Theory of mind helps us communicate with and understand one another; it allows us to enjoy literature and movies, play games and make sense of our social surroundings. In many ways, the capacity is an essential part of being human. What if a machine could read minds, too? - The New York Times
"A Dutch art collective can release an experimental erotic film showing the French novelist Michel Houellebecq having sex with young women in spite of the author's attempt to stop its circulation, an Amsterdam court has ruled." (The project, by the way, was Houellebecq's wife's idea.) - The Guardian
“The bad handwriting specifically comes from I’m thinking too fast for my hand. I feel like being able to type as quickly as I’m thinking I have this like great advantage where I don’t have to worry about legibility.” - The New York Times
In August 2021, Apple purchased the classical-only streaming app Primephonic and immediately shuttered it, announcing that it would be reconfigured as an Apple product; 17 months later, that product has arrived. Here's a look at what's included in the new version — and what's missing. - Musical America
"Front-of-house staff facing violent assaults, theatregoers urinating in fire exits and mass brawls in auditoriums were among the incidents uncovered by the report from the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU). … Almost half (45%) said they had considered leaving the industry due to poor audience behaviour." - The Guardian
"Trace quantities of protein residue have long been detected in classic oil paintings, though they were often ascribed to contamination. A new study … found the inclusion was likely intentional." The protein came from egg yolks (yes, as in tempera paint), which mitigate some shortcomings of pure oil paint. - CNN
"With a presence in Milwaukee-Racine, Wausau-Stevens, Green Bay, and Appleton-Oshkosh and recent purchases in LaCrosse and Eau Claire markets, Civic Media's talk-formatted stations are offering an alternative to the conservative right-leaning talk formats that have a much larger presence in the state." - Inside Radio
A novelist and essayist who was for several years considered a likely Nobel candidate, "(she) found herself ostracized in the (newly-independent) country of Croatia for refusing to embrace its aggressive nationalism and spent the rest of her life abroad." - The New York Times
"Most chorus members … would be forced to leave their jobs if the company relocates outside London, because of ties that include children at school, caring responsibilities, and partners with jobs in the capital. More than two-thirds would leave the profession altogether." - The Guardian
"A spokesman said that in 'the present financial and planning environment' it was necessary to 'review the current model of delivery'. … Scottish involvement in this year's architecture showcase will go ahead," but planning for any Scottish pavilion at the 2024 art biennial is on hold. - BBC
That 141 million is double the number we recorded last year, and nearly three times that of 2020. But there is still some way to go before we regain the high watermark of 230 million visits in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. - The Art Newspaper
Elephants tend to keep a steadier beat than humans do, a study by the neuroscientist Aniruddh Patel later found, and Luk Kop’s sense of timing was uncanny. - The New Yorker
With more staff, local public radio stations could help fill the information gap created by the decline of local newspapers. They could afford to assign a reporter full time to cover local government bodies like city councils and school boards. - The Conversation
For the past few years, social-media platforms have used creator funds to lure content creators from their rivals with the promise of money to be made on top of the usual sponsorship dollars. But they seem more and more like empty PR stunts. - Variety
In 21st-century culture, knowingness is rampant. You see it in the conspiracy theorist who dismisses contrary evidence as a ‘false flag’ and in the podcaster for whom ‘late capitalism’ explains all social woes. It’s the ideologue who knows the media has a liberal bias – or, alternatively, a corporate one. - Psyche
