Wampum was Massachusetts’ First Legal Currency
First Nations' seashell-derived wampum was Massachusetts' first legal currency, used as currency throughout northeastern America into the 19th century.
Paying People to Take Their Pills
The majority of medication-related hospital admissions were caused by noncompliance—when patients, for one reason or another, don't take their drugs.
Why Pay the Costs of a Wedding for One?
Self-marriage may be, at least in some cases, a ritual reclaiming a sense of control when women may have felt they've lost it.
Did Better Household Technology Create the Baby Boomers?
The Baby Boomers have been blamed for everything from economic stagnation to America's current political situation. But where did they come from?
Richard H. Thaler
Richard H. Thaler was awarded the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. More on his theory that when it comes to money, people are irrational.
What Do Bitcoin and Tulips Have In Common?
What can we learn from the extraordinary period in Holland's history when a surge in demand for tulip bulbs pushed the price up to exorbitant rates?
After the Hurricanes, Who Cleans Up The Caribbean?
The Caribbean islands' plights have been reminders that despite their small size, overseas territories can be a big responsibility for governments abroad.
Are There Other Silicon Valleys?
The phrase "Silicon Valley" conjures images of a crowded mini-metropolis in California, and a barrage of familiar Western brands. That's about to change.
What the US Owes Puerto Rico
As historian Déborah Berman Santana writes, the US is very much responsible for molding Puerto Rico’s economy to begin with.
Luxury: Enemy of Virtue, or Economic Engine?
Today, economists tend to see anything that boosts consumption and production as a good thing. But that was decidedly not the case in earlier centuries.