The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men

The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men:

"You’re not, like, a total racist bastard," David Amodio tells me. He pauses. "Today." I’m sitting in the soft-spoken cognitive neuroscientist’s spotless office nestled within New York University’s psychology department, but it feels like I’m at the doctor’s, getting a dreaded diagnosis. via Pocket

What if Whites Were the Minority?

What if Whites Were the Minority?:

In the responses to my “When Whites Just Don’t Get It” series, I’ve been struck by the lack of empathy some whites show for members of minority groups. So imagine if the world were reversed. Then “the talk” might go like this: “Nope. That’d be easy. via Pocket

Chris Rock: 'If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.'

Chris Rock: 'If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.':

Writing for New York magazine, Frank Rich interviews Chris Rock. If you read the whole thing, your estimation of Rock as a social critic and political analyst will rise, and, of course, he’s kinda funny too, but edgy funny. Here are a few highlights: Rock Replies: “Oh, people don’t even know. via Pocket

White America's scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed

White America's scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed:

Many white folks aren’t violent. But here’s how ignorance and lack of empathy make life so unsafe for black people The failure of a St. Louis county grand jury to indict Darren Wilson, the former police officer who killed Michael Brown, created a maelstrom of protests last week. via Pocket

Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?

Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?:

Let’s start with what we don’t know: the precise circumstances under which a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., shot dead an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown. via Pocket

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http://ift.tt/1zyW2hG:

via Pocket

The Masterful Marketing of the Heimlich Maneuver

The Masterful Marketing of the Heimlich Maneuver:

Awhile back, I choked on a piece of beef stew. It happened as these things usually do: One minute I was happily sitting in a Dominican restaurant down the block having a “business lunch” with a friend, and the next I couldn’t breathe. This was not ideal. via Pocket

Plutocrats Against Democracy

Plutocrats Against Democracy:

It’s always good when leaders tell the truth, especially if that wasn’t their intention. via Pocket

Beyond Hope

Beyond Hope:

THE MOST COMMON WORDS I hear spoken by any environmentalists anywhere are, We’re fucked. via Pocket

When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 3

When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 3:

SOME white Americans may be surprised to hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu describe Bryan Stevenson, an African-American lawyer fighting for racial justice, as “America’s young Nelson Mandela. via Pocket

The No. 1 Cause of Traffic Fatalities? It’s Not Texting

The No. 1 Cause of Traffic Fatalities? It’s Not Texting:

I don’t yet have a copy of Matt Richtel’s new book, A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention. via Pocket

John Oliver explains why the U.S. drone program is so terrifying

John Oliver explains why the U.S. drone program is so terrifying:

Host John Oliver of HBO’s Last Week Tonight criticized the U.S. government’s drone program for inflicting fear in children. Oliver uses a segment to discuss U.S. drone program and the legacy President Barack Obama will leave behind. via Pocket

Polarization in America is here to stay. What now?

Polarization in America is here to stay. What now?:

By now, it’s obvious to everyone that U.S. political life has become extremely polarized. Not only are lawmakers further and further apart, but the American people are too, geographically and ideologically. via Pocket

The Debate About the Role of Government in The Republican City of Somerset, Kentucky

The Debate About the Role of Government in The Republican City of Somerset, Kentucky:

When two politicians debate the role of government, its almost always Democrat vs. Republican. Which is why it was so refreshing and instructive to read of the debate taking place among Republicans in a small city in southeastern Kentucky. via Pocket

Who Had It Easier, Reagan or Obama?

Who Had It Easier, Reagan or Obama?:

OVER the past few weeks I’ve been reading Ken Adelman’s fascinating history “Reagan at Reykjavik: Forty-Eight Hours That Ended the Cold War.” Adelman, who led Reagan’s arms control agency, was an adviser at Reagan’s 1986 Iceland summit meeting with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. via Pocket

Is last year's model better? iPhone 6 creates a storage space dilemma

Is last year's model better? iPhone 6 creates a storage space dilemma:

The new iPhone offers several features over its 5S predecessor: a faster processor, bigger screen, near field communications for payments, and purportedly longer battery life.

But it has the same base storage (16 GB) as the iPhone 3G, which premiered 5 years ago! (In that time, storage costs for solid state drives have fallen by 80%).

Apps have grown significantly in size, to take advantage of many new features and higher resolution screens. And data plans have become limited, requiring more local storage for those not constantly on wifi.

For a customer signing a new 2-year contract with a wireless provider, the iPhone 6 will cost $199. But for $50 less, the same person could last year’s flagship phone, iPhone 5S, with double the storage capacity - 32GB. To get more than that on the new phone model, you have to get the 64 GB upgrade for a total of $300, twice what the 5S costs.

There are probably enough people with grandfathered unlimited data plans for whom the cloud (via a cellular data connection) can supplement the measly 16 GB base storage. But Apple’s refusal to increase the base storage for it’s flagship phone is pretty cheap, and I wonder if it will drive some Apple phone purchasers to last year’s model in search of a better deal.

10 reasons why you shouldn't vote for a vet

10 reasons why you shouldn't vote for a vet:

Maryland Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Douglas Gansler committed a campaign faux pas this week when he intoned that his opponent, Lieutenant Governor and Iraq war veteran Anthony Brown, was not as prepared to do a “real job.” The situation is full of peculiarities. via Pocket

After Ferguson, Race Deserves More Attention, Not Less

After Ferguson, Race Deserves More Attention, Not Less:

MANY white Americans say they are fed up with the coverage of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. A plurality of whites in a recent Pew survey said that the issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves. via Pocket

The Slow Motion Lynching of President Barack Obama

The Slow Motion Lynching of President Barack Obama:

I’ve watched liberal and right wing commentators alike blame the president for being lynched. They say “he’s not reaching out enough” or “he’s too cold.” It’s the equivalent of assuming that the black man being beaten by a couple of thug cops must have “done something.” via Pocket

Test If Your Batteries Are Dead By Dropping Them on a Hard Surface

Test If Your Batteries Are Dead By Dropping Them on a Hard Surface:

Skip the battery tester and use this quick and easy way to test if your batteries are dead: Just drop them. The video above by electrical engineer Lee Hite explains why dead batteries bounce, in very thorough scientific detail. On YouTube, he says: via Pocket

'The US Economy Performs Better Under Democratic Presidents. Why?'

'The US Economy Performs Better Under Democratic Presidents. Why?':

In case you missed this research from Blinder and Watson: The US economy performs better under Democratic presidents. Why?, by Alan S. via Pocket

Growing Pressure on Obama to Do Something Stupid

Growing Pressure on Obama to Do Something Stupid:

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Arguing that his motto “Don’t do stupid stuff” is not a coherent foreign policy, critics of President Obama are pressuring him to do something stupid without further delay. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C. via Pocket

Bring Back the Party of Lincoln

Bring Back the Party of Lincoln:

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. via Pocket

A Call for a Low-Carb Diet

A Call for a Low-Carb Diet:

People who avoid carbohydrates and eat more fat, even saturated fat, lose more body fat and have fewer cardiovascular risks than people who follow the low-fat diet that health authorities have favored for decades, a major new study shows. via Pocket

Writing Skills

Writing Skills:

via Pocket

A gut microbe that stops food allergies

A gut microbe that stops food allergies:

A class of bacteria commonly found in the guts of people—and rodents—appears to keep mice safe from food allergies, a study suggests. The same bacteria are among those reduced by antibiotic use in early childhood. via Pocket

Why reform conservatives should embrace a universal basic income

Why reform conservatives should embrace a universal basic income:

Reform conservatives — colloquially known as “reformocons” — are having their day in the sun. They made the cover of The New York Times Magazine with their push to move the right away from its myopic focus on tax cuts, starving government, and helping businesses owners. And now Rep. via Pocket

Is a Hard Life Inherited?

Is a Hard Life Inherited?:

YAMHILL, Ore. — ONE delusion common among America’s successful people is that they triumphed just because of hard work and intelligence. via Pocket

Do You Let Your Kid Walk to School or Play Outside Alone?

Do You Let Your Kid Walk to School or Play Outside Alone?:

Recently, a mother in Florida was arrested for allowing her 7-year old son to walk alone to a park about half a mile from home. Putting aside the possibility of being arrested, do you or would you let your school-age kids walk to school and elsewhere alone? via Pocket

Always Hungry? Here’s Why

Always Hungry? Here’s Why:

FOR most of the last century, our understanding of the cause of obesity has been based on immutable physical law. Specifically, it’s the first law of thermodynamics, which dictates that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. via Pocket

Why it makes sense to bike without a helmet — Howie Chong

Why it makes sense to bike without a helmet — Howie Chong:

Over half of all head injuries occur in motor vehicles and more people were hospitalized after walking down the street than riding on a bicycle. Consider another statistic: According to a 2006 French study, pedestrians are 1. via Pocket

The Decline of the Physical Exam in Modern Medicine

The Decline of the Physical Exam in Modern Medicine:

One morning a few years ago, my older brother phoned me in a panic. Our father had been having episodes of numbness and tingling in his left arm. My brother was worried they were transient ischemic attacks, or ministrokes. via Pocket

Cutting off the bees at the knees

A comprehensive story on the continued failure of bee colonies and its potentially fatal impact on American agriculture.

The beauty of zipper merging, or why you should drive ruder

The beauty of zipper merging, or why you should drive ruder:

Of all of the reasons for traffic snarls, impending lane closures bring out a particularly brutal combination of road rage and etiquette confusion. via Pocket

When the Juvenile Justice System Isn’t the Answer

When the Juvenile Justice System Isn’t the Answer:

IF you want to understand just how miserable a childhood can be, 16-year-old “Jane Doe” is a good place to start. That’s what the authorities in Connecticut call her to protect her identity. via Pocket

Darkness

Darkness:

via Pocket

The Best Chef's Knife

The Best Chef's Knife:

After an extremely close voting round, the Wusthof Classic Cooks Knife has cut through the competition as your choice for Best Chef’s Knife. You praised it specifically for its durability, hand-protecting shape, heft, balance, and of course, sharpness. via Pocket

Don't cross the pollinators: Starting July 1, they're protected by law

Don't cross the pollinators: Starting July 1, they're protected by law:

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, Minnesota — Pollinating his zucchini crop by hand has been one of Jonas Hochstetler’s daily chores between roughly 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning during this month of June. via Pocket

Scientists find Achilles' heel of antibiotic resistant bacteria

Scientists find Achilles' heel of antibiotic resistant bacteria:

Scientists at the University of East Anglia demonstrate how the bug responsible for E. coli and salmonella builds an impenetrable wall to keep out drugs The global threat of antibiotic resistance could finally be tackled after British scientists discovered a chink in the armour of deadly bacteria. via Pocket

Religion for $1,000, Alex

Religion for $1,000, Alex:

WITH Easter and Passover freshly behind us, let’s test your knowledge of the Bible. How many mistakes can you find: Noah of Arc and his wife, Joan, build a boat to survive a great flood. via Pocket

The Expendables: How the temps who power corporate giants are getting crushed

The Expendables: How the temps who power corporate giants are getting crushed:

It’s 4:18 a.m. and the strip mall is deserted. But tucked in back, next to a closed-down video store, an employment agency is already filling up. Rosa Ramirez walks in, as she has done nearly every morning for the past six months. via Pocket

Obama’s Game of Chicken

Obama’s Game of Chicken:

The untold story of how the administration tried to stand up to big agricultural companies on behalf of independent farmers, and lost. In May 2010, Garry Staples left his chicken farm in Steele, Alabama, to take part in a historic hearing in Normal, an hour and a half away. via Pocket

On Iraq, let’s ignore those who got it all wrong

On Iraq, let’s ignore those who got it all wrong:

At noon today, President Obama issued his first statement on the deteriorating situation on Iraq. “This is not solely or even primarily a military challenge,” he said. via Pocket

Internet Subversion

Internet Subversion:

In addition to turning the Internet into a worldwide surveillance platform, the NSA has surreptitiously weakened the products, protocols, and standards we all use to protect ourselves. By doing so, it has destroyed the trust that underlies the Internet. We need that trust back. via Pocket

The War on Cancer: Big Pharma Is Keeping Us From Developing Low-Cost Treatments

The War on Cancer: Big Pharma Is Keeping Us From Developing Low-Cost Treatments:

Big Pharma’s focus on blockbuster cancer drugs squeezes out research into potential treatments that are more affordable. Says one researcher: “What is scientific and sexy is driven by what can be monetized.” Michael Retsky awoke from surgery to bad news. via Pocket

"What happens to the Congressional Budget Office if a party that has learned that lying about numbers..."

“What happens to the Congressional Budget Office if a party that has learned that lying about numbers works takes full control of Congress?”

- Inventing a Failure - NYTimes.com

The other downside of antibiotics: Killing the useful bacteria

The other downside of antibiotics: Killing the useful bacteria:

Everyone has a pet theory to explain the rise of modern scourges, things that our forbears rarely had to contend with during their short, brutish lives: obesity, diabetes, celiac disease, autism, asthma, allergies, esophageal cancer, etc. via Pocket

WHO: Without urgent action, world headed toward 'post-antibiotic era'

WHO: Without urgent action, world headed toward 'post-antibiotic era':

This content is made possible by the generous sponsorship support of UCare. via Pocket

One Execution Botched, Oklahoma Delays the Next - NYTimes.com

One Execution Botched, Oklahoma Delays the Next - NYTimes.com:

There really isn’t a way to humanely execute someone, so maybe we should stop trying.

Where the G.O.P. Gets It Right

Where the G.O.P. Gets It Right:

Republicans may seem like ultimate Scrooges. Many want to slash food stamps, unemployment benefits and just about any program that helps the needy. So they know nothing about poverty, right? via Pocket

Fresh looks at 'creeping ecological disaster' of U.S. grassland conversions

Fresh looks at 'creeping ecological disaster' of U.S. grassland conversions:

From the American Prospect comes a fine piece of enterprise journalism on the shocking rates at which native grasslands are being converted to row crops in a region stretching from western Minnesota across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa. “Plowed Under,” written by Jocelyn C. via Pocket

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http://ift.tt/1gjxHFf:

via Pocket

Why Roku Matters More Than Ever

Why Roku Matters More Than Ever

CIA's role in the arrest of Nelson Mandela

CIA's role in the arrest of Nelson Mandela:

When Nelson Mandela died in December, I paid a lot of attention to the coverage. There was a lot about his long imprisonment by the South Afrrican apartheid regime. via Pocket

A Nation of Takers?

A Nation of Takers?:

In the debate about poverty, critics argue that government assistance saps initiative and is unaffordable. After exploring the issue, I must concede that the critics have a point. Here are five public welfare programs that are wasteful and turning us into a nation of “takers.” via Pocket

Matching Color for IKEA Lixtorp cabinets

For all you IKEA hackers out there, Varathane brand stain, Early American, is a spot on match for the brown LIxtorp cabinets from IKEA. 

Listen Up: It’s Time to Turn Down the Sound

Listen Up: It’s Time to Turn Down the Sound:

Ambient noise machines meant to prolong uninterrupted sleep may be doing long-term damage to the ears of infants, kick-starting a cycle of hearing loss that’s almost impossible to break. via Pocket

From Putin, a Blessing in Disguise

From Putin, a Blessing in Disguise:

There are a lot of people who seem intent on restarting the Cold War — in both Moscow and Washington. I am not one of them. But if we’re going to have a new Cold War, then I have one condition: I want a new moonshot. via Pocket

The dirty truth behind Park & Rides

The dirty truth behind Park & Rides:

Park and ride facilities are darling infrastructure of the transit planning profession. By providing “free” parking to lure choice riders out of cars and onto buses and trains, ridership can get a big boost. via Pocket

Insurance Won't Cover Special Needs Toddler Formula

Insurance Won't Cover Special Needs Toddler Formula:

TOPEKA, Kansas (WIBW) — One Topeka family is facing added expenses after their insurance company told them they will not cover a vital formula for their son, who has a rare genetic disorder. via Pocket

The Crimean Exception: Never Before in Autonomy Struggles Has a People Chosen Between Oppressors

The Crimean Exception: Never Before in Autonomy Struggles Has a People Chosen Between Oppressors:

The upcoming Crimea referendum is both ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary because more than 100 times since World War II geographically concentrated ethnic or linguistic groups have voted on the question of independence. via Pocket

Liberty, Equality, Efficiency

Liberty, Equality, Efficiency:

Most people, if pressed on the subject, would probably agree that extreme income inequality is a bad thing, although a fair number of conservatives believe that the whole subject of income distribution should be banned from public discourse. via Pocket

Best predictor of divorce? Age when couples cohabit, study says

Best predictor of divorce? Age when couples cohabit, study says:

For years, social scientists have tried to explain why living together before marriage seemed to increase the likelihood of a couple divorcing. Now, new research released by the nonpartisan Council on Contemporary Families gives an answer: It doesn’t. And it probably never has. via Pocket

The environmental scandal that’s happening right beneath your feet

The environmental scandal that’s happening right beneath your feet:

BY THE TIME BOB ACKLEY crossed the Harlem River into Manhattan he’d been up for nearly four hours. It was still dark, not yet seven on a Sunday morning: the best time of the week to go sniffing for gas. The back seat of his hatchback was littered with hi-tech equipment. via Pocket

Is it the gluten or is it the glyphosate?

Is it the gluten or is it the glyphosate?:

New evidence points to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as the culprit in the rise of gluten intolerance, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. A study just published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Toxicology (Vol. via Pocket

Schneier on Security

Schneier on Security:

The NSA has become too big and too powerful. What was supposed to be a single agency with a dual mission — protecting the security of U.S. communications and eavesdropping on the communications of our enemies — has become unbalanced in the post-Cold War, all-terrorism-all-the-time era. via Pocket

Comcast’s deal with Netflix makes network neutrality obsolete

Comcast’s deal with Netflix makes network neutrality obsolete:

For the past two decades, the Internet has operated as an unregulated, competitive free market. Given the tendency of networked industries to lapse into monopoly—think of AT&T’s 70-year hold over telephone service, for example—that’s a minor miracle. via Pocket

It Takes How Much Water to Grow an Almond?!

It Takes How Much Water to Grow an Almond?!:

California, supplier of nearly half of all US fruits, veggies, and nuts, is on track to experience the driest year in the past half millennium. Farms use about 80 percent of the state’s “developed water,” or water that’s moved from its natural source to other areas via pipes and aqueducts. via Pocket

Silver bullets that kill bacteria, not werewolves

Silver bullets that kill bacteria, not werewolves

In Secret, Court Vastly Broadens Powers of N.S.A.

In Secret, Court Vastly Broadens Powers of N.S.A.

Britain’s Ministry of Nudges

Britain’s Ministry of Nudges

Who Says Libraries Are Going Extinct?

Who Says Libraries Are Going Extinct?

Mortgage lenders should consider transportation costs

Mortgage lenders should consider transportation costs:

Mortgage lenders turn a blind eye to the transportation costs of homebuyers, and that’s bad for borrowers, banks, and urbanism. via Pocket

'Labor Union Decline, Not Computerization, Main Cause of Rising Corporate Profits'

'Labor Union Decline, Not Computerization, Main Cause of Rising Corporate Profits':

I haven’t read this paper, so I can’t say a lot about how much confidence to place in the results, but it did grab my attention (and I believe it’s in one of the top journals for sociology): Labor union decline, not computerization, main cause of rising corporate profits, EurekAlert: A new study su via Pocket

10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science

10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science:

Happiness is so interesting, because we all have different ideas about what it is and how to get it. It’s also no surprise that it’s the Nr.1 value for Buffer’s culture, if you see our slidedeck about it. So naturally we are obsessed with it. via Pocket

Trouble ahead: Justices’ rulings on gun rights raise thorny questions

Trouble ahead: Justices’ rulings on gun rights raise thorny questions:

Last of three parts. Former Chief Justice Warren Burger (who was so devoted to the U.S. via Pocket

The NRA's End : A Real Gun-Control Movement Has Arrived

The NRA's End : A Real Gun-Control Movement Has Arrived:

O buyers failed in the Senate, and the fatalistic shrugs in Washington were so numerous they were nearly audible. The legislation had been a modest bipartisan compromise, supported by 90 percent of the public and lobbied for hard by the president. via Pocket

Gun rights in the 1780s and today

Gun rights in the 1780s and today:

Second of three articles. The original U.S. Constitution, as drafted in 1787, made no mention of gun rights and guaranteed relatively few other rights. via Pocket

The Second Amendment is a mess

The Second Amendment is a mess:

First of three articles. Obama, who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago, surely has a more informed and nuanced view of this than I could ever hold, but he can’t possibly be as confident of that statement as he sounds because the Second Amendment is a mess. via Pocket

Piikki Organizes and Uploads Receipts From Your Phone

Piikki Organizes and Uploads Receipts From Your Phone:

iOS: Receipts are ridiculously easy to lose, so I always try to snap a picture of important ones with my phone. From now on, I’ll be taking those pictures with Piikki. There are plenty of apps and methods to store receipts on your smartphone, but I have yet to encounter a faster option than Piikki. via Pocket

Going off the rails with the Second Amendment

Going off the rails with the Second Amendment:

Blog Cabin contributor Paul Udstrand has started publishing on his blog, Thoughtful Bastards, a six-part series on the interpretation of the Second Amendment especially as it relates to permitting private possession of semi-automatic assault weapons. via Pocket

In Defense of Genetically Modified Crops

In Defense of Genetically Modified Crops:

Genetically modified Bt crops get a pretty bad rap. The pest-killing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria protein these plants are bioengineered to make has been accused of harming monarch butterflies, honey bees, rats, and showing up in the blood of pregnant women. via Pocket

Sleight of the ‘Invisible Hand’

Sleight of the ‘Invisible Hand’:

Much has been made of Paul Ryan’s devotion to, and timely disavowal of, Ayn Rand and her work, but little has been said about the Scottish philosopher he and Mitt Romney have cited as the ideological embodiment of what’s at stake in this election. via Pocket

Lawfare › Catalog of the Snowden Revelations

Lawfare › Catalog of the Snowden Revelations:

This page catalogs various revelations by Edward Snowden, regarding the United States’ surveillance activities. via Pocket

What Happens When the Poor Receive a Stipend?

What Happens When the Poor Receive a Stipend?:

Growing up poor has long been associated with reduced educational attainment and lower lifetime earnings. Some evidence also suggests a higher risk of depression, substance abuse and other diseases in adulthood. via Pocket

Heart surgeon declares on what really causes heart illness

Heart surgeon declares on what really causes heart illness:

We physicians with all our experience, know how and authority often acquire a rather large selfishness that tends to make it hard to accept we are wrong. So, here it is. I openly admit to being mistaken. via Pocket

Should Pope Francis Rethink Abortion? - NYTimes.com

Should Pope Francis Rethink Abortion? - NYTimes.com:

A Notre Dame philosopher weighs in.