“Avoid the long commute” says behavioural economist

Following the post on 24 July about the algorithm-driven insurance penalty of long distance commuting, here’s some advice from behavioural economist Dan Ariely (left), writing in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago.

Focusing on the uncertainty encountered by long distance drivers (although the same might apply to some public transport commutes), Ariely concludes, “I suggest that you take distance from work into account as a significant factor in deciding where to live. It will play a larger role in your life than you think.”
(Photo: NPR)

Beware of the algorithm: another reason not to commute long distance

Dr Ian Brown, the associate director of Oxford University's Cyber Security Centre, is quoted in an article in the Guardian saying that algorithms are now programmed to look for "indirect, non-obvious" correlations in data. "For example, in the US, healthcare companies can now make assessments about a good or bad insurance risk based, in part, on the distance you commute to work," he says. "They will identity the low-risk people and market their policies at them. Click here to see an algorithm (Quicksort) in action.