Archive for the ‘Level 1’ Category

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Genetically Engineered is…

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Genetically engineered (GE) is a way of describing an organism into which scientists have introduced a new trait that the organism didn’t already have.

Genetic engineering is a very targeted approach to breeding – the organism in question actually gets some new DNA as part of the deal. GE organisms contain an rDNA (or recombinant DNA, itself created in a lab) construct that produces the new trait.

For example…

GE crops are more resistant to pests. GE baking aids make that cake you’re making a little fluffier. GE animals grow twice as fast.

A Credit Crunch is…

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

A credit crunch is a period when lenders are unwilling to provide loans to borrowers. Generally a lender will extend credit to a borrower under the assumption they will be paid back with interest. But when the economy is bad, lenders become hesitant to make loans for fear of losing their money.

Collaborative Consumption

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

collaborative-home.png
(image credit: Collaborative Consumption)

But isn’t that like, communism, man?

Not exactly – people still own things and are making a profit from them, and that’s sort of the point.

Technology (i.e. the internet) is allowing regular people like you and me to share their skills, stuff or space with the world – for profit. New websites and services like TaskRabbit, SkillShare and Airbnb (and even old stuff like eBay and Craigslist) allow people to take advantage of stuff they own or stuff they can do by lowering barriers-to-entry.

But, wait, if, like, everyone can easily buy and sell stuff, isn’t that at least, like, socialism, man?

Not exactly.

Embezzlement is…

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Embezzlement is taking something for personal gain that you’re supposed to be looking after for someone else.

It often happens in small amounts over time, and can sometimes go undetected for years. This is why accounting is so important – and why we need watchdogs like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to growl at offenders.

Examples of embezzlement include someone in charge of a trust or an investment fund snagging some of the money in their care, or those at the head of a nonprofit tweaking the books so that everything looks normal… while dollars secretly slip out the back door.

From Rocking Fur Coats to Hunting Poachers…

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Think a career track means only one destination? Well… you’re wrong. Listen to how Maryann Fernandez arrived at Philanthropy Indaba:

>> TILE brings you exclusive opinions, explanations, and interviews from experts in every industry. Have a burning question or an expert you’d like to see interviewed? Just Ask TILE!

In need of a hero?

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Holy blazes, Batman, the budget’s gonna bust! We’re zooming toward the debt ceiling, but nobody seems to know what to do..

We need a hero. A Budget Hero!

Luckily, American Public Media put together this awesome widget that you can use to play around with the U.S. government budget, a little bit like our elected officials in Congress do. Cut spending, increase taxes, watch your deficit move around, and learn about what all these cuts and increases mean.

Think you can do better than Congress is now? You just might be… a BUDGET HERO!

Economics is…

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Economics is the study of how people choose to allocate scarce resources. Every resource is limited in some way – wood , metal, food, even your time – and economics is the study of how people distribute these resources. Modern economics is broken into microeconomics (study of individuals) and macroeconomics (the study of large-scale economies).

Administrative Expenses are…

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Administrative expenses include the part of a company’s budget spent on its wellbeing or upkeep, but which don’t directly relate to the sales efforts of the company. For example, administrative expenses include costs associated with administrative staff, food and drinks for meetings, paperclips, and utility bills.

The Cash Price is…

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

The cash price is the price a seller charges a customer given that they plan on paying immediately in cash. Credit card companies charge retailers a commission (a small percentage of the sale), so some stores will charge a different price for people who use credit cards versus cash to make up for the difference.

You may have noticed that gas stations sometimes advertise “$2.50 per gallon–cash  ||  $2.53 per gallon — credit.” $2.50 is the cash price.

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