From Miller-McCune, to reach consensus, let’s talk less: Talking out our differences on controversial scientific and technological issues may be just the wrong way to reach agreement; real diversity means we’re not all the same: The way Americans often squirm when terms like race and diversity are introduced suggests that even many best-intentioned approaches to these defining issues are all wrong; and beauty leads to a closer look: New research finds physically attractive people are viewed both more positively and more accurately. The Stuxnet worm was perfect for sabotaging centrifuges — experts reached the conclusion by dissecting the program suspected of being aimed at Iran’s nuclear program. Something big is going on at the center of the galaxy, and astronomers are happy to say they don’t know what it is. A review of Prime Movers of Globalization: The History and Impact of Diesel Engines and Gas Turbines by Vaclav Smil. Is the only good Muslim a bad Muslim? John Zmirak investigates. From Lapham’s Quarterly, Marcello Simonetta on the renaissance of city-states. The case for total failure: Nathan Rabin on why flops are good for the movies. Earmarks are not a big deal, say political scientists — most are perfectly justifiable, and they definitely aren’t to blame for the “eruption of spending” from Washington. The idea is rapidly spreading that a ban on earmarks doesn't affect spending, since earmarks are a way of distributing what's already been appropriated — it's basically false, for three reasons. An article on Silvio Berlusconi: Will someone please pull the plug? Broken Taboo: A major journal publishes evidence of ESP — is precognition possible? Treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity: In defense of Tim Wise. How iTunes undermines the Beatles' music: Why you can't appreciate the band by listening to singles instead of albums.
