Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
Lagging indicators tell you exactly what failed last week
Unemployment figures move after the economy has already shifted. They can tell you what happened, but by the time they change, they are a poor guide to what…
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Winning an auction can be a financial loss
The winning bid can be bad news: when nobody knows an item’s exact value, the person most convinced it’s worth a lot may outbid everyone else. They get the…
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A Japanese town specializes in food you cannot eat
Gujo Hachiman produces many of Japan's realistic restaurant food models, known as sampuru. The replicas show diners the portion and presentation before they…
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Roller-coaster tracks get checked daily for tiny cracks
A roller coaster’s track gets checked daily for tiny cracks, while its heavily stressed wheel bearings are replaced. The parts that keep the cars rolling are…
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Placebo pills still cost money to make and distribute
Researchers cannot simply ignore the placebo pills. They still have to make, track and distribute them alongside the study medication, so a pill without an…
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How theme parks charge you to escape the crowds
Visitors pay extra to skip waits, while the park uses the system to steer people away from crowded areas. The same shortcut sells convenience and helps spread…
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Burying garbage costs cities massive annual tipping fees
Every ton of trash sent to a landfill adds to a city’s bill. Because the landfill charges by weight, garbage disposal keeps costing local governments every…
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Highway noise barriers can cost millions per mile
The price climbs into the millions per mile when a noise barrier needs heavy materials and foundations sunk deep beside an interstate.
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Why cremation uses so much energy
A crematorium has to keep its furnace extremely hot for hours, not just briefly ignite the contents. Holding that heat is what makes cremation consume so much…
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City park maintenance consumes millions in hidden upkeep
A city park’s upkeep is more than mowing the grass. Crews also fix benches and deal with vandalism, weeds and wear, so the costs keep arriving after the park…
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Removing a dam also releases the landscape trapped behind it
Before the Elwha dam removals, reservoirs held roughly 19 million cubic meters of sediment. Lowering the barriers let the river begin moving that material…
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Why sleeplessness is a lucrative business
A sleep drug can take years of research before it reaches a pharmacy. Once it does, companies can keep selling treatments to people still looking for relief.
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A subway’s value is bigger than its fare revenue
Tickets pay for rides, but the system also helps people reach jobs and reduces pressure on crowded roads. Building and maintaining tunnels, tracks, and…
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An ambulance bill pays for more than the miles
The vehicle must be staffed and equipped to respond before anyone calls, and treatment can begin during the ride. Those costs help explain why dividing the…
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Why hearing aids cost so much
People who rely on hearing aids face steep prices partly because the devices can carry some of the medical field’s highest markups. The extra charge lands on…
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One ruler's tomb gave mausoleums their name
The monumental tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its name outlived the building as a word for grand…
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Water treatment plants consume massive amounts of energy
A treatment plant has to pump millions of gallons through sediment tanks, chemical treatment, and ultraviolet purification. Moving and cleaning all that water…
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Tombstones require highly specialized stonecutting skills
A large marker starts as a block of granite, then has to be carved or laser-etched with industrial equipment. Skilled stonecutters do the work, adding labor…
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A fire truck is a specialized machine built around its job
Pumps, water tanks, equipment storage, and—in aerial trucks—large ladders compete for space and weight. Departments specify different combinations for their…
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Archeological digs consume massive preservation budgets
The digging is only the start of an archaeological site’s costs. Teams must secure the area, catalog fragments carefully and protect newly exposed finds from…
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Selling recyclables may not pay the sorting bill
A city can spend more collecting, sorting, and hauling recyclables than it gets back by selling them. If buyers pay little for the recovered material, the…
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Why Antarctic stations import everything
There’s little available on the ice to supply a station, so its food, fuel and building materials have to arrive by ship or plane. Even the calories for the…
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Why a public bench can cost thousands
A bench outdoors has to survive temperature swings, vandalism, and years of heavy use. Municipalities pay for a seat built to take that beating, not just a…
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Why probate can cost grieving families dearly
The estate does not automatically sort itself out: lawyers may have to work through the deceased person’s assets, billing hundreds of dollars an hour.…
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