Newsletter 315


Hic sunt camelopardus: this historical edition of The Browser is presented for archaeological purposes; links and formatting may be broken.

[1]Chilling Story Of Genius In A Land Of Chronic Unemployment
    Links:
      1. http://b.rw/luP1Yx

Sarah Lacy | Techcrunch | 15 May 2011

Meet the "Yahoo boys" of Nigeria, successors of the 419 scammers. Astounding
  computer skills, masters of human manipulation. New con involves online
  dating. "We use our brains to get what we want. For us it’s the only way to
  live" [2]Comments
    Links:
      2. http://thebrowser.com/articles/chilling-story-genius-land-chronic-unemployment

[3]Kandahar Prison Escape: The Taliban's Tale
    Links:
      3. http://b.rw/lWEvP5

Alex Strick van Linschoten | Different Place | 15 May 2011

Extraordinary pair of articles, in which Taliban members purportedly explain
  how they staged a major prison break in Afghanistan. Much detail, right down
  to a breakdown of expenses involved. Thanks to Conrad Jennings for alerting
  us [4]Comments
    Links:
      4. http://thebrowser.com/articles/kandahar-prison-escape-talibans-tale

[5]Too Young To Wed
    Links:
      5. http://b.rw/iS37A8

Cynthia Gorney | National Geographic | 16 May 2011

Midnight wedding ceremony in Rajasthan. Brides are 15 and 13... and five.
  "The littlest daughters tend to be added on discreetly, their names kept off
  the invitations, the unannounced second or third bride at their own
  weddings" [6]Comments
    Links:
      6. http://thebrowser.com/articles/too-young-wed

[7]The Price Of Gold
    Links:
      7. http://b.rw/lPm2SN

Robin Hammond | Robin Hammond Blog | 17 May 2011

Stunning photo essay of Zimbabwean gold mining. Discovery of gold saves
  lives in a desperately poor country. But the search can kill too, with
  miners regularly sifting through toxic mercury deep underground. (Auto-play
  slideshow) [8]Comments
    Links:
      8. http://thebrowser.com/articles/price-gold

[9]Turning To Biomechanics
    Links:
      9. http://b.rw/irfa18

Carl Zimmer | NYT | 16 May 2011

Experts in biomechanics -- the science of how creatures fly, swim and crawl
  -- are using robotics skills to revolutionise the world of surgeons'
  instruments. Physcient is one of those leading the way. This is their
  remarkable story [10]Comments
    Links:
      10. http://thebrowser.com/articles/turning-biomechanics

[11]Converting Mamet
    Links:
      11. http://b.rw/ixkDce

Andrew Ferguson | Weekly Standard | 16 May 2011

He's a Broadway playwright. A Hollywood scriptwriter. His characters swear a
  lot. So he's a Democrat? Wrong. "After a years-long conversion from left to
  right, David Mamet has gone too far. He’s turned into a f—ing Republican"
  [12]Comments
    Links:
      12. http://thebrowser.com/articles/converting-mamet

FiveBooks Interview

[13]Iain Sinclair on London
    Links:
      13. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/iain-sinclair-on-london

A city of hidden depths and morbid fascination, by turns respectable and
  savage. Five novels that capture the spirit and rich history of London

Featured Topic

[14]Mind And Brain
    Links:
      14. http://thebrowser.com/topics/mind

Everything you wanted - or didn't want - to know about your mind. From how
  many friends your brain can cope with, to experts discussing consciousness
  and mental illness

Reader Recommendations

_@smiler29_ good intro to Secret Cinema - best immersive entertainment i
  have had in a long time http://tinyurl.com/69xdjmy
  [16]#browsings
    Links:
      16. https://twitter.com/search?q=#browsings

Book of the Day

[17]Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy
    Links:
      17. http://thebrowser.com/recommended/sandy-koufax-leftys-legacy-by-jane-leavy

[18]Joe Posnanski says: "Koufax was not only a great Jewish athlete, but
  proudly Jewish. This book is definitely not just about sports"
    Links:
      18. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/joe-posnanski-on-baseball

Video of the Day

[19]Two Minutes Of Trump
    Links:
      19. http://thebrowser.com/videos/two-minutes-trump

That's two too many, you say?

Quote of the Day

[20]Kenneth Minogue, on equality
    Links:
      20. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576317394134320476.html

"In an egalitarian world, everyone is equal, except the managers of
    equality"

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