Times Literary Supplement (September 15, 2023): The new issue features what connects the novelist William Harrison Ainsworth, the Tichborne Trial and life on a sugar plantation in Jamaica? In a New Yorker essay Zadie Smith spelt out the preoccupations of The Fraud, her novel set in the Victorian era, as “fake identities, fake news, fake relationships, fake histories”. Ainsworth, in Smith’s view, was a fraud as a historical novelist.
Science Magazine – September 15, 2023: Blue jays, similar to other corvid songbirds, are known for their impressive cognitive abilities, presumably due to their relatively large brains.
Pace Gallery (September 14, 2023) – From his studio in Brooklyn, New York, Jules de Balincourt discusses his new suite of paintings on view as part of “Midnight Movers,” his debut exhibition with our gallery in New York and his first solo show in the city in a decade.
Working spontaneously, de Balincourt develops his expressive paintings through an improvisational approach that borders on abstraction. In this new interview, the artist dissects his process and the ways that he explores the natural world, globalization, technology, and psychology in his works.
Daniela Hernandez | WSJ (September 14, 2023) – Research shows that moderate amounts of physical stress can help your body stay healthier for longer.
Video timeline:0:00 Stress exercise 0:38 Baseline longevity test 2:41 Training 3:17 The results 4:59 What can you do about it?
That’s why longevity hacks, like intermittent fasting and ice baths, are blowing up on social media. I put myself through a strenuous 10-day workout plan to learn why and how the most active form of stress–exercise–is actually your best bet for a longer, healthier life.
The New York Review of Books (October 5, 2023) – The new issue features Jennifer Wilson on Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s unsettlingly funny tales of domestic un-bliss, Tim Judah on the new normal in Ukraine, Daniel M. Lavery on Jacques Pépin, E. Tammy Kim on the 1941 Disney animators’ strike, Christopher Benfey on John Constable, Bill McKibben on a planet smothered in asphalt, Lynn Hunt on the revolutions of 1848, Noah Feldman on the Supreme Court’s conservative bloc, A.E. Stallings on Simonides, poems by Devin Johnston and Claire DeVoogd, and much more.
Some months ago I was having dinner with a writer from Moscow. I told him I was thinking of reviewing a new translation of Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s Kidnapped, a Bollywood-inspired novella that pays homage to the Soviets’ love of Indian cinema. “Don’t do it,” he—a friend of hers—warned me. “If she doesn’t like what you write, she will turn you into a character in one of her stories—the stupid girl in New York who doesn’t know anything.” Being a longtime admirer of Petrushevskaya, I wasn’t too worried: realism is not her thing.
On August 8 I went to the Jellyfish Museum in Kyiv. During my previous visits to the city, it had been closed because of the war. Now it has reopened. In the gloom the fantastical creatures drifted about in their tanks while couples, friends, and families drifted about happily looking at them. In Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine close to the Russian border, the Half an Hour café, where I wrote for a couple of days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, has also just reopened.
Fraser Yachts Films (September 14, 2023) – Built in 2009 by the renowned Mengi Yay shipyard, GWEILO is a 47M/155’ luxury sailing schooner that undergone extensive refits in 2021/2022. With sleek lines and a distinctive Dykstra exterior design, GWEILO is crafted from a laminate wood construction.
With a beam of 8.35m and a draft of 4.7m, she boasts a generous volume of 157GT, providing ample space for relaxation and entertainment. Fully RINA LY2 commercially compliant, she is safe, fast, and possesses the proven capability to navigate the world’s most enchanting seas. GWEILO gracefully cruises at 11 knots, with a maximum speed of 16 knots thanks to her Caterpillar 3406E engine delivering 558hp.
Designed for both performance and comfort, GWEILO offers luxurious accommodation for up to 8 guests across 3 exquisitely appointed ensuite staterooms. This stunning 2009 Mengi Yay sailing schooner has been fabulously maintained. Impeccably cared for, she stands in superb condition, eagerly awaiting her next passionate owner to create unforgettable memories.
nature Magazine – September 14, 2023: In this week’s issue, 193 countries agreed to work towards 17 goals aimed at improving the lives of people around the world. From eliminating poverty and reducing hunger to tackling global warming and taking care of biodiversity, the Sustainable Development Goals have since taken their place in corporate plans and government policy.
Nature looks at the detective work required to confirm a controversial claim of finding interstellar debris.
A research team made headlines last week when it claimed to have scooped up from the sea floor fragments of a meteorite that came from beyond our Solar System1. Finding such an interstellar sample on Earth would be exciting because it might shed light on how planets and stars beyond our own form. But a number of scientists say that the evidence that the material came from another planetary system is not convincing so far.
(September 14, 2023) – The new issue features OpenAI’s now famous ChatGPT bot was used by the Humanist to generate this article as an experiment to discover what today’s AI knows and will tell about the dangers posed by AI technology.
The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence
From Misinformation to Autonomous Weapons
IN RECENT YEARS, the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence have brought forth a myriad of benefits and possibilities. Be it healthcare or transportation, AI has shown its potential to revolutionize industries and improve the quality of human life. However, this transformative power comes hand in hand with a range of dangers that must be understood and addressed. This article delves into both the narrower personal risks and the broader socio-political concerns associated with AI.
Artificial Intelligence Unveiled: Navigating the Hazards in Our Everyday Lives
Imagine a world where your conversations with AI-powered machines could lead you astray, your job might vanish overnight, and your personal data might end up in the wrong hands. Welcome to the realm of artificial intelligence, a place where the marvels of technology coexist with a web of dangers that can reshape our lives in unexpected ways. There are personal concerns that ordinary people face as they navigate this AI-infused landscape.
The Globalist Podcast (September 14, 2023) – Humanitarian efforts ramp up as the death toll from flooding in Libya rises.
Plus: a look at China’s ‘interconnected living’ plan for Taiwan, Brazil begins the first trials of pro-Bolsonaro rioters who stormed the country’s centres of power in January and a flick through today’s papers.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
Fraser Yachts
Boomers Daily 