Oct 20th, 2008 · Many news outlets have recently warned about the Bradley Effect. It describes voters who say they will vote for a black candidate but chose the white candidate on election day. The Bradley Effect is named after L.A. mayor, Tom Bradley, an African American who led in polls to become California governor. Yet he lost against a white candidate. Our resident humorist looks at other controversial effects in our everyday lives.
Sep 10th, 2008 · Commentator Ammon Shea, author of Reading the OED, discusses the different and sometimes contradictory meanings of the term bailout.
Aug 8th, 2008 · Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic, talks about the psychology of driving and the engineering of roadways. He explains some contradictory traffic truths: why roundabouts are safer than intersections and how slower can actually be faster.
Mar 18th, 2008 · Conservatives have won a majority of seats in the recent Iranian elections -- but which conservatives are they? Incomplete and contradictory information from Iran's Interior Ministry makes the results -- and the potential impact on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- unclear.
Jun 12th, 2007 · This year, Democrats get their shot at an energy bill. It's a sprawling effort that aims to reduce global warming, curb dependence on foreign oil and try to keep energy costs low. But those can be contradictory goals. For example, dependence can be reduced by producing more energy in the U.S., but that might contribute to global warming, and lowering energy prices discourages conservation.
Jun 14th, 2006 · Beethoven's Eighth Symphony continued his trend of retreating to classical styles in even-numbered symphonies. It is light and humorous, contradictory to his circumstances that summer. The style of his former mentor Hadyn is evident in this work.
May 11th, 2005 · He is remembered as the father of the bomb. But the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer is more than how the world's most destructive weapon came to be. A new biography describes a complex, contradictory and at times mystical genius who defies easy labels.