Featured story: It was a police-led art heist. Their target were some of the most controversial, but best-studied and most-discussed works in U.S. contemporary art. https://www.texasobserver.org/fort-worth-sally-mann-dallas-express-photos-police/

Just saw an article about how people are talking more like ChatGPT.

Bananas are cloned. When a pest or fungus evolves a way around the banana's defenses, the entire crop is destroyed due to a lack of variation.

We're already well aware of the dangers of monoculture. They have been discussed not just with respect to agriculture but also to *human* diversity as well. In particular, it is well-understood that neurodiversity and cultural diversity strengthen, rather than weaken, the performance of teams.

What sorts of vulnerabilities are we creating in our society when so many of us spend time conversing with and learning from a bot that follows the same patterns of speech and "reasoning", with the same assumptions, biases, and failure modes?

#LLM
#ChatGPT
#diversity
#neurodiversity
#monoculture
#variation
#culture
#bias

Ceder Tree Climbed by The Beatles and Stunning Violet Beech Highlighted for Euro Tree Awards

(Left) The Beatles Ceder Tree on the grounds of Chiswick House and Gardens – credit, CC 3.0. Patche99z…
#NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #AU #Australia #awards #Beauty #Contest #Culture #England #Europe #Forests #Music #Poland #Science #Trees #UK
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/3753/

#Trump Cuts to #PublicMedia Threaten #NativeAmerican Stations That Protect #Culture & #PublicHealth, Issue Alerts

July 18, 2025

"We speak to Loris Taylor, president of #NativePublicMedia, about the Trump administration’s drastic #defunding of public media and its impact on tribal nations. Fifty-nine #TribalRadioStations and one tribal #TelevisionStation that depend on federal funding will be among the first to face possible closure, putting some of the essential services that #PublicBroadcasting provides, including warning systems for missing #IndigenousWomen and girls, at risk.

"Taylor shares how Native-led public media helps preserve #IndigenousLanguages and helped keep communities informed during the peak of the COVID-19 #pandemic. She fears that without these same resources and 'with the #ClimateCrisis increasing, [we] are going to be operating on the margins of information and are not going to have real lifesaving information available to our citizens when they need it most.' "

Listen / watch / read transcript:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/18/public_broadcasting_cuts_native_public_media

Ceder Tree Climbed by The Beatles and Stunning Violet Beech Highlighted for Euro Tree Awards

(Left) The Beatles Ceder Tree on the grounds of Chiswick House and Gardens – credit, CC 3.0. Patche99z…
#NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #Awards #beauty #CA #Canada #Contest #Culture #England #Europe #Forests #Music #Poland #Science #Trees #UK
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/6024/

title: Unidentified Man
artist: Mathew Brady Studio, active 1844 - 1894
source: National Portrait Gallery
notes: The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection comprises more than five thousand […]
#Art #Design #Museum #Gallery #MastodonArt #MastoArt #Culture #Random
https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.81.M2869

Fond of self-portraits with cats, the Japanese-turned-French 20th-century artist was his own muse and built a recognizable image that helped him stand out in Paris. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/07/18/art/tokyo-station-gallery-foujita/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #art #leonardfoujita #tokyostationgallery #exhibitions #photography

title: Hugh McCulloch
artist: Mathew Brady Studio, active 1844 - 1894
source: National Portrait Gallery
notes: The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection comprises more than five thousand […]
#Art #Design #Museum #Gallery #MastodonArt #MastoArt #Culture #Random
https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.81.M1101

‘As thrilling as driving a sports car’: the Tokyo capsule tower that gave pod-living penthouse chic

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jul/07/pod-living-nakagin-capsule-tower-tokyo-architectural-marvel-penthouse

https://www.europesays.com/2255701/ Prince Andrew’s legacy questioned again as charitable impact comes under review #Andrew #beatrice #BritishRoyalFamily #Culture #DukeOfYork #Eugenie #PrinceAndrew #PrincessBeatrice #PrincessEugenie #RoyalFamilies #RoyalFamily #royals #UK #world

title: Ward Hill Lamon
artist: Mathew Brady Studio, active 1844 - 1894
source: National Portrait Gallery
notes: The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection comprises more than five thousand […]
#Art #Design #Museum #Gallery #MastodonArt #MastoArt #Culture #Random
https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.81.M1029

Are they having an affair or just shy? The couple caught on Coldplay’s kiss cam https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/18/couple-caught-coldplay-kiss-cam-affair-very-shy #Massachusetts #Relationships #Lifeandstyle #Worldnews #Coldplay #Culture #USnews #Boston #TikTok #Music