Death by firing squad returns to the US and nine more surprising stories
March 12, 2015
- China’s feud with the Dalai Lama has become an absurdist comedy. A dispute about reincarnation is best seen “through the prism of Monty Python.”
- Netflix broke the spoiler alert. The solution is to have marathons, not binges, of new TV episodes.
- We’re suffering from opinion fatigue. Everyone is expected to have a take on everything—and our brains simply can’t cope.
- Governments need to invest in the internet. Private companies on their own won’t get the next several billion people online (paywall).
- Tikrit is still ripe for atrocities. Even if ISIL gets run out of town, there’s ample potential for sectarian violence in the Iraqi town.
- South African gamekeepers are breeding mutants for sport. Hunters pay $30,000 to shoot blue-eyed white lions, for example.
- Old people drink more frequently than young people. But the youths—especially men—consume a whole lot more alcohol overall.
- Apple stores are good for shopping malls. Their presence can boost spending in neighboring stores by a third.
- Chameleons use crystals to change colors. Altering the space between “floating nanocrystals” in their skin cells reflects different wavelengths of light.
- Death by firing squad might return to the US. Utah lawmakers passed a bill approving the method if lethal injection supplies run short.