Interesting Articles: Oct 3rd-9th 2005

Culture:
* On Television, Brands Go From Props to Stars (New York Times). A mildly interesting article (with a very interesting -for us data junkies- sidebar) on paid placement in television shows.

Law:
* To More Inmates, Life Term Means Dying Behind Bars (New York Times). A surprising (to me anyways) and harrowing tale of how the concept of life imprisonment has changed over the years. There is also a follow-on piece, Jailed for Life After Crimes as Teenagers.
* Want Social Condemnation With Your Justice? Tune In Judge Judy (New York Times). Cute and apt -I've watched the show- commentary on Judge Judy.
* The Tort Wars, at a Turning Point (New York Times). On tort cases involving asbestos and silica dust. While I know this article focuses on a few bad doctors and lawyers, the real question is which profession does this tarnish the reputation of the most?

Psychology:
I recently got distracted browsing some papers at some of the latest Psychology & Economics conferences and workshops. Here are some cute tidbits; read the abstracts at least:
* Female Socialization: How Daughters Affect Their Legislator Fathers' Voting on Women's Issues (PDF)
* Strategic Release of Information on Friday: Evidence from Earnings Announcements (PDF)
* All that Glitters: The Effect of Attention and News on the Buying Behavior of Individual and Institutional Investors.
* Searching for a Mate: Theory and Experimental Evidence. (They use speed dating as the experiment!)
* Man's Best Wingman: Which type of dog really attracts the most women? (New York Magazine). Despite its non-scientific nature, hesitatingly filed under Psychology.

Health:
* Serious Riders, Your Bicycle Seat May Affect Your Love Life (New York Times). Some bicycle seats were always thought to reduce sperm count, but it seems the problem is both more prevalent and more dangerous than previously thought.
* How hot was it? (Science News; may not be available to everyone). About polymers that change color irrevocably due to temperature changes, and the uses these can have in food safety.

Random:
* Thousands show up to see snow on Fillmore Street (San Francisco Chronicle). Funky: a ski and snowboard jumping competition in San Francisco! Check out the video and the pictures. (I couldn't make it in person.)
* A Fast Track to Toilet Training for Those at the Crawling Stage (New York Times). In retrospect I'm not surprised that you can potty train such young babies, but it is an idea I never previously heard of.