Not much detail, as the paper that makes the claim is only available at present to American Economic Association members; but in Did Austerity Cause Brexit? University of Warwick economist Thiemo Fetzer asserts that he found a "significant association between the exposure of an individual or area to the UK government's austerity-induced welfare reforms begun in 2010, and the following: the subsequent rise in support for the UK Independence Party, an important correlate of Leave support in the 2016 UK referendum on European Union membership; broader individual-level measures of political dissatisfaction; and direct measures of support for Leave. Leveraging data from all UK electoral contests since 2000, along with detailed, individual-level panel data, the findings suggest that the EU referendum could have resulted in a Remain victory had it not been for austerity." (Image: Peter Damian, CC-BY-SA) (via Marginal Revolution)
Cutbacks caused Brexit: austerity correlates with UKIP membership
Fatal car wrecks are correlated with stock-market fluctuations
Writing in The Journal of Health Economics, three economists claim (Sci Hub mirror) that "a one standard deviation reduction in daily stock market returns is associated with a 0.6% increase in fatal car accidents that happen after the stock market opening" and that this is robust across "a battery of falsification tests." READ THE REST
The 1970s called and they want their proto-McMansions back!
The latest installment of the always-delightful McMansion Hell (previously) departs from the usual format of mercilessly skewering the tasteless custom homes of the contemporary super-rich and instead delves into their historic precedent, the 1970s-vintage "proto-McMansion," AKA the "Styled Ranch." READ THE REST
You will be helped! Research using real-world situations fails to replicate the "bystander effect"
For decades, the "bystander effect" (previously) has been a bedrock of received psychological wisdom: "individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present; the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that one of them will help." READ THE REST
These 10 VPN deals are all an extra 30% off right now
You've heard for years that you need to be using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to protect all of your activities online. But while it's become a vital layer of web protection, that doesn't mean it needs to cost you an arm and a leg for that coverage either. In fact, you can take advantage… READ THE REST
Why buy expensive new Beats earbuds when all of these quality options are on sale for less?
It's a sure bet that whenever Apple unveils a new…well, anything, it's going to capture media and audience attention. Hey, it's Apple. It's what they do. That always in the spotlight approach also spills over into Apple's most popular spinoff brands, which now include premium audio makers Beats after their 2019 purchase. But while the… READ THE REST
Take an extra 15% off all these accessories for Apple AirTags, AirPods, and Apple Watches
When you think Apple, it isn't unusual to instinctively think of those high-grade Apple devices like the iPhone, the iPad, the MacBook, and more. But there's a whole range of those lower-tier Apple products that don't often get the same attention as their more expensive brothers and sisters. Where's the love for the AirPods? Or… READ THE REST
