Corbyn said: “The arts are a common inheritance that make our society culturally richer and put a smile on all our faces. We must cherish them and protect them. “Labour’s national strategy for the arts will embrace our rich cultural heritage from William Shakespeare to Ben Okri, Mary Quant to Tim Berners-Lee, delivering a national cultural renaissance.” – The Stage
Author: Douglas McLennan
Research: Extraordinary People Are More Likely To Be Polymaths
Studies have found that Nobel Prize-winning scientists are about 25 times more likely to sing, dance or act than the average scientist. They are also 17 times more likely to create visual art, 12 times more likely to write poetry and four times more likely to be a musician. – BBC
France Pledged Restitution Of African Artifacts. Little Has Happened Since
Two years since Mr. Macron pledged in a speech in Burkina Faso to enable “the temporary or permanent restitution of African heritage to Africa,” little additional progress has been made. – The New York Times
Hollywood’s Blockbusters Are Squeezing Out Everything Else
“These huge franchise pictures are elbowing out midrange and lower-budget movies. It’s harder for midsize movies to get theaters in the first place, much less hold onto them long enough to build an audience.” – The New York Times
In 1988 The Shroud Of Turin Was Declared A Fraud. But…
Oddly the original data was unavailable to researchers. But in 2017, a legal request under the Freedom of Information Act obtained the raw information for the first time. Their results, published recently in Archaeometry, show that the issue of the dating of the Turin Shroud is far from settled. – The Daily Beast
How Taylor Swift Took On Equity Firms Over Ownership Of Her Music
At a time of public outrage over corporate greed and a heightened awareness of gender-based power dynamics, the 29-year-old Ms. Swift was able to turn a commercial dispute into a cause célèbre. – The New York Times
Struggling To Make Sense Of Today’s Politics? Fan-Fiction Might Help
It’s a growing genre. Political fiction has always existed, but now many writers are re-imagining our contemporary political landscape in political ways that make sense to them. – The New York Times
Men Use Metal Detectors To Find Millions In Viking Treasure
Four men face years of incarceration for failing to report Viking treasure worth an estimated $3 million. Police say the find has national importance for Anglo-Saxon coinage and for a greater understanding of a critical time in British history. Some of the recovered coins are helping scholars rewrite history, according to police. – Washington Post
Artist’s Light Installation Lets People On Either Side Of The US/Mexico Border Talk To One Another
On either side of the border, there are three stations, each with a microphone, speaker and tuning wheels that control a searchlight, that can be seen from a 50-kilometre radius. When your light beam intersects with someone else’s in the sky, a two-way audio connection opens up and you can talk to the other person through the microphone. – CBC
Survey: Three-Quarters Of UK Youth Have Never Heard Of Mozart
Three quarters of young people in Britain have never heard of Mozart, a survey reveals. One in five think composer Johann Bach – who died in 1750 – is still alive. – The Daily Mail