Cancelling the 2020 Olympics, Japan made a decision that had countless hidden costs for athletes and many other individuals and businesses.…
When Daylight Saving Is Not the Best Time
Whereas many of us ask whether we should switch between daylight saving time and standard time, the question is not quite so simple.…
The Problem With Finding the Right Size
The massive volume of online clothing returns.takes us to the value of standardized dress sizes and the transactions costs of free shipping.…
Why Romaine Lettuce is Like a 737 Max
In 1998, a batch of pencils had to be recalled. Destined for grade school classes, the pencils said “Too Cool To Do Drugs.” Problems developed when the kids sharpened the pencils and inste…
The Connection Between Traffic Jams and Jobs
As the downside of low unemployment, traffic congestion can have an invisible cost that relates to time, gas, and aggravation.…
A Dilemma: How Much to Pay for Our Privacy Protection
There is a doll whose name is Cayla. She has a pink skirt, a denim jacket, and a bluetooth connection. Like many toys, she can have a conversation with us. While these dolls are all Caylas, their manu…
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.…
What a Government Shutdown Does to Each of Us
A government shutdown is again in the news. The key date is December 21. If federal agencies without funding do not get their money by then, they have to follow their shutdown rules. I suspect most of…
How Uber Should Apologize for a Delay
Because a firm like Uber loses revenue from unhappy riders who had delayed arrivals, we could say we are looking at apology economics.…
The 5 Stars That People Get (And Don’t Deserve)
There are some good reasons that most of us are contributing to a reputation inflation that diminishes the meaning of an Uber driver rating score.…