Human beings make machines, but machines remake human society, too. Reliable, spring-driven clocks enabled precision time measurement, forcing us into regimented daily schedules, but they also helped sailors calculate their positions at sea with far greater accuracy, leading to the first reliable maps. - The Wall Street Journal

Those who shun the indefinite tend to see the world in shades of black and white, ignoring the gray. They are prone to jump to answers and are distressed by chaos and surprise. - Nautilus

ChatGPT felt new because it was capable of something much like a discussion. You can start with a half-baked idea and develop it with the AI’s help, using it as an aid to your own creativity. However, with each iteration of ChatGPT, ever more questions generate a stock or evasive response. - The Atlantic

"Without distractions, the days seemed to expand. We learned to harvest time, an idea that came to us in national forests across the U.S. We realized that days undisturbed by digital interruptions made time slow down and improved the quality of our time together." - The Atlantic

But there are still ways to avoid deepfakes, scams, and false news. - Wired

The Adult Survivors Act expired in New York on Friday, and many alleged survivors got their cases in just under the wire. - Washington Post

A gesture, a tear, or just silence may be more eloquent than words. It is this ‘beyond’ in our imperfect communications, that hint at what art can do. Art aspires to a more perfect communication: one that takes us beyond the confines of the lonely self. - 3 Quarks Daily

While the Romans clearly engaged in acts that we today consider gay or straight sex, they would not recognise the sexual orientations we associate with them. The ancient Romans did not share the same conceptions of sexuality that we do. - The Conversation

At a time when more Americans feel stressed, face mental health challenges, and feel more disconnected from each other than ever before, the arts can serve as a unifier and a touchstone for our humanity, directly impacting our individual and collective well-being. - American Theatre

According to the BBC, the decision was made after Mr. Mitsotakis, appearing on British television on Sunday, called for the marbles, which include statues of Greek gods and carved frieze panels that once decorated the Parthenon, to be returned to Athens. - The New York Times

"A decline in subscription rates, shockingly higher costs, and donations that haven't kept pace with inflation have thrown some arts organizations off-balance and spiraled others into crisis. Museums, music and dance venues have bounced back faster. Theaters struggled, perhaps due to the expense and complexity of staging." - Crain's Chicago Business

"Even residents are wary of the city’s ongoing crime surge. Barely half (53%) of Cook County residents feel safe spending time in downtown Chicago (according to a Harris poll). If locals feel unsafe in their own city, how can we expect out-of-town visitors to feel comfortable?" - Crain's Chicago Business

"One of the big lessons on my mind recently is that certain types of communities are difficult to scale. We’ve spent a lot of years trying to grow as much as possible in order to maintain ourselves as an organization financially, and we’ve never found that the type of community we want to build...

“It looks like you’re looking at a normal piano through funny mirrors,” says Jonathan Biss, who will play Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto" on it with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra in a concert benefiting the foundation of the late architect, who died last March. - The New York Times

Paid attendance and box office income are both nearing pre-pandemic levels, though they're still slightly below those of 2019. Says CEO Jeff Alexander, "We're building our way back. … We're happy. We could be happier." - Crain's Chicago Business

With that sprawling stylistic range and its technical mastery, its enthusiastic curiosity about eminent and student composers alike, its precision and passion, the JACK has, since its founding in 2005, become one of contemporary music’s indispensable ensembles. - The New York Times

Ideally, music festivals serve two purposes. They engage audiences by focusing on some topic in concentrated fashion and they generate interest in a given organization by presenting something out of the ordinary. But when they do neither, they mostly make observers wonder what went wrong—even when much went right. - The Wall Street Journal

The academic music sector is fractured, especially in relation to classical music. This mirrors wider cuts or proposed cuts to English National Opera, BBC Orchestras and other institutions, and needs major shifts in government policy if the situation is to be reversed. - The Critic

The Donahues have since retaken possession of their painting from the auction house, Bonhams. All they have to show for their efforts is a new cardboard box, courtesy of the Bonhams shipping department. - The New York Times

The foundation said the half-a-billon-dollar commitment is the largest multiyear funding initiative in its history. “I feel proud that we’ve been catalysts and contributors to a larger conversation in the nation about monuments,” said Elizabeth Alexander, the foundation’s president. - The New York Times

"The collection, mostly from Crimean museums, was on loan to Amsterdam's Allard Pierson Museum when Russia annexed Ukraine's peninsula in 2014. Both Ukraine and Russia claimed the items but" — after a decade of legal proceedings — "Dutch courts backed Kyiv." - BBC

“When a society cannot withstand diverse voices, it teeters on the brink of collapse. I am committed to voicing my perspective. The irony lies in staging such an exhibition precisely when art is most crucial for expressing alternative perspectives. Yet, self-censorship robs artists of this vital opportunity, a poignant contradiction in a time demanding...

Artist Agnieska Pilat isn't worried that Basia the robot dog might take her job. She "is a self-described techno-optimist who loves the robots: she even lives with Basia, and takes her for walks around her neighbourhood in New York City." - The Guardian (UK)

A scholar says a youthful Hopper self-portrait at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts came from "a vast swindle by the late Rev. Arthayer R. Sanborn, whom she says stole hundreds of early Hopper works." - Boston Globe

He's the media executive fronting the bid by RedBird IMI, a joint venture between two investment funds, based in New York and Abu Dhabi, to buy the Tory-supporting newspaper and magazine in a bankruptcy auction. If successful, Zucker intends to expand the outlets into the US market and beyond. - Variety

"Authentic cuisine. Authentic voice. Authentic self. Authenticity as artifice. Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company’s site but were boosted to new heights throughout the year … in (this) age of deepfakes and post-truth." - AP

The law, passed by the Republican-dominated legislature, prohibits schools from teaching fourteen concepts, including that any individual is “inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously” and that “this state or the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist.” Our book examines the lingering effects of racist policies after Emancipation. -...

The book, Prophet Song, pictures a Dublin descended into fascist tyranny. - The Guardian (UK)

Or so says author Alice Winn. Also, "In the UK World War One is a selling point; in the US it’s more of an obstacle." - The Guardian (UK)

This was a civic decision: "In clustering all of its bookmakers in one place, South Korea hoped to better produce and distribute a major part of its culture." - The New York Times

Well, yes … more or less. They are home-baked by Muppet wrangler Lara MacLean and contain entirely edible ingredients. Mind you, that doesn't mean they taste good (to humans). Flavor is not their most important quality. - The New York Times

While the current legacy-I.P. production boom is focused on fictional characters, there’s no reason to think it won’t, in the future, take the form of beloved real-life entertainers being endlessly re-presented to us with help from new tools. - The New York Times

"No longer does the phrase 'British independent film' instantly bring to mind a particular sort of gritty, miserable social-realist drama." Instead, think psychosexual dramas, delightful rom-coms, and much, much more. - The Observer (UK)

Otherwise, where would the money for other movies come from? - Variety

"In 1999, French investigating judges assigned sole responsibility to the driver," not paparazzi. But on the other hand, why didn't he princess have police protection? - Washington Post

One casting director says it depends on the cast, of course - and he loves "finding these untapped, undiscovered stars." - Slate

"In 1990, then-director Sam Miller named (Norton Owen) director of preservation, where he now oversees the scholar-in-residence program, PillowTalks, pre- and post-show talks, and exhibitions. Carrying on Pillow founder Ted Shawn’s drive to document, Owen has prioritized video and continually upgraded the quality of the organization’s performance recordings." - Dance Magazine

One candy cane (aka a "Hoops"): "Not all ballet companies involve children in their productions, and New York City Ballet kind of prioritizes children. I think that’s cool. It makes you feel special, like sometimes it’s a confidence boost." - The New York Times

For African dancers to perform it, said Senegalese choreographer, dance company founder and dancer Germaine Acogny, "felt absolutely right." - The New York Times

The board had suspended Michael Krasnyansky and his wife, Artistic Director Gladisa Guadalupe, pending results of the investigation. - The Plain Dealer

Out of eight professional dancers in the company, five were fired and another put on administrative leave. The dancers say they have had concerns with both hostile working environment and physical risk since the replacement of the previous artistic director with company dancer Caroline Sheridan in 2022. - CNY Central (Syracuse)

"In a pair of lawsuits filed in Richmond Circuit Court, the dancers say the company required them to maintain a 'dangerously unhealthy weight' to qualify for roles. They allege the pressure led to eating disorders and a cascade of health problems, including the loss of their menstrual cycles." - Axios

With total attendance holding steady – and three fewer shows on the roster – the increase in receipts can be attributed to a 27% bump in average ticket price: $151, compared to the previous week’s $118. Overall, 90% of Broadway seats were filled during the holiday week. - Deadline

"Although the pandemic was devastating for all arts organizations, non-majority-run organizations received a lifeline (via) government funding. … These theater companies, many of them small storefront operations, were able to add staff and produce more work. The question is whether these groups will be able to sustain their momentum." - Crain's Chicago Business

Ravishing individual songs may reassure us that no one is alone but, in the five decades since “Company” made his reputation, Mr. Sondheim had been creating group portraits of a crowded world where loneliness was an existential fact. - The New York Times

"Having seen and enjoyed the show in New York, I now realize that I missed the obvious during my years in Manila. The Marcoses, the now-94-year-old Imelda in particular, had for years captured the affection and votes of ordinary Filipinos by entertaining them." - NPR

"'This is a love story that I think people wanted for 20 years,' said Stephanie Rosenberg, the director of Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw." - NPR

The leaders of these theaters define success differently than they did before the pandemic, but they are optimistic about the future and intent on connecting with new and younger audiences. - The Wall Street Journal

"Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures became a household name in the 1970s, helping launch them into creating and producing family and kids shows for more than 50 years. Eventually, Marty Krofft would be referred to as the 'King of Saturday Mornings.'” - CNN

Now 84, Noreen Davies has gigged throughout the West Midlands with groups exploring everything from the blues to vintage jazz and big band funk. No matter the tune, she has stayed true to her vision of bending the notes on the giant horn, twisting and wailing like a held string on an electric guitar....

Hennix "fused minimalist drones, mathematical logic and global spiritual traditions into an approach she called 'infinitary composition.'" - The New York Times

"The statement his acting seems to be making, more and more, is that the world is too dire, too mired in injustice — that there are too many people putting cream in their coffee — for him to allow any pleasure to seep into his acting." - Variety

"In many ways, starting in college, I deliberately refrained from following the art that was made at those epicenters because I was really worried that as a young artist, if I consumed that much art, it would unconsciously determine how I made art." - San Francisco Chronicle

United Talent dropped Sarandon after remarks at a rally in New York City: “There are a lot of people that are afraid, afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence,” she said. -...