“Lethal warfare drove the evolution of altruistic behaviour among ancient humans, claims a new study based on archaeological records and mathematical simulations.”
Tag: 06.04.09
Man Is Not The Only Animal Who Laughs (When Tickled)
“Researchers who tickled 25 juvenile apes – including three human infants – and recorded the sounds they made say that laughter seems to be shared by all great apes.”
Chicago Launches An Early Music Festival
“The centerpiece will be Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Francesco Cavalli’s Giasone, which opens April 24, [2010], for which Baroque Band will be the pit ensemble. In addition to The Newberry Consort and Baroque Band, other participating organizations include Music of the Baroque and the University of Chicago Presents.”
New Performing Arts Center Opens… And It’s Empty
The $20 million center in suburban Burnside, Minnesota, opened in January, and it has almost nothing booked to perform inside…
An Old Lament – Where Are The Grown-Ups’ Movies?
“Looking back to the start of 2009, it’s clear that sophisticated movies targeted at grown-ups are struggling to find audiences.”
A Look At Oslo’s New Opera House And Copenhagen’s Newer Koncerthuset
“I visited these two new halls on consecutive days this week and found them to be almost exact opposites in their musical and civic functions. In Oslo, architecture comes first; in Copenhagen, music. Each town probably got what it needed most.”
Survey: Museums Are Canceling Shows Because Of Recession
“The situation seems considerably worse in North America than in Europe. This is probably because North American museums are much more dependent on private sponsorship and endowments–particularly hit by the recession–while EuroÂpean institutions receive more government funding.”
Bamboozlement – A Story Of Art And Theft
“What seems so extraordinary about these lists is the casual way that literally thousands of paintings were stolen, sold and bartered so that even more could be stolen. The Nazis even had their own organization dedicated to the task at hand – the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, the ERR. A vast criminal network dedicated to plundering art.”
Did Susan Boyle Lose Talent Show Because Of YouTube Vote Screwup?
“Rather than showing her vote phone number finishing with the digits 08, the clips showed either 07 or 09. Diversity, the winning dance group, was eventually given the number 07 while third-placed saxophonist Julian Smith had the number 09.”
Statues Of Limitations
“The Roman Senate posthumously censured Nero and decreed the erasure of his public image. Art historians refer to the statue scrubbing as Damnatio memoriae, Latin for “damnation of memory.” Obit Magazine picks out some modern-day candidates for the treatment.