scNov 21, 2021Complements, Substitutes, and Giving ThanksThanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is zero pressure to frantically search for presents, and it is an excellent opportunity to...
scMar 14, 2021Matilda Cake Scene: Economics is EverywhereMatilda by Roald Dahl was my all-time favorite book growing up. I loved listening to teachers read it, learning to read from it, and even...
scFeb 5, 2021INA GARTEN was an Econ Major!“What can you do with an economics major?” I frequently get that question from students who are trying to decide what undergraduate...
scJan 31, 2021Cookie Dough Cheesecake and Asymmetric InformationThe Cheesecake Factory is huge. Not only does it have the longest menu in history, its restaurants -- which are often two stories -- are...
scJan 8, 2021The Magic of Chocolate ChipsHave you ever thought about why there are chocolate chips at the grocery store? I mean really stopped to think about it. There you are,...
scJul 2, 2020“Bang for Buck” and Regular vs. Instant GritsThe movie “My Cousin Vinny” has a fan club of lawyers and judges who love to quote the movie and use it as an example of effective...
scApr 17, 2020COVID-19: Crossing State Borders & Homemade Vanilla ExtractOne of the first lessons in an economics class is “People respond to incentives.” This concept is quite intuitive. When you were a child...
scAug 27, 2019Thinking on the Margin & Birthday CakeMarginal thinking is a key concept in economics, but it is often one that is misunderstood. Most of our thinking is in fact on the...
scJul 14, 2019Opportunity Cost, Economic Profit, and Opening a BakeryOverhead at a table of economists: Susan: “They’re making a profit every month” Mike: “Accounting or Economic profit?” Table: Erupts in...
scJul 11, 2019The Market for Lemon Meringue PieGeorge Akerlof won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 for his research on information asymmetries in markets. His seminal paper on the...
scJul 4, 2019Fireworks Cookies and Public GoodsHappy 4th of July! There are all kinds of goods. Things you buy and only you eat. Things you buy and you share. Things you buy and...
scApr 14, 2019Salt and Sunk Costs“You added a cup of salt instead of a cup of sugar to the batter??” I’ll keep names anonymous, but I still remember hearing a friend tell...
scApr 4, 2019Pink Icing and Diminishing Marginal BenefitI’ve been baking for forever. My sister and I used to make brownies for our swim team coaches in elementary school, and by high school I...