The Best and Worst of City Cycle Schemes
This article looks at the varied results associated with city bicycle sharing schemes, highlighting the fact that many have failed and the different cost structures of each scheme.
Bananas and Strawberries - Demand and Supply in Action
Two tidy demand and supply stories here - one on rising sales of Fair-trade bananas and the second on the early appearance of the UK strawberry crop.
Importance of Remittances for Lesotho
A great macro article and video from the BBC on Lesotho.
Where might the next economic crisis come from?
After MPC member Gertan Vlieghe had the temerity to suggest that the Bank of England might still struggle to see the source of the next financial crisis, Phillip Inman has stepped in to help. He...
Kenya's Railway Corridor and Improving Livelihoods
I love developmental stories like this, which highlights the way in which the development of infrastructure can be associated with improved living standards in all sorts of ways. In this World Bank...
Economics News Quiz - w/e 24 Feb 2017
Here's this week's economics news quiz in not one, but three different formats!
Reforming Economics Education at University
Martin Sandhu reviews some new books on reforming economics education in the universities. So much depends on how economics is taught both in schools, colleges and on university campuses. I am...
Government Failure - Wood Energy Schemes and Climate Change
An interesting BBC article here that suggests that some ostensibly environmentally-friendly advice has turned out to be exactly the opposite. In this instance, the suggestion that the use of wood...
2017 Economic Growth Commission Report is Launched
The 2017 LSE (London School of Economics) Growth Commission sets out a new blueprint for inclusive and sustainable growth in the UK that deals with the challenges facing the UK, old and new.
Problems with Randomised Controlled Trials
Students of overseas aid and behavioural interventions may have come across the idea of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). In this video, Nobel-winner Professor Angus Deaton discusses the...
RIP Kenneth Arrow
A true giant in the world of economics has passed away. Generations of economists have developed their craft drawing on many of the insights and ideas that Kenneth Arrow helped formulate and led to...
Seven Amazing Optical Illusions
Courtesy of Richard Wiseman - which one is your favourite? Can you set some of these up in the classroom?
Inequality linked to export complexity
Some new and exciting work from Cesar Hidalgo! Research from Hidalgo's team at the MIT media lab finds that a country's income inequality is linked to its export complexity.
How much higher can house prices go?
Official data released last week on London house price increases in 2016 generated a lot of interest. Given that housing represents by far the most important component of wealth for most people, it...
The External Cost of Nurdles
What is a nurdle? Anyone who has seen me bat can answer that question. However, apparently, it's also a small plastic pellet and one of the major sources of marine pollution.
Slowing Down the Predatory Traders
A stunning Newsnight piece here on two of the "heroes" in Flash Boys written by Michael Lewis who have now started a new stock exchange to protect investors from being picked off by the speed...
Don't Miss This Week's Economics Teaching Opportunities
We've had more top teaching opportunities for economics teachers posted to the tutor2u jobs board this week.
Should rich pensioners be taxed more heavily?
Phillip Inman argues here that there needs to be a serious rethink of provision for old age. However, whether that involves taxation or an end to the free provision of benefits in kind is another...
Africa Knowledge Fest 2017
Just about the best introduction to some of the World Bank's recent Sub-Saharan African research has been collated here as part of the Africa Knowledge Fest. Worth a look for interested development...
UK inflation in the Brexit years
George Buckley has been a good friend of Tutor2u over the years. He explains things really clearly for A level students - this is a good example as he explores some of the factors that will affect...