Author: David Wagner

Today in Research

Video Games Can Help Dyslexic Kids Read Better

NotoriousJEN via Flickr

Discovered: Video games can help dyslexic kids read; pregnancy increases foot size; around 100 million sharks are killed annually; mammalian sperm swims upstream. 

By David Wagner

Mar 1, 2013

9-Year-Old Rapper Lil Poopy Has Been Disowned

Now that Lil Poopy's biological father is under investigation for child neglect, the MC who played rap-game father figure to the controversial 9-year-old is trying to keep his distance.

Comments | 74,241 Views

By David Wagner

Mar 1, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Friday Columns

Paul Krugman on Ben Bernanke vs. the man, Yochai Benkler on the Bradley Manning case, Jonathan DeHart on Dennis Rodman in North Korea, Michael O'Hanlon on intervention beyond Syria, and David Min on government-backed mortgages.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 28, 2013

'Now That's What I Call Music!' Is Still Insanely Valuable

European antitrust regulators have pried NOW That's What I Call Music! from Universal Music Group's hands, ensuring they won't reap any more profits from one of the music industry's perennial bestsellers.

Comments | 2,069 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 28, 2013

Why Barnes & Noble Might Want to Stay in the Bookstore Business

Nook sales took a nosedive last quarter, reminding Barnes & Noble executives that their luddite brick-and-mortar business still holds value. Ironically, the most stable route forward for the company right now seems to be sticking with physical rather than digital retail. 

Comments | 2,242 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 28, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Thursday Columns

Alex Pareene on Woodward's weird sequester statements, Ezra Klein on better budgeting, Adam Serwer on the Supreme Court's racism blindness, Charles Blow on the Voting Rights Act, and Boris Muñoz on Chavez's would-be successors. 

Comments | 2,904 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 27, 2013

Today in Research

Doing Less Housework Makes You Put on Weight

Discovered: Doing less chores has increased women's waistlines; watch how these capuchin monkeys crack nuts; using genetics to pinpoint the date of The Iliad; first images of a black hole's spin.

Comments | 995 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 27, 2013

How BuzzFeed Turned Its Own Sloppy Journalism into Something to Celebrate

Over the past few days, BuzzFeed has turned the story of a Palestinian filmmaker detained by LAX customs officials on his way to the Oscars into something infinitely more petty: an all-out campaign to distract readers from their own shoddy reporting. 

Comments | 7,554 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 27, 2013

Is America Over Soda?

Americans aren't as thirsty for soft drinks as they used to be. And with tax proposals, looming bans, DIY soda machines, and consumers' increasing health consciousness on the rise, soda companies could be entering something of a dry spell.

Comments | 3,727 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 27, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Wednesday Columns

Dana Milbank on Hagel's confirmation, Sheila Bair on why the GOP should care about income inequality, Richard Karlgaard on Wal-Mart's dipping sales, Simon Jenkins on Europe's resurgent populism, and Mathew Ingram on new anti-piracy rules. 

Comments | 1,724 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 26, 2013

Michael Moore Breaks Down Buzzfeed's Mistakes on Emad Burnat's LAX Debacle

In statements made exclusively to The Atlantic Wire, Michael Moore and Emad Burnat say the Palestinian filmmaker's detainment by LAX customs officials on his way to the Oscars was anything but a "publicity stunt," as a deeply flawed BuzzFeed report based on a single anonymous source characterized the incident.

Comments | 12,242 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 26, 2013

This Titanic Replica Could Sink Just Like the Original

For an as-of-yet unnamed price, you too can board a massive luxury ocean liner much like the Titanic for its maiden voyage in 2016. And just as it was on that fateful journey, you too could go down with the ship, according to designs unveiled today.

Comments | 1,897 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 26, 2013

The Trayvon Martin Amendment Doesn't Stand a Chance

Meaningful debates on gun violence followed Newtown and Aurora, but Stand Your Ground laws remain on state books exactly as they did one year ago, when George Zimmerman fatally shot a 17-year-old walking home from a Florida convenience store.

Comments | 2,242 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 26, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Tuesday Columns

Joanne Bamberger on Silicon Valley's working moms, Jonathan Cohn on the inevitable sequester, Jeffrey Toobin on Pistorius' likely plea bargain, Hussein Banai on Iran's refusal to talk, and Arthur Levitt on an SEC failure.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 25, 2013

Today in Research

The Mediterranean Diet Is Officially This Good for Your Heart

Discovered: A famous diet can improve heart health by as much as 30 percent; maybe organic tomatoes are better for you after all; signs of an ancient underwater continent; Spider-Man's hypothetical web could stop a hypothetical train, according to physics.

Comments | 2,069 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 25, 2013

The Importance of Sonia Sotomayor Being Honest with This Racist Prosecutor

A United States prosecutor who tried to win a drug case by invoking racial prejudices received a lesson on Constitutional law from Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor today. Her lucid statement highlights the importance of equal protection under the law.

Comments | 4,138 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 25, 2013

No One Wants to Hear Mumford & Sons Rap

Mumford & Sons strummed and harmonized their way to a Grammy for Album of the Year, but now they're ready to ditch the folksy acoustics for rap. Everyone on the Internet is already stopping their ears.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 25, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

Paul Krugman on elections in austere Italy, Mathew Ingram on Google re-upping a nasty Nascar video, Tom Gross on the UN and modern-day slavery, Gordon Chang on Foxconn's exit from China, and Timothy Lee on Comcast as a threat.  

Comments | 1,552 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 22, 2013

Today in Research

Reading Fiction Can Make You More Empathetic

Discovered: Emotional engagement with fiction boosts real-world empathy; a new MRI video of a fetal brain; Siberia's permafrost is thawing too quickly; a microchip that restores vision.

Comments | 9,121 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 22, 2013

Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z Tour Dates That Could Feature Beyoncé, Mapped

Before you buy tickets to Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z's "Legends of the Summer" tour, you should know that many of their concerts definitely won't be featuring a cameo from Mrs. Carter. Now that the schedules are out, let's span North America.

Comments | 9,738 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 22, 2013

Michael Arrington Humblebrags About the Government Taking His Boat

Don't you just hate it when the Department of Homeland Security seizes your boat? TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington sure does, blogging about the incident as if it were a totally relatable, normal problem that regular people go through.

Comments | 517 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 22, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Friday Columns

Paul Krugman on sequestration shenanigans, Heather McRobie on urging Obama to shut down Keystone XL, Michael Daly on cyberwarfare preparedness, Steve Hess on the elusive Chinese Spring, and Ryan Avent on the inflation we need.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 21, 2013

Today in Research

American Kids Are Officially Pigging Out a Lot Less

Discovered: A new reason for declining childhood obesity rates; this massive goldfish shouldn't have been swimming in Lake Tahoe; flies give alcohol to their babies; bees sense electric flowers.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 21, 2013

This Millionaire Space Tourist Is Trying to Beat NASA to Mars

The space races of yesteryear pitted international superpowers against each other. But these days, NASA's main competition in sending a man to Mars comes from a 72-year-old millionaire with a space travel hobby. 

Comments | 1,179 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 21, 2013

The New Pop Charts Know How You Listen to Music

Billboard is folding YouTube into their algorithms, making the Hot 100 a better reflection of popular songs as pop music — and making "Harlem Shake" the new No. 1 single. But many musicians are worried that this shift toward streaming will slash their paychecks even more. 

Comments | 345 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 21, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Thursday Columns

Ezra Klein on Simpson-Bowles redux, Jonathan Cohn on the inevitably growing budget, Richard Weitz on Obama's second turn toward Asia, George Will on solitary confinement as torture, and Meghan Daum on Vassar's Westboro deflection. 

Comments | 1,379 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 20, 2013

Today in Research

Dolphins Have 'Names' For Each Other

Discovered: Dolphins use unique whistles to call for each other; smoking gives mice Alzheimer's; 80 percent of all farm fertilizer goes toward meat production; golden moles are size queens.

Comments | 2,242 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 20, 2013

The College Campus Rape Crisis Is News to This Fox News Host

During a televised shouting match over guns, Bob Beckel — the token liberal on Fox News' roundtable show The Five — expressed his own ignorance about rape by asking, "When was the last time you heard about a rape on campus?"

Comments | 1,934 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 20, 2013

The Viral 48-Shot Starbucks Frappucino Could Have Been Fatal

A Washington state man celebrated his birthday this year by treating himself to the most expensive drink you can custom-order at Starbucks. Let's hope he didn't chug that toxic — and potentially lethal — dose of caffeine in one sitting. 

Comments | 5,000 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 20, 2013

Palestinian Filmmaker Detained on His Way to the Oscars

Palestinian director Emad Burnat has gone through a lot to get to Hollywood. Even now, with an Oscar nomination under his belt, he's still reportedly being held up by airport immigrations officers while trying to get to Los Angeles for the awards ceremony.

Comments | 2,003 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 20, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Wednesday Columns

Greg Austin on China's hackers, Matthew Yglesias on an expensive airline merger, Jamelle Bouie on sequestration backfiring on the GOP, George Packer on Walmart and the payroll tax, and Hadley Freeman on Hilary Mantel and the media's royal-industrial complex.

Comments | 1,661 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 19, 2013

Today in Research

Signs of Life on Mars May Be Doused in Bleach

Discovered: Curiosity will have to dig deeper to find signs of Martian life; how our unstable universe could be replaced; new scorpion found near Tucson; our ape ancestors got drunk, too.

Comments | 4,828 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 19, 2013

Kelly Clarkson Joins the Clive Davis Celebration by Calling Him a Liar

Music industry legend Clive Davis is getting accolades for opening up about his bisexuality in a new memoir. But Kelly Clarkson isn't one of the artists singing his praises. She says that Davis bullied hear early in her career and wrote lies about her in his book.

Comments | 2,801 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 19, 2013

There's Good News and Bad News About This New SARS-Like Virus

A new SARS-like virus claimed its sixth victim today, raising further concern about an outbreak that emerged last year in the Middle East. But new research suggests that the pathogen — while well-adapted to infecting humans — may be treatable. 

Comments | 1,166 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 19, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Tuesday Columns

Bill McKibben on the Keystone XL pipeline, David Brooks on the shortcomings of big data, William Pesek on China's North Korean neighbors, Scott Winship on the robot economy, and Jonah Goldberg on liberal Hollywood.

Comments | 1,897 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 18, 2013

Today in Research

Highway Paleontologist Digs Up a New Species of Whale

Discovered: How a California law lead to a whale fossil discovery; over half of moviegoers want to puke while watching 3D films; dogs sniff out other dogs in crowds; tracking climate change through Rock Hyrax urine.

Comments | 5,649 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 18, 2013

The Pirate Bay Fights Copyright with Copyright

The Pirate Bay — one of the Internet's premier destinations for infringing copyrights — is really mad that someone set up a copycat. So mad that they sued them for violating their copyright.

Comments | 8,599 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 18, 2013

Why Some Scientists Aren't Happy About Obama's $3 Billion Brain Research Plan

Funding-strapped researchers should be rejoicing at Obama's promise to put $3 billion towards mapping the human brain, right? Not according to scientists who say the project lacks clear goals and gobbles up money that could've gone to a lot more smaller studies.

Comments | 8,218 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 18, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

Bill Keller on the Catholic Church, Timothy Noah on the new silent majority, Megan Greene on Greece, Jennifer Rubin on Mark Sanford, and John Harris on vegetarianism.

Comments | 2,498 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 15, 2013

U.S. Soccer Gained and Lost an Openly Gay Player Today

Robbie Rogers, who played for the national team in the 2008 Olympics and Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, revealed that he's gay. He also revealed he no longer intends to play soccer. 

Comments | 2,173 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 15, 2013

The Vatican's New Chief Banker Has Financial Ties to Warships

Vatican officials maintain that no church money ever funds war, but their newly appointed bank president has business ties to a warship builder. 

Comments | 1,897 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 15, 2013

Could the Penguin-Random House Merger Actually Help Amazon?

The just-approved marriage between Penguin and Random House holds that beleaguered publishers will now be able to stand up to bookselling goliath Amazon. But a publishing consolidation might be exactly what Amazon wants.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 15, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Friday Columns

Daniel Larison on Republicans holding up Hagel, Ruth Marcus on Ted Cruz, Geoffrey Till on Asia's "arms race," Paula Dwyer on merger mania, and William Finnegan on the GOP's immigration fix. 

Comments | 1,516 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 14, 2013

Today in Research

Synthetic Marijuana May Cause Kidney Damage

Discovered: Fake weed gave lots of people kidney damage last year; the FDA approves artificial sight for the blind; engineering tires from flowers; flushed anti-anxiety meds are making fish jittery.

Comments | 2,931 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 14, 2013

All the Pope's Secrets Are Beginning to Leak Out

Today, Pope Benedict XVI announced plans to live out his retirement "hidden from the world." That should come easy, considering how successful the Vatican has been at keeping secrets under wraps during his seven-year papacy. 

Comments | 25,933 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 14, 2013

Lil Wayne Silent on Retracted Song with Graphic Reference to Emmett Till

The rapper's lyrics have always courted controversy, but his guest spot on an upcoming remix crossed the line with Epic Records.

Comments | 4,448 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 14, 2013

Ronald Dworkin Was Philosophy's Master of Integrity

Perhaps the English-speaking world's most influential contemporary philosopher of law, Dworkin will be remembered for upholding equality as the law's foremost guiding principle — and for being one of the most topical scholars of his time. 

Comments | 971 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 14, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Thursday Columns

Gail Collins on preschool promises, Isaac Chotiner on Jonah Lehrer's profitable apology, Stan Chu Ilo on why the next pope should be African, Meghan Daum on Amazon's algorithms of love, and Jonathan Rue on what the U.S. owes its soldiers.

Comments | 690 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 13, 2013

Today in Research

Vain Guppies Only Want to Befriend Fish Uglier Than Them

Discovered: Guppies strive to be the most attractive member of their friend group; the world's most popular painkiller greatly raises heart attack risk; sea slugs have "disposable" penises; skulls reveal violence inflicted upon Stone Age women.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 13, 2013

Google Flu Trends Wildly Overestimated This Year's Flu Outbreak

Scientific hindsight shows that Google Flu Trends far overstated this year's flu season, raising questions about the accuracy of using a search engine, which Google and the media hyped as an efficient public health tool,  to accurately monitor the flu. 

Comments | 4,121 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 13, 2013

The Harlem Shake Meme Is Dead

The hosts of the Today show committed meme murder on Wednesday, and the viral dance craze died swiftly. It was one week old.

Comments | 31,654 Views

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App