Category: Links Dump

Mike the Mad Biologist : Why Aren’t U.S. Toyota Workers Paid Better? "What has struck me throughout all of these discussions, however, is that Honda’s and Toyota’s current lower wages and benefits are seen as ‘natural’, while the Big Three’s are seen as inflated. It’s odd to hear progressives and liberals argue that the Big… Continue reading links for 2008-12-12

Water confirmed on distant planet – physicsworld.com Any lingering doubts about whether water exists on a planet orbiting a star 63 light years away have been quashed by astronomers in the US. The team measured infrared light emitted by the planet, known as HD 189733b, and found distinct spectral features that, they say, can be… Continue reading links for 2008-12-11

Swans on Tea » The Migration and Herding Tendencies of Tools "Tools are routinely used and then set aside on the most convenient unoccupied flat surface, after which they are shuffled around to create more unoccupied surface area, which eventually obscures some of the items that have been piled up. Murphy’s law dictates the most… Continue reading links for 2008-12-10

Hope in a box: The A.V. Club’s guide to holiday gifts for the new era of good feelings | The A.V. Club "Words like "need" or "necessary" lose all meaning around Christmas, even when the economy is collapsing. For example, does anyone actually need a flexible plastic case to prevent their bananas from getting bruised?… Continue reading links for 2008-12-09

Holiday Guide 2008: Gifts – Best Books of 2008 (washingtonpost.com) Only three science books, but at least they have a Science category. (tags: books review science society culture) Mike the Mad Biologist : Framing Good Transit Policy Poorly: The Efficiency Argument "I don’t like the subsidizing of the ‘burbs by the urbs either, but, if… Continue reading links for 2008-12-08

The Intersection: Announcing Unscientific America A new book, from Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum, coming to fine bookstores everywhere in May (tags: science books writing politics society) PLoS Genetics: Taken to School: An Interview with the Honorable Judge John E. Jones, III The judge in the Dover "Intelligent Design" trial, in case you don’t recognize… Continue reading links for 2008-12-06

Back to Reality – Olivia Judson Blog – NYTimes.com "President-elect Obama already has a long to-do list. But here’s another item for it: to restore science in government." (tags: science politics us blogs) Built on Facts : Gas in a (very small) box. Air is denser than you think. (tags: science atoms physics blogs education)… Continue reading links for 2008-12-04

A Blog Around The Clock : The Open Laboratory 2008 – all the submissions fit to print Some light reading to fill your infinite free time. (tags: science blogs writing) Pay Bankers Much Less – Finance Blog – Felix Salmon – Market Movers – Portfolio.com "I’ve now reached the point at which I simply don’t… Continue reading links for 2008-12-03

Schneier on Security: Lessons from Mumbai "If there’s any lesson in these attacks, it’s not to focus too much on the specifics of the attacks. " (tags: news society security blogs) Does the broken windows theory hold online? "Does the aesthetic appearance of a blog affect what’s written by the site’s commenters?" (tags: culture internet… Continue reading links for 2008-12-02

slacktivist: Why oh why can’t we have a better press corps? "Part of the answer to that question is that our newspapers are being asked to do something they were never designed to do and something they are fundamentally and structurally incapable of doing: they’re being asked to provide shareholders with double-digit and ever-increasing profit… Continue reading links for 2008-11-27