Culture & Religion — May 18, 2010

Los All Stars

An L.A. Times editorial argues that Major League Baseball should move its All Star game out of Phoenix in protest against Arizona’s new immigration law.

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An L.A. Times editorial argues that Major League Baseball should move its All Star game out of Phoenix in protest against Arizona’s new immigration law. “A new law in Arizona seems almost certain to lead to racial profiling against Latinos, violating the American values so integral to baseball…We’d like to see Major League Baseball pull the 2011 All-Star game from Phoenix.”

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Technology & Innovation

Minor League Salaries: Can You Put a Price on a Dream?

Despite the sky-high salaries of Major League baseball players, the 6,000 non-union athletes who play in the minors are often paid less than minimum wage with no overtime. Some make as little as $6,500 over the entire season.

Starts With A Bang

The Steady-State Universe: A viable alternative to the Big Bang?

For nearly 60 years, the hot Big Bang has been accepted as the best story of our cosmic origin. Could the Steady-State theory be possible?

Pixelated red human figure on a black grid background with blue symmetrical curves and white geometric shapes adjacent.

Hard Science

The Arecibo Message fifty years later

In November 1974, astronomers used the radio telescope at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory to send a hello to the universe.

Bronze statue of a bearded man embodying stoicism, riding a horse with one arm extended forward, set against a black background.

Thinking

3 clues that Stoicism is a religion in disguise

All religions have three traits: metaphysical commitments, ethical guidance, and daily rituals or practices. So does Stoicism.

An open book with abstract designs: the left page displays a horizontal row of color blocks, while the right page features a hand touching a network of connected circles, highlighting strong connections.

Business

Why our “weak-tie” connections are actually super-strong

Sure, “who you know” matters — but your best contacts will be the ones you don’t know very well.

Up Next

Technology & Innovation

On the Bubble

Gary Becker and Richard Posner look at what created the housing market bubble of the previous decade and why financial institutions couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see it.