Leonard Susskind argues that we don’t. He says that “dating back to the Ancient Greeks, what’s often been perceived as elegant simplicity was almost always a fiction or an approximation covering for a much messier reality.” – Aeon
How Can You Be A Street Artist When The Streets Are Restricted?
Street artists get their juice from the urban landscape. But performers don’t have crowds to perform for. And while street painters have plenty of urban canvas, there’s not many out to see it. – The New York Times
Is It Feasible To Reopen Cinemas With A Max Of 50 People Per Screen? Norway Is Trying It
Movie theaters in Norway will reopen on May 7 with a mandatory minimum of one meter of space between each audience member and no more than 50 patrons total in any one space. (These rules follow those of Sweden, which did not close its cinemas when the novel coronavirus arrived.) If everything goes smoothly, the limit will be increased to 200 patrons per screen on June 15. – Variety
What Classic Plague Lit Tells Us About COVID — And About Its Aftermath
“The primary lesson of plague literature, from Thucydides onwards, is how predictably humans respond to such crises. Over millennia, there has been a consistent pattern to behaviour during epidemics: the hoarding, the panicking, the fear, the blaming, the superstition, the selfishness, the surprising heroism, the fixation with the numbers of the reported dead, the boredom during quarantine.” – The Guardian
Beijing Reopens Forbidden City, Museums, Parks
“The Forbidden City, past home to China’s emperors, is allowing just 5,000 visitors daily, down from 80,000. And parks are allowing people to visit at 30% of the usual capacity. … Large-scale group activities remain on hold and visitors must book tickets in advance online.” – AP