Recommended from Around the Web (Week Ending May 10, 2014)

The Crazy Economics of the Wind Industry in Two Charts
Making sense out of the massive influx of wind power—or occasional lack thereof.
—Timothy Maher, managing editor

The Guitarist with 78 Fingers
Ben Johnson talks with musicians about technology – how it’s changed the way they write, perform, and even think about what music actually is.
—David Sweeney, marketing communications manager

The End of Food
Disrupting food, mainly with marketing.
—Brian Bergstein, deputy editor

The Great Works of Software
Paul Ford argues for five canonical pieces of software, each of which has had a profound and distinct cultural resonance.
—Will Knight, news and analysis editor

What Is Alibaba and Why Is It About to Become the Biggest IPO in Years?
A good rundown of the basic facts surrounding the U.S. IPO of the Chinese e-commerce giant.
—Mike Orcutt, research editor

Never Say Die
Fascinating research from reptuable scientists’ efforts to find ways to forestall aging and death.
—Kyanna Sutton, senior Web producer

Disruptive Women
Newsweek’s deep dive into how venture capital plays out in the gender dynamics of entrepreneurship.
—Kyanna Sutton

40 Maps That Explain the Middle East
A brief history of the Middle East encapsulated in great infographic maps.
—Kyanna Sutton

Nadella’s Bid to Fix Microsoft: What Ballmer Didn’t Dare
Forbes profiles new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and explains his bet on cloud computing.
—Antonio Regalado, senior editor, business

Apple on Medical Tech Hiring Spree, a Possible Hint of iWatch Plans
Nice Reuters sleuthing on Apple’s plans for medical gizmos. Signal processing very hot.
—Antonio Regalado

Phineas Gage, Neuroscience’s Most Famous Patient
Ever since the mid-19th century, the case of a man who survived 12 years after an iron bar blasted through his skull has been a mirror for changing theories about the brain.
—Linda Lowenthal, copy chief