Category: ideas

“When exactly did artists decide that they were different from ordinary mortals, that in all likelihood they were superior to the rest of us? Or, viewed differently, when were they granted such a privileged status? When did Western societies start venerating them as sensitive, misunderstood geniuses?” A new book suggests that the answer lies somewhere in the tumultuous 19th century…

The best writing in the New York Times? Jack Shafer maintains it’s the capsule movie reviews in the TV listings. “The capsules spend 20 words—and usually fewer—to pass informed judgment on movies. Even if you never intend to watch any of the films, the capsules make for good morning reading.”

Curator Ulich Obrist is about to have a long day. “On Friday evening he will sit down with his friend and soul-mate, the Dutch architect (and designer of this year’s temporary pavilion at the Serpentine) Rem Koolhaas, and interview more than 60 artists, writers, academics and commentators for 24 hours, non-stop. Between them they will chew the ears off Brian Eno (the warm-up, at 6pm), Damien Hirst (vampiric, at 4am), and the likes of Doris Lessing, Richard Rogers, Ken Loach, Richard Hamilton and Gilbert & George (fresh as daisies at 7am).”

“Multitasking may be necessary in today’s fast-paced world, but new research shows distractions affect the way people learn, making the knowledge they gain harder to use later.”

“As was the Encyclopédie, Wikipedia is a combination of manifesto and reference work. Peer review, the mainstream media, and government agencies have landed us in a ditch. Not only are we impatient with the authorities but we are in a mood to talk back. Wikipedia offers endless opportunities for self-expression. It is the love child of reading groups and chat rooms, a second home for anyone who has written an Amazon review.”

“Scholars… who are as comfortable firing off comments on blogs as they are pontificating at academic conferences, are beginning to question whether the printed book is the best format for advancing scholarship and communicating big ideas. In tenure and promotion, of course, the book is still king — the whole academic enterprise often revolves around it. But several scholars are using digital means to challenge the current model of academic publishing.”

“Not everyone seems to have noticed, but it’s clear we recently zipped past the ‘information economy’ and straight into the “copyright economy.” It’s no longer about access to information — everyone has access. Now it’s about ownership of the characters, stories, tunes, trademarks, software and other ephemera of our daily lives. Not surprisingly, thanks to this little shift in the economy, a new sport has arisen in the land. It’s called ‘extreme copyright,’ and the people who play this game are the ones who have me worried.”

Here’s “something researchers have known for decades: that mathematical models generally make more accurate predictions than humans do. Studies have shown that models can better predict, for example, the success or failure of a business start-up, the likelihood of recidivism and parole violation, and future performance in graduate school. They also trump humans at making various medical diagnoses, picking the winning dogs at the racetrack and competing in online auctions. Computer-based decision-making has also grown increasingly popular in credit scoring, the insurance industry and some corners of Wall Street.”

Science fiction writers have been writing about robots forever. Now, “a half-century after the term was coined, both scientists and engineers say they are making rapid progress in simulating the human brain, and their work is finding its way into a new wave of real-world products. The advances can also be seen in the emergence of bold new projects intended to create more ambitious machines that can improve safety and security, entertain and inform, or just handle everyday tasks.”