As the summer of 1929 drew to a close, the celebrated Yale university economist Irving Fisher took to the pages of the New York Times to opine about Wall Street. Share prices had been rising all year; investors had been speculating with borrowed money on the assumption that the good times would continue. It was … Continue reading Crash course: what the Great Depression reveals about our future.
Economics
Can a tax on sugar reduce childhood obesity?
The Government’s planned sugar tax is set to have the greatest benefit on children, the largest consumers of soft drinks. The tax will add 18 to 24p to the price of 1 litre of sugary drinks, if the full cost is passed on to consumers. This equates to an extra 6p for a can of … Continue reading Can a tax on sugar reduce childhood obesity?
Modular Homes – A solution to the Housing Crisis?
Modular Homes are houses built in factories and then quickly erected on site (much like Ikea’s flat pack furniture). One housing association claims it takes just one day to build a 3 bed house from scratch in their factory. These pre-packed homes can then be put up on site in less than 48 hours. It … Continue reading Modular Homes – A solution to the Housing Crisis?
Shrinking Toblerone
Toblerone have increased the space between their ‘chocolate mountains’ in an attempt to cut costs. The weight of the chocolate bar has been reduced, with 400g bars now 360g and 170g bars now 150g. This has been achieved by increasing the gaps between triangles, rather than simply shortening/shrinking the whole chocolate bar. Toblerone have cited … Continue reading Shrinking Toblerone