Yes, Chris Hughes’ argument that Facebook needs to be broken up is strong. But it may simply be too late. “In effect, all media lives downstream of a large attention river where Facebook has dammed the flow, only to sell your water back to you—water that you used to receive naturally.” – Wired
Category: issues
When The Old Soviet Union “Thawed” And Became Fascinated With Western Culture
Just as the CIA sponsored leftist magazines and abstract expressionism to assert American cultural supremacy (and to make censorship seem like something that only happened in communist countries), the Thaw mobilized the availability of Western art to combat the image of the Soviet Union as a repressive regime. Cultural exchange programs and film industry trade agreements were part and parcel of this. – The New Republic
Strong Links Between Air Pollution And Dementia
The evidence is so compelling, in fact, that many leading researchers now believe it’s conclusive. “I have no hesitation whatsoever to say that air pollution causes dementia,” says Caleb Finch, gerontologist and the leader of USC’s Air Pollution and Brain Disease research network, which has completed many of these new studies. – Wired
As Ethical Controversies Arise Around Their Donors And Collections, Can Museums Correct Themselves? Can They Afford (Not) To?
“In the space of barely a year, the very foundations of museums — the money that sustains them, the art that fills them, the decision makers that run them — have been called into question. And there’s no end to questioning in sight.” Holland Carter considers the issues. – The New York Times
How Crowdfunding Site Patreon Helps (And Doesn’t) Creators Who Use It
Reporter Mathew Olson: “I interviewed thirteen Patreon users to get a sense how they feel about the platform and the state of crowdfunding more generally. I tried to speak with users across a wide range of creative output and Patreon income levels — though, I’ll admit, folks whose work concerns video games are perhaps overrepresented.” – Digg
Blunt Instrument: The Complexity Of Using Quotas To Drive Equity
“In the future, 50/50 ideologies fade to dust because they are too narrow, too binary and mistake equality for equity or justice. To paraphrase political activist Angela Davis, equality is not to be understood as achieving status or parity with white, able-bodied, cis men because that status is contingent on the oppression of other peoples. In the future, everyone has transformed the meaning of patriarchy so that it no longer operates by domination. This has been done without loss of men or manhood.” – Arts Professional
Scientists Are Exploring An Ancient Country North Of England That Was Submerged The Last Time The Seas Rose
The ancient country, known as Doggerland, which could once have had great plains with rich soils, formed an important land bridge between Britain and northern Europe. It was long believed to have been hit by catastrophic flooding. Using seabed mapping data the team plans to produce a 3D chart revealing the rivers, lakes, hills and coastlines of the country. Specialist survey ships will take core sediment samples from selected areas to extract millions of fragments of DNA from the buried plants and animals. – The Guardian
Philadelphia Begins Pilot Cultural Pass Program For Employees Of Two Major Local Institutions
“The Philadelphia Cultural Pass will provide free tickets to any of the roughly 40,000 Penn Medicine and 6,800 Drexel [University] employees working full-time or more than half-time. … At the moment the supporting institutions are Penn Medicine and Drexel, which will provide operating funds to the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Kimmel Center. The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is also a partner.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
05.08.19
Hong Kong’s Long-Delayed New Arts Mecca Is About To Start Hemorrhaging Executives
Five key high-level staffers of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority didn’t renew their contracts and are leaving between now and the fall. And one much-anticipated venue in the WKCD, a flexible theatre called The Box at Freespace, did not open as scheduled last month; another, the contemporary visual art center M+, was supposed to open two years ago and may not open for another two. – South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Study: Participating In Arts Boosts Sense Of Wellbeing
Commissioned by BBC Arts, it represents the first time that researchers have explored how creative activities, such as acting in a play, singing in a choir, or playing an instrument or painting, can help manage emotions and mood. It found three main ways in which people use creativity as coping mechanisms to control emotions. – The Stage