“Bottlenose dolphins have been observed chattering while cooperating to solve a tricky puzzle – a feat that suggests they have a type of vocalisation dedicated to cooperating on problem solving. … Importantly, the researchers were able to show that the increase in chatter was directly related to the canister-opening task as opposed to social interactions between the dolphins.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Playing The Queen: The Tricks To Portraying Elizabeth II On Stage And Screen
“What is it like to play one of the most famous faces in the world – and what makes so many want to do so? … Two who have done exactly that on stage say there is one crucial element for getting into character …”
Scenes From Antony Sher’s Falstaff Diaries
“Tuesday 10 September – ‘How do you learn all those lines?’ This question is the one that the public most frequently ask of actors. We laugh about it, laugh at them for being so shallow – as though learning lines were the great mystery in acting. Well, I’ve stopped laughing. It’s an age thing.”
Bret Easton Ellis Sees ‘American Psycho’ On Broadway
“My first impression is that it’s strange that something I wrote 30 years ago is a musical on Broadway. To witness its tortured history, from this thing that was a quasi-victim of censorship to a mainstream Broadway musical, makes me feel very, very old.”
There Are Secret Rooms Hidden In The Abandoned Manholes Of Milan
“Throughout the Lodi district of Milan, Italy, artist Biancoshock has transformed abandoned manholes into miniature subterranean rooms. Beneath the pavement, in vacant maintenance vaults, a cupid painting in a gaudy frame hangs in a tiny pink living room; a boxy kitchen is stocked with pots and pans; and a blue-tiled bathroom is complete with shower and towel.”
Parisians Greet New Les Halles Canopy In Parisian Style – With A Shrug
“Three weeks after the anxious official unveiling … and five years after construction began, the appraisal of skeptical Parisians, it seems, is like the face the city presents to the world: reserved and critical, but not unwelcoming. At least, they are learning to live with it, if only because it is going nowhere.”
Library Anxiety (Yes, It’s A Thing)
“That term is hardly a household name among students, but say it to a college librarian, and he or she will know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s the feeling that one’s research skills are inadequate and that those shortcomings should be hidden. In some students it’s manifested as an outright fear of libraries and the librarians who work there. … ‘Why would anyone think we are intimidating?’ writes Michel C. Atlas. ‘What is intimidating about a master’s-prepared professional earning $35,000 a year?'”
While All Britain Fetes Shakespeare, Spain’s Cervantes Celebrations Fall Short
“Spanish officials have been accused of not doing enough to promote Cervantes, … [and] the criticism has taken on a distinctly political flavor. … Spanish officials insist that such criticism is misplaced, saying the government never sought to take full control over how Cervantes should be honored, nor foot the entire bill for the celebration.”
Bach With Beer: Two Critics Assess A Bar Concert
“Peter Dobrin: The Baroque cello, with its sheep and cow gut strings, is a pretty quiet instrument. Did it come across for you? And was this your first non-vegan cello experience?
Samantha Melamed: It was my first, ahem, visceral cello experience.”
Met’s Money Woes And MoMA’s Millions: Today’s Art World In Microcosm
“Modern and contemporary art dominate the action these days – in auction houses and galleries, as well as museums. Everyone wants in, including a revered institution like the Met, which is striving to play catch-up even as it is struggling to pay the bills.”