The New Yorker (April 4) -- “Japanese hitters aren’t the best in the world,” says U. of I. emeritus physics professor Alan Nathan, who has studied the physics of baseball. “If they were, they’d be in the major leagues.” Nathan’s comment addressed the uncertainty surrounding Masahiro Tanaka as he moves from being Japan’s top pitcher to Major League Baseball’s most closely watched rookie. Also: The National (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 6)