Category Archives: Economics

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AS SCIENTISTS.

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Philip

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AS SCIENTISTS. Although labeled as bicycle mechanics, the Wright brothers solved a number of scientific problems using scientific methods. For example: 1.Wilbur studied the flights of birds and observed that birds changed the angle of the ends … Continue reading →

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SKEPTICISM ABOUT BICYCLE MECHANICS.

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Philip

SKEPTICISM ABOUT BICYCLE MECHANICS. The Wright brothers had great difficulty in getting recognition for what they had done. One reason may have been that their approach was so different from that of other pioneers—viewing the problem as one of control … Continue reading →

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PERFECTING THE GLIDER.

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Philip

PERFECTING THE GLIDER. This wikipedia entry describes the years of work which were dedicated to manned flight by the Wright brothers. Those years were devoted to work on the control of a glider, both by improving glider design and by … Continue reading →

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AN AIRPLANE IS LIKE A BICYCLE.

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Philip

AN AIRPLANE IS LIKE A BICYCLE. John Pollack had an essay in the Wall Street Journal (November 8-9) about the importance of analogies for innovation (the essay is based on his book SHORTCUT: HOW ANALOGIES REVEAL CONNECTIONS, SPARK INNOVATION, AND … Continue reading →

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A MEDIATED SETTLEMENT RECORDED ON BIRCH BARK.

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Philip

A MEDIATED SETTLEMENT RECORDED ON BIRCH BARK. One of the first formal mediations I became familiar with was occasioned by a dispute over many millions of dollars, which was settled by the businessmen engaged in the mediation by an agreement … Continue reading →

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HAVE POST COMMUNIST COUNTRIES BECOME “NORMAL COUNTRIES’?

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Philip

HAVE POST COMMUNIST COUNTRIES BECOME “NORMAL COUNTRIES”? I have posted a number of times on the aftermath of the fall of the Iron Curtain. The event was the most important in my adult life. For example, I posted here in … Continue reading →

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GERMAN OPINONS ON REAGAN AND SOCIALISM.

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Philip

GERMAN OPINIONS ON REAGAN AND SOCIALISM. Rick Noack’s article was based on the statistical work of Die Zeit . The maps and graphs here show some dramatic differences between East and West. *The first map shows the dramatic differences in … Continue reading →

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MORE ON THE EAST GERMANY/ WEST GERMANY EXPERIMENT.

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Philip

MORE ON THE EAST GERMANY/WEST GERMANY EXPERIMENT. I posted here on some of the results of the experiment which divided East Germany from West Germany for over 25 years. With the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, … Continue reading →

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TURNING RIGHT TO OPTIMIZE.

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Philip

TURNING RIGHT TO OPTIMIZE. I posted here about Michael Gartner’s charming memoir of his parents, including the fact that Gartner’s mother did all the driving in his family. When she got into her eighties, Gartner’s parents decided it was safer … Continue reading →

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EAST GERMANY AND WEST GERMANY—THE NATURAL EXPERIMENT.

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Philip

EAST GERMAN AND WEST GERMANY—THE NATURAL EXPERIMENT. I posted here about how the success of FREAKONOMICS had influenced young economists to seek out “natural experiments”, where the problems of multiple causation can be avoided. East Germany and West Germany present … Continue reading →

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