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COLOPHON RESEARCH SPECIAL februari 2020 GET INSPIRED BY ECONOMICS & BUSINESS This research special was created by the editors of New Scientist on behalf of Tilburg University, Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM). TiSEM is a leading European player in research and education in the field of Business and Economics. Editors-in-chief Jim Jansen (New Scientist) and Annemeike Tan (TiSEM) Senior editor Wim de Jong Picture editor Jaap Augustine Contributors to this issue Pepijn Barnard, Bram Belloni, Josta Bosma, Bob Bronshoff, Irene Faas, Yannick Fritschy, Fenna van der Grient, Ans Hekkenberg, Peter de Jong, Joris Janssen, Jean-Paul Keulen, Maaike Putman, Sebastiaan van de Water Basic design Sanna Terpstra (Twin Media bv) Design Donna van Kessel (Twin Media bv) Translation Bureau Kennedy CONTACT NEW SCIENTIST E-mail redactie@newscientist.nl (for press releases), info@newscientist.nl (for questions to the editors only), klantenservice@ newscientist.nl (for membership questions and changes) Tel +31-(0)85-6202600 Address Oostenburgervoorstraat 166 a-b, 1018 MR Amsterdam Brand manager Thijs van der Post (thijs@newscientist.nl) Marketing Hannah Jansen (hannah.jansen@veenmedia.nl ) Sales Alex Sieval (alex@newscientist.nl) Production manager Sonja Bon CONTACT TISEM Annemeike Tan (A.M.Tan@tilburguniversity.edu) www.tilburguniversity.edu/tisem Printing Habo DaCosta bv ISSN 2214-7403 The publisher is not liable for damages as a result of printing and typesetting errors. COPYRIGHT Absolutely nothing in this publication may be copied or stored in a database or retrieval system in any way without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher has endeavored to fulfil all legal requirements relating to the copyright of the illustrations. Anyone who is of the opinion that other copyright regulations apply, may apply to the publisher.
Fundamental research with impact Research with social impact and fundamental research often seem to be at odds with each other. Various reports even make a distinction between unbound, excellent, curiosity-driven research and socially relevant research. But is this distinction justified? Of course, most social problems are too broad and extensive to be solved by individual disciplines. Collaboration of researchers from various corners of our scientific spectrum is needed to overcome these problems. Multidisciplinary issues require multidisciplinary solutions. In fact, true radical scientific and social breakthroughs are often based on new combinations of knowledge domains. However, f undamental, mono-disciplinary research cannot be dismissed as a main driver of scientific progress. In this magazine, the Tilburg School of Economics and
Interview 06 “TiSEM is a leading European player” A conversation with Vice-Dean Joost Driessen, Professor of Behavioral Economics Sigrid Suetens, and Bart Bronnenberg, Professor of Marketing.
14 Fighting poverty
John Einmahl deals with extreme values.
Get inspired by
ECONOMISTS
IN THE LABORATORY
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SEDUCED BY A LABEL
WEAKENS OUR COGNITIVE SKILLS
Focus 04 Insight Reyer by the creators of
COVER DESIGN: DONNA VAN KESSEL
Commentary 22 Seduced by a label Arjen van Lin
analyzes the effect of labels, nutritional values, and discounts on what we put in our shopping carts.
28 Data for a good cause How
mountains of data can solve social problems.
30 “IT weakens our cognition” We
14
Prof Dr Geert Duijsters
Dean of the Tilburg School of Economics and Management, Tilburg University
ECONOMICS & BUSINESS
Patricio Dalton and Elena Cettolin build on research by Nobel laureates to help people escape poverty.
20 Man of extremes
Management demonstrates how excellence in fundamental as well as applied research can contribute to a better world and can be instrumental in the analysis of important trends, applications and social developments. The researchers involved have left the proverbial ivory tower without making concessions to disciplinary insight and scientific quality. The articles in this excellent magazine demonstrate that this can – and should – be done. Happy reading!
shouldn’t rely too much on technology without thoroughly training its users, warns AnneFrançoise Rutkowski.
Spotlight 09 Arjan Lejour “Tax avoidance used to be viewed more laconically”
17 Jasmin Gider
“Sometimes research resembles a thriller”
25 Christoph Sextroh “I don’t have a brush, I have data”
Gerlagh:“The problem with climate change is that people can’t imagine what it really means”
10 Insight Is Bitcoin
the currency of the future?
12 Up close CentERlab: a unique laboratory
18 TiSEM in facts & figures 26 Credit and bubbles Rik Frehen, Fabio Braggion, and Emiel Jerphanion investigate the link between cheap credit and stock market speculation.
Tilburg University Economics and Management | Research Special | New Scientist | 3
