Must Reads #longreads Edition: War on Fire Ants, A Band on the Road, the Birth of Pixar Theory, and Phony Bomb Detection

What were the best, most fascinating, exciting, puzzling, or inspiring things I read or watched this week? Some will be about technology, photography, or education. Some will not. Catch up on some things you missed. Maybe I dug up a few obscure gems that are totally new to you. Check out the brief ones now and save the more lengthy ones for later. Share and share alike…here’s the Must Read list:

 

Ants Go Marching

by Justin Nobel on Nautilus

Fascinating exploration of fire ant colonies, how they have spread through the American South, and the impact of intense efforts by people to destroy them.

On Tour

by Claire L Evans on Aeon Magazine

“Life on the road with a rock band: memories blur, cities blend. Only in the frenzy of performance does the world pause.”

A worthy read for musicians and music fans. Insights into life on the road for your average touring band, making a living in rock clubs around the US.

The Pixar Theory

by John Negroni via Mashable

The author has developed an elaborate theory involving all Pixar films, where the characters exist in a the same universe, but at different times, and are part of one large narrative and theme. A thought-provoking read for fans of the animated movie company.

In Iraq, the Bomb-Detecting Device That Didn’t Work, Except to Make Money

By Adam Higginbotham on Bloomberg Business Week

This piece details the history of fake bomb detection devices and the swindlers who continued selling these devices around the world for decades. I was incredulous reading about the simplicity of the con and how so many different people fell for the scam. It is actually rather frightening when you think about it…

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See more of my Must Reads.

Must Reads #longreads Edition: Obama’s Brother, Animal Consciousness, Damien Echols in Salem

What were the best, most fascinating, exciting, puzzling, or inspiring things I read or watched this week? Some will be about technology, photography, or education. Some will not. Catch up on some things you missed. Maybe I dug up a few obscure gems that are totally new to you. Check out the brief ones now and save the more lengthy ones for later. Share and share alike…here’s the Must Read list:

 

Being a sandpiper

Animals have thoughts, feelings and personality. Why have we taken so long to catch up with animal consciousness?

by Brandon Keim via Aeon Magazine

An enjoyable exploration of animal consciousness and our relationship to the natural world. Keim writes from both a scientific and an ethical perspective.

 

Black and Blue

by Alyssa Giacobbe via Boston Magazine

“Damien Echols was famous long before he moved to Salem last year. Convicted of murdering three young boys in Arkansas, Echols spent 18 years on death row until a series of documentaries and articles destroyed the case against him. He’s free now, but as he attempts to rebuild his life on the North Shore, will a city best known for its witch hunts ever let him?”

An fascinating, well-written narrative.

 

The Audacity of Bro

Barack Obama’s Brother, Malik Obama

by Marshall Sella via GQ

“His only choices are to bask in his younger brother’s glow or to languish in his shadow. So he takes a middle way, offering himself as a leader on his side of the planet—the non-Western Obama franchise. He simultaneously argues that Barack is the source of his power and that Barack is irrelevant to it.”

“Imagine the absurd symmetry of it: In the States, Barack Obama is mistrusted by a few last jungle-soldier-like holdouts as a virtual Kenyan. Malik’s identity as an actual Kenyan has been tainted by too many years in the States. That’s right: Malik’s got a Birther problem. This family just can’t catch a break.”