Across the developed world, since the 1930s, there’s been what’s called the Flynn effect: IQ scores overall have been rising by about three points a decade — through the turn of the millennium, that is. Social scientist Elizabeth Dworak has documented the effect reversing since 2006. This surprises few people. - New York Magazine (MSN)
First, they repeatedly play a little melody on a glockenspiel or dinner chime or marimba as they stroll through the lobbies. Then, says one longtime usher at the Metropolitan Opera, “We have to push them, kind of like moving cattle.” - The New York Times
Visitors to Washington have a new, free attraction: the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream. After a $500 million renovation of two former banks across from the Treasury Department, the center opened in September to explore the past, present and future of this enduring but elusive aspiration. - Washington Post
Dynamic pricing is common, and as one performing arts critic pointed out, it “can shift in both directions, with prices increasing when tickets start selling out at popular shows but also decreasing where demand is slower.” - BBC
“Personal data isn’t just a record of who we are. It’s our actions, transactions, locations, conversations, preferences, inferences, and vulnerabilities. It’s our identities, our intimate selves, our hopes and dreams, and our fears and flaws.” - Fast Company
Bob Iger knows it’s, uh, interesting to be suing some AI companies while courting others. “'It's obviously imperative for us to protect our IP with this new technology,’ Iger said.” - NPR
“Many of its nearly 50 grant programs have been paused or ended. … About two thirds of the staff has been laid off and, last month, most members of the scholarly council that must review a majority of grants were abruptly fired by the White House.” - The New York Times
The results from the three-year pilot were clear: artists were able to make work and less dependent on other government assistance, and every €1 in cost returned €1.39 in value to the Irish economy. Even so, the government, though it made the program permanent, is keeping it small-scale. - Novara Media (UK)
In the face of a revolutionary change that many educators believe will alter the career trajectories of school-aged kids and the instructional methods of their schools, a handful of districts across the country have responded with drastic measures to meet the moment. - Edutopia
There are currently multiple class action lawsuits at various stages, as well as a Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation, which programs concerts at PPG Paints, Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park and owns the ticketing platform Ticketmaster. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Dec. 5 draw, the World Cup’s highest-profile pre-tournament event, was expected to be held in Las Vegas. Trump reportedly swooped in at the 11th hour to offer use of Kennedy Center performance spaces and other facilities, for free, for almost three weeks, requiring cancellation or postponement of scheduled events. - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)
Temple, the Pennsylvania state university whose main campus is in North Philadelphia, will renovate Terra Hall, which had been a classroom building for the now-closed University of the Arts, and will move some of its art and music programs there starting in fall 2027. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“Council members have declared city arts funding off limits for budget cuts next spring, even as they face a projected $111 million deficit. ... While the move falls far short of a long-unfulfilled council pledge known as ‘penny for the arts,’ council members said it’s a strong message.” - The San Diego Union-Tribune (MSN)
