CATEGORIES

The Puppet Masters - Compulsion, complicity, and the art of Bunraku.

The National Bunraku Theatre, in New York recently for the first time in more than thirty years, presented an evening of suicides. The performance, at the Japan Society, consisted of excerpts from two of the company’s most celebrated productions. In the Fire Watchtower scene from “The Greengrocer’s Daughter,” by Suga Sensuke and Matsuda Wakichi, from 1773, the titular character sacrifices herself to save a temple page boy she loves. In a scene from “The Love Suicides at Sonezaki,” by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, from 1703, two lovers are driven to take their own lives. Both plays were inspired by real events, and Chikamatsu’s was followed by a wave of double suicides that led to a ban on further performances. This mirroring of life and art is all the more astonishing given the fact that the actors are not people but puppets.

TAKE ME HOME

The filmmaker Mati Diop turns her gaze on plundered art.

THE BIG DEAL

Joe Biden's economic policies are starting to transform America. Will anyone notice?

EACH MORTAL THING

What other creatures understand about death.

THE LAST MILE

The aid workers who risk their lives to bring relief to Gaza.

A PIECE OF HER MIND

Does the Enlightenment’s great female intellect need rescuing?

SONGS OF WAR

Early on in “Blitz,” Rita Hanway (Saoirse Ronan), a London factory worker, puts her nine-year-old son, George (Elliott Heffernan), aboard a train. Rather, George puts himself aboard; he twists angrily free of his mother’s grasp—“I hate you!” he cries—and tears off down the platform.

From the Wilderness

One morning in the rainy season, I went to bed at 6 a.m. after working all night and was on the verge of falling asleep when I was startled by the sound of my father’s voice coming through the air-conditioner next to my bed.

STAR-CROSSED

“Sunset Blud.” and Romeo Juliet,” on Broadway.

You Are Going to Die - Oliver Burkeman has become an unlikely self-help guru by reminding everyone of their mortality.

"The average human lifespan," Oliver Burkeman begins his 2021 megabest seller, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, "is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short." In that relatively brief period, he does not want you to maximize your output at work or optimize your leisure activities for supreme enjoyment. He does not want you to wake up at 5 a.m. or block out your schedule in a strictly labeled timeline.

The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books - To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.

Nicholas Dames has taught Literature Humanities, Columbia University's required greatbooks course, since 1988. He loves the job, but it has changed. Over the past decade, students have become overwhelmed by the reading, College kids have never read everything they're assigned, of course, but this feels different. Dames's students now seem bewildered by the thought of finishing multiple books a semester. His colleagues have noticed the same problem.

LoRaWAN Goes the Distance at Low Power

IoT’s Versatile Protocol for Long-Range, Wide-Area Connectivity

No Blues with Bluetooth!

Part 6: Bluetooth Cybersecurity Basics

Industrial Computers Boost Machine Vision Systems

GPU and CPU Performance Drive Rugged Industrial Platforms

Datasheet: Power Up With DC-DC Converters

Application Types Drive Parameters Beyond Efficiency and Density

As a 'Matter of Fact

Inside atest Home Control Consolidation Attempt via Google Home and Matter-over-Thread

Entertainment On Wheels

In-Dash Panels Control Head Units, Multiple Displays, Cameras and Sensors

Catching Lightning in an IMU

Simulating Diffusion-Limited Aggregation with a Raspberry PI RP2040 MCU

D&D Die Roller with Raspberry PI RP2040

Fantastical Project Built with MCU TFT Display and LVGL Graphics

Microchip Makes it Easier to Build Sophisticated GUIs for MPLAB Harmony v3 and Linux Environments

Designers are incorporating Graphical User Interfaces, or GUIs, into more electronic devices to enhance the user experience by providing intuitive and visually appealing interactions with today's modern applications.

Infineon Introduces Industry's First 20 Gbps Universal USB Peripheral Controller

Infineon Technologies announced the addition of the EZUSBTM FX20 programmable USB peripheral controller to its EZ-USB product family.

Using Amazon Alexa to Control Custom IoT Gadgets

Integrating Voice Recognition for Smart Home Projects

Librarian loans out wedding dresses!

Since she was a girl, Adele Puccio has loved wedding gowns. It always saddened her that most end up in the back of a closet. But today, this librarian has come up with a beautiful way to recycle these lovely dresses!

"Crocheting finally cured my chronic anxiety!"

A prolonged illness had left Alison Arnoff, 60, with severe stress and worry. Nothing helped her runaway thoughts, until she discovered a fun hobby that restored her calm...and her life!

Money questions answered

Picture this: You’re in a store or browsing online for a certain item, when another product catches your eye.

The secret to gorgeous hair: Scalp serums

Adding a scalp serum to your hair-care routine is an easy way to get healthier, thicker hair. Here, affordable options to try based on your scalp needs

"Every day is a new chance to make magic!"

Food Network star Chef Duff Goldman, 49, is beloved by millions for his charm and whimsy on Kids Baking Championship and hit Baking Championship seasonal series. And this Halloween, he's sharing his magical recipe for turning life's obstacles into opportunities and sweet success

Drop pounds like Ozempic

We're living in a world full of foods that trigger constant hunger, cravings and thoughts about eating.

"Help me be more persuasive!"

Whether you want to get a stubborn kiddo to clean their room or disarm an argumentative relative, our experts reveal the art of persuasion

She brings loads of smiles and fun to hospitalized children!

When Malia Litman, who has MS, started volunteering in the library of a children's hospital, her heart broke seeing the kids sad and anxious. Then she started dressing up in fun, colorful costumes and, suddenly, her visits elicited smiles and joy