Even though we have a good understanding of where consciousness originates — essentially via neurons sending signals to each other — scientists still aren't sure how it arises in matter. After all, humans are just made of basic chemicals like the rest of the universe. - Salon
This year's Booker Prize was won by a Sri Lankan, and the International Booker went to an Indian novel. And there's always Salman Rushdie. But beyond a few famous authors and prizewinning books, South Asian literature is still having a hard time breaking through — especially books translated from Indian languages. - The Guardian
Scholars are increasingly voicing concern that the shift to working from home, spurred by the Covid pandemic, will bring the three-decade renaissance of major cities to a halt, setting off an era of urban decay. - The New York Times
He was famous for his posts at the Riverside Church and the Crystal Cathedral, but he was most admired among colleagues for quickly figuring out how to make unfamiliar organs sound their best — so he was regularly invited to inaugurate new instruments, as at Walt Disney Concert Hall. - The New York Times
Democratic governments, at all levels, spend billions of dollars publishing reports, manuals, books, videos so that all can read and learn. That is the good news. The bad news is that in our digital age, much of this is not accessible. Democracy’s Library aims to change this. - Internet Archive
The equilateral cross with arms bent at right angles has been a symbol of good fortune for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains for millennia, and it's ubiquitous in India to this day. South Asians in the U.S. see no reason to abandon it just because the Nazis perverted it. - AP
"The newspaper has eliminated the positions of the magazine's 10 staff members, according to the Post. There's no guarantee the staffers will be offered other positions at the paper, though the Post reports that restaurant reviews and the crossword puzzle will continue to appear in print." - DCist
After her death in 1689 in Brussels, Michaelina Wautier largely became a footnote in art history, occasionally drawing a mention here or there. Much of her work came to be attributed to other artists, often men. - The New York Times
The artworks, four by Smith and one by Kusama, are in the soon-to-open Grand Central Madison, an addition to the historic train terminal built for new service by the Long Island Rail Road to the East Side of Manhattan. - Untapped Cities
"Fifty-three percent of works on display in Sydney Modern's exhibition spaces, its corridors and terraces are made by women. Five of nine site-specific art commissions funded by private donations are the creations of female artists." - The Sydney Morning Herald
"The details of the agreement have not yet been released and remain subject to ratification by Equity members who have recently worked on these contracts. ... Touring productions, which had been included in this contract in the past ... are being spun off into a new contract." - The Hollywood Reporter
Last week, a review by the Post's Peter Marks of Bruce Norris's Downstate carried an eye-catching headline: "Downstate is a play about pedophiles. It's also brilliant." Alas, that soon caught the eyes of the likes of Sen. Ted Cruz: "So now the corporate media is praising pedophilia." - Playbill
The once-a-decade list of the top 100 films from Sight and Sound magazine has nudged 2012's champion, Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, down to runner-up status and crowned Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. (Citizen Kane, which topped the list for decades, is now third.) - The Hollywood Reporter
"The cuts, CEO John Lansing says, are due to a sharp drop in sponsor revenue and represent approximately 3% of NPR's current annual budget." No layoffs are planned. - Inside Radio
