Internet, Campaigns, Spellbound, FIFA, U2, Men
How To Rig A Clinical Trial And Fool Millions
John Bohannon | io9 | 27th May 2015
A science journalist explains. Use a tiny sample, measure for lots of things, and decide what you are looking for after you see the results. The author hired 16 people on Facebook, fed chocolate to five of them for three weeks — and found "proof" that chocolate helped weight-loss. Newspapers around the world ran with the story. "It was, in fact, a fairly typical study. Which is to say: It was terrible science" (3,075 words)
The Book That Changed Campaigns Forever
Scott Porch | Politico | 22nd April 2015
Theodore White's Making of the President 1960 transformed political reporting, not always for the better. White turned Kennedy's campaign into grand historical drama. But his method required constant access to the candidate; and when every journalist wanted to be the next Theodore White, campaigns turned into media scrums. "I sincerely regret it", White said later of his innovation. "Who gives a fuck if the guy had milk for breakfast?” (4,300 words)
America, Bees, Class
Amy Crawford | Smithsonian Magazine | 28th May 2015
The documentary Spellbound followed eight American teenagers from diverse backgrounds through the national finals of the 2002 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. It offered, in effect, a version of the American dream: Rich or poor, black or white, anybody can succeed if they have enough grit. How does that message hold up 13 years later? Pretty well, actually. All eight finalists made college. One died young, the rest are flourishing (3,000 words)
The Stakes Behind The FIFA Scandal
Branko Milanovic | Global Inequality | 29th May 2015
FIFA as the mirror of history. Its founders were "aristocratic European white men" who ran football on colonial lines. With Havelange came decolonisation, the rise of non-European countries. Blatter's FIFA wallowed in a resource boom from broadcasting rights. "The clean FIFA will get rid of African and Asian influence, host World Cups in impeccable stadiums in Germany and the US, and ignore three-quarters of the poor world" (1,050 words)
The Pride Of U2
Steven Hyden | Grantland | 28th May 2015
Portrait of U2 in late middle-age. Songs Of Innocence tanked, but that has scarcely dented their power as a live act. "They can play Estonia or eastern Australia, it doesn’t matter.” And they deliver: "In case there’s any doubt: U2 remains an incredibly effective arena-rock band. Put them in a cage match with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and I’d still put my money on U2 as the best there ever was" (5,400 words)
Manhood: Men Adrift
Essay | The Economist | 28th May 2015 | | Read with 1Pass
Men are falling behind in the economy, in education and in society, because there is less demand for their physical labour and because their history of dominance over women makes them slow to adjust. "Their ideas of the world and their place in it are shaped by old assumptions about the status due to men in the workplace and in the family, but they live in circumstances where those assumptions no longer apply" (5,600 words)
Video of the day: Viva Lucha
What to expect: Animation. A wrestler retires, and takes an office job. It does not go well (3'45")
Thought for the day
Never speak ill of yourself, your friends will say enough on that subject
Prince de Talleyrand