A new issue of Plus Magazine: Living Mathematics is out. When art and math collide: An exhibit of mathematical art reveals the aesthetic side of math. Of the Algorithms, by the Algorithms, for the Algorithms: Can a bunch of mathematicians make government more representative? From Rolling Stone, Paul Krugman on what Obama must do (and a review of The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008). Pat Kane on Obama Notions: Between the Puritan and the booty-bumper. The Obama administration marks the beginning of the end of the war in Iraq, but it's less clear what it means for the larger "war on terror". Peter Beinart on the solvency doctrine: "The world deals the cards, and a President plays them as best he can". A review of The Nuclear Express: A Political History of the Bomb and Its Proliferation by Thomas C. Reed and Danny B. Stillman. Mission Accomplished: The "war on science" is over — now what? From Open Democracy, an article on climate change in 2009: the defining issue. From New Statesman, the right has dominated the UK online community so far, but a new Labour site is fighting back - - with help from Obama staffers; in a society of gross inequality, the aspirations of everyone are thwarted; and could David Bowie have caused the latest fad sweeping the UK, the credit crunch? A review of Art and Ethical Criticism.

A new issue of the Cato Institute's Regulation is out. Endorsements: How sports stars get inside your head. Scared yet: Jonathan Chait on The Wall Street Journal's punctuation fetish. Here are 5 great examples of in medias res. A new invention could soon change the face of shantytowns across the globe — called "Universal World House", the structures are light, cheap and made of paper. A review of Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Hegemony in the Middle East by Rashid Khalidi and A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East — from the Cold War to the War on Terror by Patrick Tyler. Bush talked a great deal about democracy during his eight years, but there are pitfalls with an all-Tocqueville, all-the-time approach. What about Obama's personality makes him so distrustful of ideology? The elephant in the room: McCain may be Obama's secret weapon. Amy Sullivan on Obama's other breakthrough: A big-city president. From Inside Higher Ed, an article on making wikis work for scholars. A dirty job: Nicholas Kristof visits a Camobodian garbage dump, where some families make their living scavenging through the toxic pile. For a small band of shrinks, intervening in catastrophic situations is an everyday event, but their experience at the edge has deep consequences for us all: It is altering our understanding of the true nature of human nature. 

A new issue of The Commoner is out. From NYRB, Robert Darnton on Google & the future of books. From Monthly Review, a special issue on Cuba, including an essay on Why Cuba Still Matters; and an article on the Cuban Revolutionary Doctor, the ultimate weapon of solidarity. From Scientific American, an article on the efficient future of deep-space travel — electric rockets; a look at how meat contributes to global warming; an article on the origin of the ocean floor; and do naked singularities break the rules of physics? Escape from North Korea: Defection is daunting — so is starting a new, free life. A review of Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe by Mark Mazower. An interview with Tom Farer, author of Confronting Global Terrorism. Can international law bring peace to war-torn regions — or does it actually hinder the peace process? A review of The Globalisation of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit by Bruce Alexander. A review of Trucking Country: The Road to America's Wal-Mart Economy by Shane Hamilton. A review of Inside Greek U.: Fraternities, Sororities, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, Power, and Prestige by Alan D. DeSantis. Generation XXX: An article on sex and the teenage brain. An article on hardcopy calendars as the cockroach of print culture. Signs and portents: A brand-new ambulance on its trial run knocks a man down and kills him.

From German Law Journal, on the Kantian project of international law: A special issue on Jurgen Habermas’ The Divided West. From Ethics & International Affairs, Michael Walzer on Promoting Democracy; a review essay on apology, forgiveness, and moral repair; a review of Theory of World Security by Ken Booth; a review of After Anarchy: Legitimacy and Power in the United Nations Security Council by Ian Hurd; and a review of Targeting Civilians in War by Alexander B. Downes and Killing Civilians: Method, Madness and Morality in War by Hugo Slim. From Monthly Review, John Bellamy Foster and Fred Magdoff on financial implosion and stagnation: Back to the real economy; Immanuel Wallertein reviews Amiya Kumar Bagchi's Perilous Passage: Mankind and the Global Ascendancy of Capital; and a review of Michael Perelman's Railroading Economics: The Creation of the Free Market Mythology. From NYRB, Jeff Madrick reviews books on the financial crisis; and Russell Baker reviews books on FDR. From Forbes, a look at the 25 most influential liberals in the US media. From Slate, social warfare: Google and Facebook battle for your friends; and everyone else is on Facebook — why aren't you? Facebook is like having a dozen rolling high school reunions simultaneously, plus grade school, and college, and every summer camp you ever attended.