Coronavirus economics can describe our response to the pandemic with the same six ideas that compose a basic economics course.…
The Impact of Last Year’s Academy Awards
A year ago at the Academy Awards, Frances McDormand gave the movie studios a nudge when she referred to the inclusion rider.…
How Governments Nudge Us
Whether it’s plastic straw use, energy conservation, or flu vaccinations, governments use nudges to influence our decisions.…
Six Facts About How Supermarkets Influence What We Buy
These six facts tell us how our supermarket shopping can be influenced by much more than the shopping list we bring with us.…
How a Behavioral Economist Explains a Frappuccino Problem
Since 1995, many of us have been consuming shamelessly decadent Frappuccinos. Just one Ultra Caramel Frappuccino with dark caramel coffee, layers of whipped cream (each topped with a dollop of caramel…
Those Subscriptions That We Love to Buy (and Barely Use)
Behavioral economists can explain why are lured into buying a year’s subscription for movie watching and other media that we barely use.…
Why We Will Miss the Candy We Never Loved
Told that their least favorite candy might no longer exist, people are panic buying NECCO wafers and Sweethearts because the New England Confectionary Company could shut down.…
Doing an Environmental Good Turn With a Revolving Door
Increasing everyday sustainability, using a revolving building door rather than one that swings would add less to our individual carbon footprint.…
When Organ Donors Need More Than a Nudge
Sometimes increasing deceased organ donations takes more than a nudge because of the behind-the-scene details that are necessary.…
The iPod, Starbucks, and Richard Thaler’s Behavioral Economics
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 …