Phil Holleran's

Economics Home Page

email: pholleran at radford dot edu
Davis 135      831-6778

Office Hours: Fall 2006:

TTh 9:30-11:00, 1:00-3:00,

and by appointment

 

How Economics came to be called “The Dismal Science,” according to “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

 

Jon Stewart: Uh, the way you've explained the tax cuts doesn't really seem fair.

John Hodgman: Fairness isn't really the point.  They don't call economics the dismal science because it's fair. 

JS:  Well, I suppose not.

JH: No, no, they call it that after Sir Eustice Dismal.  The 18th century English economist who proposed making smokestacks out of children. 

JS: I uh, I actually never knew that.

JH: Yes, it was a very interesting proposal but ultimately flawed.  I mean if you make the smokestacks out of children who will you force to clean them?...

JH: Yes, it's referred to as Dismal's paradox.

 

 

 

Joey Cheek, who won a gold and a silver medal in speedskating at the 2006 Olympics, is retiring from the sport. At age 26, he is heading off to college. He intends to major in Economics, because, he says, "nothing says chick magnet like economics."

 

 

 

  SPRING 2007 COURSES

 

 

ECON 408-01_MWF_11:00 (History of Economic Thought)

 

 
 

Economics Puzzles

 

Why Major in Econ?

 

Things I've Written