Psychological distance, or the extent to which something seems far away spatially, temporally, socially, or hypothetically, often influences humor perception. The benign violation theory of humor explains why psychological distance has a different effect on tragedies than minor mishaps. Distance...

"Urban proximity can reduce the costs of shipping goods and speed the flow of ideas. Improvements in communication technology might erode these advantages and allow people and firms to decentralize. However, improvements in transportation and communication technology can also increase the...

We examine the importance of geographical proximity to coal as a factor underpinning comparative European economic development during the Industrial Revolution. Our analysis exploits geographical variation in city and coalfield locations, alongside temporal variation in the availability of...