Interesting Articles: July-December 2008

Psychology:
* Ghost of Bradley Present (WNYC's On The Media via NPR). About the history of the non-existent Bradley Effect.

Politics:
* The Mobilization Equation (WNYC's On The Media via NPR). An interesting, though not surprising, segment summarizing the effectiveness of different get-out-the-vote tactics (and in particular their cost per vote). I hadn't realized that whether someone voted is public record. For details about one of the more personal (and slightly disturbing) interventions, read Your Neighbors Could Find Out, So You'd Better Vote (Washington Post).

Online Media:
* Comments on Comments (WNYC's On The Media via NPR). An interesting, accurate, yet biased screed against the widespread allowing of comments on new stories and the like. Includes a discussion with Ira Glass about the period when This American Life hosted comments on its web site. The add-on stories aren't bad: Hellhounds On My Trail and Aren't We There Yet?. A few weeks later, On The Media read letters responding to the original story. I often read comments because some are insightful, but usually find too many are stupid and I end up feeling afterwards like I wasted my time. Other times, the comments provide a useful critique, such as the comments on the first segment linked here. (In that case, the comments discuss what makes forums constructive.) Yet, there are so many comments it requires a lot of patience to read them all.
* The New Hacker and Click to Agree (both from WNYC's On The Media via NPR). Together, these two segments provide interesting coverage on how people treat online terms of service agreements, their legal effect, and some examples of unusual ones.

Language:
* Using Everyday Language To Teach Science May Help Students Learn, Study Finds (Stanford Report). I think I always taught like this. Now I have a reason, and will try to consciously do so more.

Food & Health:
* Brain's reaction to yummy food may predict weight (Associated Press). Why I'll probably not get fat: the people who tend to take more pleasure in food than those who do not have a lower likelihood of becoming overweight.
* Exercise in a Pill? (NPR's Science Friday). A cool new development. I wonder if the increased endurance the pill gives you is actually good for your health, or if endurance is only good for your health when brought about by regular exercise.