Links this week:

  1. Enrico Spolaore and Romain Wacziarg write on genetic barriers to growth. I have previously posted on their work here, here and here.

  2. Doug Kenrick on Free Market Psychology. There needs to be a rule that only those who have read Adam Smith are allowed to describe Adam Smith’s take on the invisible hand

  3. Also at Psychology Today, Matthew Rossano on human and Neanderthal rituals. The difference - cost. (HT: OneNakedApe)

  4. Malcolm Gladwell is interviewed in The Telegraph. Christopher Chabris reviews Gladwell’s latest book.

  5. More Gladwell - on genes and fairness in sport. Despite Gladwell’s flaws (see my thoughts on Outliers), I need to find some time to write a contrarian “In praise of Malcolm Gladwell” piece during this Gladwell bashing season (which it must be based on my twitter feed).

  6. Finally, the Human Fertility Collection has been launched. It is a supplement to the Human Fertility Database, and contains additional data that doesn’t meet HFD standards.