Headlines from September 5, 2013

Putin tells leaders at the G20 summit that Syria is a topic best left to dinner discussion.
Assessing the Assads’ Instagram account.
Like many scientists he was also patriotic. Profiles of scientists responsible for the world’s chemical weapons.
Latest Snowden leak shows Al-Qaeda’s leadership asking engineers to find ways to shoot down, jam, or hijack U.S. drones.
The people Republican members of Congress follow on Twitter help to explain their misinformed, kooky thinking.
Giving your baby a Twitter account now perceived as “intellectual capital investment.”
Map of New York City’s tweets in multiple languages.
New Yorker’s Adam Gopnik cherry-picks from an old essay to retell the story of his misunderstanding the term “LOL.”
NYPD commissioner vows to catch the driver who lapped Manhattan last week in 24 minutes.
We used to call these guys weekend warriors. Former drug dealer critiques Breaking Bad.
Voices of gang members in Grand Theft Auto 5 sound realistic because they’re the voices of real gang members. via
Haunting photos of abandoned amusement parks. #photography
See also: “The Ghosts of Shopping Past.” #tmn
Blueberries, apples, and grapes significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
A basic summary of what happens in each part of your brain during meditation.
Study finds dementia to be more common in countries with better sanitation and less disease.
Even for buzzed North Koreans, there are few opportunities to fall out over religion or domestic politics.
Emergency-room doctor writes about treating victims of an incendiary-bomb attack in Syria.
Supporters of military intervention argue we should think of U.S. bombing runs in Bosnia in 1995, not Iraq in 2003.
Obama didn’t actually plan the strikes himself, but he is framing the Syrians. Round-up of Syria-related conspiracy theories.
Every angle considered in case you, too, were suspicious about all the shark talk around Diana Nyad’s historic swim.
Melting glaciers are liberating ancient clothes, like a 1700-year-old sweater.
Uneducated white women have lost five years in life expectancy and researchers aren’t clear as to why.
Outline of main argument points in the dining world’s tipping debate.
When I started, the word ‘internet’ was censored. The business of running a newspaper in Myanmar.
In general, experts are no better at predictions than a regular reader of the New York Times. #audio
N-gram analysis of the New York Times weddings section, where you can “visualize trends across 30+ years of yuppie nuptials.”
Economic analysis on whether chess world champions are just lucky (answer: kind of yes, kind of no).
I was given the keys to the castle, the ability to satisfy my largest appetite. One man’s life-altering decision to take home economics instead of shop.
When listening to people giving advice, “the distinction between berks and wankers is rather useful.”
Tournament of Books finalist John Green explains 107 hyper-local slang words. #video
In defense of the selfie: For people who live alone, especially those with short arms, the selfie is a solution, not a problem. #tmn