From Public Knowledge Journal, a special issue on media and society. Alessandra Arcuri (EUR): Risk Regulation. Noah Hampson (Boston College): Hacktivism, Anonymous and a New Breed of Protest in a Networked World. John Mikhail (Georgetown): Moral Grammar and Human Rights: Some Reflections on Cognitive Science and Enlightenment Rationalism. Robert J. Miller (Lewis and Clark): The International Law of Colonialism: A Comparative Analysis. Will the aliens be nice? Don't bet on it — the potential risks from encountering extraterrestrial life far outweigh the benefits of searching for them. A review of Pleasure Bound: Victorian Sex Rebels and the New Eroticism by Deborah Lutz. Ideas are overrated: Carlye Adler on startup guru Eric Ries’ radical new theory. That's Hot: What does it take to inflame a pyromaniac? Policymakers in the dock: Peter H. Schuck on the wisdom of protecting public officials from liability. The first chapter from Post-Soviet Social: Neoliberalism, Social Modernity, Biopolitics by Stephen J. Collier. There are only seven plots in all of fiction — in all of human life, really — and chances are you’re living one of them. Is there any reason to set top tax rates at anything but the rate which maximises government revenues? Even fictional, arbitrary stereotypes can hurt performance on standardized tests, according to a new study. When do gay kids start "acting gay"? Sometimes when they're toddlers. The Great Recession and the rich-country trap: There are three striking differences between wealthy and emerging countries that help explain the puzzling change in fortunes. Hofstadter’s "lost" book: Ben Hufbauer reflects on how a textbook changed the genre, the way the public viewed American history and the way he shaped his career. Adam Penenberg on the 10 best Amazon reviews — ever.
