Interesting Reading in the Interweb Tubes
- Distinguishing Science From Nonsense (“Children are not going to flourish at science in a society that treats science either as something you can believe in selectively, something that is simply one point of view, or something about which anyone can have a credible opinion no matter how ill-qualified, dumb, or misinformed.”)
- The Decline and Fall of the Book Reviewing Empire (“According to [an NYT op-ed], readers are on the internet in the millions, but…well, they’re just recommending books to each other without any academic or professional credits whatsoever. It’s appalling, these filthy commoners just saying to each other “you might like to read this” like they’re allowed.
Lawsuit of the Week
- A British woman sued her divorce lawyers, claiming they should have made it clear a divorce would end her marriage
Sad Societal Commentary of the Week
- An Australian has developed a bullet-proof bookcase to protect children caught in any future school gun attacks in the U.S.
Blog Headline of the Week
Bookish Linkage
- Computer scientists have developed an algorithm that can predict with 84 per cent accuracy whether a book will be a commercial success
- I may have to try Reading Bingo
- Reading – a spermatic experience?
- Yesterday, Simon & Schuster began the countdown to its 90th Anniversary by starting to give away one book every day for 90 days, with each daily entry a chance toward winning all 90 books
- This week’s bookish lists: quirky conundrums, crooked books for crooked politicians and six dictators’ favorite books
Nonbookish Linkage
- The real victims of the reprehensible but relentless satanic ritual abuse panic
- Why you should consider uploading yourself to a supercomputer
- Eight ways to combat anti-intellectualism
- Seven movies that changed our political views
- For centuries, a Belgian town has taken mentally ill and disabled into their homes as “boarders”
- Check out The Museum of Online Museums
It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
