What Do People Say Matters Most About A Liveable Community?

“After interviewing more than 40,000 residents over three years, the top three answers for why someone loves living in a place shocked almost everyone – they are “social offerings, openness, and aesthetics.” To those of us working in the arts, this fact said something huge – that if you are trying to build an equitable community, you need the arts at the community development table.”

Thousands Stand In Line To See ‘China’s Mona Lisa’

“Since an exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Palace Museum [in Beijing’s Forbidden City] opened in early September, people have been waiting for up to 10 hours to see this 17-foot-long masterpiece attributed to the painter Zhang Zeduan, an intricate ink-on-silk tableau of life in the Northern Song dynasty capital, Kaifeng. The best-known painting in the museum’s vast collection, it has been shown in public only a few times.”

A Smarter Conversation About Video Games And Behavior

“Sure, Jack Thompson–like figures are on the wane – it’s increasingly uncommon for broad, radical arguments linking video games to real-world violent behavior to be taken seriously. But there’s still a lot of scaremongering, and it’s not just occurring on hyperventilating cable news. … Its clearly time for more complex theories about how this multi-billion-dollar industry affects those who partake in its wares.” Here are a few ideas.