We consistently see that longer education does raise our cognitive abilities: a person’s IQ gains one to five points for each additional year of education. The evidence also suggests these effects aren’t just flashes in the pan: they last throughout our lives. - The Guardian
Although the term is less than 400 years old, the phenomenon of propaganda is far older. The pyramids of Egypt, to take one example, are propagandistic, attesting to the power of the Pharaohs who could enslave thousands of people to erect them. - 3 Quarks Daily
It's said to be a “quasi-successor to the Internet,” with comparable impact and importance, that will give users an individual “presence.” - The Walrus
Regardless of whether we call our time “postmodern” or “neoliberal,” the present feels ripe for a more widespread understanding of the dialectical relationship between culture and politics—our lifestyles, beliefs, preferences, and tastes, on the one hand, and the material circumstances of our lives, on the other. - The Nation
"I think what happens in virtual worlds can, in principle, be very significant. You can build a meaningful life in a virtual world. We can get into deep social and political discussions and decisions about the shape of society in a virtual world." - The New York Times
Sorry to the Sudoku fans (not that it hurts to do Sudoku, or crosswords, for that matter) - but what makes people smarter is working on problems together. - Slate
No one really knows. "I have many ideas for how we might improve democracy in the United States, but it is genuinely difficult for me to envision the path from A to B, from the status quo ... to something more equal and inclusive." - The New York Times
Or at least some of us have, according to the reaction to a New Yorker profile of actor Jeremy Strong. There's "a sense that the emperor’s method nudity has finally been exposed for what it is: pretentious, performative, narcissistic nonsense." - The Guardian (UK)
In a higher education system financed mostly by tuition dollars, the customer is king. Colleges and universities have become full-service lifestyle stations, competing for students. But why is everyone is somehow finding their best selves in really nice gyms, dormitories, and dining halls? - Liberties Journal
“I would love to have a robot load up dishes into my dishwasher, and I’d love to have a robot clean my house,” says Zador, but we are far from making such helpful assistants. When it comes to household chores, we’re at the level of Roomba. - Nautilus
The challenge for the neoliberals was—how do you design institutions that safeguard the rights of property over borders, in an era when everyone is talking about national sovereignty, self-determination, and democracy in ways that might invalidate or cross out universal property rights? - Strelka
Being able to engage in the practice of mindful, aesthetic and critical listening is as important to democracy as literacy. Yet, in comparison to the time and money put into early childhood reading development or STEM, these three modalities of democratic listening receive scant attention. 3 Quarks Daily
The default mode network is also known as the imagination network. This is the brain’s resting-state circuitry—the regions that come online when you’re not paying attention to anything in particular. This is what activates during downtime. - Fast Company
It’s easy to virtually collaborate. The hard part, of course, is convincing people that, when it comes to their regular work, staring through Fresnel lenses at an LCD screen a few inches from their eyes is somehow superior to a normal computer on their normal desk. - The New Yorker
Everything changes around you, but your internal organs are always there, always broadcasting signals to the brain, always playing their thorough bass in the grand music of life. - Psyche
