Category Archives: Culture

Culture: New York Times Magazine – March 12, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – March 12, 2023:

The Daring Ruse That Exposed China’s Campaign to Steal American Secrets

How the downfall of one intelligence agent revealed the astonishing depth of Chinese industrial espionage.

Inside the ‘Blood Sport’ of Oscars Campaigns

Oscar campaigns are often run by professional strategists, essentially a specialized breed of publicist. Their job begins as early as a year before the awards, sometimes before a film is even shot. They advise on which festival a film should premiere at, shape a campaign platform and hope that the film gains enough momentum to propel it into awards season. 

The Quest to Restore Notre Dame’s Glorious Sound

Much of the cathedral’s restoration, projected to be completed in 2024, will address these large holes. They affect not just the structure of the building, but also something that cannot be seen: the acoustics. “Notre Dame has lost about 20 percent of its acoustics,” says Mylène Pardoen, who is the co-director of the acoustics team working on Notre Dame — under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.), a research organization from whose ranks specialists have been drawn for the restoration. The holes caused a measurable decline in the glorious resonances that gave the building its unique sound.

Papua New Guinea Travel: Secrets Of The Sepik River Basin – ‘A Second Amazon’

ABC News In-depth (March 9, 2023) – On Australia’s northern doorstep lies one of the most extraordinary places on earth – some environmentalists call it the second Amazon. The Sepik River Basin in Papua New Guinea is a natural wonder and home to rich and ancient cultures.

It’s a place few outsiders ever get to see. For some time, PNG correspondent Natalie Whiting has been hearing rumours about what’s going on in the remote areas upriver – claims of a logging land grab, police brutality, even killings. She undertakes the journey far up the Sepik River to see for herself what’s happening. In the rainforest of the Upper Sepik a community is divided.

Logging operations and a proposed massive mine site bring hope of economic prosperity for some. But others fear development of the land by international companies means environmental destruction with little benefit. PNG is the world’s largest exporter of tropical round logs but out of sight in the Sepik region some landowners say the logging is happening without proper consent and there are consequences for those who stand in the way.

With a long history of mistrust of big corporations and the promises they make, many of the locals are angry and ready to do whatever it takes to preserve some of the most unspoilt rainforests and waterways on the planet. Read more here: https://ab.co/3Jr8kWE

Previews: The Guardian Weekly – March 10, 2023

Methane leaks: inside the 10 March Guardian Weekly | Climate crisis | The  Guardian

The Guardian Weekly (March 10, 2023)

It’s no secret that methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with scientists attributing 25% of global heating to its atmospheric release. A new Guardian analysis by environment editor Damian Carrington lays bare the extent of the problem, identifying more than 1,000 of the world’s worst emitters.

But methane is also a double-edged sword: while it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide, it fades from the atmosphere in about a decade, far faster than the century or more taken by CO2, which is why urgent action to tackle leaks would be so effective in the push to limit global heating. Find out more in Damian’s Big Story report for us this week.

Travel & Culture: Romeing Magazine – March 2023

Romeing Magazine – March 2023:

The ultimate guide to Rome’s historic centre

Guide to Rome's Centro Storico Neighbourhood

Every city has its historic center, but none can compare to Rome’s. Walking through the beloved centro storico – the Second Unesco World Heritage Site in Italy – is unlike any other stroll.

An escape from the city to discover ancient Roman trails, majestic mountains and rustic villages

Trekking near Rome: discover Latium's natural beauty on foot

Latium is not only known for being the region hosting the eternal city of Rome, but also for its picturesque landscapes, beautiful mountain ranges, and stunning natural reserves. One of the best ways to explore its beauty is by trekking: here are five of the most impressive trails the region has to offer, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Rome!

Previews: The Atlantic Magazine – April 2023

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The Atlantic Magazine – April 2023 issue – In “The New Anarchy,” a sweeping new cover story for the April issue of The Atlantic, executive editor Adrienne LaFrance draws upon years of reporting to argue that America is experiencing an era of increased acts of violence intended to achieve political goals, whether driven by ideological vision or by delusions and hatred.

The New Anarchy

photo illustration with alternating red and blue images of 10 violent protesters in various poses, some armed, one wearing Trump flag
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL SPELLA*

America faces a type of extremist violence it does not know how to stop.

The Book That Teaches Us to Live With Our Fears

A staring wolf and a girl kneeling

Wolfish explores the question of what, exactly, we perceive as threats.

Previews: The New Yorker Magazine – March 13, 2023

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The New Yorker – March 13, 2023 issue:

How Russian Journalists in Exile Are Covering the War in Ukraine

Ekaterina Kotrikadze, TV Rain’s news director, at the studio in Latvia.

Dozens of media outlets have fled to the capital of Latvia, only to encounter a distrustful public and a set of strictly enforced laws and regulations.

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Biomilq and the New Science of Artificial Breast Milk

A baby sucks on a bottle attached to an intricate machine of pipes and beakers that form the silhouette of a breast-feeding mother.

The biotech industry takes on infant nutrition.

Why We Never Have Enough Time

An alarm clock without a traditional clock face; instead we can see inside it to a beautiful nature scene.

In her new book, Jenny Odell argues that structural forces have commodified our moments, days, and years. Can our lost time be reclaimed?

Culture: New York Times Magazine – March 5, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – March 5, 2023:

‘Nobody Wants to Be the World’s Villain’

Inside the Louisville Police Department, where officers are reckoning with what it means to be a cop in a city that doesn’t trust them.

This Revolutionary Stroke Treatment Will Save Millions of Lives. Eventually.

An endovascular thrombectomy, or EVT, being performed at Foothills Medical Center in Calgary, Alberta.

A procedure called EVT is creating radically better outcomes for patients, but only when it’s performed quickly enough — and that requires the transformation of an entire system of care.

CreditNatalia Neuhaus for The New York Times

Views: Discover Germany Switzerland & Germany Magazine – March 2023

Discover Germany, Switzerland and Austria

Discover Germany, Switzerland and Austria – March 2023 Issue:

The March issue of Discover Germany, Austria & Switzerland introduces five perfect places to bike to this springtime, as well as the famous Wartburg Castle and its cultural legacy.

Other topics covered are an interview with actor Bernhard Bettermann, some brightly coloured and airy spring outfits in this month’s Fashion Finds, top event locations in Switzerland, the popular Berlinale event, healthcare solutions, top coaches, 3D-printing technology, software development companies, education providers and much more.

READ DIGITAL MARCH 2023 ISSUE

Arts & Culture: The Art Newspaper – March 2023

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The Art Newspaper – March 2023 Issue:

The hunt for as many as nine elusive Vermeer paintings continues

As the Rijksmuseum’s once-in-a-lifetime blockbuster brings together an unprecedented number of works by the Old Master, paintings including a self-portrait are still missing

Michiel van Musscher’s A Self-portrait of the Artist in his Studio (1670) is thought to have been inspired by a lost Vermeer work Courtesy of Christie’s
Michiel van Musscher’s A Self-portrait of the Artist in his Studio (1670) is thought to have been inspired by a lost Vermeer workCourtesy of Christie’s

With only 37 authenticated Johannes Vermeer paintings (28 in the Rijksmuseum’s sold-out exhibition), could there be more out there, not yet recognised as from his hand? Vermeer’s production was certainly larger, so the hunt continues for the missing masterpieces. Experts believe that a number are still unaccounted for.

What are the implications of artificial intelligence for the future of art? The robot artist Ai-da and her creators discuss

Ai-da is an artist, she marks a challenge to the category, and it is in this sense that she becomes Duchampian, argue her creators

Previews: The Guardian Weekly – March 3, 2023

The ruin of Mariupol: inside the 3 March Guardian Weekly | Ukraine | The  Guardian

The Guardian Weekly (March 3, 2023) – A year on from the invasion of Ukraine and there seems little end in sight to a conflict that has, unquestionably, changed the world. The Guardian Weekly’s big story this week outlines five possible routes to peace (some more hopeful than others), but the main focus is a stunning collaboration from Guardian reporters detailing the fate of the port of Mariupol, the battle for which has perhaps been the bloodiest and most shocking chapter of the war to date.

It’s an extraordinary account of the devastation, partial reconstruction, and Russification of a thriving city. “You learn to only voice your opinions with those you know you can trust,” says Darya, a student opposed to the occupation. “Otherwise, you keep your thoughts to yourself.”

On Monday the UK government finally agreed a deal with the EU to end a long-running Brexit dispute over customs arrangements and legal oversight in Northern Ireland. Our Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll unpicks the key points of the new agreement and what it means for the region.

In 2003, when the US army occupied Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Guardian writer Ghaith Abdul-Ahad was aged 28 and living in Baghdad. He recounts his front-row view of the fall of the regime, the arrival of the so-called liberators and the unfolding of a sectarian war.