Reading

Venkatesh Rao's allegorical map of the current AI landscape highlights key players, challenges, and emerging trends, arguing that AI development is rapidly transitioning to a "town-planning" phase. via Ribbonfarm Studio.

Rolling Stone picks the 150 greatest science fiction movies of all time, sparking debate and watchlist additions. via kottke.org.

Defining syllables is surprisingly difficult, even though most people can recognize them easily enough. via kottke.org

Longreads shares its weekly #5 story picks from 2023. Readers can expect essays on topics ranging from tofu and pandas to sumo wrestling and Florida Man. via Longreads

Tyler Cowen explores two hypotheses for the rising quality of recorded classical music: technology raising global standards and the increasing sophistication of music pedagogy. via marginalrevolution.

Tyler Cowen responds to a reader wondering if a long-lived restaurant is a mark of quality, suggesting it points more toward consistency than excellence.

via Marginal REVOLUTION.