WikiLeak This Ear

Posted on Dec 2, 2010

Today on the list: The GOP vs. Sarah Palin, what Google charges for government surveillance, and WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange’s political philosophy explained.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.

Google Poised to Launch E-Books Project
Google Inc. is in the final stages of launching its long-awaited e-book retailing venture, Google Editions, a move that could shake up the way digital books are sold.

‘Google charges feds $25 a head for user surveillance’
The implications of the below story boggle the mind. If you had any sense that your email was private, let this article dissuade you of that.

The Primitive Social Network: Bullying Required
Here, we present estimates of heritability and selection on network traits in a single population, allowing us to address the evolutionary potential of social behavior and the poorly understood link between sociality and fitness.

GOP vs. Palin
Joe Scarborough tells GOP to man up and confront Sarah Palin.

Julian Assange’s Political Philosophy
Most of the news media seems to be losing their minds over Wikileaks without actually reading these essays, even though he describes the function and aims of an organization like Wikileaks in pretty straightforward terms.

Polish King in Exile Was Christopher Columbus’ True Father
New book proves Christopher Columbus was a Royal Prince, son of King Vladislav III and his Portuguese noble wife.

Late Thanksgiving message [but still fresh]

Experiments in Field Philosophy
Back in September, Joshua Knobe of Yale University, writing here at The Stone, outlined a new experimental approach to doing philosophy in his post, “Experiments in Philosophy.”

Information overload, the early years
Five centuries years ago, a new technology swamped the world with data. What we can learn from the aftermath.

WikiLeaks: Demystifying ‘Diplomacy’
Compared to the kind of secret cables that WikiLeaks has just shared with the world, everyday public statements from government officials are exercises in make-believe.

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