Bbenzon

Humankind got its start on the African savannas some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago. At various times in our cultural history we’ve moved to distinctly new cultural ground, as it were. And so we are moving now, and have been for the past half century. This blog is how I see that move. Intellectually, I'm broadly interested in culture and the brain. Within that compass, anything could show up here. Literature and films (including animation), certainly, music as well, and graffiti. But, other things may show up as well. It's a blog, don't you know, it moves.
MY BLOGS
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New Savanna
http://new-savanna.blogspot.com/
Humankind got its start on the African savannas some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago. At various times in our cultural history we’ve moved to distinctly new cultural ground, as it were. And so we are moving now, and have been for the past half century. This blog is how I see that move. I'm broadly interested in culture and the brain. Within that compass, anything could show up here. Literature and films (including animation), certainly, music as well, and graffiti. But, other things may show up as well. It's a blog, don't you know, it moves.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 7334 )
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Knockin' on Heaven's Door [Playing for Change]
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door | PFC Band Tribute to Robbie Robertson | Playing For Change | Mark's Park YouTube: Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of the... Read more
Posted on 23 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
No. I've Not Forgotten About the Irises
Posted on 22 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY
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Chatbots Tend to Over Generalize When Summarizing Scientific Research
Peters Uwe and Chin-Yee Benjamin. 2025. Generalization bias in large language model summarization of scientific research. R. Soc. Open Sci.12: 241776,... Read more
Posted on 22 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Dandelions, with the Sun Rising Over Ellis Island
That’s one of my favorite photos, ever. It’s one of my various experiments in the minimal image. Yes, the sun is obvious, as are the dandelions down there at th... Read more
Posted on 22 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Homo Ludens Rising: A Manifesto for the Fourth Arena
On March 27, 2025, I published Kisangani 2150: Homo Ludens Rising, at 3 Quarks Daily. It as a speculative vision of the world in 2150 when a mysterious secret... Read more
Posted on 22 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Hoboken Spring Festival
Posted on 22 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY
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The Duplicity of Rich AI Bros
Andreessen says AI will take almost all jobs but his. OAI high-ups want to build bunkers to hide from ASI. AI CEOs praise UBI while ensuring they'll be... Read more
Posted on 22 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Seven Year Itch [Media Notes 160]
I’ve now watched The Seven Year Itch perhaps three full times in the last two weeks. It stars Marilyn Monroe and won a Golden Globe as best actor for her... Read more
Posted on 21 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Explaining Buddhist Violence in Asia
Nilay Saiya, Stuti Manchanda, Monks Behaving Badly: Explaining Buddhist Violence in Asia, International Security (2025) 49 (4): 119–159. https://doi.org/10. Read more
Posted on 21 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Allie Sandt at Hoboken's Arts & Music Festival, May 18th, 2025
Posted on 21 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY
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Trump is Destroying the Presidency
Thomas B. Edsall, ‘I Even Believe He Is Destroying the American Presidency’, NYTimes, May 20, 2025. One thing stands out amid all the chaos, corruption and... Read more
Posted on 21 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Nina Rides Again, Sorta'
I drew "Buckin' Bronchie" because I think bronchiectasis sufferers need a name (bronchies) and a mascot. Next I will draw Bronchiesaurus. Meanwhile, which of... Read more
Posted on 21 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Competition with China Over AI [American Leaders Are Trapped in Projective...
YouTube: Trump’s Mammoth Arabian AI Deals | Robert Wright Paul Triolo 0:00 How significant are the Middle East data center deals? 12:03 Why did AI safety hawk... Read more
Posted on 21 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
On Coping with Scarlet Begonias/Fire on the Mountain [Howard’s Birthday Jam 2025]
Several weeks ago I got an email from my friend, Howard, whom I’ve known since the beginning of this millennium, when we were both employees of a now-defunct... Read more
Posted on 20 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Hoboken Sampler, May 15-18, 2025 [Hallucinated City]
Posted on 20 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY
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Hollis Robbins Doesn’t Want an AI Assistant. She Wants an AI Squire.
Over at Anecdotal Value, Hollis begins: I want a squire. Not an AI personal assistant. A squire. AI assistants schedule meetings. They manage calendars. They... Read more
Posted on 20 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Hours of Sleep Vary Inversely with Income
Cristián Jara, Francisca Pérez, Rodrigo Wagner, Sleep hours fall as income rises: Macro and micro evidence on sleep inequality around the world, Economics ... Read more
Posted on 20 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Two Distinguished Gentlemen at Hoboken's Spring Festival
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride: The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride is a global motorcycle event raising funds and awareness for prostate cancer research... Read more
Posted on 19 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
My First Band @3QD [I’m a Musician]
I’ve got a new article up at 3 Quarks Daily: White Light and Basement Joy: Into The Saint Matthew Passion and Beyond. I think of the The Saint Matthew Passion i... Read more
Posted on 19 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Let's Groove: Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival
Posted on 19 May 2025 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY