Economics

Said and Done for June/July 2012Digest of MIT humanities, arts and social sciences

Economist Robert Townsend wins Frisch MedalPrestigious prize granted for research on Thailand’s villages.

Computer science tackles 30-year-old economics problemMIT researchers generalize Nobel winner’s work on single-item auctions to auctions involving multiple items.

Economists find evidence for famous hypothesis of ‘comparative advantage’Why do nations trade goods instead of producing more themselves? An old theory, that countries specialize in the products they make well, may be on the money.

Josh Shifrinson: decline of power playMilitary strategy for a declining United States in a complex world

No crystal ball for natural gasTraditionally, oil prices have been used to gauge the natural gas market; but new research shows that the future of what is currently a cheap fuel is really anyone's guess.

Andrea Campbell: Public opinion and policy viewed through an historical lensProfessor studies taxation, Social Security, health insurance and more.

Taking creditWhen Thailand’s government started offering microfinance loans to villagers, did anyone benefit? An MIT economist investigates.

Studying school quality, to fight inequalityNew MIT center examines education and its lifelong effects.

Game theory, in the real worldMIT economist Parag Pathak engineers practical solutions to complicated education problems.

Amy Finkelstein wins John Bates Clark MedalMIT economist lauded for work on health care markets.

Acemoglu wins Nemmers PrizeMIT economist granted award for ‘fundamental contributions’ on economics, politics and growth.

13 faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

A taxing issueIn book talk, MIT economist Simon Johnson and co-author James Kwak emphasize need to raise revenues to cope with national debt.

3 Questions: Simon Johnson on the national debtIn new book, MIT economist surveys history of debt battles and offers a prescription for fiscal recovery.

Three MIT economics doctoral students selected as among the world's most promising

All the difference in the worldIn new book, economists Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson assert that above all else, political institutions — not culture or natural resources — determine the wealth of nations.

Development economist Alice Amsden dies at 68MIT professor was a prolific scholar who wrote extensively about industrialization in emerging economies.

Inequality offensiveAt MIT forum, economists evaluate the consequences of increasing inequality in America, and suggest solutions.

Fuel for thoughtEconomist Christopher Knittel uncovers surprising facts about the cars we drive — and about the price of gas.

Game onAs MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference kicks off, scholars and fans have produced a growing avalanche of quantitative research.

Our complex food future and how to respondToday’s global challenges will significantly affect how we grow our food. But these challenges are so complex and intertwined that response measures require collaboration and a broad, integrated lens.

Scientists: This man has your numberPierre Azoulay knows why scientists thrive, flounder and have bursts of creativity — and he has the numbers to back it up.

Q&A with Rosalind Williams on history in the age of human empireNew book examines the critical juncture when human endeavors began to dominate the planet.

When (and where) work disappearsStudy: Overseas manufacturing competition hits U.S. regions hard, leaving workers unemployed for years and local economies struggling.

Principles of Microeconomics now available in MIT OpenCourseWare’s innovative OCW Scholar format14.01SC is the third of seven courses OCW will publish this spring specifically to meet the needs of independent learners.