Since 2009, during the  solstice and equinox of each year a prize for either science, philosophy, politics, and arts & literature is awarded by the esteemed judge brought in by the editors of the blog 3 Quarks Daily.  This filter blog, created by founding editor S. Abbas Raza, is a “one-stop intellectual surfing experience by culling good stuff from all over and putting it in one place” and at the head of a Richard Dawkin’s list of bookmarks. Today the awards for the top 3 science pieces were announced. This year Judge Sean M. Carroll reviewed the over 100 nominees and found these thought-provoking and attractive blog posts to be top quarks.

1.  The crayola-fication of the world: How we gave colors names, and it messed with our brains
2.  In Soviet Union, Optimization Problem Solves You
3.  Forget bipedalism. What about babyism?

Dr. Carroll focuses on theoretical physics and cosmology and blogs at Cosmic Variance. You may have also seem him on The Colbert Report and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.

The Beach Chair Scientist was nominated for the post An important call for more forage fish to remain in the sea.