A review of Waldfogel’s 1993 AER paper “The Deadweight Loss of Christmas”.

the unexpected value in gift-giving, beyong deadweight loss

In the bias and wisdom in decision making course that I’ve taken this semester, we featured the topic intertemperal choice today. It’s pretty cliché a topic that, well, usually everything starts with this function: $$ U(\mathbf x) = u(x_0) + \beta\sum_{t = 1}^\infty\sigma^t u(x_t). $$ But something interesting came up today. It’s called the growth curve. Consider choosing from various ways of growing over time - some trajectory is log-like while others can be exponential-like....

Music is not just sound; it’s a tapestry woven from varied chords, voices, and instruments. In a pop melody like some Mariah Carey ballad, the lead vocal takes center stage, supported by complex add libs and rhythmic undercurrents. Not to mention classical pieces which are an intricate dance of harmonies, each note a thread in a larger musical fabric. Yet, even the finest audio technology falls short in unraveling these layers completely, and as audience distinguishing every element remains a challenge....

In modern days, facial expression control in front of camera should be considered just as important as public speaking…

In the dance of supply and demand, every fruit tells a story. And when a design of a market fail, it shouldn’t be the strategic agent to take all the blame, isn’t it?

Wanna share a morning podcast golden quote that marks the beginning of a brilliant day.

In a humorous twist of fate, our mechanism design course unveils the curious case of two student groups unwittingly mirroring each other’s presentations on Pandora’s Box, spotlighting the ironic interplay of choice and chance in academic endeavors.

Navigating the tricky balance of engaging and informative slides in academic talks, where visuals can both command and complement the narrative.

Earlier this week, a post touched on the murky world of fake reviews. A pivotal 2021 study in SIGecom Exchanges by He et al. delved into this labyrinth on the behemoth platform, Amazon. The dance between third-party sellers, consumers, and the platform itself is somewhat like a strategic ballet, with each trying to outmaneuver the other for a sliver of extra margin. It’s an intricate competitive ecosystem where strategy meets survival....