A recent paper in the British Journal of Psychology takes a scientific look at why urban legends are so culturally successful. In short, findings suggest the stories are so easily perpetuated due to the way human intelligence and memory has evolved over time—our brains have grown to learn, remember and transmit valuable (mis)information that may be useful for survival within a given environment. Seems reasonable …
Musician and artist Brian Eno once said it best: “high art” is, by definition, exclusionary. That understanding, coupled with his diverse body of artistic work—which is often deemed “low art” despite being shown at some of the most prestigious galleries around the world—led MoMA’s curator Kirk Varnedoe to invite Eno as the keynote speaker for “High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture” back in …
Every Wednesday through Friday, from now until 1 August 2014, death metal band Unfathomable Ruination will perform in an air-tight cube outside of London’s Gherkin until all the oxygen runs out. The cube also happens to be soundproof, so the real performance is the physical, near-death feat by the five-piece band. Onlookers can spy on the musicians’ entrances and exits, as well as the sound …
