In Tuesday’s Science Times, Carl Zimmer grants us access to scientists who are asking the question, “If it’s so great to be smart, why have most animals remained dumb?” Researchers hypothesize that any animal with a nervous system can learn, but in the case of the test subjects—good old Drosophila melanogaster—the fast-learning fruit flies (the smarter ones) live on average 15 percent shorter lives than their unschooled counterparts.

In his brief response to the story, author and…

Read & Discuss

As we suspected last night, Barack Obama does in fact roll in North Carolina—winning 56-42, and extending his delegate lead despite a two-point victory for Hillary Clinton in Indiana.

Some politicos feel the critical showing diminishes the punch of Hill’s charge to superdelegates to override Barack’s voter lead and hand her the nomination instead—so that maybe this thing won’t end in a tie.

In case you’re in the mood for something more decisive, John McCain ekes out…

Read & Discuss

We’re a little behind with these, but we think they’re more impressively disgusting when aggregated:

*A Costa Rican artist shuttles a starving dog from the Nicaraguan streets to a gallery, and proceeds to frame the dog as exhibition art, possibly—though it’s not known for certain—even letting the dog starve to death. The artist, Guillermo Vargas (known as Habacuc), claimed the purpose of the “work” was to bring attention to the fact that in some countries thousands…

Read & Discuss

While Hillary Clinton spent the morning in Pennsylvania duking it out with Barack Obama over today’s critical 158 delegates, daughter Chelsea hopped on a plane to North Carolina to get the campaign rolling in the Tar Heel State.

Originally slated to host a Democratic debate (yes, another one) this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolinians were informed that their opportunity to see the candidates up close before the May 6 primary was, alas, determined to be too…

Read & Discuss

Another mainstream magazine—this time, The New York Times Magazine—released its "Green" issue this weekend, but yet again, multitudes of the eco-conscious are up in arms about the fact that the product doles out "rhetorical green"—ideas for environmentally-conscious living and the presence of a hoard.. Read & Discuss

Next Friday, New York’s Museum of Modern Art will open “George Lois: The Esquire Covers,” a year-long exhibit honoring the storied magazine’s legendary art director.

The gallery will feature 32 of the 92 covers Lois created for Esquire between 1962 and 1972, including perhaps his two most iconic: Muhammad Ali as the Christian martyr St. Sebastian and Andy Warhol being consumed by a can of Campbell’s soup (above).

Though it’s no doubt a noble gesture to celebrate…

Read & Discuss

Last night’s Democratic debate in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center featured moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous playing to the sorts of campaign nitpicking that are typically reserved for pundits and bloggers. By electing to focus on Rev. Wright (a weeks-old issue from which even the media had seemed to move on), Barack’s “bitter” comment, why Obama doesn’t wear the stars-and-strips on his lapel, Hillary’s Bosnia trip exaggerations, and other candidate stumblings, the debate seemed willing…

Read & Discuss

Just kidding. Unless you’re you’re a tax adviser (congrats, take a vacation), April 15 sucks. But over at Salon, they’re making future Tax Days a little less suckier—at least for freelancers.

Catherine Price—a veteran self-employed writer—lays out some guidelines that make the devilishly complicated process a little less painful. Among her suggestions: set up a bank account for business cash flow; pay your taxes quarterly (so that you aren’t charged interest); open an IRA; and—no matter…

Read & Discuss

Philip M. Parker—the self-proclaimed "most published author in the history of the planet"—has officially "written" 200,000 books, and makes money selling most of them. Parker, who compiles and organizes information on a wide variety of subjects (often only found worthy of purchase by reference libraries),.. Read & Discuss

In Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, Rob Walker aggregated the vast amount of art inspired by Barack Obama and his campaign toward “change.” Beginning with Shepard Fairey—the original Obey Giant street artist—and his series of Obama posters (above), Walker accounts for the fairly recent addition of the “Artists for Obama” section to the campaign’s website, the remix by the Black Eyed Peas of Obama’s “Yes we can” mantra, and last—but perhaps most notably—barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com, which will soon be…

Read & Discuss

In Tuesday’s Science Times, Carl Zimmer grants us access to scientists who are asking the question, “If it’s so great to be smart, why have most animals remained dumb?” Researchers hypothesize that any animal with a nervous system can learn, but in the case of the test subjects—good old Drosophila melanogaster—the fast-learning fruit flies (the smarter ones) live on average 15 percent shorter lives than their unschooled counterparts.

In his brief response to the story, author and…

Read & Discuss

As we suspected last night, Barack Obama does in fact roll in North Carolina—winning 56-42, and extending his delegate lead despite a two-point victory for Hillary Clinton in Indiana.

Some politicos feel the critical showing diminishes the punch of Hill’s charge to superdelegates to override Barack’s voter lead and hand her the nomination instead—so that maybe this thing won’t end in a tie.

In case you’re in the mood for something more decisive, John McCain ekes out…

Read & Discuss

We’re a little behind with these, but we think they’re more impressively disgusting when aggregated:

*A Costa Rican artist shuttles a starving dog from the Nicaraguan streets to a gallery, and proceeds to frame the dog as exhibition art, possibly—though it’s not known for certain—even letting the dog starve to death. The artist, Guillermo Vargas (known as Habacuc), claimed the purpose of the “work” was to bring attention to the fact that in some countries thousands…

Read & Discuss

While Hillary Clinton spent the morning in Pennsylvania duking it out with Barack Obama over today’s critical 158 delegates, daughter Chelsea hopped on a plane to North Carolina to get the campaign rolling in the Tar Heel State.

Originally slated to host a Democratic debate (yes, another one) this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolinians were informed that their opportunity to see the candidates up close before the May 6 primary was, alas, determined to be too…

Read & Discuss

Another mainstream magazine—this time, The New York Times Magazine—released its "Green" issue this weekend, but yet again, multitudes of the eco-conscious are up in arms about the fact that the product doles out "rhetorical green"—ideas for environmentally-conscious living and the presence of a hoard.. Read & Discuss

Next Friday, New York’s Museum of Modern Art will open “George Lois: The Esquire Covers,” a year-long exhibit honoring the storied magazine’s legendary art director.

The gallery will feature 32 of the 92 covers Lois created for Esquire between 1962 and 1972, including perhaps his two most iconic: Muhammad Ali as the Christian martyr St. Sebastian and Andy Warhol being consumed by a can of Campbell’s soup (above).

Though it’s no doubt a noble gesture to celebrate…

Read & Discuss

Last night’s Democratic debate in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center featured moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous playing to the sorts of campaign nitpicking that are typically reserved for pundits and bloggers. By electing to focus on Rev. Wright (a weeks-old issue from which even the media had seemed to move on), Barack’s “bitter” comment, why Obama doesn’t wear the stars-and-strips on his lapel, Hillary’s Bosnia trip exaggerations, and other candidate stumblings, the debate seemed willing…

Read & Discuss

Just kidding. Unless you’re you’re a tax adviser (congrats, take a vacation), April 15 sucks. But over at Salon, they’re making future Tax Days a little less suckier—at least for freelancers.

Catherine Price—a veteran self-employed writer—lays out some guidelines that make the devilishly complicated process a little less painful. Among her suggestions: set up a bank account for business cash flow; pay your taxes quarterly (so that you aren’t charged interest); open an IRA; and—no matter…

Read & Discuss

Philip M. Parker—the self-proclaimed "most published author in the history of the planet"—has officially "written" 200,000 books, and makes money selling most of them. Parker, who compiles and organizes information on a wide variety of subjects (often only found worthy of purchase by reference libraries),.. Read & Discuss

In Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, Rob Walker aggregated the vast amount of art inspired by Barack Obama and his campaign toward “change.” Beginning with Shepard Fairey—the original Obey Giant street artist—and his series of Obama posters (above), Walker accounts for the fairly recent addition of the “Artists for Obama” section to the campaign’s website, the remix by the Black Eyed Peas of Obama’s “Yes we can” mantra, and last—but perhaps most notably—barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com, which will soon be…

Read & Discuss