Before the pandemic came along, it was relatively more difficult to get students to be truly interested in the topic of specificity and sensitivity. And in a sense, understandably so. By that I do not mean the topic is not important – it absolutely is – but rather that I can understand why eyes may … Continue reading “On Specificity and Sensitivity”
This is a continuation of a series. The first post, this Monday, asked how we might transition from online to offline education when (if?) the pandemic ends. The second post was about me trying to figure out in which ways offline classes are better. This post is about me trying to figure out ways in … Continue reading “Are offline exams better? No.”
Vox has a nice and short read out on the battle against smallpox, and lessons we might learn today from how and where the battle was waged, at what costs, and with what effects. But for all that the world has lost in the last few years, the history of infectious disease has a grim … Continue reading “Lessons from the eradication of smallpox”
(C) GDP figures are “man-made” and therefore unreliable, Li said. When evaluating Liaoning’s economy, he focuses on three figures: 1) electricity consumption, which was up 10 percent in Liaoning last year; 2) volume of rail cargo, which is fairly accurate because fees are charged for each unit of weight; and 3) amount of loans disbursed, … Continue reading “About This Measurement Business”
That’s the Nationalized Centrally Driven Vaccination Programme.((As you can tell, marketing is not our forte)) The article in Scroll that I linked to yesterday was the easy part. The much more difficult part is to work out what might come in its place. We (Murali Neelakantan and I) attempt to outline such a plan in … Continue reading “The Contours of the NCDVP”
(Note: this was written and scheduled for posting before the world found out about Omicron. I have not changed a single word, except for the two sentences in these brackets) ‘Tis that time of the year, and we will soon be inundated with reflections on the year gone by, and the year to come. The … Continue reading “The Economist on Year Three of the Pandemic”
Do we have enough vaccines for India to roll out doses to everybody who is 18+?No. Will increasing the price at which these vaccines are purchased increase the supply? Yes. I teach this for a living, as do thousands of economists the world over, and there is no way our answer to this question ought … Continue reading “Some Really Simple Questions about the Supply of Vaccines”
Well, ok, not India’s demographics in one tweet, maybe. But it is such telling and thought-provoking trivia, this. If you’re looking for a frame of reference, Belgium’s total population is 12 million. We will add 12 million 18 year olds alone. By the way, please don’t misconstrue my stance on the issue: I’m very much … Continue reading “India’s Demographics in One Tweet”
The responses will keep you busy for days, if not weeks. This tweet, and the responses to it, are an excellent argument for why Twitter is such a valuable resource for all of us.
I and a friend have been exchanging messages about the idiocy that was the European Super League (or whatever the name was. I’m not even going to bother looking it up). He asked me if I would post anything here about the economics behind the league, either defending the idea or refuting it. Here’s one … Continue reading “The Vaccine Responsibility by K. Sujatha Rao”
EconForEverybody 