Photos

A prehistoric village, found beneath the sea near Haifa

A timelapse video of the Albuquerque balloon festival

Steven Pinker and Andrew Mack assert that actually, the world is not falling apart: “Never mind the headlines. We’ve never lived in such peaceful times”

Also, Richard Fernandez argues that the American can-do spirit continues to exist

The allure of omnipotent explanations

Is Washington the new Wall Street?

Ideology and closed systems, at Grim’s Hall

In France, criticism of Islam can get you prosecuted. Basically, we are seeing the return of laws against blasphemy–and not only in France–but with this difference: I don’t think ever before have governments forbidden criticism of a belief system that is not held by the majority of their citizens, or at least of their ruling classes