The Economics of Everyday Things

How do courts interpret those little icons on your phone? Zachary Crockett brings down the hammer.   * SOURCES: * Eric Goldman [https://www.ericgoldman.org/], professor of law, associate dean for research, co-director at the High Tech Law Institute at the Santa Clara University School of Law.   * RESOURCES: * "Canadian Court Rules 👍 Emoji Counts as a Contract Agreement [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/world/canada/canada-thumbs-up-emoji-contract.html]," by Michael Levenson (New York Times, 2023). * "Former Bed Bath & Beyond investor Ryan Cohen must face emoji-inspired shareholder suit [https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/ryan-cohen-bed-bath-beyond-investor-emoji-lawsuit-rcna97379]," by Rob Wile (NBC News, 2023). * "My Declaration Identifying Emoji Co. GmbH as a Possible Trademark Troll [https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2021/09/my-declaration-identifying-emoji-co-gmbh-as-a-possible-trademark-troll.htm]," by Eric Goldman (Technology & Marketing Blog, 2021). * "Bardales v. Lamothe [https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3068&context=historical]," by Middle District of Tennessee (2019). * "Emojis and the Law [https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5033&context=wlr]," by Eric Goldman (Washington Law Review, 2018).   * EXTRAS: * OpenMoji FAQ [https://openmoji.org/faq/].

How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain.   * SOURCES: * Meredith Baer [https://meridithbaer.com/our-story/], founder of Meridith Baer Home. * Cindy Lin [https://www.staged4more.com/about], founder and lead instructor at Staged4more School of Home Staging. * Karen Prince [https://secretsofhomestaging.com/about-karen-prince/], author and home staging consultant.   * RESOURCES: * "How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing the Real Estate Game [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ai-real-estate-1.6814123]," by Kate Dubinski (C.B.C. News, 2023). * "Will Virtual Staging Replace Traditionally Staged Rooms? [https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/home-and-design/will-virtual-staging-replace-traditionally-staged-rooms]" by Barbara Ballinger (Realtor Magazine, 2022). * "Open Houses and Sticky Fingers [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/realestate/open-houses-stealing-theft.html]," by Alix Strauss (The New York Times, 2022). * "Profile of Home Staging [https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2021-profile-of-home-staging-report-04-06-2021.pdf]," by the National Association of Realtors Research Group (2021). * Secrets of Home Staging: The Essential Guide to Getting Higher Offers Faster [https://amzn.to/3Y7Zh2q], by Karen Prince (2021). * "How Meridith Baer Runs Her $100 Million Home Staging Business [https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennawang/2019/07/30/how-meredith-baer-runs-her-100-million-home-staging-business/?sh=2abc47504300]," by Jenna Wang (Forbes, 2019). * "Designer Meridith Baer’s Home-Staging Empire Began With a Plant Storage Dilemma [https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hp-meridith-baer-designer-20190302-story.html]," by Arielle Paul (Los Angeles Times, 2019). * "The Twilight Zone of Home Staging [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/fashion/real-estate-home-staging-buyers-clutter.html]," by Peter Haldeman (The New York Times, 2016). * "The Story Seller [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25Key-Stager-t.html]," by Mark Oppenheimer (The New York Times Magazine, 2009). * Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money [https://amzn.to/3q48HiP], by Barb Schwarz (2006).

They expose fraud, catch cheating spouses, and track down missing assets — but they don’t come cheap. Zachary Crockett takes the case.   * SOURCES: * Ashley Wardlow [https://nathans-investigations.com/meet-our-leadership-miami-private-investigators/], chief operating officer at Nathans Investigations.   * RESOURCES: * "Eugène-François Vidocq and the Birth of the Detective [https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/eugene-francois-vidocq-and-the-birth-of-the-detective/]," by Daisy Sainsbury (The Public Domain Review, 2024). * "The Pinkerton Story - Chapter 1 [https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/04-Pinkerton_Story_Chapter-1.pdf]," (The Pinkerton Foundation, 2017). * "Expectation of Privacy [https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/expectation_of_privacy]," (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute). * "Evidence & Private Investigators [https://www.claydugas.com/legal-process/evidence-private-investigators/]," (Dugas Law Firm).   * EXTRAS: * "Private Investigation Equipment [https://www.detective-store.com/] (Detective Store)."

There are now nearly 12,000 satellites orbiting Earth. What does it cost to put them there, and how do they make money? Zachary Crockett launches an investigation.   * SOURCES: * Tim Farrar [https://www.tmfassociates.com/aboutus.html], president of TMF Associates. * Rachel Jewett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-jewett-9095b982/], managing editor of Via Satellite.   * RESOURCES: * "How geostationary small satellites are providing strategic access to space [https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/06/raise-access-to-space-and-connectivity-through-geostationary-small-satellites/]," by Steve Collar (World Economic Forum, 2025). * "State of the Satellite Industry Report [https://sia.org/news-resources/state-of-the-satellite-industry-report/]," (Satellite Industry Association, 2025). * "Elon Musk Dominates Space Launch. Rivals Are Calling Foul. [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/us/politics/elon-musk-space-launch-competition.html]" by Eric Lipton (New York Times, 2024). * "Kessler Syndrome and the space debris problem [https://www.space.com/kessler-syndrome-space-debris]," by Mike Wall (Space, 2022). * "BlackRock Says Satellite Images Can Help Track Chinese Companies [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-21/blackrock-says-satellite-images-can-help-track-chinese-companies?embedded-checkout=true]," by Lisa Pham (Bloomberg, 2017).

How does a museum place a value on a priceless work of art? And how much does it cost to keep it safe? Zachary Crockett appraises the situation.   * SOURCES: * Glenn Lowry [https://www.moma.org/about/senior-staff/glenn-lowry], director of the Museum of Modern Art.   * RESOURCES: * "Why Climate Activists Are Still Throwing Food and Paint at Famous Artworks [https://www.wsj.com/story/why-climate-activists-are-still-throwing-food-and-paint-at-famous-artworks-851e3d0f?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAhMODXbQ5gmBjum6wpk0jiD7Gb9C0bVGtsJ1ZLpAxbWzJ46UfPFreZLbYucvws%3D&gaa_ts=6896337d&gaa_sig=BkUWsBQcofTDiBF7V7Nu6xquoJ78BdysaLaIDdrvzyTzjjOE_ExBfh7hG-ET7NIswjFILWXqEPmvz9erwAih_Q%3D%3D]," by Tala Ansari (Wall Street Journal, 2023). * "The Woman Who Made van Gogh [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/magazine/jo-van-gogh-bonger.html]," by Russell Shorto (New York Times, 2021). * "The Lillie P. Bliss collection [https://assets.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_1995_300190550.pdf]," (MoMA Collection, 1934). * "May Belfort [https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1958.54]," by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Cleveland Museum of Art, 1895). * "Still Life with a Bottle [https://www.polamuseum.or.jp/en/collection/006-0392/]," by Paul Cézanne (Pola Museum, 1890). * "The Starry Night [https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802]," by Vincent Van Gogh (MoMA Collection, 1889). * "Portrait of Victor Chocquet Seated [https://www.artchive.com/artwork/portrait-of-victor-chocquet-seated-paul-cezanne-1877/]," by Paul Cézanne (1877).   * EXTRAS: * "Hotel Art [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/hotel-art/]," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2025). * "The Hidden Side of the Art Market [https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-hidden-side-of-the-art-market/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).