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Challenging some assumptions around how it is we come to know our world.

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QQ: opportunity costs

dihard:

An opportunity cost is what you sacrifice by choosing one option or pursuing one endeavor over another. It’s one of the most basic principles of economics and here’s a little quiz from a book I’m reading, The Economic Naturalist, that tests your knowledge. (Explanation to come..)

Suppose you’ve won a free ticket to see an Eric Clapton concert tonight and you can’t resell it. You have no set plans tonight, but were considering attending a Bob Dylan concert. A ticket for tonight’s Dylan concert costs $40, but on any given day you would be willing to spend $50 to see him perform (that is, if the Dylan ticket costs more than $50, you’d pass up the concert). There is no other cost associated with seeing either performer. What’s your opportunity cost of attending the Clapton concert?

Choices: a. $0, b. $10, c. $40, d. $50

Note: Only 21.6% of professional economists (200 surveyed in 2005) chose the right answer.

OMG that’s awesome; their knowledge actually worked against them and they did WORSE THAN CHANCE on the question (i.e., less than 25% correct on a 4 choice question). So, chances are 7 year-olds would beat them. What’s that make the opportunity cost on their economics degrees worth? :)

oh.. and I’d go with b - $10… the price diff between what i was willing to spend and what the ticket would have cost.

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