The space of possible languages is vast, and full of exotic languages that are much weirder and stranger than any we have yet imagined. We should explore what those might be – and for more than intellectual curiosity alone. - Aeon

Sycophancy is a common feature of chatbots: A 2023 paper by researchers from Anthropic found that it was a “general behavior of state-of-the-art AI assistants,” and that large language models sometimes sacrifice “truthfulness” to align with a user’s views.  - The Atlantic (MSN)

Rather than passively perceiving music, the brain physically embodies it, synchronizing with musical patterns to produce sensations of timing, musical pleasure, and even the impulse to move. - Earth.com

 Rather than freezing, fleeing or fighting, I propose that you forge. Forging ahead is an intentional approach to engaging with people who say or write offensive, disparaging, insulting or discriminating words. - Psyche

Fewer working-age adults entails a shrinking tax base, even as the need for public services swells. Education, healthcare, infrastructure, public safety and welfare will be underfunded. The pie will shrink. And as lifespans grow, the demand for healthcare will increase while the number of healthcare workers decreases. - Aeon

Paradoxical though it may seem, studies have found that many creative people had difficult childhoods. Indeed, many well-known artists owe their genius to tough childhood events, from which they escaped by creating mental worlds where they were free to develop their talents. - PsyPost

“Although some arts organizations appear poised to survive the loss of NEA money, they nonetheless feel existentially frightened by the general turn of the political culture away from diversity and toward authoritarianism.” - The Guardian (UK)

“Several people characterized the reaction among the remaining Kennedy Center staff as a collective eye roll to the fundraiser and subsequent boycott, even as employees continue to fear for their jobs.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)

The charitable tax deduction is distorting American philanthropy. It doesn’t just shape where dollars go; it also warps the way that nonprofits behave. Let’s find out what the Met Gala looks like without the federal government as a silent sponsor. - The New York Times

The ACI is a mechanism, introduced to prevent foreign countries from using trade policy to interfere with European democracy, that gives the EU broad powers to retaliate against international companies, and could be used to restrict or block U.S. media companies access to European markets, including exploiting their IP rights here. - The Hollywood Reporter

This year, the list includes not only buildings, but entire communities, such as a smattering of islands off Florida's northwest coast. Cedar Key was renowned for its Old Florida charm. A historic fishing village that bears its name was devastated by Hurricane Helene in 2024. - NPR

“Chicago Public Schools officials on Wednesday announced a plan aimed at increasing the quality of arts instruction by establishing a comprehensive arts curriculum and a data-driven system to measure effectiveness of teaching.” - WBEZ (Chicago)

Some tips from the experts: The song could be about self-empowerment, should be in a minor key, and it needs a twist. - BBC

The claim: “SoundCloud is paving the way for a future where AI unlocks creative potential and makes music creation accessible to millions, while upholding responsible and ethical practices.” Musicians disagree. - Fast Company

“They appear to have succeeded. Today, the three-building campus in the western suburbs is bursting at the seams with a staggering variety of music, a side of BBQ from their restaurant next door and offbeat entertainment like storytelling, gangland history and movie nights.” - Chicago Sun-Times

The Baltic nation’s submission this year is “Espresso Macchiato,” in which Estonian singer-rapper Tommy Cash (who bills himself as the “Kanye East” of Europe) piles the stereotypes high. Many Italians are angry at the mockery, but Estonia’s ambassador to Italy says he hears the song played there often enough. - BBC

“They may be less all-encompassing than the famous symphonies, but Mahler’s songs are miniature masterpieces, ranking alongside the greatest by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Wolf. They are marvels: songs as expressive and finely crafted as the famous symphonies are visceral and overwhelming.” - The Guardian

 The sheer size of Classical California’s listenership is remarkable in the face of algorithmic streams and the wide array of music available only a few clicks away. - San Francisco Classical Voice

“Children respond instinctively to art. They have not built up defences, or preconceptions about it, and the earlier you take them to galleries and expose them to different styles and mediums, the more open and receptive they will be.” - The Guardian (UK)

The founding artists “could no longer sit ‘with their arms crossed and do nothing,’ about what they saw as a dire gap in their country’s art infrastructure, said Nu Barreto, the visual and plastic arts curator of the country’s first biennale.” - The New York Times

“Martine Gosselink, the director of the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, whose collection includes Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring …, said the turmoil had left her team wary of lending pieces to the US … amid the uncertainty wreaked by Donald Trump’s funding cuts and ideological impositions.” - The Guardian

This French museum’s show offers a flashback to the era when, apart from the works including those displayed here, the artists who created them were reviled and persecuted. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

“The highly resistant mold covers objects in a white coating and has been detected in 12 museums, including the National Museum of Denmark and Skagens Museum. Known as aspergillus section restricti, it belongs to a group of fungi that can survive in extreme environments such as the deep ocean or near volcanoes.” - The Guardian

“It transformed, for better and worse, audience expectations at museums worldwide. … It taught curators to propound a global view of art — or perhaps no view at all. Its influence ripples through the rethought MoMA — but also the selfie stations of the Museum of Ice Cream.” - The New York Times

"One panel on audiobooks took place with panelists and attendees all seated on the carpet — there were no chairs designated for the panel.” - CBC

“Traces of ink lettering visible in the X-ray images” — virtually unrolled and scanned for words by a specially-designed AI program — "revealed the text to be part of a multi-volume work, On Vices, written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus in the first century BC.” - The Guardian

“President Donald Trump on Thursday fired Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress — the first woman and first African-American to hold the position. She was informed of the decision in a terse, two-sentence email.” - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)

“Some authors say they're out thousands of dollars after carting books and merchandise to Baltimore for the event” — A Million Lives Book Festival — “and not being able to recoup the costs. … “(Organizer) Archer Management has since apologized for the entire event and stated that refunds are being processed automatically.” - CBC

Here’s what happens when the Pulitzer board either (a) considers none of the three finalists submitted by the jury in a category a worthy winner or, as in this case, (b) can’t find consensus on a single choice among the submitted finalists. - The New York Times

Management began reviewing all store materials after receiving a complaint from a customer against profanity on a greeting card. What began as a purge of purportedly profane materials, including greeting cards, stickers and book titles with swear words, quickly escalated into the quiet removal of more than 60 books from the store. - NBCNews

Of course, box office isn’t everything, but the Ryan Coogler movie should stand at about $330 million by the end of its theatrical run, “a haul that would put it in Hollywood’s horror hall of fame.” - The New York Times

“In other words, daytime outdoors scenes pop with brightness, while darker, moodier scenes have deeper blacks.” - San Francisco Chronicle

“Largely, it's cheaper to make films in the UK. That's thanks to generous tax incentives such as the Film Tax Relief, which offers a 25% tax rebate - as well as lower labour costs and centralised national funding for film.” - BBC

Will TikTok be banned? YouTube wouldn’t be sad about that. “Shorts is hoping that TikTok’s audience of almost 2 billion people will see it as a compelling alternative.” - Fast Company

Today, international markets account for more than 70% of Hollywood’s box office revenue. Ironically, Hollywood is one of the few places where the US does not see one of Trump’s dreaded trade deficits. The industry enjoys a $15.3bn trade surplus, and with that surplus. - The Guardian

“Historically, Hollywood has played a double role in U.S. soft power: It gave the country global relevance as a source of popular culture that was attractive in its own right, and it also presented an attractive ethical system and way of life that was distinct from that experienced elsewhere." - The Hollywood Reporter

The well-regarded author, critic and biographer has been appointed dance critic for The Hudson Review, a quarterly journal focusing on literature and the arts. - Marina Harss/Dancing Around

“The seven accused, of whom only one was present in court, were found guilty of sending hate messages, and even a death threat, to Thomas Jolly, 43, over a controversial scene in the ceremony” which some incorrectly interpreted as a parody of the Last Supper. - France 24

Dances that put artists and audience members in close proximity—whether they’re immersive, invite (or demand) audience participation, or have moments where the fourth wall is broken—can foster a powerful sense of intimacy and immediacy. - Dance Magazine

Sonja Kostich studied at Baryshnikov’s School of Classical Ballet and was 17 when he invited her to join ABT. She went on to dance with his White Oak Dance Project as well as San Francisco and Zurich Ballets. As an administrator, she has led Kaatsbaan Cultural Park and the Baryshnikov Arts Center. - CultureMap...

“Melissa Toogood, a Bessie Award-winning dancer who was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in its final years, succeeds Alicia Graf Mack, who is to become the artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Toogood, who is Australian and lives in Sydney, will begin on July 1.” - The New York Times

When I scrubbed in for my first surgery, it felt strangely familiar—there was music playing, overhead lights shining, and a team working in synchrony, each person with a precise role. The energy reminded me of a performance. - Pointe Magazine

“A brief statement from the show , which earned seven Tony nominations this month, said that it had decided not to perform at the library ‘upon learning of the termination of Dr. Carla Hayden.’” - The New York Times

With the real-estate heir-turned-tabloid fixture-turned-reality TV star-turned-politician having taken over the Kennedy Center and now talking about what big-name musicals to present there, Jada Yuan looks at his 56-year relationship with New York’s theater, including a brief outing as an investor. - The Washington Post (MSN)

On Thursday, the theater company launched a $9 million emergency fundraising campaign, saying that unless it can raise the first part of the funds, $2.5 million, by Aug. 31, “the theater will cease operations.” - The Oregonian

The Muny — officially, the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis — is the oldest and largest outdoor musical theater in the U.S., founded in 1919.  Its annual attendance at its home in the city’s Forest Park is over 300,000. - TheaterMania

Michael Billington: “There is more to (Arthur Miller’s play) than a single political parallel and, whenever I see the play, I am struck by its capacity to take on new meanings and to reflect the pressure of the times. I would cite three revivals in proof.” - The Guardian

Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree, written to be performed by Crouch and a new actor each night, depicts a meeting between a father (the actor) whose 12-year-old daughter was killed in a crash and the man (Crouch) driving the other vehicle. The actor must be completely unfamiliar with the piece. - The Guardian

"Asked if she is alarmed by Trump’s assault on arts and culture, DuVernay told the Guardian: ‘Certainly. But not surprised. When you elect a criminal you should expect crimes.’” - The Guardian (UK)

Every day Jambon spends a few hours compiling a list of gallery openings from websites such as Index Berlin and social media accounts. Then he begins hitting the galleries on his list, going from one to the next decked out in his vibrant outfit and bug-eye glasses. He calls it his “gallery project”. - The Guardian

“Bey had a multiphase musical career, with peaks and valleys that had more to do with shifting tastes than any fluctuation in quality. But his style did trace an evolution, from churchified soul jazz to astral jazz-funk to smoky songbook reverie.” - WRTI (Philadelphia)

A woman had accused the writer-director of Crash of raping her repeatedly over the course of two days in 2022 while they were both in Brindisi for an entertainment-industry event. A judge has ruled that no nonconsensual sex took place in this instance. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)

“Arsenije Lojovic will serve eight years instead of 10 for dangerous driving causing death, failing to remain at the scene and breach of probation, according to a decision by a three-judge panel at the Court of Appeal for Ontario.” Lojovic has bipolar disorder and was having a manic episode when he hit Brott. - CBC

Last Friday, a 47-year-old man scaled a metal fence at an entrance to the ancient landmark, then fell and was impaled on one of the fence’s spikes, which pierced his spine. He screamed in pain and bled until he passed out; it took an ambulance crew 20 minutes to extract him. - Artnet