Econ70
The Friday File: Turns out people who eat chocolate on a regular basis (five or more times a week), tend to weigh about 5 to 7 pounds less than those who don’t. The key finding from a recent study was…
Read MoreFollowing the collapse of the U.S.S.R., 300 of their top mathematicians moved here. Their impact on American mathematicians was surprising. The number of papers published by American mathematicians whose research was most similar to that of the Russians dropped dramatically,…
Read MoreWhile stores have always been able to offer cash-paying customers a discount, the recent settlement with Visa, Mastercard and bank credit-card issuers now allows stores to add a charge (equal to the swipe fee) for credit-card payments. Since stores can…
Read MoreIf you were worried the economy might be treading water, relax, it is. Consumer spending is flat, consumer confidence and manufacturing activity are down and jobless claims are up. Moreover, a key index of leading economic indicators fell two of…
Read MoreUnless welfare recipients are penniless, passing laws prohibiting them from spending their welfare money on booze, gambling, strippers and tattoos is pointless. These laws will simply encourage welfare recipients to spend any cash they earn on the prohibited activities. Even…
Read MoreWhy are Americans significantly more religious than Europeans? In Europe, there are state churches that receive subsidies, and thus the clergy focus on politics and perquisites and not proselytizing. In addition, state-sponsored churches face virtually no competition, all but eliminating…
Read MoreThe LIBOR scandal is the result of greedy banks. But banks are no greedier today than they were decades ago. The difference is now banks are so big, and involved in so many activities (investment banking, commercial banking, insurance, underwriting…
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