Sound Economics

Most people know about the underrepresentation of women within STEM fields, but most aren’t aware of inequality within the field of economics. Economics is dominated by men with little representation of women as well as racial and ethnic minority groups.  Roughly 25% of all economics faculty are women, with that percentage decreasing to just 15% for full professors. Only about 34% of undergrad economics majors are women. Those percentages have stayed roughly the same since the 90s. One reason for such a lack of representation within the major is that females tend to get discouraged and receive harsher criticism than Continue reading Women in Economics→

As I’m sure you’re all well aware, the U.S is currently facing a human welfare crisis as the number of houseless people continues to climb. The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fentanyl epidemic, and a shortage of housing has proved to be a lethal combination that has very effectively displaced over half a million people according to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. This has led to widespread open air drug use, unsanitary public spaces, and mounting pressure on public services to cater to an already needy population. As a result, the financial resources required by municipalities Continue reading The Golden Ticket to Solving Homelessness→

Many people spend huge amounts of time and money trying to come up with that “perfect” gift, but is it worth it? Gifts are a way of connecting individuals to one another. Sentimental gifts given between close parties are highly beneficial as well. These gifts have oftentimes the most thought and care put into them. They may not have the most monetary value but they mean the most to the gifter and receiver. Another way gift-giving is highly beneficial is when a gift is given to a recipient who isn’t in a current position to afford said gift. For example, Continue reading Why Gift?→

When looking at the effects of Ukraine, we have had to as a society and a world face numerous and extraordinarily broad externalities. This coming all the way from exuberantly large gas prices to drops in business output and even the shortages in the supply chain which has caused many of the recurring and abundant resources and inputs we use as the United States to become less accessible, particularly in the timing or manner that which we require. However, when people in the United States were stating issues of goods that would be affected in the supply chain, they probably Continue reading Cerealnomics part 2:Ukraine and child cereal ethics→

Sneezes, coughs, sudden noises. Even working in a professional recording studio, voice actors cannot avoid these problems. If the finished film contains any unwanted sounds, this dubbing work is equivalent to a waste of time. However, any environmental or human-generated noises will not affect the AI voice. With the heated discussions on ChatGPT, recent news about AI is flooding everywhere, doubts, panic, excitement, and expectations. No negative emotional expressions will stop the advancement of this technology. So, if one day, not only static words and paintings, but also AI can perfectly reflect the emotions that need to be expressed during Continue reading Will Voice Actors be Replaced by AI?→

The U.S. is witnessing an unprecedented number of child labor law violations taking place all over the country. Automotive companies such as Hyundai, and Kia, as well as food packaging companies such as Packers Santitation Services LLC, which service companies like McDonald’s, Chipotle, and Dunkin Donuts have all recently been cited for violations. These are just a few of the most egregious offenders who have been accused of employing minors in dangerous, sometimes toxic working conditions. Many of the children involved are undocumented and are residing in the U.S. on the basis of asylum, staying with host families that have Continue reading Child Labor in the U.S. – An Epidemic of Exploitation→

In my past posts, I have discussed the important crossover between economic and climate issues. My posts have focused primarily on the problems of climate change and not on the movement to a solution. Economics is very intertwined with climate mitigation as it is expensive and impactful on every aspect of human life. To measure climate mitigation it is necessary to put climate costs in numeric values, one of the most important measurements is the social cost of carbon. The social cost of carbon is “an estimate of the cost, in dollars of the damage done by each additional ton Continue reading The Fluctuating Social Cost of Carbon→

Designer brands have a choke hold on many Americans with them running to go buy pieces from the latest collections, but why would so many people buy from brands like Gucci or Hermes? Around 38% of Americans bought luxury shoes in 2018 with a large proportion of them not even able to afford their purchases. A completely rational person would always act in their best interest, avoiding debt or making purchases that would better suit their income. However, people don’t act rationally, many people would rather spend thousands of dollars on a luxury branded bag with a similar quality and Continue reading Why so many people buy from designer brands→

In November of 2022, we opened Pandora’s box. Throughout our society’s history, we have had many advancements, such as the internet, electricity, and indoor plumbing. In 20 years, we will be putting Chat GBT in the same regard as these singular inventions or entities that created a movement. In this case, it is the start of the artificial revolution. With all this new information out in the world, what do we need to know, how should we act on that information, and what does it mean for our future careers and educational systems? With this significant shift, some of the Continue reading Chat GBT:effects on capitalism and how the individual can capitalize→

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oscar-Winning Composer, Dies at 71 I have never thought that the online piano playing recording stream of Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto I watched at the end of 2022 would be the last farewell to this professor. I’m not a fan of Ryuichi Sakamoto. I know him, though not much. In fact, If it wasn’t for an almost fanatical recommendation from one my friend who studied music in Japan, I would not know that he is the creator of “Energy Flow” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence“, which I looped frequently when I was junior high. Pandemic, unemployment, economic recession, every Continue reading Personal Consumption, Do Valuation of the Music Itself.→