Khaled Hal Saad The price of a product is only one component of its overall cost. A “search cost” is the cost of finding the product you want at a competitive price. Search costs comprise of the time and resources…
Finally: Why we pick McDonald's over broccoli
Khaled Hal Saad An “experience good” is a product or service whose true quality and fair price are only apparent until after you buy it. Products like a tri-tip sandwich at Farmer’s Market or cell phone service are both experience…
Keeping everything stable
Khaled Hal Saad Zoologists study this concept called the Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS). It turns out that, through evolution, an animal population will adopt a survival strategy that will always be immune from encroachment from another strategy. For instance, if…
What's your major
Khaled Hal Saad In our late teens, we’re required to pick a major of study and apply to the universities that offer them. This decision is fraught with difficulty; some students are simply too young or inexperienced to know what…
From Polyratings to Gap, it is a race to the bottom
Khaled Hal Saad Registration for winter quarter began last Thursday. If you're like me, you have a list of web bookmarks at hand: one for POWER, Half.com … and Polyratings.com. Conceived by fellow computer scientists, Polyratings is the premier source…
Where are our armed prophets?
Khaled Hal Saad Eighty-eight years ago to the day marks the height of the Russian Revolution and the beginning of a long slog to Russian superpower status. Often ignored, was the raw intellectual and tireless contributions of one of Russia’s…
Got creativity? Club ads unoriginal
Khaled Hal Saad The new academic year ushered in fresh marketing campaigns for student initiatives aimed at captive freshmen and the rest of us. There are drives to go greek, join campus clubs and other well-meaning organizations. A disturbing trend…