Angst on the Aegean. Like many Third World countries Greece is characterized by familialism and rampant corruption typical of a low trust society (more on the familialism). Except thanks to geography Hellenes are like a boat being lifted by the rising tide of the dynamic economies of other European nations (the reason Mexico has a GDP PPP per capita of $15,000 and Colombia $9,000 probably has something to do the former’s more favorable location). Greek culture and government seems trapped in a particularly unfortunate equilibrium, and the buck stops soon. I have mooted that perhaps many nations in this position might benefit from the importation of a Suomalaiset bureaucratic class to “shock” the society to another state where virtuous circles of trust may arise. Such a mandarin caste would be congenitally incapable of eye contact, minimizing the ability to weasel out bribes.
Exploring the Complexities of Nerdiness, for Laughs. I’d probably watch this show if I owned a TV.
The Search for Genes Leads to Unexpected Places. Since this is a Carl Zimmer piece of course it’s worth reading. Turns out that there are many interesting insights one can glean from the tree of life which are of general import.
Lady Bugs to the Rescue in the Galapagos: Biocontrol of Insect Pest Is a Major Success, Entomologists Say. “Non-native species” become useful agents of “biocontrol” in the right context!
Ethnic Differences in Precursors of Type 2 Diabetes Apparent at an Early Age. It’s hard to be brown. Brown like me, not Gordon Brown, or faux brown.
“Save A Mother”: An Appeal. My friend Ruchira Paul is trying to raise money for a charity focused on Indian rural maternal health after she got to know the doctor who heads it. You can find out more here.
Comments are closed.