Rebecca Gould (Iowa): Modernity, Madness, Disenchantment: Don Quixote’s Hunger. Why do Americans hate the French? How a nation of 65 million people got on our bad side. The end of gerrymandering: Have California’s citizen commissions killed corruption in congressional redistricting? In the cold calculus of evolution by natural selection, at no greater time in history than ever before, copiers are probably doing better than innovators — because innovation is extraordinarily hard. An excerpt from The Greatest Grid: Manhattan’s Master Plan, 1811-2011. Without Zuccotti Park, Occupiers struggle for unity. Rich people — feeling poor, just like the rest of us! Some real issues for 2012: The presidential campaign shouldn't eclipse important protest movements already under way. Brett Forrest on the big Russian life of Anna Chapman, ex-spy. How crossword puzzles mess with your mind: The agony and the ecstasy of solving a crossword puzzle can reflect a surprising amount about the subconscious mind. Romney and Santorum actually tied the Iowa caucus, experts say. A review of The Origin of AIDS by Jacques Pepin. An interview with Glenn Greenwald, author of With Liberty and Justice for Some. Why we should be skeptical about the current mania for a third party that appeals to independents and libertarians: Mark Schmitt reviews The Declaration of Independents by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. An excerpt from Neurogastronomy: How the Brain Creates Flavor and Why It Matters by Gordon M. Shepherd. As the US enters primary season ahead of the 2012 elections, Abby Ohlheiser assesses the chances of the “God and Guns” Republicans hoping to challenge Obama in November. Welcome to Social Dimension, a blog devoted to the math behind understanding society and civilization.
