This story has to be read to understand how an innocent man has been put to death. In addition it is an excellent piece of narrative journalism by David Grann

Potentially a great and fascinating story but the editors at Scientific American must have forgotten the editing bit. The feature meanders with constantly changing emphasis from personal inquiry to the fundamentally scientific which makes for difficult reading. To make the narrative work it needs more details in some areas and less in others.

A detailed report of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and some of the fighting causing it. It highlights the disproportionate Israeli force used and the scale of civilian casualties and attempts to relate these to international rules of engagement under the Geneva Conventions.

Just an interview with Jonah Lehree. I don't think I learned much about him, his book, or "How we Decide".

An interesting report on a new/old technique for sequestering carbon dioxide in soil. Thus removing CO2 from the atmosphere and at the same time improving the quality of the soil the article states. Not very long or detailed but a good overview.

Education and investment in top level research or at a mid level where many implementations of technology generate income and jobs? That is the question raised by professor Amar Bhidé and reported here by Steve Lohr.

An important story that despite the tragedy of a girl's suicide considers the implications for all of us who are now exposed the criminal charges for not reading and understanding the on-line contracts attached to web sites.

Standard science reporting of water jets found shooting from the surface of Saturn's moon, Enceladus. Competing theories and models of how these jets are formed are discussed but the issue of a liquid water underground reservoir is not resolved.

Although mostly using sources from the right this article gives a good overview of the campaign tactics employed and how the Democrats might be playing the game better than the Republicans.

Finally an article that finds the root of the current financial crisis.

A good summary of Scheunemann's involvement in the Iraq war that quotes many published sources although it does not present Scheunemann's side of the story. The article suggests the press should ask more questions about his suitability as a McCain advisor.

This item provides a concise background to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage giants - why they were set up, how they are structured, why they are in trouble - and asks if they are still needed.

A story on former Sen. Phil Gramm and how his 'Commodity Futures Modernization Act' was the key that freed up the Subprime market and led to a global economic meltdown. It goes on to ask if Gramm is the ideal candidate to advise McCain on economics and potentially become Treasury Secretary. The really troubling sub-story for me was how bills such as this can pass through both houses without anyone, including Gramm it appears, understanding what is going on or having any idea of the ... More »

This story clearly lays out McCain's track record of voting against a woman's right to choose. It touches on Obama's pro-choice record and doesn't directly comment on Clinton's position because, I suppose, Arianna Huffington assumes Hillary is out of the running.

This article asks why George Bush has not been impeached for taking the USA to war based on false information and why the media does not pursue this question. The lack of media discussion is a good question. However the article by itself is not well balanced in my view. It is an introduction to a book that might paint a larger picture but it does not show how the whole administration bears responsibility for their collective decision and that this decision was subsequently supported ... More »

A commentary on how widespread personal data collection has become and the need for legal protection of all this data that refers to us and our lives.

Interesting test results reported. It appears that the brain produces both negative emotions if we are treated unfairly and a positive reward if we receive fair treatment. However, there is no speculation in this short article about why we have developed in this way.