bowl TV ad inventory (estimated at 65 spots) for the game is sold out. According to Ad Age, that inventory included…
More Women in the (Restaurant) Kitchen
Women have been top chefs for awhile. We just don’t hear about them. Louis XV awarded the “cordon bleu” to a female chef. Legend has it that, refusing to have a woman cook for him, his mistress asked the King…
