The best of economics concerns itself with answering what, how, and why questions. Here are some examples: why does the quantity demanded of Wild Cherry Pepsi increase when the price goes down? How are people’s investments affected by raising the capital gains tax rate? What does this person prefer to produce? Answering questions such as […]
Archive for the 'Technology & Innovation' Category
The Threat to Economics, Part II
Published by May 22nd, 2008 in Economics, Technology & Innovation and Policy. 2 CommentsThe Politics of (Monetary Policy) Science, Part I
Published by May 14th, 2008 in Economics, Technology & Innovation and Policy. 2 CommentsEconomics is widely considered a science, up to a point. What kind of a science is an issue still up for debate. Some believe it merely a “social” science, and it is, though it is much more than any of the other social sciences. In particular, it seems that microeconomics forms the basis for the […]
Meeting Overview 04/01/08
Published by April 1st, 2008 in Technology & Innovation and Meeting Records. ClosedI’ve been hesitant to post any more of my meeting records since the last one inexplicably disappeared, but today’s discussion was (in my unqualified opinion) a good one, so I’m going to put it up lest it appear I have been shirking my secretarial duties. This week’s topic: Network neutrality.
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JN: Basically, proponents of net neutrality […]
By way of Matt, I have a light-hearted romp through LA with Drew Carey — the subject? How to solve GRIDLOCK. If you guess the video confirms UES policy proposals, you are right.
Mobile Specialization
Published by December 20th, 2007 in Technology & Innovation, Entertainment & Culture and Fluff. 4 CommentsHaving recently acquired a new phone after about 3 years, I was amazed by how far cell phone tech has come. I had seen the commercials for the iPhone and the Blackberry, but having a new generation phone in my hands and interacting with it is really neat. The internet was very quick, it […]
The Devil is in the DNA
Published by December 19th, 2007 in Economics, Technology & Innovation and Law. 0 CommentsRecently, several UES elders have called for a revision of intellectual property laws. While the range of opinions varies from outright abolition of intellectual property (Vakenhobbes, Admiral) to the reduction in the length and scope of protection (Monocrat, Matt), all seem to agree that reform is the name of the game. But hey, we are […]
Meeting Overview 11/27/07
Published by November 28th, 2007 in Technology & Innovation, Meeting Records and Law. 3 CommentsThis week’s topic: Intellectual Property Rights & Music Piracy
AB: Anybody who illegally downloads [here, d/l’s] music should have his computer forfeited and be sent to jail. Without a trial.
MM: That’s a bit harsh. Lawsuits count the songs people have illegally distributed and fine them that way. That sounds good, although it overstates their losses.
SC: The […]
Google Wireless in the Works
Published by November 16th, 2007 in Miscellaneous, Technology & Innovation and Fluff. 0 CommentsNot drooling for the iPhone yet? Just wait until it’s on a Google wireless network along with all the Google goodies we have all come to love and depend on. I know you’re thinking “What does all this have to do with economics!?” Well, it does have serious implications for those in the wireless telecommunications […]
Musical Revolutionaries or Retreads? Part II
Published by October 5th, 2007 in Economics, Technology & Innovation and Entertainment & Culture. 1 CommentIT’S UP TO YOU. NO REALLY. IT’S UP TO YOU.
So says Radiohead, the thought-dead “band” full of interesting characters with interesting perspectives. Basically, their formula for music is: grab some synthesizers, throw in some wailing, add a dash of dancing based on the movement of trees in wind, and one cockeyed dropout from a Coast […]
Wal-Mart: More Amazing Than Ever
Published by September 28th, 2007 in Economics, Technology & Innovation and Fluff. 2 CommentsJust a short note that I wanted to share with you all. Some time in February 2007, I enjoyed a stroll through a Wal-Mart here in Gainesville and was overjoyed to find the following innovations:
Mini H&R Block shops
Suits by George
LOTS of people shop in Wal-Mart and almost everyone needs to do their taxes. Might H&R […]
Hedge Fund Note
Published by September 17th, 2007 in Economics and Technology & Innovation. 2 CommentsIn browsing another economics blog, Ajay Shah’s blog, I came across this post on market regulation. I like some of his comments regarding hedge funds, and it happens to be somewhat on topic with what we discussed last week in UES:
It is useful to have a system of checks and balances whereby the regulated market […]
Cold Water on Anti-NASA People
Published by May 26th, 2007 in Technology & Innovation and Fluff. 1 CommentFar be it for me to come to the defense of NASA, but it looks like they have done it for me. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you NASA’s plan to usurp Star Trek III:
THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK’S HOME
I don’t think that you can put a price tag on this. It’s one of those […]
Citizen Kane2-D2
Published by December 20th, 2006 in Technology & Innovation, Policy and Fluff. 3 CommentsIt seems that at least one organ of Her Britannic Majesty’s Government took Robin Williams’ movie Bicentennial Man at little too seriously. Reports the AP: “Robots might one day be smart enough to demand emancipation from their human owners, raising the prospects they’ll have to be treated as citizens, according to a speculative paper released […]
From TCS, a eulogy for the end of the telegram.
