On:

A ‘blood libel’ is an accusation that a person or group engages in human sacrifice. Why Sarah Palin has used this term to criticize the people who have been accusing her of being too vitriolic I cannot imagine. Also, though, the we Americans have always engaged in extreme political statements and violent rhetoric. During the 1864 campaign, for example, Lincoln was portrayed as an ape in many billboards. We’re wild and wooly, that’s just the fact. What we need to do is make more of an effort to identify and contain the crazies, not try to tamp down our political rhetoric.read more

On:

Neuroscientists are learning new tricks from professional magicians, as they struggle to understand how the brain works. Magicians take advantage of how our nervous systems, including our eyes and sense of touch, are wired to perceive "impossible" illusions (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show). In Live Science.com, Wynne Parry quotes researcher Susana Martinez-Conde as saying, "Scientists have only studied cognitive illusions for a few decades. Magicians have studied them for hundreds, if not thousands, of years."
read more