How does such a tiny group dominate what we think of as normality? With meticulous research, Sarah Chaney traces the history of such narratives back to the year 1800, when the word “normal” was simply a mathematical term designating a line at a right angle. - The Guardian
The type of cultural appropriation we need to be vigilant about is fairly simple. It occurs when members of a dominant culture – for example, white Americans or white Australians – take elements from the culture of an ethnicity or racial group they have typically oppressed – e.g. Indigenous peoples – and use them for themselves. - Fast Company
“Mark last week as the end of the social networking era, which began with the rise of Friendster in 2003, shaped two decades of internet growth, and now closes with Facebook’s rollout of a sweeping TikTok-like redesign.” - Fast Company
The machine world is a binary world, and it strikes me that we have learned to apply those zeroes and ones to our thinking, intensifying our impulse to sort one another into like-me and not-like-me at what might well be, historically speaking, the worst possible moment. - The Guardian
Last month, the “leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world” released, in collaboration with Marvel, three volumes from what's being called the “Penguin Classics Marvel Collection,” featuring a hefty series of stories from the early days in the life of three Marvel superheroes. - The Atlantic
Most suspect work is left to fester in the literature. When corrections do appear, they may be slow to be acknowledged; even retracted papers can haunt science from beyond the grave, accumulating citations long after their flaws have been exposed. - The Atlantic
Resisting the rule of the algorithm takes energy and creativity and courage, and the risk for our culture is that our technological skill and our cultural exhaustion are working together, defending decadence and closing off escape. - The New York Times
According to the Saudis, artificial intelligence will be central to how people live in the 500-metre-high, 200-metre-wide structure, a car-free, carbon neutral bubble that will boast near total sustainability and a temperate, regulated microclimate. - The Guardian
Public transport should be considered a human right, alongside access to health and education. It’s necessary to life in a city. “Public transport is an extremely efficient way to get people around,” she says. “Buses and trains are not only efficient for people who use them, but also people who don’t.” - Wired
The Denver Art Museum’s Ponti-designed fortress is by no means a perfect building — or even a great building. It has variously been described as “Tower of London Modern” and “San Quentin of the Rockies.” Ponti could only mitigate the bulky floor plan so much. But the museum is like no other. - Los Angeles Times
Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the songwriting team behind the project, initially developed the musical on social media. The duo went on to score the No. 1 slot on iTunes U.S. pop charts and even won a Grammy this year in the category of best musical theater album. - Variety
The Biden administration sued to block the $2.18 billion sale as part of its new and more aggressive stance against corporate consolidation. The trial will start on Monday. Such a shift could ripple through the industry, potentially impacting smaller publishers, authors, and ultimately, the books that reach readers. - The New York Times
Pseudo-monopolies of this type cannot last forever. The past decade has been good for these social-media giants, but the sudden ascent of TikTok might turn out to be the disruption that finally ends their reign. - The New Yorker
