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
This Luminar 4 package has all the tools and training to edit photos like a pro
Photoshop has been the king of photo retouching and manipulation for decades, so it's no surprise that Adobe's most famous app is the yardstick by which all other contenders are judged. But when discussing Luminar 4, it might be more helpful to highlight what Skylum's image editor offers against what Photoshop doesn't. Against the vast… READ THE REST
Can you defeat the Queen's Gambit? This training unlocks all you need to know
One fun element of pop culture is that you never know exactly when some film, TV show, or song is going to spark an out-of-left-field craze — or exactly how deep the obsession will run. While the pandemic may be starting to recede into history, Netflix's The Queen Gambit is oddly still riding shotgun inside… READ THE REST
This 10-foot solar-powered umbrella blocks the sun and lights the night with LEDs
To say we're creeping up on umbrella weather season is an understatement. And no, we don't mean "rain and wind protection against the fierce elements-type" of umbrella season. We're talking about lazing casually, safely protected from the sun's rays, soaking in the majesty of summer. Whether you've got a comfy patio lounge arrangement, an outdoor… READ THE REST