Monthly Archives: November 2009

FEYNMAN ON ELIMINATING ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS.

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Philip

FEYNMAN ON ELIMINATING ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS. It seems apparent to me that there are a variety of factors which might affect the jam experiment (for example, is choosing among jams different from choosing hamburgers or cars?). Circumstances surrounding choices are very … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Science | 2 Comments

OTHER EXPLANATIONS OF THE JAM EXPERIMENT.

Posted on November 29, 2009 by Philip

OTHER EXPLANATIONS OF THE JAM EXPERIMENT. The comments on the Marginal Revolution post that I linked to yesterday offer several alternative explanations for the jam experiment. The first comment suggests that in recent years people may have become more comfortable … Continue reading →

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CAN LOTS OF CHOICES MAKE US UNHAPPY?—REVISITED.

Posted on November 28, 2009 by Philip

CAN LOTS OF CHOICES MAKE US UNHAPPY?—REVISITED. I posted here about the paradox of choice (and the book of that title by Barry Schwartz). That paradox says that having too many choices can make the process of choosing painful. There … Continue reading →

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FRENCH LOCALISM (COMMENT).

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Philip

FRENCH LOCALISM (COMMENT). I have posted several times about examples of how long it took for France to overcome localism and establish a national identity. When I posted on another example a few days ago, Dick Weisfelder pointed out “that … Continue reading →

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WHAT IF THE UNION HAD DISSOLVED?

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Philip

WHAT IF THE UNION HAD DISSOLVED? Before the Civil War, there was talk of secession from time to time by other regions as well as the South. What if the Union had dissolved? In the essay I linked to yesterday, … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 1 Comment

EXOTIC AMERICAN FOODS.

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Philip

EXOTIC AMERICAN FOODS. For our Thanksgiving dinner, Mary Jane made our traditional side dish of green bean casserole. My mother made it every Thanksgiving just as I imagine many American cooks did in the 1950′s and 1960′s. The important ingredients … Continue reading →

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LIBERTY AND UNION.

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Philip

LIBERTY AND UNION. Jay Cost in RealClearPolitics has an essay commemorating the first Thanksgiving Proclamation, by Abraham Lincoln in November, 1863. Cost says: “Today is a day to put aside our differences, to praise God for the blessings of this … Continue reading →

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UTOPIA AND THANKSGIVING.

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Philip

UTOPIA AND THANKSGIVING. We are an idealistic people, given to dreams of Utopia and devoted to progress and conscious of how far we fall short of our aspirations. It’s good that we have one day a year devoted to pausing … Continue reading →

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THE STANDUP SCIENTIST.

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Philip

THE STANDUP SCIENTIST. I posted here about an economist who is a standup comic. A friend kindly sent me this link to a YouTube of a scientist doing standup comedy. It’s also educational. I found the first joke (“A virus … Continue reading →

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WHY DOCTORS AND BANKERS DRESS CONSERVATIVELY.

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Philip

WHY DOCTORS AND BANKERS DRESS CONSERVATIVELY. Years ago, in my introductory economics class, Meyer Burstein observed that doctors and bankers tend to dress conservatively to distract attention from the fact that their professions dealt with large risks on a regular … Continue reading →

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