IDEAS

The configuration and language of the four directions is common to many—though not all—cultures. - LitHub

Unlike bones, we can’t dig up ancient languages to study how they developed over time. While we may be unable to study the true evolution of human language, perhaps a simulation could provide some insights. That’s where AI comes in—a fascinating field of research called emergent communication. - Singularity Hub

True crime, also known as “murder shows” and “murder podcasts,” really appeal to more women than men. Why? “Most of the true crime I watch reflects a black and white moral universe where victims ultimately get justice, even if it is delayed.” - The New York Times

Turns out playing a game makes you smarter - but only at playing that game. - The Conversation (Fast Company)

“If I can’t get my mind off current events even in a movie where acclaimed character actor Simon McBurney bites the head off a pigeon, what hope is there for any other Oscar contender?” - Vulture

The thing is, "We invent technology. Technology doesn’t invent us.” (Take that, “AI art.”) - Wired

In short, we assume that, thanks to science, there is a recipe of sorts for how the laws of nature work. - Aeon

What is needed is a path forward that allows us to cope with tragedy and injustice without abandoning the value of people we care about or the issues we find important. We long for solutions that ease our anxiety but also provide us with reasons to live. - 3 Quarks Daily

I have guitars in my writing room. But I don’t think of it as “procrastinating” but as, you know, “getting ready.” - LitHub

Although education is linked to better cognitive skills and health, it does not appear to alter the brain’s physical structure in the long run. Researchers suggest that any initial structural impact may be temporary or too small to detect with MRI technology. - Neuroscience News

Perhaps you don’t want to reward The New York Times for not settling with its digital workers (they have a handy Games site here), but if you’re feeling stressed right now, there’s a reason you’re doing crosswords somewhere (or Wordle or Connections equivalents). - The New York Times

“The Cultural Olympiad (can’t we go back to the friendlier Arts Festival?) is special. It is the only aspect of the Olympics that needn’t be politicized or commercialized.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

“The rabbit holes and the unexpected obsessions are what’s beautiful about searching the internet; but AI, like the tech companies developing it, is obsessed with efficiency and optimization.” - The Atlantic

Today, we are rapidly becoming ‘tech-vexed’ – my word for the gradual yet relentless seduction of computerised life. The COVID-19 pandemic simply accelerated a trend: many of us are now more intimately connected to smartphones than to nonmediated relationships with people. - Aeon

The background condition of this discussion is our current state of permacrisis: the collision of multiple critical problems whose conjunction renders effective response to any one of them impossible. Crisis demands a response, but too much of it strains our abilities. - The Walrus