Reaction to my new template was lukewarm at best, so that change won't be happening any time soon. But since I want something new, I'm hereby starting a recurring feature, creatively titled links adspar likes. These should keep you busy with good reading material while you're bored at work, and it makes me feel productive because most of the links are educational and/or thought-provoking.
The Political Brain
by Michael Shermer
adspar's quick summary:
An Emory University study using MRI brain scans shows that people with strong political leanings automatically turn off the parts of their brains used for reasoning when they take in political information. Basically, we have built-in mechanisms that make us really really biased. Luckily, the scientific method has devised ways to help correct these biases.
why you should read it:
I'm pretty sure I've referenced this study before, but it is worth another mention. The unreason exposed by this study is a big part of the reason why everything about politics is so fucked up. Learn how to recognize and overcome your own biases.
Restoring Nature's Backbone
by Henry Nicholls
adspar's quick summary:
This Public Library of Science journal article explores the idea of large-scale "rewilding," suggesting that rather than simply attempting to preserve existing wildlife, that we attempt to restore "whole ecologies to something of their former glory." An example mentioned is seeding North America with elephants to replace extinct species of mammoths.
why you should read it:
We all know that we've been ravaging our environment with car exhaust and deforestation and greenhouse gases and whatnot, but maybe killing every large mammal in our path for the last 30,000 years has caused some problems too. I had never really thought about that, and had never heard of the idea of using close substitute species to replace the destroyed ones. The ecological argument and information in the article is fascinating.
The End of Marriage
by oneman on the Savage Minds blog
adspar's quick summary:
An anthropologist says that "...if the institution of marriage is going to survive, it does need defending. Not because marriage is the only or best source of truly moral living, but precisely the opposite: marriage is increasingly irrelevant in modern society."
why you should read it:
Traditions can be nice, but we need to know when to let go. If you've ever thought that marriage is a goofy idea, read this.
Rockstars' Ramblings
specifically the Doggerel Index
adspar's quick summary:
The Doggerel series is where the author of this blog "rambles on about words and phrases that are misused, abused, or just plain meaningless."
why you should read it:
This blog is fun and right-on-the-money.
The fraud of primitive authenticity
by Spengler
adspar's quick summary:
This sprawling commentary in the Asia Times Online is presumably inspired by Nicholas Wade's Before the Dawn. Spengler wonders why it is that popular culture typically portrays primitive people as "peace-loving folk living in harmony with nature" and not the nasty, violent savages they really were. He concludes that as Americans move beyond Christianity, we're left without inspiration, so we'll take whatever we can get.
why you should read it:
The 2nd to last paragraph ends with one of the most incisive comments I've ever read. I truly felt shocked when I read it. You need to read the rest of the article to understand the quote properly, so I don't want to post it here yet. (Now I've built it up too much and you'll be disappointed. Sorry.) There's also a criticism of Jared Diamond that I don't really agree with, but I'll admit that could be my politically biased brain at work. Maybe I'll write more about that later.
Making Money in Basketball...
by Mark Cuban
adspar's quick summary:
Mark thinks that minor-league basketball teams should be signing high school kids and build around a business model of developing basketball players in a way that AAU, high school, and NCAA basketball can't do.
why you should read it:
A self-made billionaire freely sharing his business thoughts is a pretty sweet deal. Interesting especially for fans of basketball on any level.
That's all for the first formal edition of links adspar likes. In case you care, I've taken to using del.icio.us to organize my links, so you can find all the stuff for this under my link1 tag. Links I gather for the 2nd edition of links adspar likes will be under link2, etc.
3 comments:
I like the marriage article a lot. I think though that there's a difference between the societal benefits from marriage, which is what the crazy conservatives preach, and individual benefits. Especially in the example of raising children as a single parent. I agree that on a societal level, those kids are just as normal or fucked up as those being raised by two parents. But on an individual level, it's still really hard to be a single parent. And not that you can't have kids in a long-term marriage-free relationship, but at that point it's pretty much the same thing without the title. Personally, that's probably my main reason for getting married. Especially since I want lots of babies...
I'm with you 100% on that, except the part about wanting lots of babies. I'll eventually want babies, but less than a lot.
but what about if they were red-headed babies?
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