Among the USPTO’s arguments is the fact that US patent law repeatedly refers to inventors using humanlike terms such as “whoever” and pronouns like “himself” and “herself.” The group behind the applications had argued that the law’s references to an inventor as an “individual” could be applied to a machine, but the USPTO said this interpretation was too broad. – Verge
Tag: 04.28.20
Tips For Taking Online Dance Classes
Online platforms are not equally useful, and the class options are dizzying, especially when the “I don’t want to humiliate myself” barrier is gone. (Who’s looking?!) – Dance Enthusiast
Acting Classes On Zoom Are Actually Working Out Kind Of Well
Reacting to a scene partner’s body language and expressions is an integral part of learning how to act. Zoom, clearly, isn’t optimal in that department. But … students were finding ways to make the most of it.” In particular, the app “encourages acting students to be more nuanced, more private and more intimate.” – The New York Times
The Show Must Go On (But It Needs Help)
While much of the future is uncertain, one thing is clear: The industry will be gutted without major federal help. Arts nonprofits have already suffered $4.5 billion in losses as a result of the pandemic, and theaters alone are predicted to lose $500 million more by June, according to a new survey by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), a national service organization with over 700 member theaters. – Forbes
Words Fail: Have You Seen The Literary Magazine “Taco Bell Quarterly”?…
“We are the literary magazine for Taco Bell literature. I also say celebrating the Taco Bell arts and letters. We’re not a gimmick, we’re not a viral sensation. We are real fiction, real essays, real poetry, real art, inspired by Taco Bell.” – Vox
‘Car Talk’ For Word Nerds
“The hosts [of the radio show A Way with Words], Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett, are the Click and Clack of word talk. Barnette is a writer who has studied Latin and Greek (her books include A Garden of Words), and Barrett is a linguist and lexicographer with an ear for contemporary slang. They make a perfect duo. The show is modelled after Car Talk, though it is broadcast from San Diego, not Cambridge: the hosts laugh a lot, and when people call in they answer by saying, ‘You have a way with words,’ which is always nice to hear.” – The New Yorker
Drive-Up Dance
Guided by pins on a digital map and a downloaded soundtrack — featuring songs, poetry, a couple of old voicemail messages and mysterious clues — ticketed audience members drive through the city and visit performers at their homes. The dancers perform from porches, sun rooms, front yards, alleys and balconies while the audience, cocooned in 20 cars (one per household), drives up to watch at 10-minute intervals. – Crosscut
Will We Take The Wrong Lessons From The Pandemic?
Will the current pandemic change human attitudes to death? Probably not. Just the opposite. Covid-19 will probably cause us to only double our efforts to protect human lives. For the dominant cultural reaction to Covid-19 isn’t resignation – it is a mixture of outrage and hope. – The Guardian
Formality Is Out Of Fashion – But Ritual Helps Make Things More Democratic
Comfort has won, and most formality is gone. But the freedom of informality comes at a cost. Formality is the bulwark against some of the nastiest human impulses, and acts as a vaccine against our most dangerous tendency: forming in-groups and out-groups. – Aeon
20 Major Film Festivals Will Stream An Online Festival
The 10-day “We Are One: A Global Film Festival” will feature content curated by the Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca film festivals, among others, starting on May 29, organizers Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube said in a statement on Monday. – Reuters