For much of history, the nature of consciousness was the purview almost exclusively of philosophers and poets. It was not taken seriously as a legitimate subject for scientific inquiry because it was difficult, if not impossible, to do experiments. - Nautilus
The current infodemic isn’t just familiar because of this history. Culture constantly recycles materials: stories are re-told, revised and re-told again. - The Conversation
To fight back against the plagiarism and dispossession of Indigenous art, Mexico has approved a law meant to protect and safeguard the cultural heritage of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities. Whether the law actually works is another question. - The Verge
If we're feeling surveilled, it might be because our electronic gadgets never really turn off. Instead, they're "sleeping" - or perhaps lying in wait. "This is mostly a good thing, improving our lives, though I also worry it adds to our sense of disquiet." Er ... yes. - Slate
Or so says historian and science fiction author Ada Palmer. "As she sees it, societal progress may be stochastic, unpredictable, but certain constants shape its course. Just not the constants most people think, and not in the way they expect." - Wired
Devotees of a fringe theory are usually committed to more than one. They might start with just one, but fringes have a way of agglomerating. The second puzzle emerges when you scrutinise the first. The accumulation of fringe theories is often not random – it has a structure. - Aeon
Mobility, consumer expectations, and technology are evolving exponentially, and there is huge appetite for low-friction user experiences, on-demand delivery, and personalized manufacturing. These are the technologies that are completely reshaping this century’s consumer behavior. - Shelly Palmer
While much of the current critique of AI is still framed by science fiction dystopias, the way it is being used now is increasingly dangerous. We now rely on machines to make decisions for us and thereby increasingly substitute data-driven calculations for human judgment. - MIT Sloan Review
“We live in an era where the best way to make a dent on the world… may be simply to stand up and say something.” And yet, TED’s archive is a graveyard of ideas. - The Drift
Under the right circumstances and in the right doses, physical pain and emotional pain, difficulty and failure and loss, are exactly what we are looking for. - The Wall Street Journal
Julia Riew's senior thesis at Harvard is "complete with script, screenplay, and more than 15 original songs. Her Disney-inspired work tells the story of a Korean princess named Shimcheong, who’s based on a character from a Korean folktale." Hollywood has noticed. - MSN (Boston Globe)
Sure, "we like stories about education that feel true" - but this one simply isn't. And keep in mind that "those who want us to forget (or mis-remember) the past are very much committed to our giving up hope." - Hack Education
They confirmed, for instance, that on average, all over the world, animal species seem to be getting smaller. This runs contrary to a theory of evolution called Cope’s rule, which posits that species should increase in size over time. - Wired
