China: More People, Fewer Names
Go ahead, complain all you want about living in America — but at least you can name your kid whatever you want, whether it’s Temptress, Yourhighness, or even Marijuana Pepsi. In China, meanwhile, the government is cracking down on uncommon names. From today’s Times: Seeking to modernize its vast database on China’s 1.3 billion citizens, Read More »
Feeding the Local Shark
I wrote a book on the underground economy a few years ago. For about a decade, I observed activity in Chicago’s South Side — our current president’s backyard. I was surprised to learn about the importance of “creditors” — otherwise affectionately known as “loansharks” — who operated an informal lending network in the area. (These Read More »
Winner, Loser, and Marijuana Pepsi
Winner became a lifetime criminal; Loser a detective in the NYPD. The story of these two brothers matched the findings of my academic research with Roland Fryer, which found no impact of a child’s name on her life. Read More »
Say “Cheese” for a Good Marriage
According to a study by scientists at DePauw University in Indiana, people who frowned a lot in photos when they were kids and teenagers are five times more likely to get divorced later in life than those who smiled in their photos. Unlike an earlier study that claimed happiness is “contagious,” the authors in this Read More »
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