Reading

Robin Hanson explores the concept of cultural influence and suggests we should be more open to other cultures instead of assuming our own is superior.

Shakespeare used 31,534 different words in his writing, but it's estimated his total vocabulary was more than double that at 66,534 words. via kottke.org

Despite rumors, Fidel Castro wasn't a professional baseball player but did participate in exhibition games after taking power. via kottke.org

Steven Landsburg cracks jokes about subliminal learning CDs that claim to teach skills like dancing and stock trading while you sleep. via The Big Questions

A new paper suggests that internet reading is less ideologically segregated than the networks we build in our personal lives. via Marginal REVOLUTION.

Robin Hanson's blog post, "Strange Law", examines seven recent examples of discrepancies between stated law and actual practice. via Overcoming Bias.

The Natural History Museum received hate mail from children after reclassifying Pluto as a resident of the Kuiper Belt. via kottke.org

Tyler Cowen reviews Diarmaid MacCulloch's book "Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years," calling it information-rich and engaging. via Marginal Revolution.

Steve Landsburg discusses Paul Krugman's green economics essay and James Hansen's critique of cap-and-trade. via The Big Questions

An Iraq War vet describes their experience in the military. via The source of this content is Truthout.

This 2010 article from Mashable explores five ways Facebook complicated dating, from overanalyzing behaviors to unwanted exposure to exes' activities. via Mashable

WIRED highlights tech, science, culture, and business news, including Olympic scam-busting and plastic alternative breakthroughs. via WIRED.