Sam Shepard, Pulitzer-Winning Playwright and Actor, Is Dead at 73

Mr. Shepard, one of the most important and influential early writers in the Off Broadway movement, specialized in capturing the darker sides of American family life.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/theater/sam-shepard-dead.html?source=Snapzu

Facebook Shuts Down AI System After It Continued To Communicate In A Language Humans Can’t Understand

This is why we can’t have nice things. Did you ever have the feeling that people are talking behind your back, but you can’t quite make out what they’re saying? Imagine for a minute if instead of people, there were artificial intelligence (AI) bots plotting and scheming in the background — and to make matters worse, they’ve been communicating in their own language.
Read more: https://hothardware.com/news/facebook-shuts-down-ai-system?source=Snapzu

It is easy to expose users' secret web habits, say researchers

Porn browsing habits and confidential documents are found in supposedly anonymised data.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40770393?source=Snapzu

Award-winning French actress Jeanne Moreau dies at 89

French actress Jeanne Moreau, a smoky-voiced femme fatale who starred in Francois Truffaut’s love triangle film “Jules and Jim” and whose award-winning, seven-decade career included work with some of the world’s most acclaimed directors, has died. She was 89. The French president’s office announced her death in a statement Monday without providing a cause. An assistant to her agent confirmed the death but would not provide details.
Read more: https://apnews.com/36bffa057c84408b8be550a6e64bf940/Award-winning-French-actress-Jeanne-Moreau-dies-at-89?source=Snapzu

Google’s new program to track shoppers sparks a federal privacy complaint

A program hailed as an advertising breakthrough leads to a privacy complaint before a federal agency.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/07/30/googles-new-program-to-track-shoppers-sparks-a-federal-privacy-complaint/?source=Snapzu

Sex robot more popular at brothel than REAL prostitutes

Austrian local media reported the unusual story of "Fanny", a sex doll which has become the top-selling superstar of the "Kontakthof" brothel in capital Vienna. It left Austrian newspapers wondering what men see in Fanny, which costs 80 EUR (£71.60) for an hour to rent. At the weekend, we revealed the first pictures inside a new sex robot factory making human-like dolls.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/633323/sex-robot-prostitutes-brothel-more-popular-real-girls-Vienna-Austria?source=Snapzu

Why Are Americans So Afraid?

In December 2016, at a rally in North Carolina, a 12-year-old girl looked at then candidate Donald Trump, "I'm scared," she said. “What are you going to do to protect this country?” “You know what, darling?” Trump replied. “You’re not going to be scared anymore. They’re going to be scared.”
Read more: http://www.alternet.org/culture/why-are-americans-afraid?source=Snapzu

Religious Children Have Trouble Distinguishing Reality from Fiction

A study conducted by researchers led by Kathleen H. Corriveau of Boston University examined how religious exposure affects a child’s ability to distinguish between fact and fiction. They found that religious exposure at an early age has a surprising effect: it makes children less able to differentiate between reality and fantasy.
Read more: http://dailydose.press/childre?source=Snapzu

Why I work myself to death

If you want to understand why Americans work too much, you should. Studies regularly find that Americans are among the most overworked peoples in the industrialized world. A survey by Staples in 2015 discovered that more than half of all Americans (53 percent) are burned out and overworked, while another study found that the average European works 19 percent less than the average American. Despite these trends, however,Americans continue to retire later and reduce their vacation time.
Read more: https://sciencevillas.com/2017/07/30/why-i-work-myself-to-death/?source=Snapzu

Pemberley, Manderley and Howards End: the real buildings behind fictional houses

From Charlotte Brontë’s Norton Conyers to Alan Hollinghurst’s Canford Court – the little known locations that inspired the most famous homes in literature
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/29/pemberley-manderley-howards-end-real-building-fictional-houses?source=Snapzu

Free Lunch at the Library

Children who get free lunches during the school year often go hungry in the summer. Libraries are helping to fill the gap.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/30/well/family/free-lunch-at-the-library.html?source=Snapzu

Solar-eclipse fever means counterfeit glasses are flooding Amazon's market

Planning to buy a pair of solar-eclipse glasses on Amazon? Better read this first.
Read more: https://qz.com/1040159/solar-eclipse-glasses-for-sale-on-amazon-may-not-meet-nasa-safety-recommendations/?source=Snapzu

Postcards from a picture-perfect Japan

How a business-savvy 19th-century photographer from Austria fashioned the West’s image of Japan.
Read more: https://www.1843magazine.com/culture/the-daily/postcards-from-a-pictureperfect-japan?source=Snapzu

Want Teenage Boys to Read? Easy. Give Them Books About Sex

It’s stupid to pretend that they’re not interested in the thing we all know they’re interested in. By Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/29/opinion/sunday/want-teenage-boys-to-read-easy-give-them-books-about-sex.html?source=Snapzu

A Total Guide to Totality: Solar Eclipse Photography

Solar eclipses are a rare natural phenomenon. Total solar eclipses are even rarer. On August 21, 2017 there will be a total solar eclipse viewable and photographable across the entire United States.
Read more: http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2017/eclipse.shtml?source=Snapzu

Apple again found to be the world’s top retailer in sales per square foot

Apple’s retail stores are always said to be some of the most profitable ones there are, and new data from eMarketer and CoStar offers more insight on such data. The research companies say Apple is the top retailer in terms of sales per square foot, coming in at $5,546 per square foot… Other notable numbers include the top jeweler, Tiffany & Co, with sales of $2,951 per square foot and top gasoline retailer Murphy USA at $3,721 per square foot. Leading apparel retailer is Lululemon Athletica at $1,560 per square foot.
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/29/apple-top-retailer-per-square-foot/?source=Snapzu

The Most Anthologized Poems of the Last 25 Years

Recently, I spent a few days searching through the contents of short fiction anthologies to figure out the most frequently anthologized short stories of the recent past. The results were useful.
Read more: http://lithub.com/the-most-anthologized-poems-of-the-last-25-years/?source=Snapzu

Is Putin richer than both Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates? U.S. financier tells senators, he is.

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos made headlines this week when he was declared the richest person in the world with a net worth of $90 billion. But a U.S. financier told senators Thursday that he believed the title belonged to someone else, and it is not Bill Gates. According to Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, Russian President Vladimir Putin is richer than both Bezos and Gates combined.
Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/forget-jeff-bezos-putin-worlds-richest-man-senate-told-643208?source=Snapzu

The Strange Wonders of Cactuses, the Plant of Our Times

A new book collects historical images of cactuses and succulents that were tracked down in the wild by devoted photographer-explorers.
Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-strange-wonders-of-cactuses-the-plant-of-our-times?source=Snapzu

What more evidence do we need to stop killing pigs for food?

That pigs are smart and sensitive is not in doubt. How can we justify continuing to kill them for food?
Read more: https://aeon.co/essays/what-more-evidence-do-we-need-to-stop-killing-pigs-for-food?source=Snapzu

Dark web doesn't exist, says Tor's Dingledine. And folks use network for privacy, not crime

Cofounder brings us up to date on network status
Read more: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/29/tor_dark_web/?source=Snapzu

What used to be science fiction but is now very real?

<p>Other than Trump becoming president :P</p>
Read more: https://snapzu.com/t/asksnapzu/tribepost/JUI6ZOB/what-used-to-be-science-fiction-but-is-now-very-real?source=Snapzu

MAD magazine skewers Trumpcare with this scathing Al Jaffee ‘fold-in’

At 96, the &quot;longest-working cartoonist&quot; spoofs the president on health care.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/07/27/mad-magazine-skewers-trumpcare-with-this-scathing-al-jaffee-fold-in/?tid=pm_entertainment_pop?source=Snapzu

Millennials are the ones keeping libraries alive

Long live the public library! It’s not dead yet. The internet hasn’t rendered physical reference centers obsolete, thanks to millennials.
Read more: https://qz.com/1039294/millennials-are-the-ones-keeping-libraries-alive/?source=Snapzu

'Incredible shrinking airline seat': US court says seat size a safety issue

Passenger group challenged Federal Aviation Administration after agency rejected request for rules on seat size and distance between rows...
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/29/incredible-shrinking-airline-seat-us-court-says-seat-size-a-safety-issue?source=Snapzu

Top 10 Civil War Sites - National Geographic

Top 10 Civil War Sites from National Geographic
Read more: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/civil-war-sites/?source=Snapzu

Sysadmin survival guide

It&#039;s hard to predict how different sysadmins jobs will be in the coming years. But here are some guidelines gathered during a sysadmin career spanning more than three decades.
Read more: https://insights.hpe.com/articles/sysadmin-survival-guide-1707.html?source=Snapzu

The Surprising Things Statistics Tell Us About Fiction

In “Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve,” Ben Blatt uses data to probe the body of conventional wisdom around creative writing.
Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-surprising-things-statistics-tell-us-about-fiction?source=Snapzu

In the Face of Constant Censorship, Bulgakov Kept Writing

On the Tragic Life and Death of the Master and Margarita Author. By Julie Lekstrom Himes. (Jan 23, 2017)
Read more: http://lithub.com/in-the-face-of-constant-censorship-bulgakov-kept-writing/?source=Snapzu

The 'Internet of Restaurants' Is Coming for Your Info

At the National Restaurant Association, many of the hot technology companies are selling surveillance, not supper.
Read more: https://psmag.com/economics/your-favorite-restaurants-are-surveilling-you?source=Snapzu

Asking the Tough Questions With an 18th-Century Debate Society

Is polygamy justifiable? Is it lawful to eat swine&#039;s flesh? By Sarah Laskow.
Read more: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/calliopean-debate-questions-literary-societies?source=Snapzu

No firm travel plans for the solar eclipse? Here’s what to expect if you wing it.

That&#039;s exciting! But it&#039;s good to know what you&#039;re getting into before you get in the car.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/07/25/no-firm-travel-plans-for-the-solar-eclipse-heres-what-to-expect-if-you-wing-it/?source=Snapzu

Irish woman (107) who emigrated to America finally gets high-school diploma

A Kerry woman who emigrated to America in her twenties was awarded her high-school diploma at the age of 107. Hanna Lovett (107) was born in Kerry in 1910 but left school at a young age before emigrating to New York, where she rebuilt her life.
Read more: http://www.independent.ie/life/family/family-features/irish-woman-107-who-emigrated-to-america-finally-gets-highschool-diploma-35976714.html?source=Snapzu

Legendary Disney Imagineer Marty Sklar Dies At 83

Legendary Disney Imagineer Martin A. “Marty” Sklar passed away in his Hollywood Hills home on Thursday. He was 83. During an illustrious career spanning 54 years, Marty worked closely with Walt Disney and was instrumental in creating, enhancing and expanding Disney’s creative vision. Named a Disney Legend in 2001, he is best remembered and revered by fans around the world for his work bringing Disney’s theme parks to life.
Read more: https://d23.com/legendary-disney-imagineer-marty-sklar-dies-83/?share_token=6c997af076?source=Snapzu

Satirical maps of the world

Objective geographical representation isn’t always the intention of maps – they can also provide social, economic or political commentary on a region, as British Library maps curator, Tom Harper discusses.
Read more: https://www.bl.uk/maps/articles/satirical-maps?source=Snapzu

Born Into Hate: Disturbing Historical Photos Of Kids In The Ku Klux Klan

Hatred starts at home. By Mark Oliver.
Read more: http://all-that-is-interesting.com/ku-klux-klan-youth?source=Snapzu

Keyboards are overrated. Cursive is back and it's making us smarter

Louisiana grade-school students will resume penmanship study this fall, and there are reasons why you too should consider it.
Read more: https://qz.com/1037057/keyboards-are-overrated-cursive-is-back-and-its-making-us-smarter/?source=Snapzu

Top 10 female detectives in fiction

From a Copenhagen scientist to a hardbitten single mother in New York, these are singular sleuths contending with problems that all women will recognise
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/26/top-10-female-detectives-in-fiction?source=Snapzu

Life Inside Hong Kong’s ‘Coffin Cubicles’

Pushed out by the sky-high prices of rent in glittering Hong Kong, these people get by in illegally subdivided apartments.
Read more: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/hong-kong-living-trapped-lam-photos/?source=Snapzu

Starbucks Takes the Steam Out of Teavana

In a surprise move, Starbucks announced on Thursday that all 379 Teavana stores, mainly based in malls across the country, have been under-performing and the Teavana brand will be shut down. The closings will impact 3,300 workers. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson noted declining foot traffic at malls.
Read more: http://theteamaestro.blogspot.com/2011/08/teavana-elephant-in-room.html?source=Snapzu

Is the world really better than ever?

The long read: The headlines have never been worse. But an increasingly influential group of thinkers insists that humankind has never had it so good – and only our pessimism is holding us back.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jul/28/is-the-world-really-better-than-ever-the-new-optimists?source=Snapzu

My $169 development Chromebook

How Chrome OS, Termux, YubiKey &amp; Duo Mobile make for great usable security. A travel Chromebook for modern development, online and offline.
Read more: https://blog.lessonslearned.org/building-a-more-secure-development-chromebook/?source=Snapzu

She thought she was Irish — until a DNA test opened a 100-year-old mystery

How Alice Collins Plebuch’s foray into “recreational genomics” upended a family tree.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/she-thought-she-was-irish-until-a-dna-test-opened-a-100-year-old-mystery/?source=Snapzu

This common herb will keep bee pollinators buzzing in your garden

There is a common assumption that those plants which delight human eyes will also be the most attractive for bees. Two scientists at the University of Sussex can offer a more empirical take.
Read more: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/common-herb-will-keep-bee-pollinators-buzzing-garden/?source=Snapzu

2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom: The best of the best, made better

It&#039;s hard to imagine the car world without Rolls-Royce. For over a century, it has been the unapologetic automotive signifier of wealth, success, celebrity and status. And while the company has experienced as many ups and downs as any other manufacturer -- if not a few more -- The Spirit of Ecstasy has remained a shining beacon of luxury. But even within Rolls-Royce, there is a hierarchy, and firmly at the top for over 90 years, the Phantom has earned adoration the world over as simply the best car money can buy.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/auto/2018-rolls-royce-phantom/preview/?source=Snapzu

Why religious people 'cling' to beliefs even when contradicted by evidence

Religious people &quot;cling&quot; to certain beliefs in the face of evidence because those views are closely tied to their moral compasses, new studies have suggested. Dogmatic individuals hold confidently to their faith even when contradicted by experts because those beliefs have &quot;emotional resonance,&quot; researchers said. In contrast, militant atheists struggle to see anything positive about religion because their brains are dominated by analytical thinking, scientists found.
Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/religious-people-beliefs-cling-contradict-evidence-facts-moral-compass-research-athiests-analytical-a7863446.html?source=Snapzu

Euro jumps to 2 1/2 year high vs. dollar after Fed leaves rates unchanged

The dollar fell on Wednesday, touching its lowest level in more than a year against a basket of currencies after the release of the Federal Reserve&#039;s policy statement following its July meeting. The Federal Open Market Committee announced no changes to monetary policy, as expected. Policymakers said, however, that the U.S. central bank would begin implementing balance sheet normalization &quot;relatively soon.&quot; That marked a change from the committee&#039;s previous statement that it would begin to reduce its $4.5 trillion bond holdings &quot;this year.&quot;
Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/25/dollar-steady-above-13-month-low-ahead-of-fed-verdict.html?source=Snapzu

Cooking in the American south

Two new books tackle race and American history around the table.
Read more: https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21725549-two-new-books-tackle-race-and-american-history-around-table-cooking-american?source=Snapzu

Bank of America: Bitcoin Trading Volume Surpassed That of Gold ETF

In recent months, major financial institutions have warmed to Bitcoin, increasing coverage and providing increasingly positive information. In their latest report, Bank Of America revealed that the trading volume of Bitcoin has surpassed that of GLD, the biggest gold ETF in the market. Digital Currency Group founder and CEO Barry Silbert tweeted in May 2016 that the total amount of gold in circulation was over $7 trillion.
Read more: https://coinjournal.net/bank-america-bitcoin-trading-volume-surpassed-gold-etf/?source=Snapzu

How work changed to make us all passionate quitters

When employees are treated as short-term assets, they reinvent themselves as marketable goods, always ready to quit. By Ilana Gershon.
Read more: https://aeon.co/essays/how-work-changed-to-make-us-all-passionate-quitters?source=Snapzu