A metascientific field that examines the economic dimensions of scientific activity—how money flows through research systems, how funding shapes research agendas, how economic incentives influence scientific behavior, and how scientific knowledge generates economic value. The economics of science analyzes funding mechanisms (grants, contracts, institutional support), labor markets (scientists as workers, training pipelines, career structures), intellectual property regimes (patents, licensing, commercialization), and the economic impact of research (innovation, growth, productivity). It also examines how economic forces create inequalities within science—between fields, between institutions, between countries—and how these inequalities shape what gets studied and who gets to study it. The economics of science reveals that science is not just a pursuit of truth but an economic activity, embedded in markets and driven by incentives, and that understanding science requires understanding its economic logic.
Example: "His economics of science analysis showed how the shift to project-based grant funding transformed scientific practice—not just what got studied, but how scientists thought about risk, collaboration, and their own careers. When funding becomes project-based, science becomes project-shaped."
by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026
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by Ideait May 31, 2025
Get the Econorist mug.A deceiving ahh subject that makes you feel like you smart when you discuss it verbally up until the moment you're in the exam hall
by myanonymousunseriousahh June 17, 2025
Get the Economics mug.The deliberate and systemic design of an economy, that enriches a tiny elite—billionaires jet-setting the globe—while forcing billions into poverty, desperation, and cutthroat competition for scraps.
It’s the violence of capitalism laid bare: for every yacht, there’s a street fight over coins for coffee.
Not an accident, but a feature of a world that thrives on inequality, exploitation, and the suffering of the marginalized.
It’s the violence of capitalism laid bare: for every yacht, there’s a street fight over coins for coffee.
Not an accident, but a feature of a world that thrives on inequality, exploitation, and the suffering of the marginalized.
While billionaires party at their beach mansions, Uber, and the gig economy’s economic cruelty, encourage and reward, delivery riders crashing into each other, for a $5 order.
by TheEternalNow August 10, 2025
Get the Economic Cruelty mug.To add colour where it is neither wanted nor needed. Such as Gustave Doré sketches or the movie Casablanca.
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Get the ENCOLOURATE mug.Short for Homo economicus. A hypothetical agent used in economic modeling who exhibits perfect rationality, consistent preferences, and complete self-interest. Unlike a human, an Econ is assumed to possess infinite computational ability to process information and always selects the option that maximizes their personal utility (satisfaction or wealth).
"If we assume the consumer is an Econ, then increasing the price by even $0.01 should immediately lower demand, but brand loyalty often keeps Humans from switching."
"My brother is a total Econ; he spent three hours building a spreadsheet to decide which brand of toothpaste has the best cost-per-ounce ratio."
"My brother is a total Econ; he spent three hours building a spreadsheet to decide which brand of toothpaste has the best cost-per-ounce ratio."
by Homo economicus January 8, 2026
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