Social network analysis is an interesting area of inquiry. Social networks are maps of all of the relevant ties among all the nodes (people or groups) being studied. The network can be used to measure the value that individuals get from the social network. This video presents a great example:
Image by Getty Images via Daylife Tonight, our school district had a town meeting to discuss its current budget woes. According to the district, “Despite all of the cost cutting measures and local fundraising efforts undertaken these past few years, the dismal State budget will force the District to identify an additional $7 million in…
John Aquino points out that, in isolation, the recall information as presented is unfair to Toyota since it ignores overall fatality per vehicle statistics (certainly a fairer proxy for manufacturer safety) and it fails to address the potential conflict of interest inherent in a U.S. agency deriding an import (since it can transfer sales to…
Michel Albert, author of Capitalisme contre Capitalisme, compares the neo-American model of a capitalistic market economy with the Rhenish capitalism of Germany’s social market economy. The neo-American model is based on the ideas of Hayek and Friedman, and the latter, according to Albert, is founded on principles of publicly organized social security. Albert asserts that this model is more equitable, efficient, and less…
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People in developing nations can kick a sOccket ball to charge a battery with an inductive coil. It can be used to light an LED lamp (15 minutes of soccer for 3 hours of light), or charge a cellphone or battery. See this Changemaker here. Posted using ShareThis Related articles by Zemanta Energy-Generating Soccer Ball…
Gary Becker’s blog recently opined: The optimal level of security on air travel is much higher than would be the case if an exaggerated fear of air travel due to possible terrorism were not so prevalent. For this reason, checking of shoes, laptops, liquids, and even body scanners may be often useful, even when they…
An update of the NHTSA data pursuant to the Toyota sudden acceleration complaints indicates that the complaint rates of Toyota are now approximately 4 times higher than the nearest rival manufacturer (Ford). Surely, part of this is due to complaint contagion, but not all… .
At first glance, the current wave of Toyota recalls brought back memories of the Tylenol recall of 1982. During that recall, Tylenol’s U.S. over-the-counter pain reliever market share quickly dropped from 35% to 8%. Based on its aggressive risk management, risk communication efforts, and repackaging response, Tylenol recovered in about a year. Some differences between…
Data governance can help ensure that the data are current, correct, relevant, secure from inappropriate use, and readily available in a timely and appropriate form to those who should have it. An interesting new paper can be found at http://bpp.wharton.upenn.edu/betseys/papers/Inaccurate%20Age%20and%20Sex%20Data%20in%20Census%20PUMS%20Files.pdf . Its authors conclude, “The resulting errors in the public use data are severe, and,…