A list of intriguing things
One: ‘An Old Woman’ by the Flemish artist Quinten Matsys is eye-catching for all the wrong reasons. The popular theory until now was that the strikingly unattractive woman in the portrait was the victim of the disfiguring Paget’s disease—where bones become inflamed and deformed. But experts now say that its subject is actually a transvestite man—“a cross-dresser as a play on gender”. FYI: the painting was the inspiration for legendary John Tenniel’s illustration of the Duchess in ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland’—as you can see above. The painting is below. (The Guardian)
Two: We’re astonished it has taken decades for someone to create this genius accessory: neon green Teletubbies shoes. This work of art is the brainchild of Brit designer Christian Cowan—and is part of a capsule collection that includes shorts, jackets and tee. But none of them are quite as sublime as these knee-high beauties. The price tag: $2,500.
Three: AI is already gunning for the jobs of assistants, journalists and artists. Why not priests? If you’re Catholic (and speak Italian), you can head over to prega.org (“prega” as in pray) and chat with an AI-generated Padre Pio—an Italian monk who famously healed the sick. Coming soon: St Anthony and St Francis chatbots. Or if you’re in the mood for some wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, check out GitaGPT.
FYI, we already have robot priests like Mindar—who preaches the same sermon at Kodaiji, a 400-year-old Buddhist temple in Kyoto. Not quite as smart, but a lot more impressive to look at—as you can see below. (The Times UK)
