Discussing the iPod he designed, Tony Fadell expressed his frustration with products that said “charge before use.” He remembered arriving home excited about a newly purchased gadget. But …
Behavioral Economics
The intersection of psychology and economics, behavioral economics looks at human tendencies that involve biology and culture when predicting and explaining economic decision-making.
The Story of a Nudge and the Nobel Economics Prize
For his public policy nudges and his contributions to behavioral economics, Richard Thaler will get the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.…
Why the Twitter Predictor Was About Much More Than the Dow
Although one seven year old study indicates that Twitter sentiment could predict the Dow, a research replication attempt says no.…
Where Have All of the Husbands (and Wives) Gone?
If you are an Elvis minister in Las Vegas, you have a problem. Nevada’s marriage rate is way down and so too is the wedding business. The bigger story though, is about shifting marriage markets.…
The Cost of Commuting
Average one-way daily commuting time in the U.S. was 26 minutes and 36 seconds during 2016. As a benchmark though, those 26 1/2 (or so) minutes say a lot more. How Long We Commute Comparing the averag…
Why We Like Lotteries
We can ask why our lottery ticket spending has been $70 billion annually when we have such an infinitesimal chance of winning.…
Surprising Culinary Status Symbols
Including celery and pineapples, past and present culinary status symbols are examples of foods preferred by an elite group.…
When Product Ratings Are a Problem
The worst summer in 20 years, movie box office revenue from May to Labor Day in 2017 was 15% less than the same dates last year. The reason could be lower film quality. Or it could be Netflix and Amaz…
Why We Need Female Monuments
In New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., public spaces under-represent women’s past leadership through too few female monuments.…
Looking at Invisible Labor
While a diplomat negotiates a treaty and a singer records music, few of us recognize the invisible labor that made their work possible.…