Number of words: 1,617 Let me briefly explain what business and behavioral science have in common. They both do experiments. Apart from that, everything is slightly different. Business does not always perform experiments consciously. Sometimes, a business or a product is an experiment in itself. When the iPhone was introduced it represented a huge bet … Read more

Number of words: 8,092 The international pharmaceutical industry has made significant efforts towards ensuring compliant and ethical communication and interaction with physicians and patients. This article presents the current status of the worldwide governance of communication practices by pharmaceutical companies, concentrating on prescription-only medicines. It analyzes legislative, regulatory, and code-based compliance control mechanisms and highlights … Read more

Number of words: 242 Perseverance and leadership skills, of course. What is less obvious – and much less boring – is what the speaker neglected to mention: that those traits are likely to be the charecterstics of extremely unsuccessful people, too. Think about it, Denrell observed afterwards. ‘Incurring large losses requires both persistence….and the ability … Read more

Number of words: 5,423 I am here to speak on a subject that has been rankling me greatly for the past several months, and I am sure, many of you too: that of the accountability of judges. The immediate trigger for my selecting this subject was, of course, the allegations made by a former employee … Read more

Number of words: 406 When you’re browsing online, who sets the prices? An algorithm, most likely. A study from 2015 showed that a third of all items on Amazon had prices set by an algorithm, and chances are that percentage has only risen. A new study shows how easy it would be for price-setting algorithms … Read more

Number of words: 581 The neo-Darwinian synthesis, as opposed to Darwin’s own version of his theory, is centred on the gene as the unit of natural selection. Genes are discrete entities that can be counted in a population, more or less ignoring the fact that they are in fact sitting in the cells of organisms. … Read more

Number of words: 1,409 Sandboxes are the hot trend in financial regulation. Or rather, deregulation. China, Singapore, Australia, Canada, and more than 20 other countries have them. U.S. regulatory agencies are starting them. Arizona has one, and other states may follow suit. Sandbox programs are supposed to be a kind of safe space to allow … Read more

Number of words: 203 Yahoo began as a list of other sites that Jerry and David had bookmarked using Marc Andreessen’s recently launched Mosaic browser. Known initially as Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web, then Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web, the list consisted at first of a hundred sites categorized … Read more

Number of words: 59 Keeping order amid Taobao’s virtual alleyways are Alibaba’s client service managers, the xiaoer. Thousands of xiaoer mediate any disputes that arise between customers and merchants. These referees, young employees averaging twenty-seven years old, work long hours, often sending messages to vendors late at night. Excerpted from page 6 of ‘Alibaba: The … Read more

Number of words: 106 Unlike Amazon, Alibaba’s consumer websites Taobao and Tmall carry no inventory. They serve as platforms for other merchants to sell their wares. Taobao consists of nine million storefronts run by small traders or individuals. Attracted by the site’s huge user base, these “micro merchants” choose to set up their stalls on … Read more