Because of bad weather in parts of Canada and the major U.S. growing states, we could have a potato shortage that creates a French fry crunch.…
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…
What Uber Can Teach Us About Tips
Looking at 40 million trips, researchers concluded that Uber’s tips can be surprising because of the rider characteristics that determine how much.…
How a Common Application Affected College Admissions
At highly selective schools, 2019 college admission rates were pretty low: Harvard: 4.5% Yale: 5.91% Stanford: 4.3% in 2018 (They are no longer releasing the number.) But we are looking at a tiny prop…
Why World Series Ticket Prices Are Soaring
Because baseball fans from Washington D.C. have waited 86 years for their team to reach the top, their World Series ticket prices are soaring.…
All You Need To Know About An Egg Glut
To explain what has been called an egg glut, we can look at egg laying hens, at the changing number of eggs they produce, and at our egg consumption.…
The Lid on the Pot Industry
While states find it’s tough to predict marijuana tax revenue, they can assume that higher rates will nudge consumers toward black markets.…
The Downside of Vegan Leather
With meat demand going up and leather demand going down, the cowhide industry has a devastating supply and a demand problem.…
Why An Economist Might Like a Restaurant Queue
Because a restaurant queue can help supply and demand, some eating establishments create the signal that it sends to diners.…
The Most Unexpected Market
Like all activities that relate to supply and demand, ransom markets involve predictable behavior from kidnappers, their victims, and negotiators.…