Apparently this is a thing…
Combat Juggling
1
The Science of Junk Food
An excerpt from a new book by Michael Moss on how the large food companies engineer their products to addict consumers.
The obvious comparison is the tobacco industry.
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food [NY Times]
The Man Who Invented The Telephone Keypad
An obituary of John E. Karlin, who helped to develop the telephone keypad, which has obviously propagated much further. He also pioneered human factors engineering.
John E. Karlin, Who Led the Way to All-Digit Dialing, Dies at 94 [NY Times]
Placebo Effectiveness
An article that discusses the current state of research into the effectiveness of placebos. I didn’t realise that researchers have a good idea on how to increase or decrease their effectiveness.
The Placebo Phenomenon [Harvard Magazine]
Making The Blues Brothers
An article from Vanity Fair on how The Blues Brothers was made.
Hint: Cocaine. Lots of cocaine.
Soul Men: The Making of The Blues Brothers [Vanity Fair]
The World’s Greatest Pickpocket
An article from the New Yorker on Apollo Robbins, supposedly the best pickpocket in the world.
Here’s a video of him in action:
A Pickpocket’s Tale: The spectacular thefts of Apollo Robbins [The New Yorker]
The Oral History of Freaks and Geeks
A great article (and photos) of the Freaks and Geeks reunion.
2 Good 2 Be 4Gotten: An Oral History of Freaks and Geeks [Vanity Fair]