There is a lot of happy talk among gerontologists about how people can remain open to new ideas and able to reinvent their lives late in life, and that certainly happens with some individuals. But the truth of the matter is that fundamental change in mental outlooks becomes much less likely with age. - Persuasion
Even when we criticise individualism, we remain entrenched in individualist modes of thinking. Liberal and conservative, religious or secular, hip-hop or punk or country – in countries like the US, these are merely different names for the competing brands by which individuals define themselves. - Aeon
The art schools were easy to get into and their teachers were well regarded. The schools’ core view was that the postwar world would be creative, incorporating a number of disciplines. Their graduates would be in tune with culture. - The Wall Street Journal
Small wonder that the “Odyssey," a staple of the Western canon and the progenitor of so much, from sci-fi to rom-com, has been enjoying a bump in popularity of late. - The New York Times
Whether the still relatively young values of liberalism will survive, whether reading and writing will continue to be the underpinnings of culture, whether the constructs and algorithms of AI will replace the freedoms of selfhood, whether we will dominate and destroy nature or salvage and protect it: We now stand before these questions. - Washington Post
Though it may sound paradoxical, forgetting is an important part of learning: you forget what’s unimportant in order to focus on retaining what’s crucial. And on many occasions one might agree with Jane Austen that, in the context of social relationships, ‘a good memory is unpardonable.” - Psyche
To reimagine open space is not to think bigger—it is to think deeper. To look between, beneath, beyond. It is to ask: How do we shape space to be responsive? How do we design for encounter, for joy, for the unplanned but meaningful moments of connection? - Fast Company
hen untrained people, predisposed to fly off the handle, interact with emotionally neutral machines that have set higher ethical bars, will they or can they begin to adopt some of that tone and recognize the value of more composed and pro-social responses? Could AI be an emotionally soothing influence. - 3 Quarks Daily
Worldwide, this idea of investing in the creative industries has seen an uptick over the last decade as governments realize filmmaking, visual arts, music, fashion, design, dance, theater and craftsmanship can not only galvanize economies but also help countries present themselves in a positive light. - The New York Times
Although the story is not based on reality, the experience of the story makes it real. A study from 2017 showed that the themes that people consider most important in their lives align with the fictional stories that they say most resonate with them. - Psyche
Take this straightforward case and see how tricky it is in order to start building the cognitive muscles you’ll need when thinking about justice, God, truth, or love. It is the process, the struggle, that is important. And that is precisely what our contemporary AI eliminates. - 3 Quarks Daily
Researchers at the University of Arizona sought to better understand the neural mechanisms behind metaphor generation, a creative skill that plays an important role in how people understand complex concepts and communicate abstract ideas. - PsyPost
What repeatedly surprises about the history of free speech is its incurably accidental nature – reforms undertaken for one set of reasons generate unforeseen and quite different consequences – and, also, the cobbled-together quality of the debate. - London Review of Books
Opinions differ in part because scientists cannot even agree on a way of defining human intelligence, arguing endlessly over the merits and flaws of I.Q. tests and other benchmarks. Comparing our own brains to machines is even more subjective. - The New York Times
