Welcome to the feature that poses three questions to students regarding works of art or culture they’ve recently enjoyed and provides us with insight as to why we should (or shouldn’t) check them out. Students Ario Hamrah‘26 and Tibu de la Carcova von Schaaffhausen ‘28 weighed in on the questions below:
1) What is one new idea you’ve heard recently that has you thinking?
Tibu de la Carcova von Schaaffhausen ‘28:
“An important idea that has me thinking is: How do we balance human dignity and our connection to God in a world where technology is ever-growing? How do we use such technology to advance human dignity, and at what threshold does it serve to do the opposite? I think nowadays in a world so enveloped by technology, we must consider these questions and make sure that we prioritize our own humanity before any kind of technology. This statement seems obvious, but is clearly not being considered by the majority of people, especially AI corporations.”
Ario Hamrah ‘26:
“An idea that has interested me recently is AI image generation using reverse diffusion. I think that it is overlooked because everybody treats these tools as abstractions, but I think it is helpful to be knowledgeable about how AI works if we want to keep using it in the future. By doing this, it shifts our perspective from being users of an abstraction to being partners with technology instead.”
2) What is one work of art or piece of culture worth checking out (or not)?
Tibu de la Carcova von Schaaffhausen ‘28:
“This is a little geeky, but I think people should check out WorldPlace at least once. It’s a collaborative, earth-sized live canvas where anyone can contribute, albeit piecemeal. The whole idea is to represent each individual country through different kinds of paintings or drawings. It doesn’t seem that interesting on the surface, especially considering the volume of crappy art you’ll find, but it is really fascinating to see how people from different countries represent their own culture through art. If you zoom in on SHP, you’ll even see somebody has added ‘SHP’ over where the school is!”
Ario Hamrah ‘26:
“I think it’s worth checking out the Cryptopunk Gallery by the Node Foundation in Downtown Palo Alto that just opened up recently. I’ve visited it a few times already, and I think it is a great opportunity to learn about Cryptopunk, and it has many interesting displays.”
3) One book or article you’ve read recently that caught your interest.
Tibu de la Carcova von Schaaffhausen ‘28:
“A really fascinating article I’ve read recently is Antiqua Et Nova, published by the Vatican. It addresses a lot of concerns about a ‘technocratic’ future where humans are set secondary to the advancement of technology and the pursuit of a singularity. It is a really eye-opening read and helps you really understand the scope of AI and just how much our world will change. Even though it is published by the Vatican, non-Christian readers will still benefit from reading it, and I think everyone should check it out.”
Ario Hamrah ‘26:
“A book I read recently is titled Almanack of Naval Ravikant. I see it as a playbook for modern life through a tech-forward, philosophical perspective. It talks about how to structure your thinking — both financial and mental — by using things like code, media, and specific knowledge that only you have. My favorite message from the book is that happiness and wealth are actually skills that you earn, something that you are not born into. It’s a complex read, but I am glad I read it!”
