From Asia Times, an article on the rise and rise of Al-Qaeda (and more on a global phenomenon reaching maturity). Mark Schmitt on how Michael Barone made The Almanac of American Politics irrelevant. A solid B+ for prediction: Novelist H. G. Wells offered visions of the future in a number of books; his predictions weren't flawless, but they often hit close to the mark. Four decades ago, Norman E. Borlaug developed a wheat variety that fed the world — now he's battling a pathogen whose spread could cause starvation. A review of Beyond Moral Judgment by Alice Crary. Does the news matter to anyone anymore? A look at why you should beware of Facebook. Caveman blues: How modern life baffles our Stone Age brains into thinking we can never have enough. What everyone should know about their own minds: 6

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