The following article first appeared in the INOMICS Handbook 2023. Download the INOMICS Handbook

In a world where we are constantly told to hustle, grind, and push ourselves to the limit, the idea of taking it easy can seem counterintuitive. However, there is a growing movement suggesting that doing only what’s necessary at work is the best thing we can do for ourselves and for the economy. This is known as the concept of "quiet quitting".

Artificial intelligence appears to be the next truly disruptive technology poised to rock our global economy. In December 2022, ChatGPT-3 made headlines. It represented a leap forward in the capabilities of generative AI technology, pushing conversations about this new tool into the mainstream as people began to question how ChatGPT will affect the economy.

Studying economic theories and methods requires an understanding of mathematical symbols. These symbols are used as shorthand to describe theoretical concepts in economics textbooks, theories, and research papers.

Students often learn about important figures in economics only briefly and in passing, yet the content taught in economics courses often comes from brilliant economists such as these.

It might be unclear to new students of economics how much schooling is necessary to succeed as an economist. For some careers, a Bachelor’s degree is sufficient. In others, a PhD is a near-necessity. This article will discuss how much education successful economists typically have.

In the INOMICS interview series, Prof. Dr. Marcel Fratzscher asks economists questions about their field, their opinions on economics, some of their favorite things, and more. Today we took the chance to interview Dr. Jan Ditzen, an econometrician with a robust research presence. The interview, named Fratzscher vs. Ditzen (as is tradition), enlightens us on the contributions of Hashem Pesaran, the beauty of mountain scenery, details about econometrics and why its rigor is important for economics, and more.

In recent times, debates on gender inequality among researchers at universities have emerged, in particular in economics. Even though leading academic societies have addressed these issues already for many years – for example, the American Economic Association has run the “Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession” (CSWEP) since 1971, and the European Economic Association established its “Standing Committee on Women in Economics” (WinE) in 2003 – they appear to be persistent.

In this article, INOMICS interviews Dr. Richard S.J. Tol, member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when it was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and a researcher at the forefront of economics and climate policy. Dubbed Fratzscher vs. Tol as Prof. Dr. Marcel Fratzscher resumed his role as interviewer, the conversation touches on gender discrimination in economics, the increasing availability of historical data, and how climate policy can clash with economic research.

Star Wars probably needs no introduction here. One of the largest entertainment properties of all time, it has grown far beyond its (humble?) beginnings on the movie screen. Now, we can learn about “a galaxy far, far away” through books, comics, TV series, video games, and more.

In this series of articles, INOMICS will highlight the accomplishments of particular economists who have contributed greatly to the field. Students often learn about the great figures in economics only briefly and in passing, but the content taught in economics courses comes from brilliant economists such as these.

Real-world data in their varied forms are the authentic artifacts through which we observe economic phenomena. Such data can be used in economics courses as part of learning and assessment activities to help students construct economic meaning and develop important employment skills in organizing, interpreting and presenting quantitative data.