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Robert H Frank
@econnaturalist
, 11 tweets, 6 min read Read on Twitter
This week I posted the tenth in a series of interesting questions my economics students have posed and answered in response to my Economic Naturalist writing assignment. Links to those questions follow
This thread describes the assignment, and takes up Question 1: Why do regulators require safety seats for toddlers for even a two-block drive to the grocery store, yet permit them to sit unrestrained on parents’ laps on long flights?
Economic Naturalist Question #2. Why do brides often spend thousands of dollars on wedding dresses they will never wear again, while grooms typically rent cheap tuxedos, even though they will have many future occasions that call for one?
Economic Naturalist Question #3. Why does a light come on when you open the refrigerator but not when you open the freezer?
Economic Naturalist Question #4. Why do new cars costing $25,000 rent for $50 a day, while tuxedos costing only $500 rent for around $100?
Economic Naturalist Question #5. Why do many fast-food restaurants promise a free meal if you are not given a receipt at the time of purchase?
Economic Naturalist Question #6. Why are newspapers, but not soft drinks, sold in vending machines that allow customers to take more units than they paid for?
Economic Naturalist Question #7. Why might an appliance retailer hammer dents into the sides of its stoves and refrigerators?
Economic Naturalist Question #8. Why do airlines charge much more for tickets purchased at the last minute, while Broadway theaters follow the opposite practice?
Economic Naturalist Question #9. Why are the portraits on coins done in profile while those on paper money are in full face?
Economic Naturalist Question #10. Why are brown eggs more expensive than white ones?

Posing an interesting question is a valuable contribution to any conversation. Please share these questions with others and notice how they react.
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Robert H Frank
@econnaturalist
Thread: Economic Naturalist Question #8. Why do airlines charge much more for tickets purchased at the last minute, while Broadway theaters follow the opposite practice?
In an earlier thread, I explored why introductory economics courses appear to leave little lasting imprint on the millions of students who take them each year:
Students learn more effectively when they pose interesting questions based on personal experience, and then use basic economic principles to help answer them. This exercise became what I call my “economic naturalist” writing assignment.
Read 14 tweets
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Robert H Frank
@econnaturalist
Thread on diminished support for carbon taxes
Climatologists and economists have long viewed carbon taxation as the most effective way to curb greenhouse gas emissions. But with public awareness of #climatechange at an all-time high, reformers are now backing away from carbon taxes. Why?
A recurring theme in this week’s NYT Magazine, an issue devoted mostly to the climate crisis, is that carbon taxes are unpopular with voters.
@dleonhardt, nytimes.com/interactive/20…
Read 13 tweets
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Robert H Frank
@econnaturalist
Thread: Is it unfair to charge different people different prices for essentially the same good or service? In earlier pieces, I have argued that the practice is often not only fair but also efficient.
See, for example, “Tesla’s Tiered Pricing Is a Hurdle, But a Fair One” nytimes.com/2017/10/27/bus… ...
…and “How Much Is That Laptop? It Depends on the Color of the Case. And That’s Fair.” nytimes.com/2006/07/06/bus…...
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