Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
Untouchable economic policies harbor massive flaws
A policy can survive because people treat it as untouchable, even when the numbers show it is undermining efficiency. Tradition keeps the rule in place; the…
Discover more
A risky loan pool can sell a slice rated AAA
Structured debt divides payments and losses into layers. Lower layers take losses first, shielding the senior slice and helping it earn a high rating. The…
Discover more
Why corn syrup is cheaper than sugar in the United States
Sugar costs more for US manufacturers partly because tariffs raise the price of imported sugar, while corn subsidies help make corn syrup cheaper. When a…
Discover more
Winning Eurovision comes with a surprising burden
The host broadcaster has to build the stage, run the show and pay for a production that can cost tens of millions. Winning earns a country the job of putting…
Discover more
An obvious scam can save the scammer time
Microsoft researcher Cormac Herley modeled why an implausible opening message can benefit a scammer. Most skeptical readers reject it immediately, leaving…
Discover more
Cross-laminated timber replaces traditional steel frames
The beams get their strength from layers of wood glued at right angles to one another. That crosswise structure can carry loads like steel while weighing much…
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Some insecticides start life in a flower
Certain chrysanthemums produce pyrethrins, chemicals that overstimulate insects' nervous systems and can paralyze them. Extracts became ingredients in…
Discover more
Send a broken Zippo back—and they'll fix it
A badly damaged Zippo does not have to be thrown away: the company has offered free lifetime repairs for its windproof lighters since 1932. Send it in, and…
Discover more
Natural disasters wipe out decades of development
After a hurricane, governments have to pay for immediate recovery instead of the projects they planned for years ahead. Roads and other infrastructure need…
Discover more
Bismarck's first pensions started at 70
Germany's 1889 pension system set old-age benefits at 70, not 65. The lower age arrived in 1916, decades after Bismarck left office. The number often credited…
Discover more
Why Renaissance faires are so expensive
Once through the entrance, the medieval shopping list begins: turkey legs to eat, wooden swords to carry, leather corsets to try on. Those add-ons can push…
Discover more
The scam waiting for people escaping timeshares
An exit scam asks an owner to pay a large fee upfront for help canceling a timeshare contract, then fails to deliver the promised release. The victim can be…
Discover more
Mezzanine financing combines debt and equity into hybrids
The lender first has a claim for repayment, not a piece of the company. If the borrower cannot pay, that claim can become ownership instead—which is why this…
Discover more
What fiat really means on your money
There’s no gold tucked behind the word “fiat.” It comes from Latin for “let it be” and describes money a government issues by decree rather than backing with…
Discover more
Model trains can cost more than real cars
A brass model locomotive can cost more than a used car, especially for collectors rebuilding the transit systems they remember from childhood. Their miniature…
Discover more
Stashing cash under a mattress guarantees daily value loss
Hiding cash protects it from being spent, not from inflation. As prices rise, the same bills buy fewer groceries and other goods.
Discover more
One word and a dot-com sold for $30 million
MicroStrategy's 2019 financial filing records the cash sale of Voice.com for $30 million. The asset was an address, not a factory or a finished product. A…
Discover more
Why yoga pants can cost far more than they're worth
Nylon and spandex are inexpensive, but a brand can sell more than the fabric. Wellness marketing helps turn those low-cost materials into pricey leggings.
Discover more
One Charizard card sold for $336,000
Heritage recorded that price for a rare first-edition card in March 2022. Edition, condition, and scarcity can separate an auction trophy from an ordinary…
Discover more
The IRS has tax rules for outer space
The tax question follows the income, not the view from the window: the IRS sets out rules for money earned beyond Earth’s atmosphere. A paycheck from space…
Discover more
Multiplayer trolls thrive on chaotic griefing
A griefer may block a doorway, steal supplies, or deliberately throw a match just to get angry messages. The payoff isn’t winning the game; it’s making…
Discover more
Why your domain renewal costs more after year one
The first-year deal expires, and the renewal price can jump. Moving the domain takes effort, which registrars may count on to keep customers from switching.
Discover more
When coins become worth more as scrap
A coin can be worth more melted down than spent if its metal is worth more than the number stamped on it. People may hoard or melt those coins, because the…
Discover more
The endless loop of middle management
A meeting about an email about another meeting can be the output of management layers built to supervise other administrative roles. The work starts circling…
Discover more