It took 90 years to complete. But, in 2011, scholars at the University of Chicago finally published a 21-volume dictionary of Akkadian, the language used in ancient Mesopotamia. Unspoken for 2,000 years, Akkadian was preserved on clay tablets and in stone inscriptions until
"The National Guard come to Memphis on the day of the Country Blues Festival."
Lost episodes of Star Trek from the 70s . They were going to do a reboot of the TV series (without Spock!) but the project morphed into the first movie. There are 19 episode scripts & treatments from the project; a few were adapted for ST:TNG. 💬 Join the discussion on
"Amid a wave of hype for OpenAI's chatbot, the newly reported death shows stark risks."
Robin Sloan asserts (provocatively) that AGI is already here (and has been for a few years). “We’ve got this ubiquitous term, Artificial General Intelligence, & it appears that the Artificial Intelligence has become Really Very General, so … ?”
Nabil Ali celebrates the long legacy of botanical pigments and the craft traditions that used them. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article ‘Gold from
Identity — The Story of Czech Graphic Design is a seven-part series available on YouTube . In seven parts, the Identita series introduces viewers to the history of Czech graphic design. We will not only explore together the development of the visual face of the Czechoslovak
Her exhibition at MoMA PS1 synthesizes live-action footage, video game engines, and generative AI to create an interlocking series of speculative narratives
“Norman Rockwell was antifa” , says Daisy Rockwell, Norman’s granddaughter. “So you’ll understand her indignation when President Trump began hijacking her grandfather’s legacy to promote what she considers modern-day fascism.”
Her decorated 40-year career included serving as a US Commissioner for the 50th Venice Biennale.
The French director and photographer’s work will be on view at three special performances in January and February.
'Safer Waters: Picturing Black Recreation at Midcentury' continues through June 14 at the Wichita Art Museum. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article
"A visual archive of Jan. 6, 2021, through the lenses of those who were there."
A couple of weeks ago, someone uploaded to YouTube and Google Drive eleven unreleased tracks from Boards of Canada (made from 1985-1996). This seems to be a legit, high-quality leak, judging from the excitement in the YT comments and on Reddit . I’ve heard a couple of these
Digital content creators are reportedly adapting their metrics to apply for the O-1B visa for “extraordinary” abilities in the arts.
From Faith Ringgold’s story quilts to Mayor Mamdani, 2026 in New York starts off interesting.
This sucks: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is no more . “Its board of directors chose Monday to shutter CPB completely instead of keeping it in existence as a shell.” GOP ghouls finally killed it.
Without didacticism, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra makes visible the connection between the exploitation of the natural world and the subordination of women.
A scientist imprisoned at a remote Soviet Gulag corresponds with his daughter in Moscow. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Hope and Love Prevail
An ecologist in Wales uses tracking dogs to help track & protect the endangered wild otter population; meet The Detectorists . Set against the serene backdrop of rural Wales, this short documentary follows wildlife ecologist Lee Jenkins and his two German Pointers — Neo and
Is there any real rivalry in Tate Britain’s Turner & Constable: Rivals & Originals, or is it a PR exercise to lure us through the door?
Tiled.art : “Discover great tessellation art, understand how it works, and create your own.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Anna’s Archive (“the largest truly open library in human history”) is backing up the entirety of Spotify . “We have archived around 86 million songs from Spotify. While this only represents 37% of songs, it represents around 99.6% of listens.”
Emily Carr took her brushes out of the gardens and into the rainforest to capture her local landscape in ways “beloved and also fraught”
Responses from Venezuelan Artists to the US attacks, shows to see in Los Angeles and Upstate New York, and someone stole Joan of Arc's sword in Paris.
Consider the role of status in just about all human interactions. It begins at a primal level–every species cares about access to food and resources. We share a prehistoric history of status based on strength. But civilization is about awarding status on something other than
It was long ago that polytheism, as the story comes down to us, gave way to monotheism. Humanity used to have many gods, and now almost every religious believer acknowledges just one — though which god, exactly, does vary. Some popular theories of “big history” hold that, as
The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember a longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.