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October 15, 2012 After the first manuscript of Thomas Carlyle's French Revolution was accidentally burned, he began again with renewed fervor. Historian H.W. Brands explains why Carlyle's book remains fresh as ever. Have you ever lost your magnum opus to fire or flash drive? Tell us in the comments.

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October 15, 2012 With the second presidential debate a day away, the polls have been back and forth on who has the lead. Jeff Parker has sympathy for the pollsters, while Mike Smith thinks partisan expectations don't make matters any easier.

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October 14, 2012 The Vice Presidential debate may not have produced a clear winner, but it did provoke many strong impressions. Bill Day questions Paul Ryan's candor, while Gary Varvel thinks Joe Biden's demeanor was over-the-top.

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October 13, 2012 Paddy Roy Bates,the self-proclaimed prince of Sealand, died this week at the age of 91. In 1965, Bates boarded an artillery platform seven miles off the English coast and set up Radio Essex, a "pirate" music station. But he didn't stop there.

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October 13, 2012 The Syrian civil war has been spilling over into neighboring Turkey. Gustavo Rodriguez sees cross-border incidents as unavoidable consequences, while Cam Cardow fears what could happen if they continue.

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October 12, 2012 Can natural science find a place for us in its vision of the cosmos? Thomas Nagel, in a new book, demands we take this question seriously. He is right to do so.

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October 12, 2012 A U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a report yesterday stating that Lance Armstrong was the head of a sophisticated doping ring. Nick Anderson and Signe Wilkinson take a look at the drugs and their consequences.

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October 12, 2012 Neither Vice President Biden nor GOP Rep. Paul Ryan gave any quarter Thursday night. The two men were pointed and at some points personal in discussing their differences across a broad range of domestic and foreign policy issues.

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October 11, 2012 A few days ago, Domingo Martinez was just a regular guy working as a graphic designer and writing on the side. Then on Wednesday he woke up to find himself nominated for the National Book Award for nonfiction for his book, The Boy Kings of Texas.

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October 11, 2012 In a speech at the College of William and Mary, the Dalai Lama described the unique nature of human compassion versus that of other animals. What matters as much as his conclusions, says commentator Barbara J. King, is the spiritual leader's beautifully scientific stance towards life.

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October 11, 2012 Vice President Joe Biden has been deliberating in the U.S. Senate since 1973, when Paul Ryan was 3 years old. According to David Fitzsimmons, Biden's plain-spoken style gives him the edge in tonight's debate, while Gary McCoy thinks that reputation has a down side.

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October 10, 2012 After his debate performance, Mitt Romney seems to be surging against President Obama. Joel Pett points to a vast media conspiracy, while Chip Bok argues that with early voting, changed minds don't always equal changed votes.

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October 10, 2012 In this idealized dialogue between faith and science, some of the most entrenched reasons for the common split are explored. Science insists in the reality of things, faith doesn't. Science measures, faith believes. How to deal with the origin of the universe?

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October 10, 2012 In the world of sports — even if you move often — commentator Frank Deford says your loyalty should always be to your hometown team.

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