We can ask why our lottery ticket spending has been $70 billion annually when we have such an infinitesimal chance of winning.…
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.
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.…
Where Parental Leave Leads To Gender Discrimination
Questions about how much paid parental leave new dads should receive is the reason Estée Lauder is being sued by the EEOC.…
Why Gender Word Barriers Could Be Worse Than Sticks and Stones
Sometimes more harmful than “sticks and stones,” gender word barriers create images of women that demean their professional skills.…
Why the Philadelphia Soda Tax is Fizzling
Like all sin taxes, the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax has had an unpredictable impact on revenue and the alternatives that people select.…
How Marijuana Taxes Affect Our Behavior
The state of Washington created new marijuana tax incentives when it switched how it taxed pot growers, processors and retailers.…
Why Cheap Was a Problem for Starbury Signature Sneakers
When Stephon Marbury priced his signature sneakers at $14.98, he had more of a problem selling them than he had expected,…