🌍 Culture

• 🖨️Reclaiming the Cliché

  What is it that makes the output of large language models and other varieties of generative AI so interesting, and then so boring? For me the most useful operative metaphor for AI’s promise and problems is the cliche.

• 🧠Wise Guise

  People have been debating what counts as wisdom for a long, long time. Indeed, arguably the oldest literature we have is wisdom literature.

• 🎨A Rose By Any Other Name

  Explore how a groundbreaking study using paint chips reveals universal patterns in how cultures distinguish colors.

• 🤔Intellectual Humility

  Psychologists and philosophers are working to tease apart the ways we respond to new ideas and information — and the possible benefits of intellectual humility.

• 🌍What Is Cultural Evolution?

  Explore how cultural evolution shapes societies and predicts future changes, from songbirds' trills to the spread of lactose tolerance.

• 🕯️What the World Has to Learn from the Philosophy of Afro-Brazilian Religions

  Explore how Afro-Brazilian religions blend diverse spiritual elements to address modern life’s complexities.

• 🌐How to Develop a Belief Network

  Studying the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior.

• 🎧The Birth of Hip Hop

  Travel back to a legendary Bronx party on August 11, 1973, where DJ Kool Herc's innovative performance ignites the birth of hip hop culture.

• 📚Expanding Latin American Philosophical Work

  Developing inroads for Latin American philosophers in a new and global interdisciplinary conversation

• 🕊️The Case of “Secret Society” Religions

  Claiming supernatural power for their members and wielding lasting economic influence, secret societies may represent a key stage in human institution-building

• 🌐Creating a Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution

  Forming connections and framing grand questions on the links between evolutionary inheritance and cultural change

• 🤔Theologically-Engaged Anthropology

  Anthropologists are sometimes ill-equipped to interpret the religious motivations of their subjects. A new initiative is trying to change that.

• 🌱Human Flourishing and Critical Realism in the Social Sciences

  Building a network of young scholars to reconnect the social sciences with the big questions of human life and happiness

• 🕯️Good art in dark times

  A thought-provoking exploration of the role of fiction in reflecting and transcending the darkness of our times.

• 🧤We don't believe because we don't recall

  A reflection on how our interactions with memories and artifacts shape our experience of beauty and loss, inspired by Proust's poignant insights.

• 🏙️City Silhouettes by Jasper James

  Beijing-based photographer Jasper James captures the striking juxtaposition of humans and urban landscapes in his reflections series.

• 🏞️fictional landscape, by Kyle Kirkpatrick

  Pondering the allure of book-carving that resembles a miniature landscape model.

• 🚲Forever Bicycles, by Ai Weiwei

  An exploration of Ai Weiwei's powerful exhibition "Absent," highlighting his impactful work featuring 1200 bicycles.

• 🎶New Years Rulin's

  Reflecting on Woody Guthrie’s poignant New Year’s resolutions reveals the bittersweet trade-offs of artistic pursuit. "SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY" serves as a powerful reminder of the familial sacrifices behind the music and culture he created.

• 🌱Rethinking one’s own position as a creator

  Brian Eno explores the idea of composers as gardeners, nurturing music rather than controlling it.

• 📜Colonial dress, detail

  Exploring the intersection of art, imperial history, and creativity through Susan Stockwell's unique paper dresses.

• 📖Citation Needed

  Reflecting on the quirks and community-driven nature of Wikipedia's content and editing processes.

• 🎶Mix CD | Wisconsionable!

  This mix, set within the context of Wisconsin, navigates the challenging landscape of musical influences while keeping dairy mentions at bay. From the **50 States!** series of CDs, it showcases a variety of artists while including a nod to Liberace's significant contribution to pop music from the state.

• 📚The joys and perils of overlapping reading

  Reflecting on the complexities of reading and the intertwining influences of contrasting narratives, the author shares a personal struggle with parallel reading of profound figures.

• 🎶Mix CD | NY/ROBI

  An exploration of the connections between Africa and New York through music, including a unique take on Babatunde Olatunji's "Akiwowo."

• 🎶Mix CD | Washingtonic!

  A unique mix CD celebrating Washington State, featuring diverse tracks and no grunge.

• 🎸My charango

  A journey into the world of the charango, a unique Andean instrument, as I reflect on my musical exploration and the cultural significance behind it.

• 🌸Mix CD | Marylanderful!

  This post celebrates the Maryland bar exam with a unique mix of cultural references and design elements related to Baltimore.

• 🏗️Cement bag graphics

  A fascinating exploration of the artistic and cultural significance of cement bag graphics from around the world.

• 🎨Design, color, and cultural power

  A Portuguese communication designer reflects on the cultural richness of her students in Mozambique and their misconceptions about design practices.

• 🎬Subtractive creations

  Exploring the beauty of cinematic silence and the art of subtraction in storytelling.

• 📚Love and language

  Elif Batuman reflects on her journey through love, literature, and the unexpected choices we make.

• 🔥Re-kindling, by Shawn Smith

  Artistic exploration through the lens of low-resolution imagery is at the heart of Shawn Smith's work, as seen in his piece "Re-kindling."

• 🎬Subtleties

  Reflecting on the complexities of subtitles and their role in film enjoyment and cultural exploration.

• 🌿Due finocchi, by Trevor Haddrell

  I admire this stunning wood engraving of fennel that evokes the image of a Spanish galleon at full sail.

• 🎨The polychromatic Middle Ages

  Exploring the splendid visual motifs of the Middle Ages through the vibrant aesthetic of Auguste Racinet's _L'Ornament Polychrome_, showcasing art from ancient to 18th-century Europe.

• 🏘️The bottom of the urban planning bag

  An exploration of how cul-de-sacs contribute to the depersonalization of suburban life and the challenges they pose for walkability in neighborhoods.

• 🎶Fine tuning

  Quoting Philip Ball.

• 🤖The market and the story

  A fascinating exploration of the disconnect between automated trading algorithms and the narrative-driven explanations provided by the financial press.

• 🌱A great old time classic American melon

  An insightful interview with Jeremiah "Jere" Gettle on the passion for seed-saving and cultivation from the heart of his historic seed bank.

• 📷Street photography by Matt Stuart

  Matt Stewart's street photography captures witty moments and surprising juxtapositions that always leave a smile.

• 💃Dancers Among Us, by Jordan Matter

  A vibrant NYC dance photography project capturing the artistry of members from the Paul Taylor and Martha Graham Dance Companies.

• 🌌Mix CD | Celestial Objects

  A special custom mix CD celebrating the birthday of a historian of science and astronomy enthusiast features 19 tracks corresponding to the brightest visible celestial objects.

• 🎨Drawing Cash

  An interactive site allows users to contribute frames to a rotoscoped music video of Johnny Cash's "Ain't No Grave."

• 🗝️Save what matters least

  Reflecting on the value of what we choose to preserve, Kevin Kelly explores the significance of collecting the overlooked artifacts of our time.

• 🎥To take a work of art & to lavish time on it

  A reflection on the art of slow viewing and reading in our media-saturated world.

• 🦁As sherp as muckle needles

  Here's a delightful excerpt that showcases the charm of Scots language through a whimsical tale featuring beloved characters from a classic series.

• 🗺️Map work by Shannon Rankin

  Exploring the captivating art of Shannon Rankin, who transforms cut-up maps into thought-provoking collages that challenge our perceptions of geography and connection.

• 🌍The right book at the right time

  A fascinating journey unfolds as Tété-Michel Kpomassie escapes a jungle snake cult in Togo and embarks on his dream to experience the icy landscapes of Greenland.

• 🎨Street Musicians by William H. Johnson

  William H. Johnson's vibrant art captures the essence of street musicians, blending folk influences with expressionist techniques.