Never Saw It Coming – by Alan Greenspan: “The economics of animal spirits, broadly speaking, covers a wide range of human actions and overlaps with much of the relatively new discipline of behavioral economics. The study aims to incorporate a more realistic version of behavior than the model of the wholly rational Homo economicus used for so long.… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: October 2013
The Area 51 File: Secret Aircraft and Soviet MiGs
Declassified Documents Describe Stealth Facility in Nevada: “The CIA’s history of the U-2 spy plane, declassified this past summer, sparked enormous public attention to the U-2’s secret test site at Area 51 in Nevada, but documents posted today by the National Security Archive show that Area 51 played an even more central role in the development of… Continue Reading
OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2013
“The OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2013 draws on the latest internationally comparable data to uncover the strengths of OECD and other leading economies and explore the continuing challenges to overcome the effects of the recent financial and economic crises. It features indicators traditionally used to monitor developments in science, technology, innovation and industry,… Continue Reading
Commentary – America’s Incredible Shrinking Information Sector
Vision Statement: America’s Incredible Shrinking Information Sector – Interactive by Alvin Chang; Analysis by Hank Robison “The information industry – which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines as processors, producers, and distributors of data, informational, and cultural products—shed more jobs in the first decade of the millennium than any other sector except manufacturing. Down more than… Continue Reading
France initiates plan to fight light pollution and save energy
A Fight Against Light Pollution – As evidence mounts that excessive use of light is harming wildlife and adversely affecting human health, new initiatives in France and elsewhere are seeking to turn down the lights that flood an ever-growing part of the planet – by Paul Bogard [snipped] “Last month, France — including the City… Continue Reading
CRS Report – U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues. Amy F. Woolf – Specialist in Nuclear Weapons Policy, October 22, 2013 “Even though the United States plans to reduce the number of warheads deployed on its long-range missiles and bombers, consistent with the terms of the New START Treaty, it also plans to develop new delivery… Continue Reading
Guide on Good Practices for University Open-Access Policies
Berkman Center for Internet & Society: “Since 2011, with input and feedback from colleagues around the world, Stuart Shieber and Peter Suber have been developing recommendations for university policies on open access to faculty research. They released the first edition of their guide during Open Access Week 2012, and they’ve spent the year since then… Continue Reading
Advocacy Group releases DOD database on defense industry post employment
“The Pentagon’s revolving door is still spinning, according to information from a Department of Defense (DoD) database released to CREW in the wake of a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The database includes information about ethics opinions sought by senior defense officials between January 2012 and May 2013, including the names of… Continue Reading
The ‘next cool thing’ – Snapchat offers welcome degree of privacy
Matt McFarland – Washington Post editor of Innovations: “All of the positive news for Snapchat lately indicates it is on to something. A study found that 9 percent of cellphone owners use Snapchat. About 350 million snaps are shared every day. AllThingsD reported Snapchat is mulling a round of financing that values it at $3.5 billion. For… Continue Reading
Pew – Photo and Video Sharing Grow Online
“A new study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project [by Maeve Duggan] shows that 54% of internet users have posted original photos or videos to websites and 47% share photos or videos they found elsewhere online. The mobile landscape has also added to photo- and video-sharing. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram have capitalized on… Continue Reading
The High Cost of Cancer Drugs
New drugs could extend cancer patients’ lives—by days. At a cost of thousands and thousands of dollars. Prompting some doctors to refuse to use them – by Stephen S. Hall, New York Magazine, October 20, 2013 “Cancer drugs have become a very big business, even though they serve what one expert has described as a… Continue Reading
H.R. 2767, Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act of 2013
CBO Cost Estimate of H.R. 2767 as ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on July 24, 2013: “H.R. 2767 would require the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to repeal the charters of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and end the operations of those firms five years after enactment of the bill (and… Continue Reading
