Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Computer-generated candy hearts, a dating site for gorillas, an LGBTQ+ plaid from Burberry and more

1. Official Barack and Michelle Obama Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery Today, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald became the first black painters to unveil commissioned presidential portraits from and at the museum. Wiley’s portrayal of a thoughtful, sitting President Obama falls upon a pattern of vibrant foliage, typical of his style. Baltimore-based Sherald’s work features …

Fiat Chrysler Launches In-House Classic Car Restoration Program

Fiat Chrysler has announced a new program, “Reloaded by Creators,” aimed at restoring and selling classic cars from their historic roster. Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Abarth are among the brands included. And a certificate of authenticity will be issued to cars completed through the program. All money raised from sales goes to scouting and securing more classic cars. Five are on sale now, …

Computer-Generated Candy Heart Messages

From “SWEAT POO” to “TIME HUG” and “HOW U HOT,” research scientist Janelle Shane’s computer-generated candy heart messages are unlike any we’ve seen before. Shane (who runs the fascinating blog AI Weirdness) says she collected all the legitimate candy heart messages she could find, and then created a learning algorithm (or “neural network”) for them to mix and match new messages—and the results are nothing …