2010

Tyler Cowen on big banks: does the government control them, or is it the other way around? via Marginal REVOLUTION.

HP will release its Designjet 3D printer, based on Stratasys’s FDM technology, in Europe this May for a hefty price tag of $17,500. via The source of this content is Popular Science.

John Q argues in this blog post that it's time for the left to embrace a "politics of hope" and outlines ambitious goals like ending extreme poverty and reversing global warming. via Crooked Timber

Robert Wright argues that assassinating terrorist leaders is ineffective because it doesn't weaken their organizations; he compares it to trying to end the computer industry by killing Apple and Dell executives. via kottke.org

Slashdot user "r" discusses maintaining code patches and tech news. via Slashdot.

A photo from 1940 showing a man in what appears to be modern clothing has people wondering if we've caught a time traveler on film. via kottke.org

Henry Farrell of Crooked Timber discusses a blog post by Paul McAuley about the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, using it as a starting point to discuss humanity's vulnerability to nature's power. via The Forge of Vulcan — Crooked Timber

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble shares his thoughts on the Greek financial crisis in an interview with DER SPIEGEL.

Bryan Caplan wonders if the Icelandic volcano will increase support for geoengineering to combat climate change, noting that public perception often outweighs facts. via Econlib.

Bryan Caplan responds to Tyler Cowen's question about the causes of sustained high unemployment, suggesting it's more nuanced than just workers being "stubborn" about wage cuts. via Econlib.

This blog post discusses a paper by Harald Uhlig that argues fiscal stimulus can lead to negative long-term growth despite short-term benefits. via ThinkMarkets

A striking image captures lightning illuminating ash plumes from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which caused widespread travel disruptions in 2010. via Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).