College Football Helmet Stickers

Economics is all about incentives. When a college football player does well (in many schools) they get a sticker on the helmet. This is an interesting piece on the incentives this creates for the players. Mony quote:

Now, a study published this month in the online journal PLoS ONE, has given a fresh perspective on this practice: When small rewards become visible trophies of status within a group, male players change their approach in competition, sacrificing their own best interest to serve the needs of the team.

Higher Ed the Next Bubble?

This is an interesting piece. I personally never heard of Peter Thiel, but that should not indicate that what he says is not relevant. If this is true I wonder how it would all play out. The money quote:

Instead, for Thiel, the bubble that has taken the place of housing is the higher education bubble. “A true bubble is when something is overvalued and intensely believed,” he says. “Education may be the only thing people still believe in in the United States. To question education is really dangerous. It is the absolute taboo. It’s like telling the world there’s no Santa Claus.”

Like the housing bubble, the education bubble is about security and insurance against the future. Both whisper a seductive promise into the ears of worried Americans: Do this and you will be safe. The excesses of both were always excused by a core national belief that no matter what happens in the world, these were the best investments you could make. Housing prices would always go up, and you will always make more money if you are college educated.

HT: The big lead

Correlation vs. Causation

This site offers plenty of correlation examples. Thinking about possible causations can be time consuming. (HT: Freakonomics)

Solving the Deficit

The article we went over in class. Try solving the deficit on your own and see what our Federal Government looks like. Imagine the political will it would take to do it.