Over the course of the day, about 30 people sat with Emily. Some used their three minutes for quiet reflection. Others wanted conversation, asking her questions or sharing why they had come to see her. Usually you’d describe a project like this as performance art, but Emily isn’t an artist. - The Guardian
Originally called “Pacific Standard Time” and funded by the Getty, “PST Art,” on its third iteration, will explore connections between art and science. Artists are digging into topics ranging from climate change and ecofeminism to environmental justice and medieval astrology. - The New York Times
The cyber-utopians of yore were hopelessly naïve. Lockdown showed us why. More screentime means more misery. Thus any future for humanity should ideally rest on a re-discovery of ourselves as ‘body-selves’ among others. - The Critic
This cubic millimeter of tissue has allowed Harvard and Google researchers to produce the most detailed wiring diagram of the human brain that the world has ever seen. - Wired
"Large majorities of Americans passionately uphold free speech as a cornerstone of democracy. But fewer of them are supportive of free speech when faced with specific controversial speakers or topics. Yet The First Amendment is not an à la carte menu." - The Conversation
We work on them, refine them, and change them, perfecting them forever. “Our self, built on our memories, is our psychological anchor in a turbulent world. Turns out it’s a castle made of sand. That’s unsettling, no?” - Nautilus
"(It) challenged long-held theological and scientific assumptions about nature and humankind’s place in it: that the Bible was to be taken literally; that the world had been made a mere 6,000 years before; that a divine being wrought man in his own image; that humans were the pinnacle of Creation." - The Atlantic (MSN)
“A truly effective remedy need seek not only to punish Google for its past offenses but also open markets by meaningfully restraining the company from similar conduct in the future.” - The New York Times
"Where do we learn and refine the skills to be an artist or an athlete? We go to school. … (Schools) provide resources to train in creative and athletic skills – but very few other life skills, and fewer that promote flourishing and transcendence in the way contemplative practice can." - Psyche
"When asked to make a mental note of the first number that comes into their heads, (people) … expect the frequencies of response to be more or less equal across the range of response options. In fact, ... responses tend to cluster in reliable and predictable ways, especially with large audiences." - The MIT Press Reader
"The difference between being mean and being cruel has to do with intention, scale, and intensity. ... Being mean is always directed at another person. It is a way of telling the truth … that, through carelessness or minor wickedness, gives pain to someone else." - The Hedgehog Review
“We may yearn for the freedom from all the extraneous stuff embedded in our smartphones — the distractions from the world around us — but liberty comes at the cost of becoming cut off from all the essentials, too.” - Washington Post
“This summer’s three biggest relatively high-brow, low-budget horror films — Maxxxine, Longlegs, and Cuckoo — represent a move toward big moods. … A horror movie doesn’t have to be smart to be enjoyable, but is it unfair to ask them to at least not be so dim?" - The Verge
“We seem to be torn between two approaches to the role of the arts in American life — whether we need a narrowly political approach at times of crisis, or whether we have faith in the chaotic, democratic possibilities of unrestrained speech and art.” - The New York Times
