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 …
What’s Trending
What’s trending in economics at both the macro and micro levels.
Remembering the 1987 Crash
On Black Monday, 30 years ago, the stock market plunged 508 points. At 22.6%, the dive was the worst ever in exchange history. Today, a 5,100 point drop in the Dow would have been an equivalent declin…
Deciding Who Is Middle Class and Who Is Rich
According to President Trump and most other politicians, tax reform will be “a middle class bill.” However, ask people what they mean by the middle class and it becomes a mystery. In one C…
Why China’s Scientists Got the Wrong Message
In 2016 it appeared that China had become a research powerhouse. In 2017 they discovered a problem. This is the story of how incentives can have unintended consequences. Chinese R&D In 2016, the n…
Why the Panama Canal is Bigger and Better
Enabling the newest massive container ships to travel to the East Coast, the Panama Canal expansion changed the world’s transportation infrastructure.…
The Power of Saudi Female Drivers
By royal decree, a Saudi woman can drive by June 24, 2018. But she still might need permission from her husband to buy a car. Narrowing the Saudi gender gap will be complicated. The Saudi Gender Gap F…
A Big Banana Worry
We have huge banana worries because of a devastating fungal disease that has been wiping out banana crops in East Asia and beyond,…
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.…
Puerto Rico’s Solar Power Alternative
This satellite picture shows how San Juan, Puerto Rico used to sparkle at night: But since Hurricane Maria, no more: Currently, 10% of the island has power. So there is little running water and few fl…
The Washing Machine Trade War
My LG washing machine was more expensive than it should have been. The reason takes us to washing machine dumping and tariffs. The Washing Machine Wars My Korean-made washing machine (and others like …