Interesting Articles: Mar 21st-27th 2006

Politics:
* Rich state, poor state, red state, blue state: What's the matter with Connecticut? (unpublished academic paper). I can't summarize this article better than the first two sentences of the abstract:

We find that income matters more in "red America" than in "blue America." In poor states, rich people are much more likely than poor people to vote for the Republican presidential candidate, but in rich states (such as Connecticut), income has a very low correlation with vote preference.

Culture:
* Are We Having a Conversation Yet? An Art Form Evolves (New York Times). On the history of the art of conversation.

Language:
* It's Not the Sights, It's the Sounds (New York Times). A neat overview of accents in New York and the neighboring states.

Science and Medicine:
* Hand Sanitizers, Good or Bad? (New York Times). Some sanitizers are worthless. Not posted because hand sanitizers are that interesting but simply to emphasize the importance of researching and comparing products or, lacking time for that, at least reading and comparing product labels.
* Experts Reveal the Secret Powers of Grapefruit Juice (New York Times). An example of serendipity in science. And a warning about interactions between grapefruit juice and some medicines.

Technology:
* Here's an Idea: Let Everyone Have Ideas (New York Times). A(nother) wisdom-of-the-crowds piece profiling one company's use of internal markets for ideas and predictions.

Misc:
* Wanted: A Few Good Sperm (New York Times). A long and thoughtful piece composed of anecdotes portraying various "single women by choice," including their lives, experiences, and what shaped their decisions.