I keep stashing links to publish link roundups I never have time to publish. So, here’s the speed version, mostly without annotation. Unifying theme: Either I liked these or they’re high on my to-read list.
Funnest thing I’ve read this week. David Quigg asks the FBI if he can see those Hemingway files with less blocked out. The FBI actually does it. David Quigg finds out how a meeting between an astronomer and Robert Frost led to Robert Frost’s famous “Fire and Ice.” Plus how the world ends.
Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenney by Jen Graves Good review of what sounds like (heh) some damned interesting musicians.
USPS Documents Expose How Local Police and the Federal Government Spy on Your Mail Forget privacy. We’ve surrendered our constitutional right to freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.
Taboo genetics What’s too tetchy to find genes for? Good look at the question from Erika Check at Nature.
Longform Podcast #62: Malcolm Gladwell, which is fascinating, and A devastating review of Gladwell’s new book, which is. If that last doesn’t get you the review, you can download the PDF here.
Seymour Hersh on Obama, NSA and the ‘pathetic’ American media
The barbarism of reason: John Gray on the Notebooks of Leopardi
Lloyd’s List, the world’s oldest newspaper, to give up on print
Daniel Radcliffe’s Next Trick Is to Make Harry Potter Disappear Profile by Susan Dominius draws raves.
There are no significant facts about human beings
The good catch Of fish.
Why Whooping Cough Vaccines Are Wearing Off, by ace scary-disease woman Maryn McKenna.
Kareem: Stop Calling Every Woman ‘Strong.’ It’s Offensive. Kareem shoots from half court. Nothing but net.
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND INTELLIGENCE?
OR IN MY “STORY” {A SUDDEN DOSE OF GENIUS AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH SEVERE DEPRESSION}…….???