The technology-enabled resurrection of the dead poet was part of a novel experiment by Off Radio Krakow, an arm of Poland’s public broadcasting system in the southern city of Krakow. The aim was to test whether A.I. could revive a moribund local station that had “close to zero” listeners, according to the head of public radio in Krakow. (Higgins, The New York Times)
Read MoreThe trial of eight people in Paris on terrorism charges started on Monday over the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed by an Islamic extremist after showing caricatures of Islam’s prophet to his middle school students for a lesson on freedom of expression. (Vaux-Montagny & Corbet, AP News)
Read MoreIf you’re interested in modern beauty standards, the social value of femininity, and the fetishization of mothers in American culture, Hulu’s recent reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is a rich, chaotic product. (Gilbert, The Atlantic)
Read MoreVideos circulating widely on social media show the unidentified student sitting outside the campus in her underwear while the security guards surrounded her. Another video shows her walking around the campus in her bra and knickers while stunned fellow students film her on their mobile phones. (Makoii, The Telegraph)
Read MoreAlongside more internationally recognised policies such as subsidising childcare, local governments are telling officials to take a more direct approach to encouraging pregnancy, at least judging by a rash of complaints on social media. One woman was told by a local official that she should “recruit grandma” when she said she was too busy with her two children to have a third. (Spencer, The Times UK)
Read MoreGhosts, goblins, and ghouls may be frightening, but what Americans spend on Halloween could be even scarier. Consumers in the United States spent a record $12.2 billion in 2023, after spending $10.6 billion on Halloween in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). In 2024, they will spend an estimated $11.6 billion, stopping short of 2023's record. (Lake, Investopedia)
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