Category Archives: Museums

Dylan’s mind and other diversions

Posted on November 16, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Can AI tell us anything meaningful about Bob Dylan’s songs? What was uncovered when computer scientist Prashant Garg  fed Dylan’s official discography from 1962 to 2012 into a large language model (LLM), building a network of the concepts and connections … Continue reading →

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Dickensian Celebration

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

To celebrate the exact 155th anniversary of Charles Dickens‘s death and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Charles Dickens Museum in London, the museum will be free of charge to all visitors on June 9 when it will … Continue reading →

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I can’t believe that NYC is #17

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

To paraphrase Tolstoy’s famous opening line: All happy cities are alike; each unhappy city is unhappy in its own way. Maybe that’s too clunky a way to introduce the 2025 Happy City Index, but I’m seriously jetlagged so it will … Continue reading →

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New York’s Secret Gem

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Today marks the official re-opening of one of New York City’s finest art museums after a nearly five year closure for renovation. While the Frick Collection may not be a secret to the city’s art lovers, most visitors to NYC … Continue reading →

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Actual Pictures of Atlantis and more

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Depictions of Atlantis in retro science fiction art. OK, so they’re not actual pictures of Atlantis. It is actually April Fools’ Day. “SomaFM is an independent Internet-only streaming multi-channel radio station, supported entirely with donations from listeners. SomaFM originally started broadcasting out of founder … Continue reading →

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The New Metropolis

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

It probably reveals way too much about me that I’m very excited to discover that a new exhibition at the Grolier Club  in New York City is opening today. The show explores how a growing New York City was portrayed … Continue reading →

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You couldn’t pay me to go there

Posted on March 2, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

After years of civil war and terrorist conflict that reduced its cultural treasures to rubble, Syria is taking steps to breathe new life into its tourism industry. The nation is focusing on restoring its rich heritage, aiming to attract history … Continue reading →

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More Than the Mona Lisa

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In January, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a significant renovation plan for the Louvre, following concerns from the museum’s director about the building’s deteriorating condition. The project includes the creation of a new grand entrance and broader refurbishments across the historic site. Like most … Continue reading →

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I will make rhapsodies from grains of sleep.

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Dorothea Tanning, the Surrealist artist and writer, who made it from the small town of Galesburg, Illinois, to the center of New York’s avant-garde art world, lived until she was 101, but she never got the major museum survey she … Continue reading →

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Your AI Travel Guide

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

I am still dubious when it comes to AI travel tools. I’ve tried out some AI trip planning with disappointing results. But how about navigating tourist sites with your very own AI travel guide, ready to reveal the stories behind … Continue reading →

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