By taking a similar look at "excess word usage" after LLM writing tools became widely available in late 2022, the researchers found that "the appearance of LLMs led to an abrupt increase in the frequency of certain style words" that was "unprecedented in both quality and quantity." - Ars Technica
The brain tags experiences worth remembering by repeatedly sending out sudden and powerful high-frequency brain waves. Known as “sharp wave ripples,” these waves, kicked up by the firing of many thousands of neurons within milliseconds of one another, are “like a fireworks show in the brain.” - Wired
Then there’s “showcasing.” And many, many more: “A number of words that were extremely uncommon in these scientific abstracts before 2023 ... suddenly surged in popularity after LLMs were introduced.” - Wired
“For decades, the sculpture gallery has had mostly blindingly white marble works, which were exclusively of white people. Now it does not. The intervention is part of a community-led project exploring the gallery’s links to slavery, colonialism and empire, of which there are many.” - The Guardian (UK)
"Created by Austrian artist Esther Strauß, Crowning drew intense ire from some conservative Christians who viewed the work as ‘blasphemous’ and ‘scandalous’ before an unknown party took matters into their own hands and sawed off Mary’s head.” - Hyperallergic
“While the library patrons say removing the books constitutes an illegal government squelching of viewpoints, county officials have argued that they have broad authority to decide which books belong on library shelves.” The review may back the county. - AP (US News & World Report)
“‘The problem is not the art, it is the condition of capitalism and the market, and the way that this whole gig operates,’ said. He added that he had been avoiding going to his studio.” - The New York Times
David Ellison of Skydance finally persuaded Shari Redstone “to let go of the entertainment company her family has controlled for nearly four decades. The sweetened deal also paid the Redstone family about $50 million more than what had been proposed in early June.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
For instance: “With the near-total lack of availability of affordable year-round housing and workspace options and soaring short-term rental costs during peak seasons, many creatives have been forced out of opportunities to live, work, or study in Provincetown.” - Hyperallergic
Sure, she won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, but don’t forget Point Break: "Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze are perfectly cast as the undercover FBI agent and surfing criminal whose throbbingly homoerotic relationship plays out amid crashing waves, tumbling freefalls and breathtaking chase sequences.” - The Guardian (UK)
Marketers are leaning in. Wicked and Gladiator II, both releasing November 22, don’t seem to have the same built-in opposition, but they do have the bare minimum: A musical adored by women and gay men, versus the Roman Empire. - San Francisco Chronicle
