Today’s Links: October 19, 2012
OPINION
ROBERT BRYCE: “A123 Goes Chapter 11”
“The collapse of A123—as well as the January bankruptcy of another electric-car-battery maker, Ener1, the recipient of a $118 million DOE grant—provides yet another example of the Obama administration’s costly and unsuccessful backing of the electric-car business.”
RAGHURAM RAJAN: “The Only Game in Town”
“What should central banks do when politicians seem incapable of acting? Thus far, they have been willing to step into the breach, finding new and increasingly unconventional ways to try to influence the direction of troubled economies. But how can we determine when central banks overstep their limits? When does boldness turn to foolhardiness?”
KATIE KILKENNY: “Is Killing Them Softly About ‘Responsible Capitalism’?“
“If you had only previously seen the domestic trailer for Andrew Dominik’s new film Killing Them Softly, you might have assumed the film’s focal points are mob killings, dark humor, and how cool Brad Pitt looks when he takes out his gun. However, the film’s international trailer, subtitled in French, highlights a different aspect of the highly-anticipated film: its allegorical treatment of America’s response to the financial crisis.”
NEWS
SCIENCE – Government Releases More Declassified Flying Saucer Docs
“The staff at the National Declassification Center in College Park, Md., knew they found something interesting when they cracked open a cardboard box and saw cutaway schematics of flying saucers printed on the pages. The pages describe an Air Force flying saucer program that started in the mid-1950s and ended in 1961.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT – Bay Area Law Enforcement Agencies Test Drones
“They began as tools in military combat. Now aerial drones are being considered by Bay Area law enforcement agencies as a cost-cutting way to replace helicopters, and use technology to fight crime and save lives.”
HEALTH – Freezing Eggs for Fertility Works, Caution Urged
“New guidelines say freezing human eggs for fertility can work – but they still urge caution for women hoping the technology will pause a ticking biological clock.”