Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
Download a PDF of this report. Why investigate ‘trigger warnings’? Waves of media attention tell us that college students are demanding that professors provide so-called ‘trigger warnings’ to flag material that might cause distress or discomfort, or possibly trigger a panic attack in students with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a cover story in The…
Among critics looking for examples of coddling on campus, no action has been ridiculed more than the “trigger warning,” in which college professors caution their students that the class will discuss a subject that could produce a painful emotional response. But the criticism may have outpaced the pro-trigger-warning activists. A new report says that almost…
“Write about the search,” he said. “That’s what’s fucking killing everyone.” “The search?” Did he mean finding a new rent-controlled apartment that wasn’t possessed by fruit flies? Or perhaps a new startup job that boasted an extra one-zillionth percent of equity? In San Francisco we were all searching for so many things at once. “No,…
BEIJING — Audience members using cellphones bedevil performers and presenters around the world. But in China, theaters and other venues have adopted what they say is an effective — others might say disturbing — solution. Zap them with a laser beam. The approach varies, but the idea is the same. During a performance, ushers equipped…
First, adults stole the idea of colouring books from their children. Now, their enthusiasm is causing a surge in demand for colouring pencils, threatening stocks for all colouring-in fans. Pencil makers are struggling to cope, with Faber-Castell, the world’s largest wood pencil manufacturer, having to run extra shifts at its factories. And it’s not just…
“Tulane Students Demand Hoda Kotb Be Dropped As Commencement Speaker, Claim They ‘Deserve Better’” –John Binder, The Hayride Dear Tulane “Elitist” Petitioners, Congratulations. You’re about to graduate from one of the most respected universities in the United States. You’re following in the footsteps of many proud alumni who hold their alma mater in…
If you’re a woman in science you are probably aware of what seems like a recent outbreak of harassment scandals in the scientific community. There was the shocking outspoken misogyny of Noble laureate Tim Hunt in June of last year, the two extremely alarming cases, nearly one right after the other, of male astronomers harassing…
GIFs are sparking deeper, longer conversations on Tinder, subtly reshaping communication across the platform in a way that may preview a more fun, expressive new era in online dating. When someone sends a GIF on Tinder as opposed to text or an emoji, they are 30% more likely to receive a response from their match,…
It was after my sophomore year of college that my mother gave me a copy of The Tender Bar, journalist J.R. Moehringer’s sprawling memoir of growing up among the drunks, kooks, and crazies of his neighborhood bar in Manhasset, New York. Moehringer, a Pulitzer-winning reporter who started out as a meek kid in a destitute…
Update March 15, 2016: After this investigation was reported by multiple news outlets, including Smithsonian Magazine, Popular Science, Instapundit, The Daily Dot, Kotaku, Digital Trends, Fusion, Gizmodo, Hyperallergic, Mentalfloss, BoingBoing, and ARTFIXdaily, on March 10, 2016 The New York Times published a follow-up story: Nefertiti 3-D Scanning Project in Germany Raises Doubts. -CW The New York Times’ March 1, 2016 story “Swiping…