The Crockpot: A Weekly Digest 11.30.11

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Bisexuality isn’t a lie.

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Environmental journalism doesn’t always have to be tragic—or does it?

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Local-food smackdown: Anna Lappé takes on economist Steve Sexton, a.k.a. the Freakonomics guy, after he crunches the numbers and determines that Big Ag should feed the world.

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Some people step on ants and vacuum up spiders. Others build overwintering structures for insects.

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Would mauve roses convince you to accept biotechnology?

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Race to the bottom: India’s maiden Grand Prix, reports Caravan, arrives in the middle of a simmering controversy over land and development.

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There’s a certain sort of sardonic humor in the visual history of the airline safety card.

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Created by the founder of PayPal and a philosopher who wears purple pants to work, Palantir is the CIA’s secret weapon against global terrorism.

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Pointlessly gendered products. Who knew women sleep better with pink earplugs?

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Science nerds, rejoice! Scientific American is offering its complete archive of magazines from 1845 to 1909 online for a limited time. Included in the issues are lists of new inventions: the December 18, 1909 edition includes an antiseptic toothbrush holder and adjustable candelabra, with an artificial foot and baby gate on the list of patents pending.

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Are scribbled drawings by the Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten as important as ancient hieroglyphics and cave paintings?

Image by the Office of Governor Tim Pawlenty, licensed under Creative Commons.