Bbenzon
Description
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 ( 7622 )
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A Young Composer Considers His Craft
There's definite order what young Gavriil does here. He starts with some not-quite-random plinking. He (obviously) hears something and sets out to explore it... Read more
Posted on 25 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
On Differences in Criminal Codes Across Red and Blue States
Tyler Cowen listed much, but not all, of the abstract for "Red Codes, Blue Codes? Factors Influencing the Formulation of Criminal Law Rules" in a recent post.... Read more
Posted on 25 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Dan Wang on Chinese Expatriates in Thailand. [Whole Earth Revival]
From his 2023 letter, leaving China: China may have hit its GDP growth target of 5 percent this year, but its main stock index has fallen -17% since the start o... Read more
Posted on 24 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Hat Waffle Bacon
Posted on 23 January 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
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GOAT Literary Critics: Part 3.1, René Girard Prepares the Way for the French...
I had originally intended this essay to cover three thinkers, René Girard, Jacques Derrida, and Claude Lévi-Strauss. As I began working on it the thinking grew... Read more
Posted on 23 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Speculation About Maestro's Oscars Prospects
Oscar nominations have been announced. Maestro has been nominated in the following categories: Best picture Best actor, Bradley Cooper Best actress, Cary... Read more
Posted on 23 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Ted Gioia Believes That Progress Stopped in 2015 and That Technocrats Don't...
Ted Gioia has just published an interesting polemic: I Ask Seven Heretical Questions About Progress. I'll leave you to read his seven heretical questions for... Read more
Posted on 23 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Open Language Model from Allen Institute for AI
The Allen Institute for AI is building OLMo (Open Language Model): AI2 is embarking on the creation of an open, state-of-the-art generative language model: AI2... Read more
Posted on 22 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Bach, Bernstein, Moog (& Friends)
Young People's Concert: "Bach Transmogrified" with the New York Philharmonic Written and conducted by Leonard Bernstein Bernstein discusses different... Read more
Posted on 21 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Let's Not Forget Waffles
Posted on 21 January 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
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An Aesthetic Issue Raised by the Presence of Louis Armstrong on the Soundtrack o...
At about 44:20 into Maestro we hear Louis Armstrong playing the tango section of “St. Louis Blues” on the soundtrack. What’s that doing in the film? There’s... Read more
Posted on 21 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
On the History and Connotations of "maestro"
Over at Language Log Victor Mair quotes at length from an article written by Holly Mathieson, the Music Director of the Symphony of Nova Scotia. Read more
Posted on 20 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Free at Last
STEAMBOAT WILLIE REMIX pic.twitter.com/BwQPU0A6sD— Eclectic Method ♻️ (@EclecticMethod) January 1, 2024 By Electric Read more
Posted on 20 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
AlphaFold and Drug Discovery
Ellen Callaway, AlphaFold found thousands of possible psychedelics. Will its predictions help drug discovery? Nature, Jan. 18, 2024. Read more
Posted on 20 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Friday Fotos: Fallen Heroes
Posted on 19 January 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
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How Do You Say “NO!” to Big Brother When It Controls Your Computer?
Two years ago I did a series of posts provoked by Facebook. As I explained in the first post in that series, Facebook or freedom, Part 1: Who gave you permissio... Read more
Posted on 19 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Childhood's End
Posted on 18 January 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
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AlphaGeometry Uses a Neuro-symbolic Architecture to Solve Olympiad Geometry...
This is the neuro-symbolic architecture of #AlphaGeometry. Similar to System1 and System 2, in the book "Thinking, fast and slow", the symbolic engine will firs... Read more
Posted on 17 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Bleg: The Use of “role” Where (formerly) We Used “job” Or “position”
Over the last five or ten years I’ve noticed that the word “role” is being used where I normally expected to see “job” or “position.” Just when did this... Read more
Posted on 17 January 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Good Morning. Rise and Shine!
Posted on 17 January 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
