Commonplace of a Magpie: February 2015

The Role of Parenting in the Prediction of Criminal Involvement: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample of Youth and a Sample of Adopted Youth. by Beaver, Kevin M. et al

Is medicine more “scientific” than physics? by Razib Khan

Is medicine more “scientific” than physics? by Razib Khan

A lefty’s lament by Alvin Powell

A lefty’s lament by Alvin Powell

Judge ‘Outraged’ at Innocent Man, Orders Him to Pay $30,000 in Support for Child That Isn’t His by Matt Welch

Judge ‘Outraged’ at Innocent Man, Orders Him to Pay $30,000 in Support for Child That Isn’t His by Matt Welch

Exonerated man files $40 million lawsuit against Northwestern University by Suzannah Gonzales

Exonerated man files $40 million lawsuit against Northwestern University by Suzannah Gonzales

The ‘Reddit exodus’ is a perfect illustration of the state of free speech on the Web by Caitlin Dewey

The ‘Reddit exodus’ is a perfect illustration of the state of free speech on the Web by Caitlin Dewey

What Does Free Speech Mean? from US Courts

What Does Free Speech Mean? from US Courts

Of Course: DHS Report Warns of ‘Domestic Right-Wing Terror Threat’ from Jammie Wearing Fools

Of Course: DHS Report Warns of ‘Domestic Right-Wing Terror Threat’ from Jammie Wearing Fools

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Firearms, Kings, and the Emergence of the Peaceful Life by Charles W. Cooke

Firearms, Kings, and the Emergence of the Peaceful Life by Charles W. Cooke

A Revisionist Muslim History of America by Daniel Greenfield

A Revisionist Muslim History of America by Daniel Greenfield

European Colonialism is the Only Thing That Modernized Islam by Daniel Greenfield

European Colonialism is the Only Thing That Modernized Islam by Daniel Greenfield

Occupational Licensing Raises Prices, But Not Service Quality by Peter Fricke

Occupational Licensing Raises Prices, But Not Service Quality by Peter Fricke

My Own Life by Oliver Sacks

My Own Life by Oliver Sacks

Little Free Libraries on the wrong side of the law by Michael Schaub

Little Free Libraries on the wrong side of the law by Michael Schaub

Don’t Talk About Those Unpaid Bills by Adam Seth Levine

Don’t Talk About Those Unpaid Bills by Adam Seth Levine

Don’t trust your theoretical “proof” by Ethan Siegel

Don’t trust your theoretical “proof” by Ethan Siegel

Map shows loudest, quietest places in U.S. from EarthSky

Map shows loudest, quietest places in U.S. from EarthSky

Wallace Hall Was Right About UT All Along by Jim Schutze

Wallace Hall Was Right About UT All Along by Jim Schutze

Defensive Gun Use Is Not a Myth by Gary Kleck

Defensive Gun Use Is Not a Myth by Gary Kleck

WaPo’s ‘Anti-Muslim’ Hate Crime Headline Hoax by Ian Tuttle

WaPo’s ‘Anti-Muslim’ Hate Crime Headline Hoax by Ian Tuttle

The economics of optimism from The Economist

The economics of optimism from The Economist

The Alarming Thing About Climate Alarmism by Bjorn Lomborg

The Alarming Thing About Climate Alarmism by Bjorn Lomborg

Pmarca Guide to Personal Productivity by Marc Andreessen

Pmarca Guide to Personal Productivity by Marc Andreessen

Relocating Ourselves by Stephen Schmalhofer

Relocating Ourselves by Stephen Schmalhofer

Top 10 Astroturfers by Sharyl Attkisson

Top 10 Astroturfers by Sharyl Attkisson

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Who Goes Nazi? by Dorothy Thompson

Who Goes Nazi? by Dorothy Thompson

Letter to Joshua Speed by Abraham Lincoln

Letter to Joshua Speed by Abraham Lincoln

Immigration and the Rise & Fall of the Know-Nothing Party by Carl M. Cannon

Immigration and the Rise & Fall of the Know-Nothing Party by Carl M. Cannon

A Letter Concerning Muslim Toleration by Mustafa Akyol

A Letter Concerning Muslim Toleration by Mustafa Akyol

These Are the Econ Blogs You Need to Read by Noah Smith

These Are the Econ Blogs You Need to Read by Noah Smith

The Unravelling by Jon Lee Anderson

The Unravelling by Jon Lee Anderson

Want to influence a member of Congress? Dangle a K Street job by Suzanne Dovi

Want to influence a member of Congress? Dangle a K Street job by Suzanne Dovi

Science Can Answer 'Who Is Thy Neighbor?' by Michael Shermer

Science Can Answer 'Who Is Thy Neighbor?' by Michael Shermer

A Few More Arguments Against Obamacare by Megan McArdle

A Few More Arguments Against Obamacare by Megan McArdle

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

General Marie Harf Through History by Sonny Bunch

General Marie Harf Through History by Sonny Bunch

What ISIS Really Wants by Graeme Wood

What ISIS Really Wants by Graeme Wood

Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny’s by Tom Wolfe

Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny’s by Tom Wolfe

The truth about NASA’s moon exploration by Sasha Volokh

The truth about NASA’s moon exploration by Sasha Volokh

The Failures of Multiculturalism by Kenan Malik

The Failures of Multiculturalism by Kenan Malik

Why ‘The Enlightenment Project’ Is Necessary and Unending by Todd Gitlin

Why ‘The Enlightenment Project’ Is Necessary and Unending by Todd Gitlin

Paint the Earth by xkcd

Paint the Earth by xkcd

Fermi Estimation from Wikipedia

Fermi Estimation from Wikipedia

The True Grand Challenge for Engineering: Self-Knowledge by Carl Mitcham

The True Grand Challenge for Engineering: Self-Knowledge by Carl Mitcham

The Battle for the Soul of Conservation Science by Keith Kloor

The Battle for the Soul of Conservation Science by Keith Kloor

21st Century Inequality: The Declining Significance of Discrimination by Roland Fryer

21st Century Inequality: The Declining Significance of Discrimination by Roland Fryer

Is your job one of Britain’s most desirable? by Harry Readhead

Is your job one of Britain’s most desirable? by Harry Readhead

Google's Vint Cerf warns of 'digital Dark Age' by Pallab Ghosh

Google's Vint Cerf warns of 'digital Dark Age' by Pallab Ghosh

Humanness in the Age of Discovery: Dog-Headed Men by Lynn Ramey

Humanness in the Age of Discovery: Dog-Headed Men by Lynn Ramey

Science Is A Verb by Steve Savage

Science Is A Verb by Steve Savage

Will Pacific Island Nations Disappear as Seas Rise? Maybe Not by Kennedy Warne

Will Pacific Island Nations Disappear as Seas Rise? Maybe Not by Kennedy Warne

Monday, February 16, 2015

Life Paths and Accomplishments of Mathematically Precocious Males and Females Four Decades Later by David Lubinski, Camilla P. Benbow, and Harrison J. Kell

Life Paths and Accomplishments of Mathematically Precocious Males and Females Four Decades Later by David Lubinski, Camilla P. Benbow, and Harrison J. Kell

Intentions Do Not Equal Results: How an Economist Can Go Astray by Peter Boettke

Intentions Do Not Equal Results: How an Economist Can Go Astray by Peter Boettke

“Mind Change: How Digital Technologies Are Leaving Their Mark On Our Brains” Interview with Susan Greenfield

“Mind Change: How Digital Technologies Are Leaving Their Mark On Our Brains” Interview with Susan Greenfield

Mind Change and Sociability by Peter Boettke

Mind Change and Sociability by Peter Boettke

Why today is the best time to live in human history by Christopher Woolf

Why today is the best time to live in human history by Christopher Woolf

Always Keep Your Eye on Production by Bryan Caplan

Always Keep Your Eye on Production by Bryan Caplan

C.I.A. Is Said to Have Bought and Destroyed Iraqi Chemical Weapons by C.J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt

C.I.A. Is Said to Have Bought and Destroyed Iraqi Chemical Weapons by C.J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt

Seven Myths About Scientists Debunked by Marguerite Evans-Galea

Seven Myths About Scientists Debunked by Marguerite Evans-Galea

Desperate Voters Will Take Their Own Measures by Kaj Leers

Desperate Voters Will Take Their Own Measures by Kaj Leers

A Cheat Sheet For Comey’s Speech On Race And Policing by Ben Casselman

A Cheat Sheet For Comey’s Speech On Race And Policing by Ben Casselman

The Overhyped Reaction To Jon Stewart Leaving ‘The Daily Show’ by Harry Enten

The Overhyped Reaction To Jon Stewart Leaving ‘The Daily Show’ by Harry Enten

Closed Networks by Colleen Flaherty

Closed Networks by Colleen Flaherty

The Swedes and the Clash of Civilizations by Roger Kimball

The Swedes and the Clash of Civilizations by Roger Kimball

Making A Statement By NOT Making A Statement by Chris Nuttall

Making A Statement By NOT Making A Statement by Chris Nuttall

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again by Christopher Solomon

Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again by Christopher Solomon

How Economic Freedom Reduces Poverty by Kim Holmes

How Economic Freedom Reduces Poverty by Kim Holmes

Five Bleak Facts on Black Opportunity by Richard V. Reeves and Edward Rodrigue

Five Bleak Facts on Black Opportunity by Richard V. Reeves and Edward Rodrigue

On Narrative, Data and the ASU Curtain of Distraction by Roger Pielke, Jr.

On Narrative, Data and the ASU Curtain of Distraction by Roger Pielke, Jr.

How Arizona State Reinvented Free-Throw Distraction by Justin Wolfers

How Arizona State Reinvented Free-Throw Distraction by Justin Wolfers

How to Innovate Islamic Thinking by Tarek Osman

How to Innovate Islamic Thinking by Tarek Osman

52 reasons not to date an aid worker by Angélica Arbulu

52 reasons not to date an aid worker by Angélica Arbulu

The Truth About Liberalism by Sophie McBain

The Truth About Liberalism by Sophie McBain

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Here Are The ‘Science’ Questions Reporters Should Ask Politicians by David Harsanyi

Here Are The ‘Science’ Questions Reporters Should Ask Politicians by David Harsanyi

Friday, February 13, 2015

The Future of an Illusion by Gary Greenberg

The Future of an Illusion by Gary Greenberg

Neighbors Say Suspect in Chapel Hill Shootings Was Threatening by Jonathan M. Katz and Michael Paulson

Neighbors Say Suspect in Chapel Hill Shootings Was Threatening by Jonathan M. Katz and Michael Paulson

How Drudge Has Stayed on Top by David Carr

How Drudge Has Stayed on Top by David Carr

The invisible network that keeps the world running by Tim Maughan

The invisible network that keeps the world running by Tim Maughan

Outlook: gloomy by Jacob Burak

Outlook: gloomy by Jacob Burak

Worried well by Charlie Kurth

Worried well by Charlie Kurth

Moore’s Law Is About to Get Weird by Gabriel Popkin

Moore’s Law Is About to Get Weird by Gabriel Popkin

Cries of Racism Against Little League Go Foul by Tom Bevan

Cries of Racism Against Little League Go Foul by Tom Bevan

An Honest Reporter, and His Antithesis by Peggy Noonan

An Honest Reporter, and His Antithesis by Peggy Noonan

Thursday, February 12, 2015

A long decline from The Economist

A long decline from The Economist

Centireading force: why reading a book 100 times is a great idea by Stephen Marche,

Centireading force: why reading a book 100 times is a great idea by Stephen Marche,

The orthodoxy of the ‘safe space’ has now led to racial segregation at a British university by Lara Prendergast

The orthodoxy of the ‘safe space’ has now led to racial segregation at a British university by Lara Prendergast

Why Borrowers Would Be More Secure with a Wealth Building Home Loan by Robert Doar

Why Borrowers Would Be More Secure with a Wealth Building Home Loan by Robert Doar

Consent Isn’t Enough: The Troubling Sex of Fifty Shades by Emma Green

Consent Isn’t Enough: The Troubling Sex of Fifty Shades by Emma Green

The Myth of Jon Stewart’s ‘Millennial’ Following by Ethan Epstein

The Myth of Jon Stewart’s ‘Millennial’ Following by Ethan Epstein

Some People Don't Want to 'Coexist' by Heather Wilhelm

Some People Don't Want to 'Coexist' by Heather Wilhelm

Fifty Shades Against Gender Neutrality by Joseph Heschmeyer

Fifty Shades Against Gender Neutrality by Joseph Heschmeyer

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

The Case Against the Case Against the Crusades by Ross Douthat

The Case Against the Case Against the Crusades by Ross Douthat

Still Right on the Black Family After All These Years by Jason L. Riley

Still Right on the Black Family After All These Years by Jason L. Riley

Speke Englysch, dammit by Mark Liberman

Speke Englysch, dammit by Mark Liberman

F-Bombs Notwithstanding, All Languages Skew Toward Happiness by Joshua E. Brown

F-Bombs Notwithstanding, All Languages Skew Toward Happiness by Joshua E. Brown

Cholesterol: Debate Flares Over Wisdom In Widespread Reductions by Philip M. Boffey (1987)

Cholesterol: Debate Flares Over Wisdom In Widespread Reductions by Philip M. Boffey (1987)

The U.S. government is poised to withdraw longstanding warnings about cholesterol by Peter Whoriskey

The U.S. government is poised to withdraw longstanding warnings about cholesterol by Peter Whoriskey

Your lifetime earnings are probably determined in your 20s by Danielle Paquette

Your lifetime earnings are probably determined in your 20s by Danielle Paquette

Feds May Finally Ditch Cholesterol Warning by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

Feds May Finally Ditch Cholesterol Warning by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

How Your Travels Around the Internet Expose the Way You Think by Clive Thompson

How Your Travels Around the Internet Expose the Way You Think by Clive Thompson

Insured, but Not Covered by Elisabeth Rosenthal

Insured, but Not Covered by Elisabeth Rosenthal

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

U.S. and European Millennials differ on their views of fate, future by Bruce Stokes

U.S. and European Millennials differ on their views of fate, future by Bruce Stokes

Premature Deindustrialization by Dani Rodrik

Premature Deindustrialization by Dani Rodrik

Cities Dig for Profit by Penalizing the Poor by Megan McArdle

Cities Dig for Profit by Penalizing the Poor by Megan McArdle

Living Wage Gets Last Word in San Francisco by Megan McArdle

Living Wage Gets Last Word in San Francisco by Megan McArdle

Why Political Corruption Matters by Jay Cost

Why Political Corruption Matters by Jay Cost

The Greatest Scientific Fraud Of All Time -- Part III by Francis Menton

The Greatest Scientific Fraud Of All Time -- Part III by Francis Menton

Childhood Heroes: Once Self-Made, Now to the Manner Born by Rachel Kadish

Childhood Heroes: Once Self-Made, Now to the Manner Born by Rachel Kadish

Monday, February 9, 2015

Public University Spends $16k on Campaign to Warn Students to Watch What They Say by Samantha Audia

Public University Spends $16k on Campaign to Warn Students to Watch What They Say by Samantha Audia

The Economics Of Roger Moore, The Greatest James Bond Of Them All by John Tamny

The Economics Of Roger Moore, The Greatest James Bond Of Them All by John Tamny

Detroit Is Dying Because GM Stuck Around, New York City Booms Because Nabisco Did Not by John Tamny

Detroit Is Dying Because GM Stuck Around, New York City Booms Because Nabisco Did Not by John Tamny

The Dangerous Lie That ‘Bush Lied’ by Laurence H. Silberman

The Dangerous Lie That ‘Bush Lied’ by Laurence H. Silberman

You Can’t Separate Stewardship from Economics by Joseph Sunde

You Can’t Separate Stewardship from Economics by Joseph Sunde

Tom Stoppard: I have to dumb down jokes so the audience can understand by Camilla Turner

Tom Stoppard: I have to dumb down jokes so the audience can understand by Camilla Turner

The fall — and overhaul — of the American mall by Jonathan O'Connell

The fall — and overhaul — of the American mall by Jonathan O'Connell

The Internet Fantasy of the ‘Perfect Response’ by Adam Sternbergh

The Internet Fantasy of the ‘Perfect Response’ by Adam Sternbergh

Today's Intriguing News About New Contraception Options by Kevin Drum

Today's Intriguing News About New Contraception Options by Kevin Drum

Here's the Big Problem With Liberals' "Middle Class" Agenda by Kevin Drum

Here's the Big Problem With Liberals' "Middle Class" Agenda by Kevin Drum

Does the Internet Really Make Dumb People Dumber? by Kevin Drum

Does the Internet Really Make Dumb People Dumber? by Kevin Drum

Sunday, February 8, 2015

The Rise and Fall of the Parties by Jay Cost

The Rise and Fall of the Parties by Jay Cost

The fiddling with temperature data is the biggest science scandal ever by Christopher Booker

The fiddling with temperature data is the biggest science scandal ever by Christopher Booker

Creative Destruction:Is it still possible to survive as an artist in America? by William Giraldi

Creative Destruction:Is it still possible to survive as an artist in America? by William Giraldi

Houses keep getting bigger, but the number to watch is the area per person in it by Lloyd Alter

Houses keep getting bigger, but the number to watch is the area per person in it by Lloyd Alter

64 countries have religious symbols on their national flags by Angelina Theodorou

64 countries have religious symbols on their national flags by Angelina Theodorou

Anti-vaxxers are more like us than we’re willing to admit by Bruce L. Lambert

Anti-vaxxers are more like us than we’re willing to admit by Bruce L. Lambert

Rich countries and the minorities they discriminate against, mapped by Max Nisen and David Yanofsky

Rich countries and the minorities they discriminate against, mapped by Max Nisen and David Yanofsky

Is the Professor Bossy or Brilliant? Much Depends on Gender by Claire Cain Miller

Is the Professor Bossy or Brilliant? Much Depends on Gender by Claire Cain Miller

Um, here’s an, uh, map that shows where Americans use “um” vs. “uh” by Nikhil Sonnad

Um, here’s an, uh, map that shows where Americans use “um” vs. “uh” by Nikhil Sonnad

What men and women will spend their money on this Valentine’s Day by Jeanne Kim

What men and women will spend their money on this Valentine’s Day by Jeanne Kim

“Frozen” is Disney’s latest baby-naming blockbuster by Nikhil Sonnad

“Frozen” is Disney’s latest baby-naming blockbuster by Nikhil Sonnad

Michigan Man Receives New Car, Ditches 21 mile walk by Amy Miller

Michigan Man Receives New Car, Ditches 21 mile walk by Amy Miller

Would You Hire the Super Bowl Hero? by Virginia Postrel

Would You Hire the Super Bowl Hero? by Virginia Postrel

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Will Right-Wing Movies Save Hollywood? by Matt Lewis

Will Right-Wing Movies Save Hollywood? by Matt Lewis

Obama’s Drones Have Killed More Than the Spanish Inquisition by Patrick Pool

Obama’s Drones Have Killed More Than the Spanish Inquisition by Patrick Pool

Absolute English: Science once communicated in a polyglot of tongues, but now English rules alone. How did this happen – and at what cost? by Michael D Gordin

Absolute English: Science once communicated in a polyglot of tongues, but now English rules alone. How did this happen – and at what cost? by Michael D Gordin