Friday, July 30, 2010

Links July 30

'Not exactly Rocket Science' has a thread On the Origin of Science Writers in which some excellent science writers like Carl Zimmer responded. One of the reasons given by many is "I was always interested in science". In contrast with some science writers in Telugu, the reasons seem to be 'to fight superstition' or 'it is good for developmemt'.
Brad Delong has an interesting post being discussed in Economist's View "John Stewart Mill vs. the European Central Bank". An excerpt: "Unlike economists, biologists, for example, know that every cell functions according to instructions for protein synthesis encoded in its DNA. Chemists begin with what the Heisenberg and Pauli principles, plus the three-dimensionality of space, tell us about stable electron configurations. Physicists start with the four fundamental forces of nature.

Economists have none of that. The “economic principles” underpinning their theories are a fraud – not fundamental truths but mere knobs that are twiddled and tuned so that the “right” conclusions come out of the analysis."

Crooked Timber discusses increasing inequality in Why Is Economic Inequality Higher in English Speaking Industrialized Democracies? and What Produced the Inequality Boom?

Social Ties Boost Survival by 50 Percent (via 3quarksdaily)

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