The program, budgeted for 2022, is similar to those established in France (€300) and Italy (€500). A key difference is that the money will be divided so that not all of it can be spent only on theater tickets or books or opera. - The Local (Spain)
Mr. Gniewek (pronounced NYEH-vik), a violinist whose solos invariably drew acclaim, was just 25 in 1957 when he was named the orchestra’s concertmaster. He had two obstacles to overcome. - The New York Times
More than 18 months since the coronavirus pandemic hit Britain, its long-term effects on the country’s museums are becoming clear. Months of closures have caused havoc with their finances, and as a consequence, many museums expect to be strapped for years. - The New York Times
It takes months and months to apply for and get cleared for visas to come to the US. Hundreds of international artists have had to cancel gigs in the US. - Los Angeles Times
Rules restricting the use of wood in UK buildings are hampering the switch to low-carbon building methods, according to timber architecture expert Andrew Waugh. - Dezeen
If sex is everywhere, it’s also nowhere: as birth rates plunge globally, we are engaging in the act less and less. The significance of this change shouldn’t be underestimated, as how we conceptualise sex and relationships is at the root of how we organise our societies. - The Conversation
How a receptor detects a smell remains a deep riddle to scientists. The odorant’s shape appears to determine which olfactory receptors it binds to; beyond that, we have no idea why molecules smell as they do. - Believer
"What, then, do Rumi and his followers on the Sufi 'path of love' really mean when they say 'love'? The answer turns out to be more radical than even the most far-fetched of modern misreadings of this erotic spiritual tradition." - Psyche
“Social media has gone from techno-utopianism to dystopic weaponization. Perhaps Timothy Leary was more accurate than he realized when he branded the internet the new LSD. Tomorrow’s brainwashers could not help exploring the possibilities.” - Washington Post
"Is the story 'rich comedian attacks marginalized community' or 'Black comedian attacks elite consensus'? … Why are Caitlyn Jenner jokes (greater) grounds for cancellation than ones about white bitches getting tear-gassed? … He dares critics to take unequal offense, and prove his point about a hierarchy of suffering." - The Atlantic
"Musicians and writers, artists and architects, photographers and filmmakers listening, arguing and creating with each other, … drawing inspiration from the collectivizing impulse of the Harlem Renaissance, … these groups explored a range of approaches to fostering culture and community." - T — The New York Times Style Magazine
The Taliban’s stance on music forbids people from enjoying and participating in cultural activities, and violates the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. - The Conversation
Computer Space made its debut in 1971 at a trade show for pinball machines and jukeboxes. (Its creators founded Atari and released Pong the following year.) The common story is that it was too complicated for bar patrons, but that wasn't the real problem. - The Conversation
More and more, findings in deep learning are inspiring new theories of how our brains work. Neural networks need to “dream” of weird, senseless examples to learn well. - Nautilus
