just saw this point repeated 10 minutes ago.
on Tabbarok[http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/03/privatize-the-spectrum.html] saying
"But even if consumer prices did rise the merger is probably still a good idea. It’s long been known that even small cost savings can outweigh losses to consumers from a price increase"
to which Tomasz Wegrzanowski replied: Williamson trade-off model is exactly why people hate economists.
Not once in history of the universe has there been anything benefiting the rich and powerful, for which some economists didn’t make a model showing it’s really in everybody’s best interest.
Cost savings are bullshit, price increases are real.
Here's an interesting but very old paper - two theories of Heat Control.
It discusses mental models of home heating systems (thermostats) non-experts use.
These models tend to be extremely wrong from theoretical perspective, but surprisingly useful in practice.
The findings are applicable to a much wider range of subjects than just thermostats, and have certain epistemological significance, especially with regard to compartmentalization.