Best Underworld Babies Make Underdog Medicine
Codes Of The Underworld by Diego Gambetta (Princeton) (pdf): Criminals have a problem: they need to collaborate with others. But they also need to know that others are criminals before they suggest collaborations. But what if they’re undercover cops? Gambetta’s discussion of how criminals deal with these problems is very informative and thoughtful. [via]
The Underdog Effect by Daniel Engber (Slate): Why do sports fans like to go for the underdog? According to Engber, it’s because we have an implicit need for fairness, and sport is somewhere where this implicit desire for fairness doesn’t get interfered with by our desire for the best. [via]
How To Make A Superweed by Carl Zimmer (The Loom): The nature of evolution is that weeds tend to develop immunity to whatever chemicals you try to kill them with. And the more effective the chemicals, ultimately the more resistant the superweed.
The Moral Life Of Babies by Paul Bloom (New York Times): Despite the reputation they have for being unsocial psychopaths, babies appear to have some sort of ability to tell the difference between good and bad even at such an early age (or so argues developmental psychologist Bloom). What this says about morality in general and how it works and develops is interesting and important.
Big Pharma, Bad Medicine by Marcia Angell (Boston Review): The extent to which academic medical researchers have been captured by the pharmaceutical industry is breathtaking and dangerous for us all.
To Be The Best, Learn From The Rest by Mairi Macleod (New Scientist): Apparently, according to social learning theorists, the most effective and efficient way to get an edge in life is to spend about 20% of your time learning.
