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In evolutionary terms, menopause is something of a mystery since it inhibits further reproduction. The Economist explains the evolutionary advantages of having a grandmother.
"After a federal appeals court struck down the FCC's regulations on indecency, network television will have license to depict more violence, use more profanity and get a whole lot sexier."
Governments whose national health services include homeopathic treatments are being asked to eliminate such programs by those who question homeopathy's medical legitimacy.
"It's a provocative question, but that's exactly what a group of health care specialists on the other side of the pond are recommending." The British Medical Journals draws parallels to neglect.
"The Pacific island hoped the sale of its '.tv' suffix to websites would boost its troubled economy. Now it says it is being deprived of millions in royalties." The Independent reports.
"What Egypt needs is a durable social movement that decades from now can influence politicians and decision-makers." Osama Diab at The Guardian is nostalgic for flower power.
"Plants can transmit information 'from leaf to leaf in a very similar way to our own nervous systems,' BBC News wrote." Scientific American examines the implications of this observation.
"This week, the government released thousands of previously classified documents on the war in Vietnam. Bob Kerrey on why we should pay attention." Read it at The Daily Beast.
"If you look back on history, you get the sense that scientific discoveries used to be easy. Today, it takes ever more money, more effort, and more people to find out new things."
"The Deepwater Horizon leak has been capped and the president is taking a vacation. Let’s repeal the oil spill and start all over." Gail Collins delivers some biting satire in her Saturday column.
A game currently under development will allow players to interact emotionally with a virtual human. Is it the end of human connections or the fortification of our innate emotional sense?
"Being fat may diminish mental performance, studies find—a problem that worsens with age. But among elderly women, where fat is deposited may matter," reports Science News.
The Economist's technology blog approves of Apple's solution to its iPhone 4 reception problem, but it continues to wonder whether the company is denial about a larger problem.
Mark Twain's posthumous autobiography reveals the author's darker side, but will we bother to notice? Or will we prefer the "Disneyfied" history of the man as avuncular satirist?
"Small shops aren’t just changing the way brands are presented. They are exposing cracks in big agency operations." Leaner ad agencies are changing the business, says The Big Money.
"The New York Times' editorial policy — it cannot be 'torture' if the United States does it — obfuscates the truth and actively bolsters government propaganda," says Glen Greenwald.
"From lower birthrates to decreased civic participation and volunteerism, economic downturns have many non-economic effects." The L.A. Times says people "hunker down" during hard times.
A veteran Google algorithm engineer wants to deliver search results to its users, "even before they know that they want the information." The idea is called "searching-without-searching."
"The innovation economy depends on inventors. And inventors need more support." An energy CEO proposes bridging the Green Grand Canyon: the divide between inventors' prototypes and production.
If your company were taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices, you’d probably be shouting it from the rooftops, right? Actually, says Greenbiz.com editor Joel Makower, […]