The Genetics of Athletic Greatness, the Secrets of the Chinese Press, Selling Leftovers: The New Atlantic Weekly
Also in this issue: Richard Nixon hated his friends, spyware for corporations, and a dismal end for gangland icon, and more
The latest Atlantic Weekly, our new digital magazine available on iPhone and iPad, features this week the sort of generous mix of surprise and insight we hope you've come to expect. Herewith, a selection of key ideas covered in this week's edition:
A few provocative ideas floated in this issue:
-- Seems that genetic adaptations that West Africans developed to ward off malaria make them bad marathon runners.
-- Most of what appears in a Chinese newspaper is pure poppycock
-- "If there's not a capacity to exploit something for evil, it's probably not that revolutionary," said a gentleman now running an upstart satellite concern that he promises won't be evil.
A trio of questions that also get taken up:
-- Are we thinking of football head injuries all wrong?
-- Was there anything admirable in the way that the geriatric mob kingpin and reputed foe strangler James "Whitey" Bulger stared down his fate as his federal trial in Boston wound to a close? (spoiler: Not really)
-- How did doctors get a "bubble boy"--a child born with no immune system--out into the world?
And, finally, a selection of topics considered in depth:
-- The general skullduggery of Richard M. Nixon, examined on the occasion of the anniversary of his exit from the White House
-- The terrible beauty of the melting Arctic
-- The exciting culinary business opportunity in pedaling leftovers (casseroles, lasagna, this sort of thing) to city-bound folk in need of a home-cooked meal.