The Economics of The Mummy (2024 - )

2024 marked the 25th anniversary of the cinematic masterpiece starring Rachel Weisz, Brendan Fraser, and Oded Fehr The Mummy (1999). With books of gold and trowels of steel, the battle between the mummy of a high priest and the clumsy Egyptologist librarian stole the hearts of an entire generation. This action-packed adventure movie also inspired a book series, multiple roller coaster rides, and ONE impressive sequel (we leave the proof of which it is to the reader). However, when you think of this 1999 cinematic classic, you could also think about the economic themes guiding the behavior and decisions of the major characters. Revisiting Hamunaptra provides us with an opportunity to think about how the economic way of thinking can help us solve problems – or at least help us avoid the curse of the Hom-Dai. This movie has nuances and themes for both the introductory student of economics and for the Medjai-like educators who ensure that economic knowledge is not used to bring about the end of the world.

Resources
Deyo, Darwyyn and Alicia Plemmons. "Mummified Political Economy for the 25th Anniversary of The Mummy", Part 1 of 3, EconLog, September 6, 2024

The Economics of Jane Austen (2016 - )

Jane Austen was an Enlightenment-era philosopher who engaged in the economic way of thinking. She shared the moral sentiments philosophy of Adam Smith, and the two authors act as a bridge to understanding the other's perspective on a changing world. Austen's economic way of thinking can be understood by analysing three major issues in her novels: poverty, human capital accumulation, and the marriage market. She also wrote extensively on trade-offs, opportunity costs, incentives, unintended consequences, and other concepts familiar to modern economists. As a student of human behaviour, Austen's novels provide readers with a new approach to the economic way of thinking.

Resources
Deyo, Darwyyn. “Jane Austen and the Economic Way of Thinking,” International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education. Special Issue: Economics and the Novel. Vol. 7(2), 2016: 170-182.

The Economics of the Undead (2014)

Whether preparing us for economic recovery after the zombie apocalypse, analyzing vampire investment strategies, or illuminating the market forces that affect vampire-human romances, Economics of the Undead: Zombies, Vampires, and the Dismal Science gives both seasoned economists and layman readers something to sink their teeth into. My contribution with David Mitchell (Chapter 11) sets out the comparative advantage reasoning using illustrative examples.

Resources
​Deyo, Darwyyn and David Mitchell. 2014. Trading with the Undead: A Study in Specialization and Comparative Advantage. In Economics of the Undead, ed. Glen Whitman and Dow James.

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The Wall Street Journal: "Zombie Studies Gain Ground on College Campuses," March 3, 2014

The Economics of Harry Potter (2014 - 2016)

These two articles use the magical world of Harry Potter to teach the laws of economics. Even though J.K Rowling placed her characters in a world of magic, wizards remain subject to the implications of scarcity. As a result, the series is abundant with examples of basic economic principles. Given the popularity of the series, its use in the classroom is likely to inspire students to adopt the economic way of thinking for life. Deyo and Podemska-Mikluch (2014) demonstrate the pedagogical potential of the series by providing illustrations of trade-offs and opportunity costs, marginal thinking, the power of incentives, and the benefits of trade and commerce. Podemska-Mikluch, Deyo, and Mitchell (2016) uses the series to explain and illustrate the pubic choice school of thought.

2020 Update: This series will not be continued at this time.

References
Deyo, Darwyyn and Marta Podemska-Mikluch. “It's Just Like Magic: The Economics of Harry Potter.” Journal of Economics and Finance Education. Winter 2014

Podemska-Mikluch, Marta, Darwyyn Deyo and David T. Mitchell. “Public Choice Lessons from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” The Journal of Private Enterprise. 2016.

​Blogpost: Using Harry Potter in the Classroom

Harry Potter and the Laws of Muggle Economics: Podcast @ iTunes and on the web @ Upset Patterns