The experiment has already dipped into some North American venues where the virtual likeness of deceased crooner Roy Orbison received mixed reviews a few months ago. Opera singer Maria Callas was also resurrected in a performance some critics say looked more like she was a floating ghost than a physical entity. Glenn Gould will be added to the hologram circuit in 2019, with the late Canadian pianist accompanied by live orchestras as part of a tour organized in co-operation with his estate. – Toronto Star
Author: Douglas McLennan
Reconciling Rich Board Members And Their Compromised Money
It’s a particularly stark reminder that no organization is purely good when money is the major organizing principle. The art and search for meaning that constitute the best expression of humanity will always be diluted here. In this case it’s cut by the worst expression of humanity, war. It’s also a stark reminder that people with blood on their hands will always have a chance to rehabilitate their image. – The Baffler
What Happens When Critics Change Their Mind?
So much of critical authority depends on confidence of opinion. To change your mind risks undermining that authority, an act of self-subversion. But I still think the better path is honesty. – The New Republic
Music As Universal Language? It Starts With Something Local
“Conceptually, one might argue, Western classical music is tailor-made for global promulgation since a score written in country A in year X could theoretically be rendered equally well by musicians in either country B in year Y or country C in year Z. But, of course, thanks to the advent of recording technology well over a century ago, those folks in A, B, and C can now easily listen to each other. As a result, any locally made music has the possibility of reaching a global audience. ” – NewMusicBox
Director Of The Uffizi Demands Germany Return Painting
Eike Schmidt, who is German himself, said Berlin had a moral duty to give back the painting, Vase of Flowers, by the 18th century Dutch artist Jan van Huysum. It was looted from Florence by German soldiers in 1944 and is now owned privately by a German family. – The Telegraph (UK)
New Thinking On How The Mind Predicts Behavior
A revolutionary, and now widely accepted, countermodel to Freud’s scheme goes by the term “predictive mind.” The theory comes in different flavors, but overall it holds that automatic processes play a central role in the mind, allowing us to predict events quickly and accurately as they arise. Learning, experience and consciousness constantly improve our implicit, or unconscious, predictions, and we take note of events only when the predictions fail. – Scientific American
Millions Of Cable Subscribers Lose Access To Local Stations In Fees Dispute
Tribune, which controls 33 broadcast stations across the affected markets, had asked Charter to pay more than twice what it currently does for the same content going forward, said Charter spokeswoman Nathalie Burgos. “That is more than we pay any other broadcaster. They’re not being reasonable,” Charter said in a statement. – Washington Post
London’s Nightclubs Are Dying. Berlin, By Contrast Is Investing In Its Night Life
London’s mistreatment of its nightlife is such a tragedy. A city without clubs is a colorless place, and allowing them to disappear means marginalized communities vanish; young people flee the city, and arts and creativity suffer. With London fast becoming a playground for developers and a city that only the rich can afford it would do well to replicate Berlin’s example. – CityLab
Why Big Media Couldn’t Extend Copyright Terms Yet Again (And What It Means To The Public Domain)
The rise of the Internet and its remix culture means that a lot of people now benefit from a growing public domain in ways that weren’t true in 1998. That includes big companies like Google, but it also includes grassroots communities like Wikipedia editors and Reddit users. – Ars Technica
Small Niche Cable Channels Are Being Dropped As Audience Flees Cable
The rise of cord-cutting (people ditching cable packages for cheaper digital options) is beginning to reduce financial margins at cable and satellite providers, and channels that aren’t driving a lot of viewership are paying the price. – Axios