Stories

What The Outpouring Of Donor Support Says About The Future Of Public Media

The American public responded with an outpouring of support—contributing a jaw-dropping $290 million in new revenue. Now, we have the research to understand why that happened and, more importantly, how we turn this historic moment into a permanent foundation for public media’s future. - Greater Public

When Is Stereotyping Useful?

Generalising comes so naturally that few of us are at any risk of undergeneralising, so we give it little thought. The focus on overgeneralising is understandable given its potential costs, such as the child assuming that a dangerous dog is just like the friendly dogs they’ve encountered to date. - Aeon

American Universities Are In Parlous Shape. Here’s Why

Though elite colleges profess a faith in meritocracy and insist that they are engines of class mobility, in practice they reward the already rewarded. - The Nation

Actress Siân Phillips, 93, Is (Mostly) Retiring From The Stage

After having memory issues while rehearsing a production at Chichester Festival Theatre earlier this year, the revered star is stepping away from full-scale work. She will continue giving performances of a two-person show which she’s been doing for many years and will do a short Beckett play next year. - The Times (UK)

Why Is The New George Lucas Museum In LA Trying To Raise Money?

It is not a good look to say the least, for a billionaire museum founder to be hustling for visitors’ money. Why would Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, a successful executive in her own right who runs a large investment company, ask for any support beyond admission?  - The Art Newspaper

With Its Season In Doubt, Washington’s National Symphony Faces Existential Crisis

The orchestra’s audiences have diminished sharply since Trump took over the Kennedy Center. Those righteous liberals who think they are somehow striking back at Bad Orange Man by staying away are actually only hurting the musicians and other artists for whom the Center is a lifeline. - DC Citycast

The Mysterious Art Of Conducting

The very act of conducting—waving a wand to summon ravishing or ethereal or earsplitting sounds—can look like either inexplicable magic or embarrassing nonsense, a kind of tuxedoed air guitar. - The Atlantic

Looking Closely At The Original Manuscript Of A Mahler Symphony With Franz Welser-Möst

The composer’s handwritten score of his Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) was donated to the Cleveland Orchestra a few years ago, a gift which brought Welser-Möst, the organization’s longtime music director, to tears. He leads a reporter (and readers) through three pages of the manuscript which he finds especially fascinating. - The New York Times

Spotify Will Begin Labeling AI “Personas”

Spotify will begin labeling AI-generated artists with “AI Persona” profile tags and ban their music from its editorial and algorithmic recommendations, the company announced on Tuesday. - TechCrunch

The Complications Of Proving You’re Human

Now the problem is how to let in the good bots (like the avatar you send to the Gap to buy you a new pair of pants) and keep out the bad bots (like the thief trying to scrape the data of every Gap customer). The rest of us have to be our own bot detectors. - The New Yorker

Anthropic Says It Will Watermark All Text And Files Created In Claude

Anthropic said that all models released after August 2 will automatically have tech to watermark both computer-generated text and files. For files, the company is using the C2PA open standard. - TechCrunch

The Long, Delicate Process Of Getting The Bayeux Tapestry To London

The extremely careful handling of the fragile cloth and the custom-made equipment to protect the piece from vibrations while in transit weren’t the only part of the process: it was almost as complicated a project to get France to agree to the Tapestry being moved in the first place. - The Times (UK)

ATG, Major Broadway And West End Theatre Owner, Bought By Hollywood Superagent Ari Emanuel

ATG Entertainment (originally Ambassador Theatre Group) owns seven Broadway houses, ten London venues, numerous theatres in Europe, and the discount app TodayTix. Now Emanuel’s company Mari, which owns Frieze art fairs and two large pro tennis tournaments, has agreed to acquire ATG for a rumored $6 billion. - The Hollywood Reporter

Paramount Boss Threatens To Pull Out Of California Unless State Settles Lawsuit Against Warner Bros. Merger

“David Ellison is eager to reach a swift resolution in the antitrust case filed by 12 states seeking to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. And he’s prepared start moving Paramount out of California as soon as October unless the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, agrees to settlement talks.” - Variety

A Look At 75 Years Of History In The Juilliard Dance Division’s Archives

“A perusal of the archives shows how rich the Dance Division’s history has been, with a roster of teachers and students that reflects the arc of American dance in the 20th century. And the curriculum, a mix of ballet and modern dance, once seen as eccentric, now is the norm.” - The New York Times

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