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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Browser daily newsletter [17 Jan 2012]

17 January 2012

 Best of the Moment

Libertarian Illusions

Jeffrey Sachs | Huffington Post | 15 January 2012

"Like many extreme ideologies, libertarianism gives a single answer to a complicated world. It seems to cut through the fog and get to the heart of solutions; illusions, alas, but powerful ones nonetheless" Comments

He Told The Truth About China

Simon Leys | NYRB | 16 January 2012

On the life and work of Liu Xiaobo, poet, thinker, public intellectual, dissident. Returned from America to join Tiananmen protest in 1989. Given 11-year jail sentence in 2009; Nobel Peace Prize 2010. His only crime: Honesty Comments

Superstuff: When Quantum Goes Big

Michael Brooks | New Scientist | 16 January 2012

Introduction to surreal world of Superstuff. A world that exists at temperatures close to absolute zero, where strange events worthy of the finest magicians occur. Liquids flow up walls of containers, solids pass through each other Comments

How The Fed Can Prevent The Next Financial Crisis

Mark Thoma | Fiscal Times | 17 January 2012

Fed wasn't asking right questions before crisis, nor did it act fast enough once crisis began. Even then, it privileged tackling inflation over cutting unemployment. Why? Many of its members are chosen by bankers. This must change Comments

Do Sports Build Character Or Damage It?

Mark Edmundson | Chronicle Review | 15 January 2012

Interesting essay on benefits, disbenefits of sport. Starts, engagingly, with author's reflections on his own high school (American) football career, which proved to be a valuable learning experience (h/t Daniel Lippmann) Comments

Letter From Detroit

Ingrid Norton | LA Review of Books | 16 January 2012

City sprawls over 140 square miles, 30% of which is vacant. Trains haven't run since 1980s. Dozens of major fires are reported every day. Population is down by two-thirds since 1950. But amid the devastation there is creativity Comments

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