Polymath's Guide to News and Ideas
Half of U.S. Spending on Health Care May Be Wasted
WSJ.COM: HEALTH BLOG :The US spends more than two trillion dollars a year on health care, but are Americans getting full value for their money? “No”, answers just about anyone who is anyone inside the health-care system... READ MORE
How a Drug Maker Tries to Outwit Generics
WALL STREET JOURNAL : President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to reduce prescription-drug costs, but the pricing moves by one pharmaceutical company show why that could be difficult... READ MORE
Myths about Neandertals
JOHN HAWKS WEBLOG : Tyler Cowen comments on last week's "Let's clone mammoths, and OOH OOH Neandertals too" article. I'm pointing to the post because the commenters embody so many popular myths about Neandertals... READ MORE
An Infinite Loop in the Brain
SPIEGEL ONLINE : Wouldn't it be great to be able to remember everything? To see all our most important moments, all the priceless encounters, adventures and triumphs... READ MORE
Physics Makes a Toy of the Brain
SCIENCE BLOGS :To phrase the question more narrowly: can the statistical tools which physicists have developed to understand the collective motion of large agglutinations of particles help us figure out what our brains are doing... READ MORE
Why Do Men Buy Sex?
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : Arthur is an alleged john, a man who patronizes prostitutes. After his arrest on September 5, 2008, a photograph of this 41-year-old appeared on the Web site of the Chicago Police Department. Arthur (not his real name) was far... READ MORE
Intel evaluating new netbook concepts, form factors
ARS TECHNICA : Netbooks have been one of the major success stories of 2008, but recent comments from Intel indicate that the company isn't satisfied with current device form factors. Speaking at a Raymond James IT Supply Chain conference last week... READ MORE
Solar-powered sea slug harnesses stolen plant genes
NEW SCIENTIST :t's the ultimate form of solar power: eat a plant, become photosynthetic. Now researchers have found how one animal does just that...READ MORE
The (Tuna) Tragedy of the Commons
DOT EARTH :There was new evidence early this week that the world has not yet absorbed just how deeply humans have depleted our “exhausted oceans.” At the latest meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas... READ MORE
Swiss approve pioneering legal heroin program
YAHOO NEWS : The world's most comprehensive legalized heroin program became permanent Sunday with overwhelming approval from Swiss voters who simultaneously rejected the decriminalization of marijuana... READ MORE