A survey of 1,700 research scientists by sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund found that “22 percent of those who describe themselves as atheists also consider themselves to be spiritual.” So she interviewed 275 of them to find out just what they mean by that.
Tag: 05.25.11
Spies Searching For Software That Can Decode Metaphors
“A small research arm of the U.S. government’s intelligence establishment wants to understand how speakers of Farsi, Russian, English, and Spanish see the world by building software that automatically evaluates their use of metaphors. That’s right, metaphors, like Shakespeare’s famous line, ‘All the world’s a stage,’ or more subtly, ‘The darkness pressed in on all sides’.”
A Yankee Composer In The Aftermath Of The Prague Spring
Martin Bresnick remembers a visit to the Czech capital less than two years after the Soviet occupation: a whirlwind city tour during a blizzard, a spontaneous demonstration during aperformance of Don Giovanni, and a public humiliation at the hands of composer/ideologue Luigi Nono.
Wilton’s Music Hall Bid For Renovation Funding Rejected
“Wilton’s Music Hall has had its £2.25 million application to the Heritage Lottery Fund rejected and now faces being closed by this autumn if nothing is done. … The London venue needs £3.5 million to make it structurally sound, and believed it could raise £1.25 million itself towards the total with the lottery money making up the rest.”
Putting On Opera At, But Not In, Sydney Opera House
“The disadvantage of going to the opera at the Sydney Opera House is that you can’t see Joern Utzon’s architectural masterpiece while you’re sitting in it. Solution: Opera Australia is to turn the opera-going experience inside out by putting a production of La Traviata on Sydney Harbour with views of the Opera House behind the stage.”
Modernizing Cambodian Classical Dance
After years of performing with some of the greats of modern dance, Emmanuele Phuon “had begun wondering whether she might apply modern Western techniques to the traditional Khmer styles of her homeland. After all, Phuon observes, the two styles have more in common than what might be immediately apparent.”
Sydney Theatre Company Pulls In Crowds And Profits
“Big stars, classic productions and the pulling power of one of Australia’s best known international actresses has fuelled higher profits, bigger audiences and helped attract new corporate sponsors and private donors for the Sydney Theatre Company.”
Just Do It! (My Way!) American Culture Feeds Confirmation Bias
“In both overt and subtle ways, Americans are constantly being encouraged to take action, and exposure to such messages makes us more liable to ignore dissenting ideas.”
James Joyce, In 140-Character Bites
“What would James Joyce think of Twitter? More important, what would his handle be? It’s impossible not to imagine the inherent fun the great English-language experimentalist would find in translating his voluminous ideas onto the 140-character template, or at least the irresistible challenge.”
How Commercials make Us Believe Things That Never Happened
“It turns out that vivid commercials are incredibly good at tricking the hippocampus (a center of long-term memory in the brain) into believing that the scene we just watched on television actually happened. “