Previously, I talked about a problem I perceive with doing experiments in real life: what’s good for you to do might be bad when everyone does it. In order to tell, you have to tally up the benefit to you minus to the total detriment to everyone else, which is hard since those negative consequences are may … More The problem with real-life experiments: followup
I’m often amused by the way small children who are learning to walk will use an adult’s leg for support just as readily as a piece of furniture. To a young child’s eyes, we grown-up giants must seem so strong and immovable that, if we are doing what they want, it’s because they’ve convinced us … More Immovable giants
When I hear about expert economists who disagree on policy recommendations, I think, “Surely this could be solved by experiment!” What if, instead of arguing over, say, whether raising the minimum wage would help or hurt the economy, we just try it out somewhere and see what happens? I would love to see more evidence-based … More The problem with real-life experiments
I don’t put a lot of stock into making New Year’s resolutions; in fact, I usually try to start a habit on an otherwise ordinary day so that when I fall off the wagon it’s easier to get back on. But I like the idea of having a time of year when you think about the … More My 2017 goals
Owen Biesel 