More Educational Rap

I stumbled upon more educational rap music. Rhythm, Rhyme, Results (Tripple R) has tracks explaining Math, Science, English, and US History-- to my surprise the music is very well produced. Triple R is like Schoolhouse Rock, if Schoolhouse rock grew up in the streets.

I particularly enjoyed (Pump up the) Volume, where a Snoop Dog beat informs:

Next is the cylinder, but don’t be scared
It’s just the height times π times the radius squared
For the Volume of a cone, division is key
You take the height times πr² but then divide it by 3
Last but not least we’ll examine a sphere
Like the sun or the moon or the bubbles in your root beer
After our research, we must conclude
That it’s 4/3 × πr³

Certainly this information is better acquired from a chart, but if it makes the learning fun, then it's successful, right?

Hip-Hoponomics?

My sister has introduced me to a group of rapping doctoral candidates in the Economics Department at UC Berkeley:

The Gang's latest rap song takes the Jay-Z single "99 Problems" in a new and proudly nerdish direction, with locations in Evans Hall stairwells and downtown Berkeley landmarks, and rhymes celebrating the peculiar joys of a sometimes-maligned social science:

If you're having research problems I feel bad for you, son
I got 99 problems, econometrics ain't one. ...

Other Metrics Gang hits include an econometric take on Kanye West's Stronger, as well as a non-rapping (I Can't Write No) Dissertation

Economics in Music

Examine this conversation in Barenaked Ladies' "If I had $100000:

Singer 1: If I had a million dollars/We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner
Singer 2: But we would eat Kraft Dinner
Singer 1: Of course we would, we’d just eat more
Singer 2: And buy really expensive ketchups with it
Singer 1:That's right, all the fanciest ketchup.

What type of good do these singers believe Kraft dinner to be (Normal/Inferior)? How do you know? What is Ketchup's relationship to Kraft Dinner? Explain.

Economic Movie Quotes

I was looking at some quotes from Paul Newman characters to reflect on his life and work, when I came across these gems from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I think I will work them into an Econ class one day.

Butch Cassidy: What happened to the old bank? It was beautiful.
Guard: People kept robbing it.
Butch Cassidy: Small price to pay for beauty.
-------
Butch Cassidy: If he'd just pay me what he's spending to make me stop robbing him, I'd stop robbing him.
-------
Butch Cassidy: You know, it could be worse. You get a lot more for your money in Bolivia, I checked on it.
Sundance Kid: What could they have here that you could possibly want to buy?

...Questions to follow.

A Stand-up Quiz

When I teach Economics, my class will be fun. If my students don't learn Economics, they will fail my class. If they don't learn how to have fun, they will fail at life. I think I might give a quiz to my students based on the SECOND HALF of this stand up routine by Nick Thune. Showing my students the first half would probably be grounds for my dismissal from the teaching profession. (For those who are not fans of the dirty jokes, I would suggest skipping to the middle of the clip)

Stand Up Quiz (feel free to submit answers):

1. Thune makes fun of the expression "kill two birds with one stone" because in fact stones are abundant relative to birds. The expression actually applies to what scarce resource?

2. Thune's lack of internet is an example of what collective action problem? Explain.

3. What has happened to the real price of an Arby's Beef n Cheddar since the deal was first introduced?

4. What else could explain Arby's ability to continue offering the 5 for 5 deal? Provide two.

5. Why is it unlikely that Arby's has been "highballing" for 14 years?