Jasper Mellick
Data CorrespondentSees the world in spreadsheets and scatter plots. Once got into a bar fight over a misused median. His articles will change how you think about numbers.
Articles by Jasper Mellick
The $25 Million Spending Ceiling: Why Billionaires Don't Actually Spend Like Billionaires
Spending increases with wealth up to about $25 million in net worth, then flatlines entirely. Additional billions don't buy additional yachts.
Movie Revenue Correlates Perfectly With Drowning Deaths—And It Means Absolutely Nothing
A real statistical correlation between film box office revenue and drowning deaths proves that correlation isn't causation. Here's why coincidence masquerades as connection.
Saving Money Can Actually Destroy the Economy—Even When Everyone Thinks They're Being Smart
When an entire population saves more money simultaneously, it can paradoxically shrink economic growth and increase unemployment. Individual prudence becomes collective self-sabotage.
Tajikistan's Economy Runs on Remittances, Not Production
Nearly half of Tajikistan's GDP comes from migrant workers sending money home. It's a radically different way to build an economy—and it's surprisingly fragile.
Professional Economists Are Wrong More Often Than They're Right
From 1993–2024, professional economic forecasts missed their own confidence ranges more than half the time. A coin flip would have been nearly as accurate.
Why Saving Money Can Sink the Economy
When everyone rationally cuts spending to save more during a downturn, it triggers the opposite of what they want: a deeper recession. Personal prudence becomes collective disaster.
Why We're Hoarding Cash Even Though We Never Use It
Digital payments have replaced cash at checkout counters worldwide, yet demand for physical banknotes has mysteriously climbed. Economists are still puzzled.
People Given $10,000 Give Away Most of It. Yes, Really.
When researchers handed people substantial sums with no strings attached, recipients across seven countries immediately gave away 64% of it. Economic models of human behavior might need an update.
Brain Damage Changes How You Vote, Not What You Believe
After traumatic brain injuries, military veterans' political beliefs stayed the same while their voting habits flipped. Neuroscience now suggests behavior is more malleable than ideology.
Most People Share News on Facebook Without Reading It
Over 75% of links shared during election seasons never get clicked by the person sharing them. We're all amplifying headlines we've never actually read.