Have you ever noticed that you rarely see a gas station by itself? Instead multiple gas stations seem to be clustered close to each other. Wouldn’t it be better if they were more spread out? Presh Talwalkar noticed this phenomenon and used game theory to explain why it’s a rational decision for the gas stations,…
Archive | 2012
Lake Woebegone Effect
Lake Woebegone is a fictional Minnesota town on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion which is described as a place “where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Lake Woebegone may be fictional but the tendency of people to overestimate their own positive qualities and…
The Cooties Heuristic
When I first moved to California, I had the choice of renting a 700 square foot apartment for $650 per month or an 850 square foot apartment for $550 per month. Both were in the same building. The larger and less expensive one even had a better view. I was puzzled by the bargain until…
Solving Traffic Congestion
If a stretch of highway is often congested, we should add another lane to increase capacity. Wrong. In “The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from U.S. Cities,” researchers show any increased capacity from additional roads is temporary. Traffic increases to fill the added capacity. The study’s startling findings include: The number of vehicle-kilometers traveled…
Timing a Ticket
When is the best time to buy an airplane ticket? As a frequent traveler, experience has taught me that the best time to buy a US domestic ticket is mid-week. Flights always seem to be more expensive when purchased on the weekend. I tend to book flights on Tuesdays. A Wall Street Journal article seemingly supports my intuition….
The Curse of the Cul-de-Sac
It might be time to move out of the suburbs. Until about 100 years ago, almost every city in the world was laid out on a rectangular grid. New York City and Washington D.C. are prototypical U.S. examples; most European capitals are also. Starting around 1930 however, city designers abandoned dense urban grids for garden…
Bad Is Stronger Than Good
What Have I Read Lately (WHIRL)? I’ve just read the 48-page survey article entitled ‘Bad Is Stronger Than Good’: The greater power of bad events over good ones is found in everyday events, major life events, close relationship outcomes, social network patterns, interpersonal interactions, and learning processes. Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have…
Class Size Doesn’t Matter
I prefer one-on-one instruction or small group trainings to learning from books. This might be because I went to a very small high school with a graduating class of 13 or because I like to explore topics by asking questions. Given my background, I’ve always believed that smaller classes are more effective; more individualized interactions…
Are Your Co-Workers Good For Your Health?
Co-workers can be good for your health. A 2011 research study from Tel Aviv University suggests having nice co-workers improves employee health. The researchers closely monitored 800 adults over twenty years, repeatedly interviewing them on a wide range of topics from the conditions in their workplace, the behavior of their bosses, and the niceness of…
Rewarding Teamwork
I believe every manager is a member of three teams: The people that report to that manager. This is usually what someone means when they refer to “my team.” The external stakeholders in other departments they work with every day. For example, marketing is often considered part of the extended team for sales or development. Their peers…