I like to do something vaguely productive while slacking, so I’d like some recommendations for some informative, well-written blogs. Three main categories:
-Science: I love Gene Expression, but it’s obviously a bit specialized. I’d like a more general science blog, which covers recent developments and controversies at a sophisticated-generalist level (i.e. not too dumbed down.)
-Politics: I’d like a blog with many contributors with different worldviews. No echo chamber for me!
-Economics and public policy: The theoretical counterpart to politics. I currently follow Greg Mankiw’s blog, and would like something along those lines.
And of course, any generally interesting blogs would be great as well. Thanks!
Political blogs tend to break down into left and right; if there’s anything good out there with a variety of viewpoints on both sides of center, I’ve not heard of it. Really all you can ask for is that people base their opinions fairly closely on fact.
Two I’d recommend to the left of center are Talking Points Memo (run by Josh Marshall, who comes from the world of print reporting) and Cogitamus, whose core is a group of health-care blogger Ezra Klein’s former weekenders.
There’s a blog by Science Fiction writer John Scalzi that covers a multitude of things from politics to creationism to cats. I don’t read it daily, but do try at least a couple of times a week.
There’s also Hotline’s Blogometer, which is a daily (weekday) roundup of a bunch of blogs, left and right. I used read them sometimes, but found their summaries inane or inaccurate to the point of being really annoying; they summarize trends that sometimes only they see, and to my eye don’t exist or are marginal at best. YMMV.
Also Huffington Post, which draws a big names on occasion, but is definitely left of center.