Linkfest 2018-08-20: Chinese Edition

The Next Populist Revolution Will Be Latino

Reihan Salam argues that Latinos will comprise the real heft of the Democratic Party in the future. Perhaps, but so far they don't vote much, or organize much. Also, it remains to be seen how the intra-Latino color dynamic works itself out. Steve Sailer has often pointed out that mestizos and indios, who comprise the majority of Latinos in recent immigration, don't tend to be in control of countries all through South and Central America, except for Bolivia. The upper classes in almost all cases are mostly the descendants of conquistadors, plus later European immigrants. Famous example, Pope Francis.

'Haro! Haro! Haro!' - ancient rite declared in Guernsey

Jerry Pournelle first introduced me to the ancient privilege in the Clameur de Haro.

The Engines of the Largest Container Ships in the World, and Challenges their Manufacturers Face

The magnitude of these engines astonish me. Some of them are only an order of magnitude less [59 MW] than a coal fired power plant like the each of the three units at the Navajo Generating Station [750 MW]. That's a lot of power! Just for one ship!

Roald Dahl was a real-life James Bond style spy, new book reveals

Quite the player. He even is reputed to have slept with Madame Chiang Kai-shek.

Nikola Raises $100 Million in August

I'm interested in how Nikola Trucking pans out, since they are building a manufacturing facility in my home state. I hope they aren't just riding a bubble in truck orders.

The spectre of smallpox lingers

Details on the continuing preparations for a smallpox epidemic.

AN APPEAL TO THE CARDINALS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

This is Catholic inside baseball. I largely agree with the signatories of this letter, even though I would also be OK with skipping the death penalty in practice. I just think this path will end poorly if followed to its logical conclusion.

Why I Still Believe In A Church Run By Evil Men

Because I think it says things that are true.

The FDA just approved a “digital birth control” app for the first time: the controversy, explained

I'm glad to see this technology getting approved. I also really like the salty quotes from an expert who seems to think is some kind of Papist plot. I wish it were, but I don't think we can take credit.

Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents

Chinese intelligence got the drop on us and killed all of our agents due to a foolish mistake.

Most Americans Accept Genetic Engineering of Animals That Benefits Human Health, but Many Oppose Other Uses

That's pretty close to my rank-ordering of the risk/benefit profiles here, so I think the public isn't crazy.

The Battle for Houston

I enjoy Joel Kotkin's work. Here, he looks at what Houston is doing right in city planning, including flood control.

Scientists discover completely new form of carbon after decades of searching

Seems promising.

What if PTSD Is More Physical Than Psychological?

A fascinating look at the effects of repeated blast damage on the brain, analogous to concussions, but different.

Taiwan Turns Light on 1947 Slaughter by Chiang Kai-shek’s Troops

Taiwan is still governed by Chiang Kai-shek's party, but they have allowed surprising honestly about their brutality.

Taiwan's Past Matters Less Than Taiwan's Present

A nice look at the geopolitics of Taiwan, plus informative local history.

Incarceration as Incapacitation: An Intellectual History

A look at how America became the biggest jailer in the First World. Should be viewed alongside this graph of the crime rate in England for comparison. Given that England has six times fewer people in it than the United States, the total crime rate is something like 3x the US right now. It seems ugly to put so many people in prison, but is the alternative really better?

Occupations and Their Ideologies

You might see other interesting patterns without the Right-Left heuristic, but this is a neat set of data. Unexpected result: lawyers have more people in the middle than any other profession.

The construction industry’s productivity problem

This seems like a fixable problem, but a tough one.

Life Paths and Accomplishments of Mathematically Precocious Males and Females Four Decades Later

A look at the accomplishments of the really, really smart.