[BLOG] Some Wednesday links

[rfmcdonald]

• Centauri Dreams notes a new, sensitive technique that can distinguish the signals of planets from those of their stars. (Tau Boötis b was the subject.)


• Crooked Timber has a whole series of posts on Ukraine's issues, one on ethnic and language issues, and two--one here and one here--about institutional issues.


• The Dragon's Gaze notes a new model for the Fomalhaut system and observes the discovery of two Jupiter-analog planets.


• The role of gas warfare in the First World War's final year is expanded upon at Far Outliers.


• Geocurrents notes that Norway and Slovenia are big winners at the Olympics measured in medals per capita.


• Marginal Revolution observes that foreign aid can boost group.


• Justin Petrone writes about his experience in Estonia under Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, retired after nine years.


• Russian Demographics links to a chart showing the different languages spoken in the United States. The rapid decline of most European immigrant languages--though, curiously, not French--is noteworthy, as is the ascent of Spanish and Asian languages.


• Supernova Condensate's stunning true-colour image of the Martian surface got more forty thousand shares on Tumblr.


• Towleroad notes that Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands have diverted aid from the Ugandan government following that country's recent passage of a terrible anti-gay law.