A group of students at a New Mexico college (mostly) gave up their phones & computers for a week. What did they learn? “Most students said they had gotten to know themselves better without their phones butting in all day long.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Two centuries ago, a small group of brilliant and troubled young people trembling with the unprocessed traumas of their childhoods laid in their poems and letters and journals the foundational modern mythos of love. Although none but one of them lived past their thirties, they
MTV Rewind is an interface through which you can watch music videos from the 70s to the 20s, organized by decade. There are also “channels” for 120 Minutes, MTV Unplugged, Yo! MTV Raps, Headbangers Ball, and the first full day of MTV programming. All of the music videos, more
The proliferation of hummingbird feeders has become a “major evolutionary force” for the Anna’s hummingbird species in the western US. “Over just a few generations, their beaks have dramatically changed in size and shape.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Tate Britain's British landscape face-off, influencers apply for artist visas, remembering Kathleen Goncharov, and Ayoung Kim's digital stargazing.
William Gibson famously observed that the future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed. That line is often thought to have been inspired by Japan, which was already projecting a thoroughly futuristic image, at least in popular culture, by the time he made his debut
Even though yeast is far more reliable than it used to be, many bakers still proof it before investing the time and materials to bake a loaf of bread. The extra few minutes waiting for it to bloom is cheap insurance to avoid a failed loaf a day later. If you need to be sure […]
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
'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