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What Our Behavior In Masses Means For Predicting The Future

Rapid progress in information technology has led to the ‘big data’ revolution, in which gigantic quantities of information can be obtained and processed. Patterns of human behaviour can be extracted from records of credit-card purchases, telephone calls and emails. Words suddenly becoming more common on social media, such as ‘demagogue’ during the 2016 US presidential election, can be clues to hot political issues. – Aeon

Does Watching Lots Of TV Make You Dumber And More Likely To Vote For Populists? New Study Says Yes

Yascha Mounk: “These claims … sound far too much like the sort of thing educated people want to believe. But a meticulous new paper published in the American Economic Review, one of the world’s most prestigious social-science journals, suggests that there might be truth to these clichés.” At least in Italy, among those who watched channels owned by Silvio Berlusconi. – The Atlantic

Star Immersive Art Collective Meow Wolf Sued For Gender Discrimination And Unfair Labor Practices

“Two former employees of Santa Fe-based immersive arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf allege in a new lawsuit they were subjected to discrimination and unfair pay practices, and then wrongfully fired after bringing complaints to senior staff. … [They] also are seeking to have their case recognized as a class action, representing more than 50 female workers of Meow Wolf the women say have been affected by unfair labor practices since 2017.” – Santa Fe New Mexican

Despite Ongoing Criticism, British Museum Endorses BP As Sponsor

“Amid growing pressure for cultural institutions to cut ties with the controversial oil company, … [British Museum director Hartwig] Fischer said today that BP’s support for the museum over the years has helped ‘create unique learning opportunities’, such as the forthcoming exhibition Troy, Myth and Reality (21 November-8 March 2020). ‘This sort of support is vital to [the museum’s] mission,’ he said.” – The Art Newspaper

Douglas Crimp, Pathbreaking Art Historian, Dead At 74

“[He] penned some of the most important art-historical essays of the second half of the 20th century, including ‘Pictures’ and ‘On the Museum’s Ruins’ … [and his] influence has been vast. His writings explored a vast range of topics, from image circulation to institutional critique to art and AIDS. It has become impossible to write the history of postmodern art without referring at least once to his criticism.” – ARTnews

Pianist Radu Lupu To Retire From Performing

“Lupu, now 73, has long frustrated his admirers: he last recorded in the mid-1990s, is absent from social media, and refuses to be interviewed. His health has been in decline; in the last two years he has cancelled appearances with increased frequency. In May, Arcady Volodos replaced him in Paris; earlier this month, Maria João Pires did the same in Berlin, coming out of her own retirement.” – WFMT (Chicago)

Alvin Ailey Company’s Second-In-Command To Step Down

“Masazumi Chaya, the associate artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1991, will retire on Jan. 5, 2020, after the company’s annual City Center season. But he’ll still be involved with the organization: After he steps down, Mr. Chaya, 72, will be in charge of a licensing project that will assist in the restaging of Ailey’s works.” – The New York Times

The Museumification Of Venice

Nearly 5 million tourists visited the city in 2017, compared with 2.7 million in 2002, according to data from the city’s hotels, which do not take into account the thousands of bookings with Airbnb Inc. and similar services. Meanwhile, the resident population has shrunk below 60,000. – Bloomberg