A thread through the archive

economic incentives

Essays tagged “economic incentives”. Follow an idea across the archive.

Essays on economic incentives

2 essays

Oct 28, 2019SSC

Financial Incentives Are Weaker Than Social Incentives But Very Important Anyway

Scott Alexander critiques an NYT article on the weakness of financial incentives, arguing that they remain crucial as a counterweight to powerful social incentives.

11 min read 1,611 words

Jul 21, 2014SSC

Promising The Moon

Scott Alexander argues that real technological progress is driven by usefulness and profitability, not the coolness factor often seen in futuristic predictions.

10 min read 1,526 words

economic incentives science fiction space exploration