Dan Ariely is one of my favorite behavioral economists, and the author of a semi-regular Wall Street Journal column featuring readers' questions and his answers. Today's column evoked some strong negative reaction from readers, and I thought I'd share one of them with you. Here is the original question, along with Dan's response: Hi, Dan, … Continue reading Dan Ariely Gets Some Unwelcome Tips about Tipping from His Readers →

A little less than a year ago, I wrote a blog, "Why Don't Houses Have Escalators", and offered what I thought was a compelling argument as to why escalators are much better than an elevator in a house, and perhaps should become standard equipment, replacing the traditional staircase. For some reason, it has been one … Continue reading I’m Kind of a Big Deal in the World of House Escalators, and There Could Be a HUGE Payoff →

The YouTube ads leaderboard showcases the top ads that people choose to watch each month. The company also compiled a special edition of the YouTube ads leaderboard which showcased the top 10 global ads of 2017. Somehow I had missed this listing of the top video ads of the year when it was first released, but … Continue reading YouTube’s Top Ad of the Year (and Month) →

"We found that the more intellectually humble students were more motivated to learn and more likely to use effective metacognitive strategies, like quizzing themselves to check their own understanding. They also ended the year with higher grades in math." The paragraph above comes from a study conducted by Tenelle Porter and her colleagues. The study … Continue reading The Understated Power of Humility (Would You Have Expected Anything Else?) →

One of the most popular categories on YouTube is "how to" videos. Some of the more popular ones include how to kiss, how to tie a tie, and how to unclog a toilet. But does watching those videos actually help you to be able to do the task? Well, it depends. A recent study in … Continue reading Do “How To” Videos Help? Well… →

There are nearly 2.5 million people in the U.S. named Smith, and nearly 2 million named Johnson, according to the 2010 Census. But those numbers are dwarfed by the most popular family name in America. Care to take a guess what that name might be? The picture above is somewhat of a hint. According to … Continue reading The Most Popular Name in the U.S. Will Surprise, and Depress, You →

For the past few years I have had all of my classes video-recorded (which enabled the capture of my "walking into glass door video"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUsiep4zxA I tell my students that they may find the videos helpful if they miss a class (and then they can judge whether or not they "missed anything important'), or when … Continue reading For Those of You Who Find Accounting Too Boring (or Exciting) →

Graduation is one of my favorite times of the year. Villanova's commencement is spread over two days; yesterday was the University graduation and today we had the ceremonies for the individual colleges. Weather was a major concern, and the University had contingency plans in place. However, adding a layer of difficulty to those contingency plans … Continue reading Graduation: the Best of Times, the Worst of Times? →

Just outside a Burger King on Market Street in San Francisco, classical music plays all night and all day, preferably to no one. The reason? To discourage the homeless from hanging around. Apparently many people, including the homeless, dislike how loud it can be and/or simply dislike classical music. And so it works, the homeless … Continue reading Bach, Beethoven, and Burger King →

How great were Saturdays as a kid growing up in the 60s? You'd start the morning off with a bowl of cereal (or two); here's a list of some of my favorites at the time: Cocoa Puffs Alpha-Bits (educational too!) Life (allegedly the healthiest one on my list) Lucky Charms Cap'n Crunch Fruit Loops Honey-Comb … Continue reading Now This Is How Kids Should Spend Saturdays →