Matt Alldian

FlowingData explores why it always seems like other lines move faster, suggesting single-line systems are most efficient.

via FlowingData

XKCD comic #838, titled "Incident," humorously suggests that Santa Claus monitors who is using the "sudo" command without permission. via xkcd.com

A 1972 book argues that the hippie counterculture was rooted in mental illness and could be treated with medication.

Elizabeth Gumport's essay "In Which We're Up All Night" explores the experience of insomnia.

via Longform

FlowingData shares a video comparing the sizes of stars, starting from our sun and going all the way to VY Canis Majoris.

via FlowingData

A new study showed that patients taking sugar pills knowingly still experienced positive effects compared to a control group.

The CIA created a task force to assess the damage from leaked diplomatic cables, including information about the CIA's request for data on UN figures.

via The Guardian

David Friedman shares a conjecture that behavioral economics could be key to understanding macroeconomics, such as business cycles, even if it doesn't impact microeconomics much.

via Ideas

Animators used 450 Google Doc slides to create a video you have to see to believe. via FlowingData

WIRED offers the latest news and insights on technology, science, culture, and business. via WIRED

John Papola's criticism of behavioral economics sparks a debate in the comments section, mainly between himself and Daniel Kuehn, on government power, Keynesianism, and Austrian economics. via Econlib

Steve Landsburg poses a mathematical puzzle about population sex ratios, asking readers to determine the expected percentage of females in a population with a specific family planning approach. via The Big Questions: Tackling the Problems of Philosophy with Ideas from Mathematics, Economics, and Physics