This month saw the
annotated reissue of James Watson’s The Double Helix (1968), the classic account of how he and Francis
Crick discovered the structure of DNA. Since the book first appeared, that iconic shape has lodged in
our imaginations and even made its way into architecture — witness the twisting staircases at Drexel and the University of Illinois at Chicago. What else could we construct
in the mold of our tiniest building blocks?
Barely two years after the Arab Spring, Egypt's Tahrir Square has again filled with protestors.
Read MoreThe fact that both film snobs and mainstream moviegoers can appreciate Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express, the forthcoming Grandmasters) makes him the ideal director to pick from while planning the all-important let's-watch-a-movie-at-my-place date. Check out this list of WKW classics and their makeout-potential indices, but choose wisely: results may vary.
Read MoreDisusage presents the contradictions and foibles of usage manuals, style guides, and the quirky folks who love them. This week: Black Friday is not named for retail’s big profits.
Read MoreThe Morning News has decided to play Reading Roulette with six Russian authors, shooting a new one into the American blogosphere each month. Fourth up is Olga Slavnikova and her Slavic satire, "A Light Head."
Read MoreThe IDF and Al Qassam Brigades may be tweeting from their respective countries, but their words meet in a space that belongs to neither of them — a space that requires neither visas nor passports from its visitors. Twitter highlights the Internet's status as terra incognita where pure freedom of speech holds sway.
Read MoreSights, scenes, and sounds from San Francisco's Mission District. This week, two young neighborhood newbies notice Oakland exists.
Read MoreIf brevity is truly the soul of wit, then your Twitter feed is the Algonquin round table of today's digital Dorothy Parkers and Ogden Nashes. Here's a selection of our favorite tweets from the week; nominate yours by submitting to @blackballoonpub with #twitwit.
Read MoreLike most of you, I read the scathing New York Times review of Guy's American Kitchen and Barwith scarcely containable glee. My restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives in 2008; Without fail, at least once a weekend, we get the same question...
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