By BEN BRUBAKER in Quanta: An open secret about artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT is that they all have an unsettling quirk: Not even the researchers who build them fully understand how they work. These large language models, or LLMs, are special computer programs based on mathematical structures called neural networks. Although neural networks are nowContinue reading “AI Systems Still Confound Researchers”
For the Love of Cats in Turkey
As an anthropologist, this intimacy with cats fascinates me because they represent another instance of how “human culture” is in fact made up of our relationships with nonhumans. Globally, cats have accompanied humans since ancient times, beginning in Western Asia almost 10,000 years ago. Humans initially welcomed them in their nascent settlements for their ability to controlContinue reading “For the Love of Cats in Turkey”
Zionism Über Alles
Hans Kundnani in Dissent: In the five months since October 7, people around the world have looked on in horror as Germany has wielded the memory of the Holocaust to silence criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza. The German government’s response to the conflict itself has not been all that different from that of theContinue reading “Zionism Über Alles”
Laila and Majnu
Early morning today, while reading Laila Majnu — an age-old love story turned into a stunning musical in the walled city of Lahore at Dawn website, I attempted to look for a video of the theatrical musical performance at the grand Haveli Barood Khana. There were only few still photos. So, I tried searching forContinue reading “Laila and Majnu”
Siri Paye
Habib Khan from Quetta: I had been to the Kaghan valley twice in the nineties and the first time in 1993 when we hired a jeep from Shogran to Naran, the driver suggested to visit “siri paye” first. I felt a bit nauseated at the thought, and after consulting the family decided to go straightContinue reading “Siri Paye”
The Math Hiding in Plain Sight
Sarah Hart, the professor of geometry at Gresham College, sees symmetry everywhere–humans are detectors of hidden math. Read related Article here.
Photography’s Shooting Star
Exhibitions in London and New York honor the prodigious photographer who left behind a timeless body of work following her death, at just 22 Gagosian in New York City is celebrating its newly announced representation of the Woodman Family Foundation with the show “Francesca Woodman,” and in London, where the National Portrait Gallery features herContinue reading “Photography’s Shooting Star”
Why is Russia’s President for Life Bothering With an Election Campaign?
The Proof is in the Putin Excerpts of an article by Andrew Ryvkin at Air Mail: Vladimir Putin is up for re-election. At the time of writing, the outcome is unclear: Is Putin going to get 93 percent of the vote, or will the Kremlin settle for a cool—and totally reasonable—82 percent? At one pointContinue reading “Why is Russia’s President for Life Bothering With an Election Campaign?”
Writing a Novel With Pictures
Smuggling contraband in from the realm of the actual. Amitava Kumar at Hazlitt: I was sitting on a train, travelling from my home in Poughkeepsie to New York City, when I saw a note on my phone asking me to write the piece below. I began thinking of a painting, a portrait of his father paintedContinue reading “Writing a Novel With Pictures”