IDEAS

The gambit of Stanford literature professor Adrian Daub’s clarifying new book, The Cancel Culture Panic: How an American Obsession Went Global, is the contention that, in fact, we don’t really know what “cancel culture” is. - The New Republic

“This is the year that people really realized that you can build general-purpose robots,” she said. What is striking about these achievements is that they involve very little explicit programming. The robots’ behavior is learned. - The New Yorker

Nostalgia is a universal malady for which there is no effective remedy, and throughout its long history it has served politically diverse ends. - Washington Post

Sarah Zhang of The Atlantic: “Sometimes, before I understand intellectually why a story is interesting or good, if I feel myself emotionally gravitate to a story, it probably means there’s something there.” - Nieman Lab

“Much of mathematics is driven by intuition, by a deep-rooted sense of what should be true. But sometimes instinct can lead a mathematician astray.” Take the bunkbed hypothesis. - Wired

There actually were quite a few animals involved in the Colosseum, not to mention the naval battles - but probably no sharks. - Los Angeles Times

There is a flaw at the heart of the concept of scaling, though it can be hard to articulate in the face of “bigger is better.” Looking back to the roots of “scale” can help us pinpoint what conventional wisdom might be missing. - Harvard Business Review

Whether you do it while in the heart of the Amazon or on your walk to work, deep listening is a form of mindfulness. Mindfulness practice can strengthen attention, empathy, and compassion, increase positive emotions, help to control negative emotions, and reduce emotional exhaustion. - Psyche

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