James Stevens

According to Fiske and Silverstein the three kinds of “new luxury” share certain common traits, which set them apart from old luxury. Whereas old luxury goods were based on status, class and exclusivity, a new luxury philosophy inspires consumers to forge stronger emotional ties to the products and brands. Companies engage consumers and reap the... See more

All of which raises another set of questions, about art rather than morals. Which is a better measure of an artwork, its quality on average or its peaks? How should ambition be weighed against execution, jolting insight against missteps, the good against the bad?

Having 'potential' in your mind, feels better than failure in reality. This ego-cushion prevents millions from creating their life's work. Once you feel it- physically- that cushion becomes painful, like a tumor you have to remove. And you only get it out one way. By identifying not with goals, but with output. You should feel dead inside if you... See more

If AI starts to generate intelligence by itself, there’s no guarantee that it will be human-like. Rather than humans teaching machines to think like humans, machines might teach humans new ways of thinking.

It’s easy to absorb other people’s values without realizing it. I discussed my photo realization with a friend, who shared a story. On his first school field trip to New York, his mom gave him a disposable camera and said, "You can take photos of the buildings and the Statue of Liberty if you want, but remember to mostly take photos of your... See more

Swelter is in his best uniform, a habit of exceptional splendour, the high cap and tunic being of virgin silk. Doubling his body he opens the door the merest fraction of an inch and applies his eye to the fissure. As he bends, the shimmering folds of the silk about his belly hiss and whisper like the voice of far and sinister waters or like some... See more