Thursday morning roundup

Peru's boom--like most mineral-based booms--leaves many behind.

For those of you like me who struggle with the physical sciences but nonetheless feel the need to understand things that are important, here are some plain-English (or at least plainish) answers to your Higgs boson questions. In other news: the universe is much older than previously thought.

Of course you can tell stories without reinforcing belief systems. They're the basis of our civilization (they being religious/mythical tales).

Esquire: women are ornamental.