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Friday, December 9, 2011

The Browser daily newsletter [09 Dec 2011]

9 December 2011

 Best of the Moment

The Art Of Financial Disaster

John Lanchester | London Review Of Books | 6 December 2011

Another superb piece of writing on the financial crisis by Lanchester. Picking apart the detail of three recent scandals – sale of Northern Rock to Virgin, demise of MF Global and bizarre happenings at camera maker Olympus Comments

Out-Of-Body Experience: Master Of Illusion

Ed Yong | Nature | 7 December 2011

"It is not every day that you are separated from your body and then stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife." So begins a terrific feature on neuroscientist Henrik Ehrsson and his ground-breaking research into our sense of self Comments

The Long Life Of Homo Sovieticus

Anonymous | Economist | 9 December 2011

Soviet politics was "an artificial construct of doublethink, paternalism, suspicion and isolationism". Putinism is more of the same—with "new characteristics such as cynicism and aggression". Change needed. Don't hold your breath Comments

The Economics Of Moneyball

Tyler Cowen & Kevin Grier | Grantland | 7 December 2011

Re-evaluating principles of Moneyball, a system that shot Billy Beane to baseball fame. Do principles still work today? Yes, but not so easily. What can we learn from the world of finance? One key thing: "The lucky will appear wise" Comments

Southpaw Grammar

David Youdon | LA Review Of Books | 7 December 2011

Left-handedness counts for less now that we hardly use handwriting. Five of last seven US presidents left-handed. Left-handers twice as likely to be twins, twice as likely to have twins. But why "handedness" at all? A mystery Comments

$100 Hand Of Blackjack, Foxwoods Casino

David Hill | McSweeney's | 7 December 2011

"'You count cards?' he asked me. 'A little,' I said. Would I like to give it a go with them? It sounded like an adventure. The fact that I had no idea how to count cards never entered in to my mind before I enthusiastically agreed" Comments

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