Given recent passionate debates by colleagues Erik and Elisabeth about economic models and ’rational man‘ — homo economicus — how could I pass up this opportunity, on Friday the 13th, to write about empirical economic evidence for superstitions? Friggatriskaidekaphobia, or the fear of Friday the 13th, has proved to be a persistent Western superstition, rooted in Christianity and Norse mythology.[1] Christians believe that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, which

Coffee drinking is taking over the world. Even in the UK, the home of ‘afternoon tea’, coffee is now the most popular drink. That would make someone like me, who considers coffee an indulgence as much as a means to remain alert, happy. But I am not. Coffee can be served both in hot and cold variants, and in a world where temperatures are rising the latter are not pulling their weight. Far from it, new iced-coffee variants increasingly use

We've all hit that afternoon slump, when the clock seems to slow down and every task feels like a mountain. It's in these moments that the idea of taking a break starts to sound not just appealing but necessary. As work environments change, especially with remote working, finding the right balance in how we take breaks can help prevent these slumps, and it is key to maintaining our health and momentum. But how should we take breaks effectively? Our attitudes,

[As told to Erik Britton] It has come to my attention that some self-styled ‘economists’ are of the opinion that I am redundant. That I, Homo economicus, the embodiment of economic rationalism, have served my purpose, if indeed I was ever fit for that purpose. That positive economics, a branch of positive science which I personify, should be ditched, along with the assumption of rational behaviour on the part of the human species. Hard to imagine, I know; but if

The streets of Paris appeared to be free from locals last week. That’s not necessarily unusual in August. The French are famous for enjoying Les Grandes Vacances with extended trips out of the city. But this year, there was the added factor of the Olympics: with concerns about expensive ticket prices, packed transport and even safety, around half of Parisians in one poll said they would leave the city as the famous flame arrived. However, as the competition got under

I frequently moan about low levels of investment in the UK. It has become a bugbear of mine. Looking across the whole of the G7, the UK has had the lowest investment-to-GDP-ratio in 28 of the past 42 years. And on those odd occasions when it has not been bottom of the G7 investment league table, it has been close. I blogged about this subject as recently as February this year, when I contrasted my willingness to extend my mortgage

‘“When the rockets go up, who cares where they come down, That’s not my department,” said Wernher von Braun.’ [1] These lyrics from the US mathematician and satirist Tom Lehrer’s highly amusing song may not immediately get you thinking of economics, but there are similarities between the disinterested mental shrug given by Lehrer’s von Braun and the way economists ply their trade. Looking back to when I started my economics degree, one of the first things I remember learning was

The Fathom team is just back from our annual getaway, which we spent in Hinwick House – a stately home on the Northants/Bedfordshire border that offers a mish-mash of 18th-century architecture, antique memorabilia of various vintages, stuffed animals, expensive-looking silverware and vases, an in-tune grand piano, and a truly surprising number of bugles in all sizes. The décor suggests a storied past full of foxhunts, servants and white-tie dinners – think Bridgerton. Most of those stories are however buried in

It's not easy to write a coherent blog post in 39 degrees. The heat sends my mind wandering, jumping between the needs of physical hydration and vaporising ideas, resurfacing deeper reflections and vulnerabilities. One slightly contorted train of thought, however, keeps recurring. Summer has always been a period of socialisation, bringing anxiety about changing social circles and fitting in. Moving to the UK at 16 and later to Geneva turbo-charged these anxieties, forcing me to confront them head-on. These experiences,

For those who aren’t familiar, at Thinks and Drinks Fathom invites friends and clients to join us at a bar to socialise and discuss issues shaping the economy. Towards the end, there were three of us left with an already opened bottle of wine, and we were faced with the decision of whether to go back home, or stay to “get our money’s worth”. The day after, I realised that I had probably been subject to the sunk cost fallacy,