The No Brainer Policy of the Year

Behind Door #1 are people of extraordinary ability: scientists, artists, educators, business people and athletes. Behind Door #2 stand a random assortment of people. Which door should the United States open?

In 2010, the United States more often chose Door #2, setting aside about 40,000 visas for people of extraordinary ability and 55,000 for people randomly chosen by lottery.

It's just one small example of our bizarre U.S. policy toward high-skill immigrants.

That is the opening of a short piece by me over at The Atlantic, drawn in part from my TED e-book Launching the Innovation Renaissance (Nook, iTunes).