Through Lines 247

What does art do for us? Why does it exist? Why do we like art? I appreciate that Eno explicitly mentions an old idea that’s always resonated strongly with me — that art is an important, critical way of digesting all the things happening around us. In more McLuhan-esque terms — an early warning system for disruptions on the horizon. Art is something we’re born into and deserves to be reawakened within each of us.

• We’ve arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces. Profoundly prescient foresight from Carl Sagan now at a moment in time where they feel particularly potent.
• Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn and 1,000 others release a 12-track silent album in protest of the UK government’s plans to allow tech companies to train AI system using their music. In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard? says Kate Bush.
• We have a responsibility — to ourselves and each other — to reject technology that does not improve our quality of life — measurably and tangibly — rather than following trends. Tech only has power over you in so much as you allow it to. If it's not working — let it go. You will feel lighter for it.
• There’s no question anymore — the billionaires and oligarchs — have once and for all truly revealed themselves for who they always were. Believe them — and then fight back any way you can. If you haven’t already, the next best time is right now.
• Start fighting back by making your Meta accounts less valuable. Great tips from John Oliver.
• A palette cleanser: Nick Offerman unboxing Wilco's massive A Ghost is Born box set. And a sublime performance of Impossible Germany from 2024’s Solid Sound festival. All hail Nels Cline!
• The two Craigs offer a peek behind the curtain at their ongoing weekly collaborative project offering interesting insight into their creative process over the last 38 weeks (so far).
• Not unrelated: The start of the process is blank. It’s both full of potential — anything could happen, and the only risk is often not just diving in. Thanks, Jon.
• With Great Power Came No Responsibility. Can confirm. No notes.
• Embleme is an entire visual identity packed into a font.
• The revolution starts now. Bring on Andor season 2.
• The Assessment looks brilliantly creepy.
• The war on cars. This.