Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts, a unique blend of old and new. I'd only scheduled a day and a half to visit Amman, but wish I'd had an extra day at least.
Rem Koolhaas on the danger of turning cities into historical Disneylands. Peter Pomerantsev on information-psychological war. Why Dutch people are so tall. Smart people worry more. The evolution of American popular music between 1960–2010. Interview with Slavoj Zizek. And more.
Jerash, Jordan, is the site of the ruins of the Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa. It is pretty awesome and the complex was much larger than I expected.
Why real interest rates are low. Gerhard Richter on the art market bubble. Interview with Rem Koolhaas. Part 2 of Knausgaard’s passage through America. Abhijit Banerjee on what we know and don’t know about microcredit. A strange connection between number theory, algebra and string theory. And more.