Reading

A study explored suggests gay individuals may have a greater attention to detail than their straight counterparts.

via The Neurocritic

Tyler Cowen shares a Buzzfeed article featuring sixteen unique items sold at Chinese Walmarts, including crocodiles, turtles, and pig faces. via The source of this content is Marginal Revolution.

Robin Hanson reviews Matt Ridley's book "The Rational Optimist," agreeing with the premise that trade, not human uniqueness, spurred innovation, but suggesting Ridley is too optimistic about the future. via Overcoming Bias.

This EconLog blog article discusses Milton Friedman's thoughts on racial discrimination from his 1962 book *Capitalism and Freedom*.

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

A MetaFilter thread tells the story of an online community that helped two women headed to what they believed were hostessing jobs but lost communication with their friend.

John Cassidy's article discusses the positives of the Senate's financial reform bill, but ultimately finds it inadequate for failing to address the root causes of the 2008 financial crisis. via The New Yorker.

FlowingData emphasizes that changing how data is measured, like homelessness statistics, dramatically impacts the results, reminding us that statistics often estimate rather than define. via FlowingData

Two Russian girls visiting NYC for a travel exchange program were saved from potential danger when internet sleuths alerted authorities and helped get them to safety. via The Big Questions: Tackling the Problems of Philosophy with Ideas from Mathematics, Economics, and Physics

Simon Johnson argues on Baseline Scenario that Ireland's economy, after adjusting to exclude profits of foreign companies, has a budget deficit and debt-to-GNP ratio on par with Greece. via Marginal Revolution

ThinkMarkets' blog post "On Bentham and Utilitarianism" kicks off a discussion about Benthamite utilitarianism and links to the relevant Marginal Revolution discussion for further context. via ThinkMarkets

Alex Tabarrok explores income-contingent loans as investments in future earnings, highlighting Lumni, a firm using this model to invest in human capital in developing countries.