Happy Labor Day!
Price’s First Equation. An in-depth review of the Price Equation. First installment of several.
DNA fingerprinting pioneer discovers role of key genetic catalyst for human diversity. The strange behavior of PRDM9 could be thought of as a factor in the second term of the Price Equation.
Resentment Simmers in Western Chinese Region. “It used to be that state-owned enterprises had Han-only hiring policies, but these days they are more subtle,” said Ilham Tohti, a Uighur economist who studies the job market in Xinjiang. “They reject you after you’ve gone in for the interview and they’ve seen your face.” This indicates that straightforward racism is a problem here. Many Uighurs, including Ilham Tohti, do not have a conventional East Asian appearance. One way to check for racism is to note if Hui are treated any differently. Though Muslim, Hui don’t look much different from the Han (after generations of intermarriage the Hui are genetically no different than the Han of their region, though there is a residual proportion of West and Central Asian genes within them).
Accepted Notion of Mars as Lifeless Is Challenged. Sometimes physical scientists need to chill out in the aspersions they cast toward social scientists. It’s kind of bizarre that people are still arguing about the interpretation of these results.
Housing Woes Bring New Cry: Let Market Fall. This is a intergenerational issue. Because of that I’d bet that the government won’t allow “shock therapy.” Politicians’ first rule: don’t piss off old people.