A list of good reads
- The Atlantic calls out the weird concept of work spouses—wives/hubbies—which reflects our anxiety about mixed gender friendships.
- Two excellent reads on the raging debate over AI chatbots. One: The Verge has a useful piece summarising the seven challenges that Bard, ChatGPT etc. will have to overcome in the future. Two: New Yorker has a nerdy but fascinating essay comparing AI chatbots to photocopiers.
- In the midst of all the ghastly V-Day coverage, Associated Press offers something a little more interesting: the history of Valentine’s Day cards.
- Keeping with the V-Day theme, The Guardian has an excellent compilation of recommended romcom picks from 11 authors—including Curtis Sittenfeld—plus actor Stanley Tucci. We are most intrigued by: ‘Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging’ by Louise Rennison.
- New York Times (splainer gift link) has a thought-provoking piece on how the language of therapy has taken over dating culture.
- On a lighter, sillier note, Bustle tells you all about the “Triangle Method”—the latest TikTok technique to up your flirting game.
- BBC News makes a persuasive argument for not hitting ‘skip intro’ on your fave streaming shows—be it ‘The Last Of Us’ or ‘White Lotus’.
- Vir Sanghvi in The Print offers a pithy takedown of over-anxious police who shut down traffic for hours for netas—but only when they’re travelling outside Delhi. Umm, why?
- The Wire has an important read on the exploitation of Uber drivers, who get criminally low pay even when the company is turning a profit.
- The Hindu analyses the cuts and changes ordered by the Central Board of Film Certification in the past few months—and flags the rise of a new kind of censorship.
