Museums Are Set To Become Downright Creepers (In An Attempt To Collect Data)

“A team of experts at New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum searched for hidden spots in the rotunda to conceal tiny electronic transmitters. The devices will enable the museum to send messages about artworks to visitors via their smartphones while at the same time collect details about the comings and goings of those guests.”

How New Ideas Spread: Contagion Or Persuasion?

“In contagion models, influence goes one way, from one infected person to an uninfected one, or from someone who has adopted an idea to one who hasn’t. In persuasion models, on the other hand, influence is a two-way street, and adoption isn’t an either/or condition. Instead, people have some belief in a new idea’s value, and those who believe in it more are in turn more likely to adopt it.”

Venerable Canadian Theatre Launches Painfully Modest Fundraising Campaign (Really? That’s All?)

“In good Passe Muraille tradition, McKim argues that an achievable campaign that asks a lot of people to give small sums lets all donors feel they are making a difference. But can the citizens of Toronto really value this past and this present so lightly that a contribution of $1 a week is all they can be expected to offer?”