The First AI-written Play Isn’t Shakespeare – but It Has Its Moments

Science magazine describes what happens when a robot writes a play: The 60-minute production — AI: When a Robot Writes a Play — tells the journey of a character (this time a robot), who goes out into the world to learn about society, human emotions, and even death. The script was created by a widely available artificial intelligence (AI) system called…

What geologists see when they look at Perseverance’s landing site

Geologists love fieldwork. They love getting their specialized hammers and chisels into seams in the rock, exposing unweathered surfaces and teasing out the rock’s secrets. Mars would be the ultimate field trip for many of them, but sadly, that’s not possible. Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-02-geologists-perseverance-site.html…

Martin Scorsese Argues Streaming Algorithms Devalue Cinema into ‘Content’

In a new essay for Harper’s magazine, Martin Scorsese argues the art of cinema is being systematically devalued and demeaned by streaming services and their algorithms, “and reduced to its lowest common denominator, ‘content.'” “Content” became a business term for all moving images: a David Lean movie, a cat video, a Super Bowl commercial, a superhero sequel, a series episode. It…

Node.js/Deno Creator Discusses Rust, C++, TypeScript, and Vim

Ryan Dahl, creator of Node.js and Deno, gave a new interview this week to the IT outsourcing company Evrone: Evrone: You have hands-on experience with lots of programming languages: C, Rust, Ruby, JavaScript, TypeScript. Which one do you enjoy the most to work with? Ryan: I have the most fun writing Rust these days. It has a steep learning curve and…

Our interview with 5-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber about his Sports Activism online course, new on Coursera

By Shantelle Williams-Valadié, BOLD ERG Chair and Associate Director, University Partnerships, Coursera In the 1968 Olympics, medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos punched defiant fists into the summer air, decrying oppression of Black communities in the country whose colors they wore on their tracksuits. The act seized the world of sports and was widely condemned […]
The post Our interview with 5-time…

The Secret, Essential Geography of the Office

A workplace has its own informal cardinal directions: elevatorward, kitchenward, bathroomward. It’s a map we share. From an essay: I love visiting offices, listening to their hum. Literally: I sometimes went to a giant financial firm where they traded different kinds of securities on different floors, and if it was a big day in bonds the fourth floor would be loud,…

How the NSA-led US Cyber Command Wishes You a Happy Valentine’s Day

Slashdot reader DevNull127 writes: The U.S. Cyber Command, headed by the National Security Agency’s director, has been a part of America’s Department of Defense since 2009. Today this unified combatant command wished its followers on Twitter a happy Valentine’s Day, adding “As our gift to you, we present 12 crypto challenges designed by the information security community. “Love is in the…

We heart the Earth and sky

This Valentine’s Day, we find so much to love in the many heart-shaped objects created by Mother Nature that can be found right here on Earth or all the way to the deepest reaches of the sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/heart-shaped-objects-in-nature-space-earth-valentines-day…

Why love really is a drug

Might as well face it, you’re addicted to love. Or at least it can feel that way. On this Valentine’s Day 2021, watch a video about certain chemicals – including dopamine, oxytocin and vasopressin – responsible for making you feel good around that certain someone. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/video-the-chemistry-of-love…

Science explains why we kiss

Why does kissing feel good? Watch this video to learn why humans are drawn to puckering up. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/video-the-science-of-kissing…