Many listeners don't realize how enmeshed public radio is with higher ed: two-thirds of NPR outlets are affiliated with colleges or universities, many of which own the stations' licenses. As culture war politics erupt at universities (e.g., Nikole Hannah-Jones and UNC), public radio becomes vulnerable. - Nieman Lab
Esperanza Spalding: "You may know who you're writing for, the instrumentation, the length. … But once you actually start populating the spaces with notes and phrases, it changes. You can't know what the shape of something you've never done before is going to be." - San Francisco Chronicle
Here's what to know about Nicholas Britell, Julia Bullock, Claire Chase, Bryce Dessner, Pekka Kuusisto, Nico Muhly, Carol Reiley, and Esperanza Spalding. - San Francisco Chronicle
The designation, more typically given to universities, makes the RSC eligible for government research grants and will allow it to expand its work as a "teaching theatre." - The Stage
The program, budgeted for 2022, is similar to those established in France (€300) and Italy (€500). A key difference is that the money will be divided so that not all of it can be spent only on theater tickets or books or opera. - The Local (Spain)
Mr. Gniewek (pronounced NYEH-vik), a violinist whose solos invariably drew acclaim, was just 25 in 1957 when he was named the orchestra’s concertmaster. He had two obstacles to overcome. - The New York Times
More than 18 months since the coronavirus pandemic hit Britain, its long-term effects on the country’s museums are becoming clear. Months of closures have caused havoc with their finances, and as a consequence, many museums expect to be strapped for years. - The New York Times
It takes months and months to apply for and get cleared for visas to come to the US. Hundreds of international artists have had to cancel gigs in the US. - Los Angeles Times
Rules restricting the use of wood in UK buildings are hampering the switch to low-carbon building methods, according to timber architecture expert Andrew Waugh. - Dezeen
If sex is everywhere, it’s also nowhere: as birth rates plunge globally, we are engaging in the act less and less. The significance of this change shouldn’t be underestimated, as how we conceptualise sex and relationships is at the root of how we organise our societies. - The Conversation
How a receptor detects a smell remains a deep riddle to scientists. The odorant’s shape appears to determine which olfactory receptors it binds to; beyond that, we have no idea why molecules smell as they do. - Believer
"What, then, do Rumi and his followers on the Sufi 'path of love' really mean when they say 'love'? The answer turns out to be more radical than even the most far-fetched of modern misreadings of this erotic spiritual tradition." - Psyche
“Social media has gone from techno-utopianism to dystopic weaponization. Perhaps Timothy Leary was more accurate than he realized when he branded the internet the new LSD. Tomorrow’s brainwashers could not help exploring the possibilities.” - Washington Post
"Is the story 'rich comedian attacks marginalized community' or 'Black comedian attacks elite consensus'? … Why are Caitlyn Jenner jokes (greater) grounds for cancellation than ones about white bitches getting tear-gassed? … He dares critics to take unequal offense, and prove his point about a hierarchy of suffering." - The Atlantic
