Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
A handful of firms can steer how giant funds vote
You might think massive funds make their own decisions, but they essentially outsource their brains. A tiny handful of proxy advisory firms issue…
Discover more
Private groups built and charged for lighthouses
Economists loved using lighthouses as the ultimate example of a 'public good' that only the government could build, since you cannot force ships to pay for…
Discover more
The tooth fairy may follow the stock market
Children are unwittingly being exposed to the extreme volatility of the S&P 500. Polling data from Delta Dental reveals that when the stock market is booming,…
Discover more
Why luxury makeup feels heavier
Your expensive compact feels significant because of literal dead weight. Premium brands actively embed lead or metal plates into the bottom of their plastic…
Discover more
The private firefighters protecting wealthy estates
When public services stretch thin, the ultra-wealthy just hire their own private army of water hoses. A booming luxury industry now exists where insurance…
Discover more
The hidden clause that can keep you out of court
Hidden deep in the user agreement of absolutely every app and service is a clause forcing you into private arbitration. If the company dramatically wrongs…
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.
How Vatican City pays its bills
The holiest place on earth basically runs the financial model of an upscale amusement park. Because Vatican City has no agriculture, no manufacturing, and…
Discover more
When dentists used tons of gold every year
Before composite resins became the norm, walking around with a pirate's treasure chest in your mouth was considered peak dental care. In the late 20th…
Discover more
Wall Street got its name from a real wall
The epicenter of global finance originated as a panicked defense mechanism against colonial rivals. In the 17th century, Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam built…
Discover more
The communities where an hour always equals an hour
When conventional mediums of value fail, specific communities completely pivot to trading sheer chronological existence. In these networks, an hour spent…
Discover more
Why office-fridge lunches mysteriously disappear
Leaving your pristine sandwich in a communal workspace is practically a formal invitation for theft. The tragedy of the commons dictates that shared,…
Discover more
Why OnlyFans can out-earn legacy giants
Turns out selling feet pics is a much better business model than flying commercial jets. The subscription platform exploded during the pandemic, operating…
Discover more
Why donated bodies may be divided and sold for medical training
Giving your body to science is noble until you realize science is basically a chop shop. Independent brokers routinely slice up generously donated remains and…
Discover more
Why returning an opened laptop can cost you
Returning an opened laptop suddenly incurs a massive percentage penalty. Retailers loudly claim it covers testing and repackaging, but it mainly functions as…
Discover more
Fast fashion is piling up in the Atacama Desert
The true cost of a five-dollar t-shirt is a massive geographical disaster. Because synthetic fast fashion is nearly impossible to recycle and barely durable…
Discover more
English is popular simply because everyone else speaks it
The ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy of communication. A language becomes more valuable strictly because other people use it, creating a massive…
Discover more
Why refusing charity overhead can hurt the cause
Philanthropic individuals love demanding that absolutely zero percent of their cash goes toward paying the organizers or keeping the lights on. This…
Discover more
Why ventriloquist dummies sell for fortunes
Antique wooden dolls designed to sit on a comedian's lap are highly sought after by oddity collectors. Despite looking objectively terrifying and carrying…
Discover more
Why strict rules can strengthen a group
Forcing members to wear highly uncomfortable clothing and completely abstain from delicious foods seems like a terrible recruitment strategy. However, these…
Discover more
The tiny seashell that powered global trade
Gold and silver get all the glory, but a tiny sea snail absolutely dominated global trade for thousands of years. From ancient China to Africa and the Middle…
Discover more
Cacao cultivation requires a specific equatorial climate
The entire chocolate industry balances precariously on a thin strip of land near the equator. Cacao trees are incredibly sensitive divas that refuse to grow…
Discover more
When Venezuelan banknotes became handbags
When cash loses its value, it finds a new purpose as arts and crafts. The Venezuelan bolivar crashed so spectacularly due to hyperinflation that citizens…
Discover more
How investors can profit from a collapse they don't own
A bizarre system where investors literally buy protection against a collapse they do not even own. It perfectly incentivizes chaotic market actors to actively…
Discover more
Sewage treatment is massively underfunded
Nobody wants to pay for what happens after they flush. Upgrading ancient sewage infrastructure is wildly expensive and completely unglamorous, leading…
Discover more