1. The study of great books is usually contrasted with the use of textbooks and other technical books. It is contrasted, in other words, with study of the studies that […]

No one has a crystal ball, but some predictions that I made in recent years are coming into sharp focus with every scientific advance. For starters, every year, more organs […]

Nobody in Congress really cares about the deficit. Sure, everyone would love to cut the deficit as long as it doesn’t mean having to cut any programs they like. What […]

Dwight Garner wins the Lede of the Day Award for his scathing and accurate assessment of the New York Times Book Review's self-help bestseller list: The New York Times Book […]

Since branding Wall Street's pre-eminent investment bank, Goldman Sachs with the epithet "vampire squid," Rolling Stone correspondent Matt Taibbi has made quite a name for himself in the mainstream American […]

Gerald Fischbach: The symptoms of autism are far better understood than its causes; psychiatrists classify the disorder as having two major components: impaired social cognition and a tendency toward narrow […]

The symptoms of autism are far better understood than its causes; psychiatrists classify the disorder as having two major components: impaired social cognition and a tendency toward narrow interests and repetitive behaviors. 

"If you live life like there is no tomorrow, actually it doesn’t work because ultimately there is a tomorrow," says Taibbi.

When Taibbi began covering the U.S. finance industry, he was "continually struck" by how much it resembled the corrupt dynamic in the former Soviet Union.

"I work hard to be honest with my sources, but I don’t go out of my way to make them feel good either," says Taibbi.

"She is a gifted politician, just in terms of getting people to connect with her on an emotional level in person," says Taibbi. "It’s something that if you’re an experienced […]

A conversation with the Rolling Stone correspondent.

"There is a reason why you can’t just print money and get yourself out of economic trouble," says the Rolling Stone correspondent.

Open Congress has the latest on the senate Democrats' filibuster reform plan: Senators Tom Udall [D, NM], Tom Harkin [D, IA] and Jeff Merkley [D, OR] have released an official […]

People choose mates that are very similar to themselves in terms of education and income. They don't tend to select partners who bring vastly different skill sets to the marriage.

GUEST POST WITH MANJULA KHANNA Our lives are techno-infused: the air is pregnant with possibility in an environment of constant connectivity and ever changing information. We use technology for almost […]

Yes, it is time for the first Smithsonian/USGS Global Volcanism Program Weekly Volcanic Activity Report of the new year. Well, not entirely of the new year, but we can count it […]

Some on the right are challenging congressional Republicans to increase federal investment in science and technology.

Oh, those Pakistanis.  First, they claim that a drone strike killed Fahd al-Qusa and then months later al-Qusa appears safe and sound on the front page of al-Sharq al-Awsat, where […]

One of the regular features of the old Waq al-waq was the day in papers, and as I slowly adjust to the new site I'm bringing it back. We start […]