Yes, we want fries with that
Self-service technology, read through behavioural economics. Taylor opens with the University of Connecticut honesty-box study (even a sculpted head watching us boosts payment), then applies 'observed people are nicer people' to self-checkouts, where anonymity turns ordinary shoppers into Emmeline Taylor's 'SWIPERS'. The flip side is upselling: 61 per cent of customers spend more ordering via a McDonald's kiosk, because no human means no judgement. Amazon's retreat from till-
Immerse Education Essay Competition 2026-27
Immerse Education, best known for its fee-paying Oxford and Cambridge summer schools, runs an annual essay competition open to students aged 13 to 18 worldwide, with a choice of over 20 subject categories including Economics alongside Law, Psychology and others. The question isn't published on the site: students register interest and Immerse emails the full prompt guide directly, so there's no way to preview the Economics question before committing. Entries are short, around
When crime doesn't pay
A bizarre London crime wave, thieves stealing car parcel shelves and reselling them on eBay, becomes a way into the economics of crime. Taylor sketches the Becker-style idea that criminals weigh proceeds against the costs of getting caught, then argues the numbers here do not add up: smashing a windscreen is conspicuous, the shelves are bulky and hard to store, and you do not strictly need one anyway. Useful for rational choice, cost-benefit analysis and thin resale markets,