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This challenge to the idea of "influencers" stems from research suggesting that average people may have just as much power to spark trends as highly connected people.

Scientists have discovered a new species of giant elephant shrew, called *Rhynochocyon udzungwensis*, in the mountains of Tanzania. via BBC News

Steve Chapman's article critiques President Bush's final State of the Union address, challenging his claims of success in areas like fiscal policy, education, and foreign involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

via The source of this content is Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets.

The Wall Street Journal explores a novel way to cut waste.

via wsj.com

Language researcher Grant Barrett traces the origin of the word "w00t" to the early 90s dance craze "whoot/whoomp there it is". via kottke.org

Reddit uses cookies to improve user experience. via Reddit

Tyler Cowen examines a Mark Bittman article about meat production and contrasts the efficiency of raising different animals for meat with potential animal welfare concerns. via The source of this content is Marginal Revolution.

It appears there may have been an error accessing this Reddit page. via Reddit

Research on observation effects shows that golfers perform worse when Tiger Woods is in the tournament, women are more likely to be published when their gender is unknown, and squirrels pretend to bury nuts when being watched.

via kottke.org

A 1993 letter to the editor describes the crime and unhygienic conditions of New York City's East Village. via kottke.org

This blog post from 2008 revisits a 1993 letter to the editor in the New York Times that warned about landlords exploiting "luxury decontrol" to displace tenants.

via kottke.org

Are Americans too happy-obsessed? This blog post explores the potential downsides of striving for constant happiness, suggesting that embracing melancholy can lead to greater creativity and depth.