Consumer Benefits from Increased Competition in Shopping Outlets: Measuring the Effect of Wal-Mart
Jerry Hausman
Tue Jan 17, 01-02:30pm, E51-151
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
I measure the effect of Wal-mart on food prices
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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Creativity: It's All In Your Head
Ruth Levitsky, Toastmasters@MIT, Cherylle Garnes, Ray Valvano, Kevin Carlson, David Marshall
Sat Jan 14, 10am-12:30pm, E51-372
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Signup by: 13-Jan-2006
Limited to 40 participants.
Single session event
Most people stopped being creative by the third grade. In this interactive team presentation you will learn tips, techniques and games to sharpen, enhance and spark your creativity in all areas of your life.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, Toastmasters@MIT, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu
Cosponsor: Toastmasters@MIT
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How to Save a Million Dollars: The Power of Tax-Deferred Saving Programs
Jim Poterba
Mon Jan 9, 02:30-03:30pm, E51-372
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This one-hour lecture will highlight the power of saving through tax-deferred saving programs. It will describe the basic structure of these plans and discuss how to evaluate the long-run wealth-building opportunities of different plans. The lecture will emphasize the importance of focusing on after-tax wealth accumulation and discuss the tax treatment of different saving vehicles.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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Most projects fail and other things I've learned from (trying to do) empirical research
Amy Finkelstein
Thu Jan 12, 11am-12:00pm, E51-390
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
A short talk and then open discussion on some of the joys as well as pit falls of trying to do empirical research, particularly when first starting out. Hopefully of interest for economics graduate students doing (or trying to do) empirical research.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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Numerical Techniques in Economics
Stephen Ryan
Thu Jan 26, 09:30-10:30am, E51-372
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This talk will focus on introducing people to a variety of numerical techniques that can be useful in economic research. I will cover a little background on programming compiled languages versus interpreted environments like Matlab, equation solving and function minimization, dynamic programming, numerical integration and differentiation, and some references for further work.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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Searching for a mate: evidence from speed dating experiments?
Ray Fisman Columbia University
Tue Jan 10, 02-03:00pm, E51-372
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Economists don't believe in survey results. We call it 'cheap talk.' This applies to an even greater extent in realms where individuals have trouble admitting their true preferences to themselves, let alone reporting these preferences to others. We study dating preferences through the revealed choices of real-life daters in a research speed-dating service that was set up for this purpose. This talk will thus analyze what men and women really want, as revealed by their actions in a real dating situation. Lots of confirmations of old stereotypes (what your grandmother told you is true, at least in some cases), as well as a fair number of surprises.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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Testing the effectiveness of anti-poverty programs
Rachel Glennerster
Wed Feb 1, 10:30-11:30am, E51-151
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
"The Poverty Action Lab" we are now the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action"
The goal of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy decisions are based on scientific evidence. We do this by undertaking and promoting the use of rigorous randomized evaluations of poverty programs so that we can build up an evidence base of what works in reducing poverty. This talk will discuss how we go about measuring the impact on peoples lives of programs such as micro credit and community driven development. We will discuss ways to quantify outcomes such as women's empowerment, trust, and social capital--issues that are crucial to our work.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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The Black Market for Antiquities
Michael Kremer Harvard University, Tom Wilkening
Wed Feb 1, 03-04:00pm, E51-325
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
The cultural heritage and archeological evidence of much of the world is in critical threat of being destroyed from the black market trade of antiquities. This workshop will take a closer look at the causes of the black market in antiquities market and looks at economic approaches to try to improve the situation.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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The Economics of E-Retail
Sara Ellison
Thu Jan 26, 10:30-11:30am, E51-372
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
This talk is meant as an introduction to some of the interesting economic questions that arise in e-retailing with many real-world examples.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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The Economy of the Early Roman Empire
Peter Temin
Wed Jan 18, 01-02:00pm, E51-151
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Summary of recent research showing how the Roman economy operated in its heyday
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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The State of the World Economy
Olivier Blanchard, Robert Solow
Tue Jan 24, 01-02:00pm, E51-325
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
A tour of the world, and the main macroeconomic issues of the day, from growth in China, to the slump in Europe, to the current account deficit in the United States.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-252, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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What Can You Do with a Course 14 Degree?
Jon Gruber
Thu Jan 19, 10:30-11:30am, E51-361
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Panel of former course 14 majors will discuss their post-graduation career path.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu
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