When Cash Is Not the Best Thank You

By avoiding repugnant transactions like selling foie gras or human organs, we are eliminating the benefits of the market.

When Ketchup and Parking Are Similar

Whether we are buying Heinz ketchup from a supermarket or a coupon from a Manhattan parking garage, money and time will shape our shopping behavior.

The Best (and Worst) Ways to Board an Airplane

Although boarding planes faster is a goal for the major airlines, they have had limited success because of the tradeoffs they are unwilling to make.

The Two Sides of a Pilot’s Decisions

Involving safety, airline pilots’ decisions during takeoff, flight, and landing reflect cost and benefit tradeoffs that their passengers rarely recognize.

Six Facts to Know About Venezuela’s Hyperinflation

Through six simple facts, we can better understand the meaning of Venezuela’s hyperinflation and how much it has diminished production.

Why We’ll Have a 2019 Valentine’s Day Candy Shortage

First there was the Great Necco Wafer Panic of 2018 and now we have a Valentine’s Day candy shortage of the conversation hearts that are a national favorite.

What an Economist Says About 300 Hamburgers

Hearing the Clemson University football team got 300 burgers at the White House, an economist might name the resources needed for a quarter pounder.

The Economics of Skiing Across Antarctica

Across a 921-mile stretch of Antarctica, two men are racing. Unassisted, each is alone. Unsupported, they are not allowed to receive a food or fuel drop or to use a kite for wind power. All each needs is on his…

Six Facts About Disaster Economics

When natural disasters like hurricanes, massive snowstorms, and wildfires strike a region, their economic impact is far more than the clean-up.

Why You Might Want Some “Price Gouging”

Called “price gouging” by many of us, an increase in prices as a hurricane approaches could be a productive incentive for supply and demand.