Policy Fallacy 014: Neutrally Insured Destruction

In this episode, Joe and Rex briefly revisit the patent episode and hope not to get sued for it. They catch the health care bug and discuss insurance. Then they talk about net neutrality, but can't afford to tell you any more about it online.

Listen

Links of the week
Findings from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment (NBER)
Mostly old people signing up for Obamacare (NYT)
Op/ed on why Verizon v. F.C.C. may lead to good things (NYT)
Why Verizon v. F.C.C. may lead to bad things (New Yorker)
Amazingly fast internet in Chattanooga (Internet)

Policy Fallacy 013: Badge of Dishonor

In this episode, Joe and Rex (or someone paid to pretend to be Rex) investigate the unintended consequences of honor codes and the enforcement thereof. While academic integrity is no game, academics themselves kind of are now, thanks to a gamification strategy known as badging. The good guesser badge goes to the listener who can identify what the unintended consequences of that will be.

Listen

Links of the week
Read about the U of Maryland honor code
Conditions needed for honor codes to work (Chronicle of Higher Ed)
Honor (honour) codes in England (Guardian)
Learn about the badging movement (Mozilla)
Challenges posed by badging (Chronicle of Higher Ed)
Bonus: online virtual keyboard

Policy Fallacy 012: Trick or Teeth

In this episode, Joe and zombie Rex explore the unintended consequences of raising the dead, or are they the unintended consequences of cable networks needed to fill a 24-hour time slot? They then go trick-or-treating only to find that the treats on tap for kids this Halloween are free samples of toothpaste. What the spell is the deal with that? Also, any wild mischaracterizations of the offspring of Mary Shelley are purely intended but entirely incorrect.

Listen

Links of the week
The lazy student's guide to Frankenstein (Wikipedia)
Healthy alternatives to trick-or-treating (Chicago Tribune)
Learn about the Spooky Zoo Spectacular

Policy Fallacy 011: Calorie Slimdown

In this episode, Joe and Rex count their calories, and it's super easy to do now that McDonald's posts calorie counts on its menus. Starbucks, too, though that doesn't seem to matter mocha. Oh, and the government shut down, so while Rex and Joe are on furlough their unpaid intern audio doubles talk about that some.

Listen

Links of the week

"Stanford" "study" on calorie posting at Starbucks

How calorie counts can backfire (Wonkblog)

Government shutdown: what's open, what's closed (Washington Post)

Federal government shutdown: causes, processes, and effects (Journalist's Resource)

Policy Fallacy 010: Credit, Cabs, and Petty Crime

In this episode, Joe flies in on a bicycle because DC cabs don't take credit cards (yet) and Rex sings like a cockatoo. Together they examine the unintended consequences of the NYC taxicab medallion system and enter into a random aside about poop.

Listen to the episode

Photo of the week

Rehobath, DE

Links of the week
Credit cards to be required for DC cabs (Washington Post)
Poll: Majority back changes coming to DC taxis (Washington Post)
Why it's so complicated to put credit card readers in DC taxis (WAMU)

Policy Fallacy 009: Driven to Distraction

In this episode, Rex and Joe cross the street. Will they wait for the signal? That may depend on how it counts down. In the future, this paradox will be irrelevant because robots will do all our driving for us. Imagine the consequences! Or, you can listen and hear them imagined for you.

Listen to the episode

Links of the week
Countdown to Red vs. Countdown to Green (Nudge)
Traffic Light Timers Have an Effect on Accidents (Taipei Times)
Countdown Traffic Lights May Cause Accidents (CBC)
How Driverless Cars Could Reshape Cities (NYT)
Driverless Vehicle Pose New Challenges (Roll Call)

Policy Fallacy 008: Land Sakes Alive!

In this episode, Joe and Rex explore the unintended consequences of land grabs. And there are plenty, because, really, any time grabbing is involved it tends to not go well for at least one of the parties involved. They explore old time Georgia and newfangled .georgia. More alike than you might think? Unless you already thought they were alike, in which case maybe not.

Listen to the episode

Links of the week

Article about land rushes from 1889 (Harpers)

Story of that war we never quite got around to discussing

University Spends $3,000 on XXX Domain Names (Mashable)

New Internet domain names a .fail (Politico)

New Internet Addresses Could Be a Budget Boon for New York City (Yahoo)