Physical signs of aging — baldness, wrinkles, stooped postures — first figured prominently in Roman portraiture in the 4th century BCE, but old age and its representations have often been pushed to the margins. - Hyperallergic
The organ was brought to Bethlehem sometime after the Crusaders’ conquest in 1099, and it was buried for safekeeping shortly before Saladin’s army reconquered the town around 1187. The instrument was excavated in 1908; restorers began work in 2019 and discovered that about half of the 222 surviving pipes were still playable. - AP
Across the US, parents, educators, and community groups are trying AI-powered tutors that listen as children read, correct mistakes in real time and adapt lessons to each student’s reading level — though questions remain about the risks of using AI and whether it can actually improve literacy skills. - CNN
"We came up with this idea to call for volunteers to go out and, in a systematic way, go exhibit by exhibit, room by room, hall by hall, museum by museum, and take pictures simply of what's up there now and what's being said now." - NPR
Researchers at the University of Maine are theorizing that human beings may be in the midst of a major evolutionary shift—driven not by genes, but by culture. - Phys
“Satirists pose a danger to the likes of Putin and Donald Trump because they expose that their claims to greatness are illusions and validate that the people oppressed by their governance aren’t crazy.” - Salon
Justin Davidson: “Two decades ago, Downtown Brooklyn was well connected but underpopulated. ... It’s hard to believe how thoroughly and quickly the skyline has been remade in that time — and how shoddily. … Almost all the developers who built it out opted for a style you might call Consensus Clunkism.” - Curbed (MSN)
“What if … you knew this object was doomed to stutter, glitch, or rot, turning from new to old in a matter of years? ... This problem has haunted new media art ... for decades. New media art dealer Kelani Nichole thinks she may have found a fix.” - ARTnews
“A panel of five judges … will assess 15,000 words of a novel in progress, and both winner and runner-up will receive not only money, but mentoring from Mantel’s literary agency, AM Heath; the publishing house John Murray; and the creative writing charity Arvon.” - The Guardian
“Two Disney insiders insist the company's decision, announced Monday afternoon, to bring Kimmel back wasn't influenced by growing Disney+ boycotts, the FCC, affiliates or the open letter signed by 400 celebrities. … It was, they told TheWrap, guided by ‘what's the right thing to do.’” - TheWrap (MSN)
“Cascade PBS will cease production of its local long-form journalism, leadership announced on Monday. The move, attributed to a $3.5 million annual loss in federal funding, marks the layoffs of 17 staffers, Cascade PBS President and CEO Rob Dunlop (said).” - KUOW (Seattle)
Artistic Director Amelia Acosta Powell served as Associate Artistic Director of he Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and has held leadership roles at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Managing Director Emily Tarquin has held multiple management positions at Actors Theatre. - The Courier Journal (Louisville)
Trump’s pressure campaign has had its intended effect: Hollywood is paralyzed creatively. In meetings, studio executives say they don’t want projects that are political or could be perceived as anti-Trump. They seem genuinely afraid of an audience that they no longer understand and that may not share their progressive values. - The New York Times
For decades, visitors have been drawn by the idea of dressing to the nines and roaming room to room, sipping cocktails as conjurers and sleight-of-hand artists ply their trade. Performers and members have included Cary Grant, Johnny Carson, Orson Welles, Jason Alexander, Neil Patrick Harris and Larry Wilmore. - Los Angeles Times
The major imprints have been churning out a robust collection of books (more than 20 this year, by my count) that explain, extol, deride, fictionalize, and occasionally incorporate AI. - The Atlantic
