Chomsky Doll

Noam Chomsky

Tyler Cowen | Conversations | 14th June 2023

At 94, Chomsky is still game for an ask-me-anything on topics ranging from linguistics and AI to ancient history and American foreign policy, while citing authorities from Plato and Leibniz to J.S Mill and Stephen Wolfram along the way. Much of interest on LLMs, animal cognition, human nature, Cuba, Nicaragua, propaganda. One may not always agree, but one must surely admire (6,100 words)


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The Doll Mommies Are Fighting

Jessica Lucas | Cosmopolitan | 27th June 2023

Report from the world of “reborn dolls", which are "hyperrealistic faux babies" that cost up to $5,000 and inspire "fanatical devotion" among "reborn moms". Some owners "jump into the scene just for fun"; others have "deeper therapeutic aims such as coping with pregnancy loss". An "entire role-play subgenre" is devoted to reborn dolls with "serious injuries and life-threatening illnesses" (2,500 words)