Stories

Election Movies Released During Presidential Election Years — Do They Make Any Difference?

"Some film-makers are explicit in their intention to affect election outcomes. ... Others come from the opposite direction, reckoning that an election year is the perfect time to draw attention. ... The Guardian chose films from each election year of the 21st century and interviewed the people who made them." - The Guardian

We Have Become An Algorithmically-Driven Culture. And We’re Unhappier Than Ever

Since the nineteen-sixties, much of American public life has become automated, driven by computers and predictive algorithms that can do the political work of rallying support, running campaigns, communicating with constituents, and even crafting policy. - The New Yorker

Why Humans Innately Distrust Other Forms Of Intelligence

Figuring out how to relate to minds of unconventional origin — not just AI and robotics but also cells, organs, hybrots, cyborgs and many others — is an existential-level task for humanity as it matures. - Noema

Dissident Filmmaker From Belarus Released From Prison In Serbia

"A noted Belarusian film director and dissident who was held in Serbia for a year while Belarus sought his extradition has been released and gone to Germany. ... Belarus issued an international warrant for Andrei Hniot on charges of tax evasion, which he claims are false." - AP

Is A Four-Day Workweek Workable In The Arts?

Employers and employees experienced increases in motivation and overall productivity with no drop in revenue. Employees generally report less stress, burnout and work-family conflict. - ArtsHub

The Downside Of Making Our Lives Convenient

Continually choosing the convenient path lessens your ability to deal with unavoidable difficulties. And, from an evolutionary perspective, some measure of discomfort is just as crucial to our survival as rest and relaxation. - The Guardian

Dallas Black Dance Theatre Is Working To Settle Labor Complaint And May Rehire Its Fired Dancers

"(Management) said it is working on a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board and ... the labor union representing 10 dancers who were fired earlier this year. … The news comes after the NLRB notified the dance company it would move forward with a complaint unless Dallas Black settled." - KERA (Dallas)

Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Conflict With Its Dancers: A Timeline

When and how it all went down, from the dancers' vote to unionize through management sacking the lot of them and subsequent legal action and public protests. - KERA (Dallas)

How Switching Languages Changes Our Personalities

If you speak more than one language, ask yourself: in which language do you find it easier to say ‘I love you’? And in which one do you swear more liberally? For me, cursing in a foreign language feels strangely playful, as if it gives me permission to access a different version of myself. - Psyche

Orchestras’ Unseen Heroes: The Librarians

You “can’t do this job without being a trained musician." And just like any member of the orchestra, librarians get their jobs through competitive auditions. - Boston Globe

Herzog & de Meuron Will Remake Breuer Building For Sotheby’s

The renovated building will contain Sotheby’s sales room, as well as exhibition and dining spaces. Work is expected to be completed by fall 2025. Herzog & de Meuron has made a specialty of adaptive reuse, or transforming existing structures. - The New York Times

City Of Miami Beach Steps Up To Replace Arts Funding Canceled By Gov. DeSantis

"After Florida governor Ron DeSantis cancelled the state’s funding for arts and culture, Miami Beach has stepped up to … provide a one-time contribution of nearly $1 million to help local arts and culture organizations meet the budget gap created by the state for the 2025 fiscal year." - Artnet

Arguments Over Corporate Sponsorship And Gaza War Plague Canada’s Giller Prize

It seems the director of the C$100,000 literary award had been telling authors that she was working to sever the Giller's ties to its longtime lead sponsor, Scotiabank. Then she turned around and doubled down on the Scotiabank-Giller relationship. - Toronto Star

On Being A Woman Of A Certain Age In The Marvel, And Hollywood, Universe

Kathryn Hahn on Agatha All Along: “It does feel like a really radical thing that we've been able to pull off. Though, because my currency in this business wasn't my sex appeal, I feel like I've been able to just kind of walk into more complicated parts.” - NPR

What’s Up With Celebs Glamorizing Smoking?

If you remember the 2005 movie Thank You for Smoking, you’d be forgiven for anticipating this is a Big Tobacco thing. “Nine out of the 10 films nominated for the Oscars top prize earlier this year featured smoking, which is up from the seven in the year before.” - BBC

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