How did AlphaZero teach itself? The rules of the games were programmed into the system. Then, AlphaZero started to play itself. The more it played itself, the better it became. Over a few hours, it learned to play the games better than the games had ever been played.
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How Netflix Became The Best TV Network
While several networks gave us plenty of quality programming this year, including HBO, FX, and others, no other U.S.-based streaming service, broadcast or cable network released more terrific scripted TV shows this year than Netflix did. None.
Tibet’s Languages Are Disappearing, Says Researcher
The Tibetan Plateau is home to more than a dozen distinct local tongues, many of which come with their own elaborate character systems. Unfortunately, thanks to the growth of internet infrastructure and state-sponsored education, many of these lesser-spoken languages are now on the brink of extinction.
A Short Story Exposes Huge Gaps In The New Universe Of Literary Criticism
In this case, the media has been thrust in the position of the literary critic, drawing lines between the artwork and the broader culture. This isn’t a bad development, exactly—it’s great that a short story is making headlines. But it is also worth noting that the boundaries of literary criticism, at least as they are traditionally conceived, are being exceeded across the internet. The response to “Cat Person” is the latest evidence that we have entered new territory for online criticism, and no one quite knows what to make of it.
How Scammers Are Laundering Bitcoin Through iTunes
Some schemers are essentially laundering their bitcoins through song purchases on Apple-owned media store iTunes. Although it’s unlikely to be widespread, the approach results in a legitimate payment from Apple—meaning fraudsters are then largely free to use their ill-gotten gains however they see fit.
The Double Agent Classical Music Critic Inside The New York Times
John G. Briggs Jr. was a respected classical music critic and cultural reporter for the Times. But he had a second professional life that he hid from his bosses in New York. Writing under a pseudonym for a prominent South Carolina newspaper, the Times journalist delivered fire-breathing, race-baiting and occasionally anti-Semitic screeds attacking the “liberal” press and its alleged communist ties.
The Neuroscience Of Changing Your Mind
“Scientists have long accepted that our ability to abruptly stop or modify a planned behavior is controlled via a single region within the brain’s prefrontal cortex, an area involved in planning and other higher mental functions.” Now it seems that this consensus among scientists was, if not wrong, greatly oversimplified.
Why Are The Met’s Biggest Stars Dropping Out Of The New “Tosca” Production?
Since the Met first announced the new “Tosca” 10 months ago, the David McVicar production has lost its star tenor, Jonas Kaufmann; the soprano singing the title role, Kristine Opolais; its conductor, Andris Nelsons, who is married to Ms. Opolais; and his replacement, James Levine, who was suspended this month after being accused of sexual misconduct. Now the last remaining star of the originally-announced cast has withdrawn.
The New Television Transmission Standard That May Make Us All Upgrade Our TV Sets *Again*
“The vote on that standard” – called ATSC 3.0 – “was nearly as controversial as the net neutrality rollback, but far fewer people are talking about it. So let’s talk about it – and put it in context with the last time the federal government pushed us to upgrade our TVs.”
The Advisors Who Help The IRS Value Art
To be accurately taxed, an artwork needs to be accurately valued, and the owner who has to pay the tax can’t be expected to provide the last word. When an artwork is sold outright, the Internal Revenue Service needs no help in determining how much to tax; it has the purchase price and the sale price and it knows how to subtract. (The maximum federal tax rate on profits from the sale of art and collectibles is 28 percent, higher than the 15 to 20 percent for stocks.) Things get trickier, however, when an artwork passes to an heir or is given to a museum. The agency still needs to know, as of the date of death or donation, how much the art is worth, but without a current sale price that figure can be debatable.