physical capital Archives

Where Will Work Be In 2027?

Published yesterday, this year’s “Future of Jobs” report from WEF tells us why and how global labor markets will change in five years.

Our Weekly Economic News Roundup and golf gender gap

Sports

The Golf Gender Gap

Asking what is blocking women’s access to the the C-suite, one of our answers could be the golf gender gap.

Scarcity

Everyday Economics and a Tablet, a Commencement, and a Stadium

Slightly different from our usual post, today I have three shorter stories that grabbed my attention. I guess we can call them my mini-posts. Let’s take a look. 1. The reasons we stay home from work appear not to have…

Weekly Economic News Roundup and grape picking robots

technology

A New Kind of Grape Picker

In Europe and the U.S., pandemic labor shortages have nudged vineyards towards grape picking robots and pruners.

Labor

Why Trappist Beer Needs More Monks

Around for more than two centuries, the Belgian beer made in Trappist monasteries needs more monks to produce it.

Learn

Learn With Elaine: How Fans Impact Athletes

Because of the Observer Effect, athletes’ performance could change when fans affect their human capital.

What's Trending

Where Less Internet Access Creates a Bigger “Homework Gap”

Unequal internet access in the U.S. and beyond has created a remote learning “homework gap” that relates to geography and income.

Economic News Roundup and barista skills

Norway

Why Prisoners Need Barista Skills

Echoing the rehabilitation emphasized by Norway’s prison system, barista skills are taught to some inmates at Rikers Island.

Labor

Why the World Needs Wayfinders

In public spaces like airports, hospitals, and museums, we navigate through the architectural signals that have been called wayfinding.

Economic news roundup and container ship

Economic History

Why We Have More Bananas

Customized container ship refrigeration has made it possible for our fruit imports to include many more bananas, limes, mangoes, and berries.