“A study of more than 5,000 youngsters in Switzerland has found those who smoked marijuana do as well or better in some areas as those who don’t.”
Tag: 11.05.07
Inside The Virtual Matisse (In HD)
“The computer models are so accurate they can re-create the dimensions of objects to within a few microns – less than the width of a human hair – and the digital ‘files’ that make up each model hold billions of individual bits of information.”
Scientists Discover Brain’s Hunger Turn-off Switch
“Australian scientists have found how to switch hunger on and off using a molecule that targets the brain — a discovery which could stop weight loss in terminally ill patients or produce weight loss in the morbidly obese.”
Tate Tapped To Replace Boreyko In Hamburg
“Jeffrey Tate will become the new principal conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, replacing Andrey Boreyko, who quit unexpectedly for reasons unclear,” according to German media sources. “The English-born Tate is likely to assume the position next spring. His management will probably confirm the appointment no earlier than January.” Boreyko’s departure, while mysterious, is not entirely surprising – the conductor had garnered mixed reviews for his occasionally radical departures from symphonic norms.
Euro Film Awards Shortlist Released
The nominations are out for the European Film Awards, with the Oscar-winning biopic, The Queen topping the list. “The Queen faces stiff competition in the best film category from Romanian drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Other films shortlisted in this category include The Last King of Scotland and La Vie en Rose, also known as La Mome.” The awards will be handed out December 1 in Berlin.
Our Leaders As Artists
Critics might dismiss Winston Churchill’s paintings as amateurish, but Churchill was only one of many leaders who have had artistic impulses…
Surprise Winners Of France’s Top Lit Award
Gilles Leroy has won the 2007 Goncourt prize, France’s most prestigious literary award, for his novel Alabama Song. “A bigger surprise was delivered when the Renaudot prize, also announced today, went to Daniel Pennac for a memoir, Chagrins d’École, which was not among the titles selected for the final round.”
Defending The Oregon Symphony
Last week a critic claimed the Oregon Symphony was “broken” despite playing better than ever. The orchestra’s president responds: “We need a lively conversation about the role of a symphony orchestra in the 21st century, in a city with as vibrant and varied a cultural life as Portland.”
Vatican Condemns Movie As Attack On Catholicism
The Vatican is condemning the film “Elizabeth: The Golden Age. A Vatican-backed historian says that the film formed part of a “concerted attack on Catholicism” by atheists and “apocalyptic Christians”.
Lessons From LA – Esa-Pekka Gets Ready To Leave
“It may seem strange coming from a relatively young conductor, but {LA Philharmonic conductor] Salonen says he wants to change his priorities, to conduct less, compose more and spend more time with his family.”