Reading

David Henderson responds to Tyler Cowen's review of the book "Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," arguing Cowen missed a point about WWI-era alcohol restrictions.

via Econlib

WIRED highlights Olympic scam-busting and the potential of new plastic alternatives in their current news coverage. via The source of this content is WIRED.

Columbia Journalism Review examines The New York Times Magazine's profile of Politico reporter Mike Allen, questioning the outlet's journalistic integrity and impact on the future of news. via Columbia Journalism Review

WIRED's homepage features a range of articles, from AI and the metaverse to Hurricane Helene and tips for shopping on Amazon Prime Day. via WIRED

FlowingData celebrates the World Bank's release of World Development Indicators 2010, featuring a free online database and API with over 1,000 indicators.

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

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

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

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.

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).