When we’re told that something we see as ordinary – like eating meat – is actually wrong, our first reaction is to get irritated and dismissive. If it’s not about bacon, it’s about plastic straws. Or a phrase we’ve been using for years but is now considered offensive. Or having to share your pronouns. - Aeon
We flaunt long workweeks and disdain anyone working less than full-time. But we’re likewise seduced by get-rich-quick schemes and “labor-saving” gimmicks. The rich may work long hours, but much of their income is passive, the fruit of asset appreciation and other people’s labor. - Commonweal
Paradigms and normal science? Sure. But the truly radical idea here is that outsiders—in this case, historians—can offer better insight into the inner workings of a profession than the practitioners themselves. - The New Republic
Overall, we can think of a crisis as an emergency situation requiring a bold decision to go in one direction rather than another. So what wisdom does history offer for helping us to understand what it takes for governments to act boldly – and effectively – in response to a crisis? - Aeon
People who relish mental challenges are not necessarily more intelligent – although some research has found that, on average, they score higher on fluid intelligence, the ability to solve problems and think logically. - Psyche
Instead of a measurable, quantifiable thing that exists independently out in the world, we suggest that intelligence is a label, pinned by humanity onto a bag stuffed with a jumble of independent traits that helped our ancestors thrive. - Aeon
Scientists working in the emerging field of epigenetics have discovered the mechanism that allows lived experience and acquired knowledge to be passed on within one generation, by altering the shape of a particular gene. - The Guardian
The rise of web-connected LLMs is rapidly undermining traditional web publishing. It’s clear industry professionals are deeply concerned. LLMs reduce human web traffic, evade ads, and scrape content without proper attribution, all of which erode publisher revenue. - Shelly Palmer
Remember Encarta? That was a Microsoft product. But in 1994, even "the oldest-school tech giant of them all, IBM, found the strangest of bedfellows in Playboymagazine, whose famous interviews it collected on disc.” But the internet was coming. - Fast Company
“Go to any awards show red carpet and you will find teams and teams of people clutching clipboards. You know what’s on those clipboards? Hundreds and hundreds of pictures of people’s faces with their names underneath. ... What hope does a poor vox-popper have in comparison?” - The Guardian (UK)
New Dame Imelda Staunton said, “I feel that this honour also recognises the importance of the arts in this country. Theatre, film and television are essential to our wellbeing, stand at the heart of our culture and are admired throughout the world.” - The Guardian (UK)
Writers and media outlets are slapping disclaimers and “No AI” declarations on blogs and websites. A classical radio station in Omaha issued a “No AI” pledge, and the Perth Comic Arts Festival put out a statement banning AI-generated media from its event. - The Atlantic
Today, it is generally assumed that the arts and humanities are more feminine than the sciences. Comparing the two eras shows that our 21st-century assumptions are just as wrong-headed as those of the 19th century. - Nautilus
