Extra Credit: Our pick of stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.
Sim City gets serious (The Conversation)
by Alison Heppenstall and Nick Malleson
New techniques for modeling human behavior in cities suggests all sorts of urban design applications, like seeing how changing road designs could affect crime. But using Big Data also has drawbacks and privacy issues.
Swipe left if you’re racist (Pacific Standard)
by Ravi Mangla
Most people, particularly political moderates and liberals, say they’re open to dating outside their own race. But research shows that doesn’t line up with the way they act when they’re making split-second decisions on a dating app.
Solid proof for spooky action (The New York Times)
by John Markoff
There’s new evidence for the existence of quantum entanglement, the bizarre interaction between subatomic particles that Albert Einstein famously called “spooky action at a distance.” This could point the way toward instantaneous, super-secure communication technology that’s currently only the stuff of science fiction.
The economics of global warming (The Atlantic)
by Bourree Lam
When temperature heat up, economic activity cools down, according to a paper recently published in Nature. What does this mean for the world—particularly the developing world—in an age of climate change?
PACs and partisanship (the Washington Post)
Michael Barber
Want to curb political polarization? Let political action committees give more money. That’s the conclusion of a new paper that analyzed state legislatures. It found individuals donate based on ideologies. PACs, on the other hand, give to anyone who they think may help them accomplish their specific goals.
Have you seen a story online that does a good job of bridging the gap between the news and scholarship? Or something that seems particularly well-researched? Let us know and we may include it in next week’s roundup. Email us at jstordaily_submissions (at) jstor (dot) org.
