Category Archives: Reviews

Previews: The Economist Magazine – May 13, 2023

Is Chinese power about to peak? | The Economist

The Economist – May 6, 2023 issue:

Is Chinese power about to peak?

The country’s historic ascent is levelling off. That need not make it more dangerous

The rise of China has been a defining feature of the world for the past four decades. Since the country began to open up and reform its economy in 1978, its gdp has grown by a dizzying 9% a year, on average. That has allowed a staggering 800m Chinese citizens to escape from poverty. Today China accounts for almost a fifth of global output. The sheer size of its market and manufacturing base has reshaped the global economy. Xi Jinping, who has ruled China for the past decade, hopes to use his country’s increasing heft to reshape the geopolitical order, too.

Small, sensible steps could help ease America’s border woes

The art of the practical in dealing with migrants, drugs and gangs

The rehabilitation of Syria’s dictator raises awkward questions for the West

Clearer principles about how and when to ease sanctions are needed

Research Preview: Science Magazine – May 12, 2023

Science | AAAS

Science Magazine – May 12, 2023 issue: Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) form daytime schools near the ocean’s surface and, at night, dive into cold, deep waters to hunt deep-sea prey. They keep warm while deep diving by closing their gills—effectively holding their breath.

‘It’s still killing and it’s still changing.’ Ending COVID-19 states of emergency sparks debate

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for COVID-19 meeting

Moves by WHO and U.S. usher pandemic into new phase of disease monitoring, even as coronavirus kills thousands weekly

Politics: Why America Faces Debt Catastrophe

The Economist (May 11, 2023) – As America’s government hits the debt ceiling, US politics has become a multi-trillion dollar game of chicken. If neither side backs down, America could default on its debts for the first time in history, sparking global economic turmoil. What is the debt ceiling, and how can this crisis be resolved?

Profiles: Zhang Daqian’s Rare & Exquisite Paintings

Christie’s (May 11, 2023) – From Zhang Daqian’s atmospheric masterpiece ‘Ancient Temple in Misty Mountain’ to Qiu Ying’s ‘Celestial Mountains and Pavilions’, a rare and exquisite painting that belonged to the personal collection of Zhang Daqian, enter the beautiful world of Zhang Daqian as an artist and a collector.

Works by Zhang Daqian at Sotheby’s

Chinese Paintings: The World of Zhang Daqian - YouTube

Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a guohua painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned as a modern impressionist and expressionist painter.

Art: ‘This Is New York – 100 Years Of The City In Art And Pop Culture’ (MCNY)

Richard Estes. M Train on Route to Manhattan Approaches the Williamsburg Bridge. 1995.

Museum of the City of New York (May 10, 2023) – In honor of the centennial of the founding of the Museum of the City of New York as the city’s storyteller, This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture explores the many ways that the city has inspired storytelling.

This Is New York – 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture

OPENS MAY 26, 2023 – JUNE 21, 2024

It features both famous and lesser-known images of New York in film and television, song and poetry, literature, visual and performing arts, and fashion, painting a collective, moving and even funny version of a city that has captured the imagination of the world. 

The exhibition is organized around the types of places where the human-scale stories of New York are told.  It showcases the city’s bustling streets and subways, its iconic parks and waterfronts, its restaurants and nightspots, and its dense and vibrant neighborhoods. Covering the century since the Museum was founded, it illustrates both the massive changes and the enduring themes that have shaped the many stories we tell about New York. 

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – May 11, 2023

Volume 617 Issue 7960

nature Magazine – May 11, 2023 issue: The human reference genome has been the backbone of human genomics since the release of the draft sequence in 2001. But it has its limitations: one genome cannot hope to capture the diversity of the human species. In this week’s issue, the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium presents the first draft human pangenome, which combines genetic material from 47 genetically diverse individuals to provide a more complete picture of the human genome.

They’re a couple: JWST is first to spot pair of mysterious ‘Y dwarfs’

A dark brown sphere with lighter bands seen against a starry sky.

Two extremely cool examples of ‘failed stars’ called brown dwarfs are found orbiting each other.

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – May 12, 2023

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The Guardian Weekly (May 12, 2023) – The name Geof frey Hinton was little known outside the tech industry until last week, when the so-called “godfather of AI” gave an interview after leaving Google in which he warned that machine learning is leading us into uncharted territory.

So is now the time to get properly frightened about the capabilities unleashed by machine learning? Technology writer John Naughton in this week’s big story says an unequivocal yes as he explores a worrying near future, and what prompted Hinton to speak out. 

Britain spent last weekend watching avidly or determinedly avoiding the exuberant display of ancient ceremony around the coronation of King Charles III. Our coverage takes a fondly amused look at all the pageantry, personalities and gold braid with Rachel Cooke, while columnist Nesrine Malik unpicks the game of divide and rule, display and disguise through which the institution hangs on to popular support. We also visit Belize to find out how arguments about reparations for slavery are linked to its relationship to the British crown.

Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – May 12, 2023

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Times Literary Supplement (May 12, 2023) – This week’s @TheTLS, features Peter Thonemann on The Triumph of the West; @joemoransblog on imagination; @michaelscaines on The Motive and the Cue; @DrAliceKelly on graphic novelizations of Gatsby; @helenlpgordon on stones; @rinireg on surveillance – and more.

Tours: Historic Gardens Of Wightwick Manor, UK

National Trust (May 10, 2023) – The gardens surrounding Wightwick Manor, cared for by the National Trust, are influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, which started in Britain during the late 19th century.

This means the garden design extends into the house, where visitors can see flowers such as roses used as motifs for interiors and artworks. Watch this video to discover how politics has also left its mark on the gardens that are still enjoyed by visitors today. You’ll see architectural artefacts from the Houses of Parliament and a tree planted by Clement Richard Attlee, the Labour Prime Minster who served from 1945 to 1951.

You’ll also learn about the history of the estate and its planting schemes and find out more about what the National Trust is doing to make the gardens more accessible for visitors.

Opinion: A World In Fiscal Fantasy, Can Turkey Sack Erdogan, King Charles III

The Economist ‘Editor’s Picks’ Podcast (May8 , 2023) Three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, governments are living in a fiscal fantasyland, why Turkey is holding the most important election this year (11:02) and the coronation of King Charles III (17:30).