From micro The Utility of Bad Art we find that perhaps we’re not as unintelligent as psychologists (and behavioral economists) may have thought. From macro Guidance on Forward Guidance we find things not so different in Britain compared to the…
Author: ruebeckc
To Facebook or not
Worth a read and a think. (On the blog roll here.) Breaking Up is the Hardest Thing To Do(Faulty Logic) One of the gems: “And though I’m old and wise enough to call bullshit on half of it… (we don’t…
Britons’ dinners
“BRITONS have long lamented the decline of the home-cooked meal. But even if dinners are less healthy today than during the war, the Sunday roast is still often eaten among family and friends.” not healthy, but not alone (The Economist,…
NHS from the inside
The British health system NHS Goes Global (The Economist, video) compared to others’, with examples going each way.
North Korea, from the Freedom of Information Act
Engaging the enemy, with Planet Money. Stamps, Jeans, Beer: What Americans Want From North Korea (blog) Episode 474: The North Korea Files (podcast)
The science of finding Rowling
Earlier we had the intrigue. Twitter as secret-revealer (this site) Now we have an interview with the scientist who tested the hypothesis quantitatively Uncovering the Mystery of J.K. Rowling’s Latest Novel (NPR) with other helpful links from the SciFri page on that…
Fordlandia
New information On Henry Ford's 150th Birthday, a Look Inside His Failed Utopia (Gizmodo) to add to the piece I’ve been using to discuss vertical integration for some time now. You Can’t Always Get What You Want (The New Yorker)…
Poverty, India vs China
“Economists talk of targeting subsidies at those below the Tendulkar line. But for politicians, the aim of subsidies is to win votes.” Why no applause for 138 million exiting poverty? “And clearly you win more votes by extending subsidies to…
The new GDP
Coming Wednesday Getting Creative With the G.D.P. “the results of an immense revaluation of the size and composition of the American economy.”
Witches, recessions, and pensions
From the archives, as I think about Macbeth Why it’s dangerous to be a witch in a recession (Slate, Harford) Note that the witches aren’t the ones committing the actual crimes here—they’re just older people with resources coveted by the…