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How in the world do you forget that you own one of the most prized pieces of art in the contemporary world? You might if you’re an ageing rock star like Alice Cooper. However modern music icons like Tyler The Creator prove that nothing’s really changed since Cooper’s days. Crazy boy antics? Or is it looking for attention or love, you know that dopamine rush that gets you going, but we’ll leave that challenging topic to the neuroscientists. This week we also take a look at getting away from it all, which includes Big Brother’s ominous facial recognition eye and from car washes that have started attacking humans, that last part is for real.
Check out this week’s stories:
“Andy was kind of a groupie, and so was Alice. They loved famous people. So they started a relationship, and they loved to hang out.” The result of an unlikely friendship, discover how Alice Cooper had managed to forget that he owned a Warhol print worth millions of dollars, ‘rolled up in a tube’ in his storage facility.
“Maybe Tyler is just trolling. His early albums were wars between different alter-egos: There was a masked maniac who smoked pot and broke stuff; there was a murderous cat; there was a calm therapist coaching Tyler to get a grip… Perhaps he’s simply now introducing a fictional “Flower Boy” persona who makes out with guys.” After the release of Tyler, the Creator’s latest album Flower Boy, the artist who has been banned from the UK for ‘intolerance of homosexuality’ seems to open up about his own homosexuality. Will he now change the dialogue that he has so far contributed to in hip hop?
“We believe this to be the first exploit of a connected device that causes the device to physically attack someone,” researchers presenting the proof-of-concept say.” The robots have finally turned on humans, Kim Zetter investigates the first scenario of a hacked IoT device causing mayhem.
“Facial recognition software is a reality and an increasingly irritating one. Smart cameras are monitoring the streets of most major cities, social media have massive databases of users’ faces, and god knows how security services are planning to use it. Is there any way to escape Big Brother and enjoy some privacy?” Grigory Bakunov, a tech specialist in Russia may have the answer. Take a look at his clever futuristic makeup that is fooling AI facial recognition devices.
“Being subject to a succession of white(ish) overlords has long associated light skin with power, status, and desirability among Indians. Today, the contempt for brown skin is embraced by both the ruling class and lower castes, and reinforced daily by beauty magazine covers that feature almost exclusively Caucasian, often foreign, models.” For years the beauty industry has capitalized on the insecurities of Indian women with a bleaching industry valued at around $400 million a year. Now, people are pushing back
“An update from the Wild Wild West of fake news technologies: A team of computer scientists have figured out how to make words come out of the mouth of former President Barack Obama — on video — by using artificial intelligence.” A worrying video has emerged highlighting just how serious the fake news phenomenon is. Watch to see how a group of computer scientists can manipulate audio and visual without you even realising…
“The scans showed activity in the ventral tegmental area, a region of the brain that makes dopamine and sends the stimulant to other areas. “This factory is part of the brain’s reward system, the brain network that generates wanting, seeking, craving, energy, focus, and motivation,” Fisher writes. This, she found, means lovers are ‘high’ on a natural speed.” Love is one of the most powerful and important human emotions, but what is it and can it last forever? A neuroscientist and biological anthropologist try to answer the age-old question.
“The culture of secrecy on the part of landowners is scary. Being able to know what rules you are being governed by, and how to challenge those rules, is a fundamental part of living in a democracy.” This citywide investigation delves into the little-known issue of privately owned public spaces that is creeping through London. From JP Morgan to Mitsubishi, who really owns our capital?
