Author: Douglas McLennan

Why Do Contemporary Philosophers Wall Off Part Of The World?

There is a great conundrum, or — if you prefer — a dark secret, about modern philosophy: while diversity is the lifeblood of philosophy, philosophy as we now find it in the United States (and equally elsewhere) has come to fear and shun diversity, specifically the diversity of philosophical opinion and argumentation from extra-European cultures. How did this happen? And why?

Our Phones Are Changing The Ways Families Behave

A new nationally representative survey about “screen time and device distractions” from the Pew Research Center indicates that it’s not just parents who think teenagers are worryingly inseparable from their phones—many teens themselves do, too. Fifty-four percent of the roughly 750 13-to-17-year-olds surveyed said they spend too much time absorbed in their phones, and 65 percent of parents said the same of their kids’ device usage more generally.

Why Historians Should Be Advising The Present

Historians are not seers; their analogies may be misplaced and their assessments can be wrong. Yet the idea of history constituting a valuable guide for present and future action was an established part of western culture. This makes sense. In recent decades, however, things have changed. The longstanding view of the historian as being, in modern jargon, ‘policy-relevant’, has fallen out of favour and often arouses suspicion.

Meet Glyndebourne’s New Artistic Director

With Stephen Langridge’s appointment, managerial responsibility has been split for the first time in many years. As artistic director he will share the task of steering the organisation with long-term insider Sarah Hopwood, until recently the company’s finance director but appointed managing director in May. Recent predecessors – such as Anthony Whitworth-Jones, who held the job from 1989 to 1998, David Pickard (2001-15), who now runs the BBC Proms, and Sebastian F Schwarz, who disappeared almost before he began in 2017 – held the top job alone.

What Dancers Can Sense From The Audience

There’s a dynamic relationship between live performers and the audience. Just as dancers, actors and musicians amuse, provoke or otherwise move their public, the public moves them. Muttering in the seats can be heard onstage. So can the odd argument and ringtones. The sounds and behaviors of spectators can affect dancers’ psychology and even performance quality. They’re energized by cheers, of course, and demoralized when they’re expecting applause or laughter and there’s only silence. But they pick up on far more.

What Political Contributions Do Museum Trustees Make (And What To Make Of It?)

Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art gave almost $8 million to political causes in 2016, with about 58 per cent of that total going to Republicans and conservatives. Perhaps less surprisingly, 89.5 per cent of contributions ($4.3 million) from Saint Louis Art Museum board members went to Republicans. However, in downtown LA – a mere limo ride from liberal Hollywood – trustees at the Museum of Contemporary Art also favoured Republicans and conservatives with over 70 per cent of the money they donated, to the tune of $11.1 million.

I Run From You: German Train Station To Play Schoenberg To Drive Out Drug Dealers

Deutsche Bahn — Germany’s national train operator — has come up with a confrontational approach. This autumn, it will try piping “atonal music” into a Berlin railway station, a spokesman confirmed Wednesday in an emailed statement. It is an attempt to make the station less comfortable for drug users. In explaining the move, an official told the publication Deutsche Welle that few people find such music beautiful, and that many perceive it as something to run away from.

Disabled Musicians Take The Proms

There are other orchestras in the UK for disabled musicians, notably conductor Charles Hazlewood’s British Paraorchestra, which was formed in 2011 to give disabled musicians the chance to perform. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has gone a stage further, treating music-making by disabled musicians as one of its core activities. Resound’s six musicians perform as a self-contained group, but also play as members of the larger orchestra.

NY Public Library Lets You Read Books On Instagram

The first novel published to the social media service is Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel, Alice in Wonderland. The surreal Wonderland-inspired graphics were designed by conceptual illustrator Magoz. The NYPL says they had hoped to mimic the feel and layout of classic books on the screen, with the innovative and engaging element of artistic design on select “pages.”