Predictions

I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years . . . Ever since, I have distrusted myself and avoided all predictions. -- Wilbur Wright, 1908

Within the next few decades, autos will have folding wings that can be spread when on a straight stretch of road so that the machine can take to the air. -- Eddie Rickenbacker, 1924

In this week's sift:

• Is a Boom Coming in 2012?Karl Smith and Matt Yglesias predict one, for not-entirely-crazy reasons.
• Iowa Preview. Santorum? Could it really be Santorum?
• Under-reported Stories of 2011. While the media was telling you about Charlie Sheen and Kim Kardashian, some genuinely important things were happening.
• Strategic Voting and other short notes. When does it make sense to vote in the other party's primary? WikiLeaks has a priceless commercial. What real 3DTV looks like. Why Romney won't release his taxes. And two good Krugman columns.