Tuesday's Assorted Links
Protein powder, AI abilities, college students, interest rates, and demographics
Hi y’all! Here are five stories from this week that contained some neat applications of economic principles or are related to teaching:
Whey protein is in growing demand, partly linked to rising use of weight-loss drugs [The Guardian]
Americans are split about whether AI is currently able to think better or worse than the average person [YouGov]
College students are testing at the level of 10-year-olds [Futurism]
The Fed left interest rates unchanged, but three officials believe a rate hike is needed to address the fact that inflation has been above the Fed’s 2% target for five years [CNBC]
Find out how close you look like the average American [Atoms vs. Bits]
Back-to-school shopping always feels expensive, but this year the receipts back it up. Some items are running at more than double the pace of headline inflation, while only a few things actually got cheaper. This week’s article breaks down exactly which parts of your basket are driving the sticker shock, using both government price data and independent retail tracking.
Your Kid's School Supplies Cost More This Year
You’ve been dreading it all summer. Your cart is stuffed with notecards, three-ring binders, a backpack, and a new pair of sneakers. It’s a basket in the most literal sense, but it also turns out to be an economic one. As the summer slips away, you’ve found yourself staring down the cashier as the total keeps clim…
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Well I, for one, would like to congratulate those 10-year-olds on their pending matriculation