Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
Why supposedly indestructible pet toys don't last
A toy can be molded from tough rubber and still look, to a dog, like something made for chewing apart. The dog sees the cute shape as a challenge, not a…
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Why gyms charge an upfront initiation fee
The initiation fee arrives at signup, before a member’s months of dues—and before many members eventually cancel. It lets the gym collect more upfront than…
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What really goes into commercial pet food
Some kibble starts with animal parts people usually don’t eat, including bones and organs. Manufacturers render those byproducts—processing them into…
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Why rare board games are treated like investments
Collectors look for limited print runs and Kickstarter exclusives, then some buy out-of-print games sealed in their original packaging. The game stays…
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Why party balloons were once artificially cheap
The government had stockpiled billions of cubic feet of helium during the Cold War, then released it onto the market. That extra supply kept the gas unusually…
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Why supermarkets sell bananas so cheaply
The banana price can be a calculated loss. Stores know shoppers remember it, so they may take a hit on bananas to make everything else on the shelves seem…
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Social security relies on future workers
A paycheck deduction today helps fund someone else’s retirement check today. Social Security relies on a continuing workforce to keep that flow going.
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These women-led startups raised less—and earned more
In BCG's 2018 analysis of MassChallenge businesses, startups with a female founder raised less than half as much investment on average as all-male teams, yet…
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Citizens pay taxes on the money they earn, spend, and save
A paycheck can be taxed when you earn it, taxed again when you spend it on groceries, and taxed on the interest if you save what’s left. The same dollars meet…
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A student resold cheaper textbooks—and reached the Supreme Court
Supap Kirtsaeng had relatives buy legitimate English-language textbooks in Thailand and send them to the U.S. for resale. Publisher Wiley sued. In 2013, the…
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Staggered boards make it impossible to replace directors
An activist investor can win a proxy fight and still fail to replace the whole board at once. With only some directors up for election each year, the rest…
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On a grading curve, your classmates affect your grade
On a strict curve, your grade depends on how everyone else performs. You can know the material and still rank lower if classmates do better.
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Your morning coffee connects millions of farming households
The FAO describes coffee as the most widely traded tropical product, with up to 25 million farming households involved in production. Much is grown in…
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Knotweed can complicate a house sale without breaking its foundations
Japanese knotweed can spread persistently and require a management plan, affecting how a property is assessed and financed. Modern surveying guidance…
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Why indie bands are bringing back cassettes
A cassette can hiss or tangle and still earn a place on an indie band’s merch table. Fans buy the nostalgic format and something physical to put on a shelf.
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Why egg donation pays more than you might expect
The payment reflects more than the donated eggs: donors undergo hormone injections and invasive surgery. The physical toll and medical risks are part of what…
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Why dating can settle into a miserable equilibrium
If you expect to be ghosted, you may send fewer messages and risk less effort. The other person may do the same, so neither changes course alone—even if both…
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Old safes hid tear gas traps
A thief who drilled or torched some old safes could trigger a glass vial hidden inside. It shattered and filled the area with blinding tear gas, turning the…
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A boy found some of D. B. Cooper's ransom nine years later
In 1980, a child discovered deteriorating bills on a Columbia River beach. Their serial numbers matched money from the 1971 hijacking. A piece of the missing…
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Rapid industrialization completely transforms poor nations
When more workers and investment move into efficient industries, a developing country can start making goods for markets far beyond its borders. A fast…
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Macadamia nuts became famous far from home
The trees are native to Australia, but Hawaiian growers helped develop macadamias into an internationally marketed crop. The place associated with a food can…
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How Southwest Airlines turned fuel prices into an advantage
Southwest agreed in advance to pay set prices for fuel through hedging contracts. When oil prices shot up, those deals kept the airline from paying the new,…
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Wikipedia's annual guilt trip
You can visit Wikipedia for one obscure Roman emperor and still meet its founder asking for donations. Each winter, the site’s fundraising banners find…
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Why economists call some goods 'inferior'
The term describes demand, not quality: people buy less of an inferior good as their income rises. A commuter who switches from the bus to a car illustrates…
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