“Perhaps you’ve experienced the feeling the French sociologist Roger Caillois called ‘ilinx’ – an elated disorientation caused by random acts of destruction, such as kicking over the office recycling bin. … Learning new words for emotions can also bring feelings to life. Discover the definition of a new emotion, and you’ll almost certainly find yourself re-organizing your inner world, seeing vague or amorphous sensations as concrete instances of a recognizable category of experience.”
Tag: 06.06.16
How Disgust Led To Civilization As We Know It
“We might owe disgust a great debt for our manners, morals and religion - and ultimately our laws, politics and government, as the latter three can be built only on the former. Evolution got the ball rolling by making our ancestors revolted by parasites and any behaviour that exposed them to infection; then culture took over and transformed people into super-cooperators willing to abide by shared codes of conduct.”
Turning The Bridges On The Thames Into A ‘Free Outdoor River Gallery’
“A competition launched last week by London’s new mayor Sadiq Khan will bring a striking nocturnal makeover to the city’s River Thames. Called the Illuminated River, the contest will see 17 of Central London’s bridges enhanced by a creative lighting design from the winner, turning what is often a hidden, lugubrious space at night into a string of pearls that could attract more nighttime visitors to the riverbank.”
Your Brain Perceives Distraction As A Threat. And Since Now We’re Constantly Distracted…
“This new research finds that an unexpected event also appears to clear out what you were thinking. This function of the brain served an important role when humans could be confronted with danger and needed a fight or flight response, but today it has negative consequences.”
Olafur Eliasson Installs A Giant Waterfall At Versailles
“A towering waterfall appears to fall from midair into the Grand Canal at the Palace of Versailles as part of Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson’s latest exhibition. Cascading from high above the surface of the pool, the Waterfall installation appears as a torrent of water of with no discernible source when viewed from the front steps of the palace.”
Rambert Dance At 90
“The vast majority of contemporary dance groups operate within their own present moment, developing individual styles and audiences; thanks to the drive and spirit of Marie Rambert, this company has deeper roots; plus some of the world’s best dancers. It’s always surprising to me how many people recognise the Rambert name. If there’s a national brand in British contemporary dance, this is surely it.”
Meet A Crew Of New York City Subway Dancers
“Who are these dancers scraping by on their earnings? A new, short cinéma vérité documentary, We Live This, shines a light on the world of one crew, whose four young members perform on the J train. They are talented, hardworking, committed, and full of dreams, the film shows. But for some, the obstacles are high, and the alternatives slim.” (video)
The What-Classical-Music-Needs-To-Change List To End All What-Classical-Music-Needs-To-Change Lists
It seems the classical web has acquired its own version of The Onion and Clickhole.
At The ENO: On The Job Training? “I’ve Never Run An Opera Company Before!”
“Appointing Daniel Kramer as artistic director of English National Opera feels like the last gasp for a company drowning in a sea of troubles.”
The Latest Theory On How Consciousness Evolved: TMI (Literally)
“The theory suggests that consciousness arises as a solution to one of the most fundamental problems facing any nervous system: Too much information constantly flows in to be fully processed. The brain evolved increasingly sophisticated mechanisms for deeply processing a few select signals at the expense of others, and … consciousness is the ultimate result of that evolutionary sequence.”