From New Scientist, an article on the science of voodoo: When mind attacks body. Francis Bacon believed there was beauty in the colour of meat, and it was possible "to be optimistic and totally without hope" (and more on Bacon at Bookforum). Is your flirting a disaster? It's official — men can't tell when women fancy them. From TED, Mary Roach on 10 things you didn't know about orgasm. Do narcissists have better sex? People commit adultery all the time, but what makes us so suspicious of faithful partners? The real lab rats: Three books on research fraud and misconduct illustrate the human personalities and emotions that lie behind hard science. Is a degree in homeopathy a sick joke? Scientists say there's almost no evidence that any of it works. A review of The Global Assault on Teaching, Teachers, and Their Unions: Stories for Resistance. True Grits: Why soul food is actually good for you. Child Soldiers: What human rights activists never tell you about young killers. Just as John Howard Griffin attempted to expose racism, Jake Nyberg hopes to expose "mulletism", the mistreatment of mulleted Americans. Bruce who?: A review of Wing Chun Warrior by Ken Ing. Why Donald Duck is the Jerry Lewis of Germany: The cartoon character turns philosophical in translation.

From Fortune, an article on the end of blogging: The way we communicate is changing at a breakneck pace, and don't expect it to slow down; and men are from Facebook, women are from Twitter? Studies show the genders really are different online. Peter Osnos on why the Times blew Watergate. A Defense of Quiet Loners: With every high profile murder one expects to read some rattled neighbor saying the suspected killer was "a quiet man who kept to himself". At MIT's fabled Media Lab, some will change the world with robots and computers, others with Wii guitars. A review of Global Justice: A Cosmopolitan Account by Gillian Brock. A review of Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post-Network Era by Jonathan Gray, Jeffrey Jones, and Ethan Thompson. Lynn Barber describes her introduction to an adult world of sexuality and betrayal and how she was damaged by her suitor's lessons in life. Ange Mlinko reviews Hollywood & God by Robert Polito and Assorted Poems by Susan Wheeler. Christopher Buckley on how Joe Scarborough can save the GOP (and more). From Metapsychology, a review of The Case Against Punishment: Retribution, Crime Prevention, and the Law by Deirdre Golash; and a review of The Problem of Punishment by David Boonin.

From Guernica, an interview with Mahmood Mamdani on the genocide myth (and more and more and a review); and Ken Wiwa, Jr., and Richard North Patterson discuss Ken Saro-Wiwa’s legacy and the upcoming landmark trial. A review of Red Lights: The Lives of Sex Workers in Postsocialist China by Tiantian Zheng. A review of To Serve God and Wal-Mart: The Making of Christian Free Enterprise by Bethany Moreton. From The Black Commentator, a look at what blacks can learn from gays. Once a relic of the aristocratic age, multiple surnames have a new lease of life. A review of Enlightening: Letters 1946-1960 by Isaiah Berlin. It's gotten a bad rap over the last few weeks, but graduation season is the perfect time to remember that empathy may be society's best hope. Peak-Oil Prophet: An interview with James Howard Kunstler on food, fuel and why he became an almost vegan. Either commit suicide or start giggling: An interview with Andrei Codrescu, author of The Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara & Lenin Play Chess. More on Animal Spirits by George A. Akerlof and Robert J. Shiller. A review of Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed by Brian Cronin. A review of Gun Control on Trial: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over the Second Amendment by Brian Doherty.

A new issue of h+ is out. Toxic to Democracy: Chip Berlet on conspiracy theories, demonization, and scapegoating. Thomas Frank on how a murder fed conspiracy theories about the liberal media. From Standpoint, Nick Cohen on the Golden Age of Conspiracy; and an essay on intellectual life under Obama. Heresy on the Right: A handful of new Web sites try to rewire conservative media. Research suggests conservatives are more easily disgusted. What do Pope John Paul II and Hugh Hefner have in common? A review of Good News About Sex and Marriage: Answers to Your Honest Questions About Catholic Teaching by Christopher West. Have the days of Christian media come and gone? From The Weekly Standard, a look at how the least pious among us are the fastest growing group in the country; Post-Modern Prophet: Meet Donald Miller, the Evangelical Left's poster-boy; and Andrew Stuttaford on America's real power struggle: super rich liberals vs. ordinary plutocrats. A review of Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language by Patricia O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman. From Wired, bullion and bandits: An article on the improbable rise and fall of e-gold; and in his 25-plus years as a Texas state senator, John Whitmire had never received a phone call like this one.