tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post7356859442182066801..comments2023-11-24T03:20:02.361-07:00Comments on Tufte's Economics Classes Blog - A Living Textbook: Trick or Treat: The End of ChocolateDr. Tuftehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17397586052171706438noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-1000074817374054852013-12-09T17:51:57.312-07:002013-12-09T17:51:57.312-07:00Ryan Horlacher: 50/50
Interesting. You know I kin...Ryan Horlacher: 50/50<br /><br />Interesting. You know I kinda' sorta' knew both of those facts, but I didn't put them together like you did.<br /><br />But, your second paragraph is more pie-in-the-sky. <br /><br />I don't know that there's ever a sense in which making the "plenty or room" argument is worthwhile. Conceptually, cost curves always extend infinitely Dave Tuftehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877686358267438045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-10938724814652958012013-12-09T00:23:25.981-07:002013-12-09T00:23:25.981-07:00In doing a bit of reading about the supply of the ...In doing a bit of reading about the supply of the Cocoa bean, I found that nearly 70% of the world's supply is produced in West Africa. I found this interesting because it seems quite expensive to export Cocoa beans all the way from West Africa when they can be grown easily in much of South America. I then found that most of the Chocolate of the world is consumed by Europeans rather than Ryan Horlacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12802628263171772934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-65903702649692516372013-11-26T18:25:24.170-07:002013-11-26T18:25:24.170-07:00I just had a thought about the general line of dis...I just had a thought about the general line of discussion here — that no one would really give chocolate up over price.<br /><br />I think we're forgetting our American history. The reason Americans drink coffee (generally) and the English drink tea (generally) is usually attributed to the steep taxes imposed on tea in the 1770's.Dave Tuftehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877686358267438045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-10541568582510873422013-11-13T12:45:35.429-07:002013-11-13T12:45:35.429-07:0010-S Pro: 50/50
Not much ManEc in this post, that...10-S Pro: 50/50<br /><br />Not much ManEc in this post, that I can see.<br /><br />Businesses don't just "pass on the cost to the consumers". Instead, managers make a decision to try and do this.<br /><br />But the decision doesn't make it so. If the incidence is such that the cost is passed on, then the manager looks smart. But if the incidence does not fall on the buyer, then Dave Tuftehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877686358267438045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-67610448491274999562013-11-11T11:56:05.439-07:002013-11-11T11:56:05.439-07:00It’s hard to think that real chocolate will ever b...It’s hard to think that real chocolate will ever be “scarce.” For those people who will “eat nothing but the best,” they will be willing to pay extra for the best. Also, chocolate especially dark, in educated moderation, is good for one’s health. Not only does it help reduce chances of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes, but British psychologists found it even helps with math! <br /><br10-S Prohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02491634462385485245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-28476295690812786062013-11-07T22:03:00.051-07:002013-11-07T22:03:00.051-07:00Vader: 50/50.
Now, here's some real micro to ...Vader: 50/50.<br /><br />Now, here's some real micro to sink your teeth into.<br /><br />The real goal of economics is not to teach arcane theories, and then try and find some story in the real world that fits them as an example. I know it may seem that way to students, but that's only because you mostly see that side.<br /><br />Instead, economics is about seeing unusual behavior, and Dave Tuftehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877686358267438045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-79566297764046644192013-10-30T22:34:50.896-06:002013-10-30T22:34:50.896-06:00It is interesting that someone posted about the pr...It is interesting that someone posted about the price of chocolate since this week, while listening to NPR, I heard a segment on this same topic but with a little different spin. I tried to find the article to quote it but was unable. I did find an article on a similar topic at http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_24369363/wolfgang-hershey-bite-into-rising-cocoa-prices.<br /><br />One curiousVaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14956619331912765017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-27281016992178060202013-10-29T09:40:14.029-06:002013-10-29T09:40:14.029-06:00Nickwb: 50/50
Nickwb has raised a good point here...Nickwb: 50/50<br /><br />Nickwb has raised a good point here; but it's one that is very difficult to model mathematically.<br /><br />Y'all love doing the math in economics, right?<br /><br />Part of the problem in doing economics is that what seem like simple ideas on the surface turn out to be extremely complex under the surface. This is a good example. <br /><br />First thing I want toDave Tuftehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877686358267438045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-10759956057260956322013-10-29T01:22:14.393-06:002013-10-29T01:22:14.393-06:00In light of this article, I want to explore for a ...In light of this article, I want to explore for a minute the principle of substitutes. Essentially, a substitute good is a good which, when conditions change, may replace another good in use or consumption. Pepsi and Coke are classic examples. If the price of a Pepsi were to climb too high (the conditions changed) consumers would eventually find a substitute to replace their drink (Coke). We nickwbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03517822063163985361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169279.post-3747459376201904442013-10-23T10:54:26.708-06:002013-10-23T10:54:26.708-06:00Aicha435: 100/100
There's a much broader soci...Aicha435: 100/100<br /><br />There's a much broader socio-macroeconomic issue here. Aicha435's analysis of the microeconomics is just fine. But the points in the second paragraph apply to a much wider variety of goods, and in an unexpected way.<br /><br />Everyone agrees that improvement in living standards is important and beneficial, but that there are (both internalized and external) Dave Tuftehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877686358267438045noreply@blogger.com