“In the last 15 years, the science of mind wandering has mushroomed as a topic of scholarly study, thanks in part to advances in brain imaging. But for a long time, it was still difficult to see what people’s brains were doing outside the lab. Then, when smartphones came on the scene in the late 2000s, researchers came up with an ingenious approach to understanding just how often the human brain wanders in the wilds of modern life.”
Tag: 02..24.17
What Makes A Ballet Really Canadian? A Few Lumberjacks
Yes, Will Tuckett has included some lumberjacks – and beavers and a Mountie, too – in his new Pinocchio for the National Ballet of Canada. Here’s a video peek at rehearsal for the piece, which premieres next month.
The Hot New Opera That Has Transformed The House That Produced It
Breaking The Waves, the new Missy Mazzoli-Royce Vavrek opera, caused a huge wave (ahem) of excitement when Opera Philadelphia premiered it in October – and even more when the production traveled to New York in January. As a result, reports Peter Dobrin, the company now has terrific word-of-mouth from artists, extra funding from new donors, and interest from some of the top opera houses in the world.
How Can Someone As Famous And Prolific As Philip Glass Be So Misunderstood?, Asks Anne Midgette
“It’s not just a question of whether you like the music, or think you like it; it’s a question of knowing that it exists. Although Glass has written 11 symphonies, [conductor Dennis Russell] Davies says that when a major American orchestra was recently approached about performing Glass, the response was, ‘But he doesn’t write symphonies.'” Midgette talks with Davies about understanding the music Glass has actually written (as opposed to what some people think he’s written).
Why It’s Both Wrongheaded And Futile For That Maryland High School To Ban Those Shepard Fairey Posters
Cara Ober, who graduated from the high school in question and subsequently taught in that school district: “In banning such works of art, based on one person’s reported complaint in a highly charged and ugly political climate, this administration, surrounded by ultra-conservative voters, has opened up a can of worms that confirms the worst biases among students, exactly the opposite of what they need to learn.”
You Are What You Think? The Mythologies Of Consciousness
“What if I were to say that the very idea of consciousness was invented to explain how you could experience an apple when there is no apple in your head. So we have to have this consciousness apple. However, if experience and apple are one and the same, there is no longer any need to talk of a consciousness separate from it. The apple is more than enough.”
Arts Council England Readjusts Major YouTube Strategy Off Unrealistic Expectations
“Low subscriber rates, minimal commercial opportunities and barriers to entry for arts organisations have forced Arts Council England (ACE)’s £1.8m Youtube network for the arts to readjust as it enters its final year of funding.”
The Archival Battle Of The 175-Year Old Symphonies
The New York Philharmonic faces off against the Vienna Phil, both turning 175 years old this spring, in a joint exhibition of their archives in Manhattan. Can the NY institution measure up to this? “‘Damn and blast it! Confound it! Wake up!’ the conductor and composer Otto Nicolai wrote in his impassioned draft of the Vienna Philharmonic’s foundation charter.”
OK For Real, Does Ryan Gosling Or Emma Stone Dance Better In ‘La La Land’?
According to the choreographer, “They were a funny little complement. Neither is a perfect dancer; they weren’t supposed to be. I liked the way they took on the challenge.”
The Sprawling Costume Shop Outside Of London That Makes Its Customers Oscar Winners
Aside from outfitting TV – think “The Crown” and “Victoria” – the shop, which has been around since 1840, has worked for 36 movies that have won Oscars for costume design. “If you lined up all of the costumes in Angels’ storage in a row, it would stretch about eight miles.”