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The unifying theme of complex systems

From NOVA, a special episode on Hunting the Hidden Dimension, including an interview with Benoit Mandelbrot, a true maverick, and an excerpt from Fractals: The Patterns of Chaos by John Briggs. Philippe Binder argues the unifying theme of complex systems is frustration. From the stages of grief to the stages of moral development, stage theories have little evidentiary support. Are you a closet conservative? Psychologist Sam Gosling has a few surefire ways to find out. From Dark Roasted Blend, a look at the worst time to buy, the best time to enjoy ads. Would a new league of democracies be a good idea? Philip Bobbitt and David Hannay debate. Presidential firepower: How FDR saved capitalism in eight days. Alan Greenspan concedes error on regulation — whoops, there goes decades of Ayn Rand down the drain. From New Left Review, Robert Wade on financial regime change; David Harvey on the right to the city; and Alexander Cockburn reviews Rick Perlstein's Nixonland (and an excerpt at Bookforum). From The L Magazine, a special issue on the election. From GQ, confession of a presidential campaign reporter: Michael Hastings had what for many journalists would be a dream job — covering the presidential race for Newsweek; too bad the dream is very, very far from reality. Amitai Etzioni on what social conservatives owe the Obamas.