The set of symbols known in the Rapa Nui language as rongorongo is the only indigenous system of writing known to have developed among Pacific Islanders. Only an elite minority of Rapa Nui people could ever read it, and they died out before mainland scholars could record their knowledge. What’s more, only 26 examples of rongorongo have survived. Is there any hope of ever deciphering this script? It would seem not, but the same was once said of Egyptian hieroglyphics … – Atlas Obscura
“Medium” Was A Hot New Publishing Experiment. Now It’s A Mess And Laying Off Staff
“Medium in all its complexity: a publishing platform used by the most powerful people in the world; an experiment in mixing highbrow and lowbrow in hopes a sustainable business would emerge; and a devotion to algorithmic recommendations over editorial curation that routinely caused the company confusion and embarrassment.” – The Verge
The Pandemic Was, For Some, An Inadvertent Artist Residency
The fact that freelancers could (finally) tap into unemployment through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance programs changed, well, everything. Sarah Rose Sharp: “In my experience, the best conditions for making art involve getting paid to make art where I’ve already built the infrastructure that enables me to make art. Since March of 2020, that’s what I’ve done, and it’s been a productive year.” – Hyperallergic
Even As Life Shifted Dramatically Thanks To The Virus, Mariachi Bands Played On
How? With weddings, quinceñeras, and life’s joyful moments generally canceled, mariachi bands’ calendars have filled with funerals for friends, family members, and even fellow band members. “As the caskets go into the ground, many mariachi bands in California, Texas, Illinois and elsewhere have turned to playing songs of pain and sorrow to ease the passing. Even for the bands used to playing at funerals before the pandemic, the sweep of death has been overwhelming.” – The New York Times
The Globe Will Reopen This Summer, With Strict Protocols Including No Intermissions
Arrival times will be staggered, drinks and snacks must be pre-ordered, and the audience can go to the bathroom when it needs to – but there will be absolutely no stopping a play once it begins. Shakespeare might feel a bit too real. Consider Romeo and Juliet. There will be no need “to deny the hell of that play, the dystopia of that play, the broken society, the police brutality. Shakespeare does not shy away from the difficult conversations and neither will we.” – The Guardian (UK)
More Fun With NFTs: Virtual House Sells For $500k
Mars House—which is staged on Mars in the promotional video—was designed in May 2020 using what is called “Meditative Design” principles. Jeff Schroeder, guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins, partnered with Krista Kim to provide a prog-rock-inspired and suitably space-y accompanying soundtrack. – The Architect’s Newspaper
Can We Preserve Brains? Can We Preserve You?
The implications surrounding a human brain-preservation technique that can keep the entire connectome intact are profound. If indeed, you are your connectome, defined by all the memories and essences of you imprinted in its structure, then it’s essentially you that’s preserved. Your connectomic self. – Aeon
How The Meanings Of Words Flip From Negative To Positive
“Today innovation is one of the most hallowed words in the contemporary lexicon. That onetime pariah term is now revered. Linguists call this process one of “semantic shift,” a significant change in a word’s meaning. Examples of such shifts are no further than Google News: cookie, cancel, gay, pod.” – The American Scholar
Literature Of Contagion: When Writers Tell Stories Of Plagues, How Do They End?
Edgar Allan Poe ended his short story with “Darkness and Decay and the Red Death [holding] illimitable dominion over all.” Others, from Daniel Defoe to Mary Shelley to Jack London, leave only a few survivors behind. José Saramago and Albert Camus handle things more subtly but perhaps more painfully. Jill Lepore gives us a look. – The New Yorker
Michigan Opera Theatre Charts A Bold New Course
“This is a moment for change. Casting singers of color is really easy, but my focus has been on composers, librettists, conductors. I’m thinking about this season as a statement of principles, and that’s what I hope for going forward.” – The New York Times
China’s Architects Turn Attention To Ailing Villages
After a couple of decades of enormous urban growth led to thousands of emptied-out villages, both Chinese government policy and the mood of ordinary people there have turned toward the countryside and its revitalization. Architects are joining the effort, using traditional building methods and materials to create less expensive structures that are easy and cheap to maintain. – The Guardian
Berlin Philharmonic Sells Out Tickets In Three Minutes For First Concert Back
At the Philharmonic’s concert, strict rules were in place to reduce the risk of contagion. Spectators were required to give their names when purchasing the tickets, which were not transferable. – The Local (Germany)
A COVID-Safe Mask Opera Singers Can Really Sing In
Dr. Sanziana Roman, an endocrine surgeon at UCSF who was once a voice major at Cornell (and who can sew as well), worked with San Francisco Opera to develop a two-ply mask, made of cotton muslin and polyester corset boning, that allows a full range of facial and jaw motion. The company is already using the masks to rehearse for its outdoor production of The Barber of Seville next month. – San Francisco Chronicle
How Broadway Is Connecting With Fans Through A Virtual Stage Door
Old platforms have pivoted, new ones have emerged. And now any fan, with just a few smartphone taps, can arrange a video message, a live chat or even a private coaching session with a favorite star. – The New York Times
Unprecedented: The Smithsonian Is Searching For Six Museum Directors
The institution has never searched for six directors simultaneously — although it has never had to develop two new museums at once, either. The absences come at a jarring time, when normal operations are in flux and finances are strained. – Washington Post