Planet Earth Report provides descriptive links to headline news by leading science journalists about the extraordinary discoveries, technology, people, and events changing our knowledge of Planet Earth and the future of the human species. Our caffeine-inspired curation team scours the world, doing your work for you all in one place.

Gaia Will Soon Belong to the Cyborgs Cyborgs may be the start of a process that leads toward an intelligent universe, writes James Lovelock for Nautil.us. Our reign as sole understanders of the cosmos is rapidly coming to an end. The revolution that has just begun may be understood as a continuation of the process whereby the Earth nurtures the beings that will lead the cosmos to self-knowledge. What is revolutionary about this moment is that the understanders of the future will not be humans but cyborgs that will have designed and built themselves from the artificial intelligence systems we have already constructed who will soon become thousands then millions of times more intelligent than us.

The fifth force: Is there another fundamental force of nature? Scientists in Hungary claim to have found a new particle that reveals a fifth force of nature.In recent years, a group of Hungarian researchers have made headlines with a bold claim. They say theyve discovered a new particle dubbed X17 that requires the existence of a fifth force of nature, writes Eric Betz for Astronomy.com. The researchers werent looking for the new particle, though. Instead, it popped up as an anomaly in their detector back in 2015 while they were searching for signs of dark matter. The oddity didnt draw much attention at first. But eventually, a group of prominent particle physicists working at the University of California, Irvine, took a closer look and suggested that the Hungarians had stumbled onto a new type of particle one that implies an entirely new force of nature.

An Open Letter to Telescope Protesters in Hawaii. Why astronomy on Mauna Kea is not a desecration but a duty, writes Dana Mackenziefor Nautil.us. On July 15, 2019, after a court decision had cleared the way for astronomers to build a new mega-telescope, called the Thirty Meter Telescope, on Hawaiis Mauna Kea, a large group of protesters said, No. Pitching their camp directly on the access road to the top of Mauna Kea, the protesters, who called themselves kiai mauna (protectors of the mountain), pledged to stop any construction vehicles from passing. The kiai argue that the mountain is sacred to the native Hawaiian people, and that the construction of the TMT would desecrate it.

Humans Have Been Taking Out Insurance Policies for at Least 30,000 YearsA study of beads made from ostrich eggshells suggests the humans of the Kalahari Desert region formed social networks to help each other, writes Megan Gannon for Smithsonian.com,Its a really good adaptation to a desert environment like the Kalahari, which has huge spatial and temporal variability in resource distribution, says Brian Stewart, an archaeologist at the University of Michigan. It can be very rainy in one season and in the next absolutely dry, or it can be very rainy in your area and then 10 kilometers away, its just nothing. (Image courtesy of Brian A. Stewart, Yuchao Zhao, and the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology/John Klausmeyer)

The Strange Influence the Sun Has on Whales. A solar storm can throw whales off-course, suggesting that the large animals might have an internal compass, writes Ed Yong for The Atlantic. The first clear evidence that some animals have a magnetic sense came from a simple-enough experimentput an animal in a box, change the magnetic fields around it, and see where it heads. German scientists first tried this in the 1960s, with captive robins.

This Company Will Point Satellites at Earth and Use them to Look for UFOs. Hypergiant Industries has clients like NASA, Shell, and Booz Allen. It says it can use machine learning from satellite imagery to detect anomalies, writes Sarah Scoles for Vice.com. VY Canis Majoris is a hypergiant star 270,000 times as bright as the Sun, and if you plunked it down in the middle of our solar system, it would burn Saturn..And perhaps it is no surprise that theres a tech startup humbly eponymizing it: Hypergiant Industries, a company that aims, its website explains, to be the guiding light that solves humanitys most challenging problems.

The Man Making Rwanda Into a Hub for Physics. As the founding director of a new institute for fundamental research in Rwanda, the physicist Omololu Akin-Ojo hopes to stem the brain drain of Africas brightest minds, writes for Quanta.

Experts still dont know why so few cases of the new coronavirus have been reported in Africa, despite China where the virus originated being the continents top trading partner and the continent having a population of 1.3 billion people, writes Adam Vaughan for New Scientist.. Although the official number of cases in Egypt spiked from two to 59 over the weekend, including 33 people who were on a Nile cruise, across Africa the number of cases has stayed low. As of Tuesday morning there were just 95 official cases on the continent, though two countries Togo and Cameroon reported their first cases over the weekend. The spread in Africa is of concern because of the fragility of some countries healthcare systems, and the continent already faces big public health issues, particularly malaria, TB and HIV.

Coronavirus is hard on older people and scientists arent sure why. Understanding the age question could help researchers figure out how to treat the illness, particularly in older populations, writes Denise Chow for NBC MACH. Older adults appear to be more severely at risk from the new coronavirus, while young children seem to be largely spared and understanding why could be crucial to treating people with the illness it causes, according to scientists.

Why Deaths from Coronavirus Are So High in Italy. The nation now has the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 outside of mainland China, writes Rachael Rettner for LiveScience. Deaths from the new coronavirus in Italy have soared in recent days, with the country reporting 463 total fatalities from the virus, out of 9,172 confirmed cases, as of Monday (March 9). But why are deaths in the country so high?

The Coronavirus Will Shine a Bright Light On Crappy US Broadband, Much like the US healthcare system, US telecom infrastructure isnt ready for whats coming, writes Karl Bode for Vice Science. In the weeks and months to come, a growing number of US citizens are going to be forced to work from home in a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the process theyre going to run face-first into a US broadband market that has consistently failed to provide quality, affordable broadband to those who need it most.

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Planet Earth Report Cyborgs Will Lead Us to an Intelligent Universe to a New Force of Nature - The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

The Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix semifinals will be set Friday night. And that weight division's title will be on the line.

It all will happen in an empty Mohegan Sun Arena, as promotion president Scott Coker announced Thursday that, "out of an abundance of caution" over the coronavirus pandemic, Bellator 241 will be closed to the public. The fights will go on, in front of 10,000 empty seats in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The main event pits Patricio Freire against Pedro Carvalho in a fight whose importance is twofold. Freire, who reigns at both featherweight and lightweight, will be defending his 145-pound title. And the winner of the bout will not just be champion but will move on to the final four of the yearlong tournament.

In Bellator, the tourney is held not simply to determine a challenger for the champ. It includes the champ, testing him along the way.

In the co-main event, Emmanuel Sanchez and Daniel Weichel, both longtime Bellator featherweight stalwarts, will face off in another Grand Prix quarterfinal.

There are important fights up and down the card. Here's a look at what to watch for at Bellator 241.

Last September, Freire was granted "champion's choice" during Bellator's Grand Prix selection show. "Pitbull" was allowed to manipulate the bracket however he wanted, choosing his quarterfinal opponent and date. Freire tabbed Carvalho, the least-known fighter in the draw, as his foe. It was a very good strategic move. So was bouncing the other favorites in the field -- A.J. McKee and Darrion Caldwell -- to the other side of the bracket. Freire chose an easier path, as he should have.

2 Related

But how easy of a challenge is Carvalho? Not really that easy at all, truly. Carvalho is a 24-year-old prospect out of Portugal. He trains under John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland, rubbing shoulders with Conor McGregor, among others. Carvalho has won six straight, four of them via finish. Maybe Carvalho ends up being the surprise of this tournament.

Just like in any tournament, one of the most fun things is pegging who will be the sleepers. Weichel and Sanchez are two names people are not buzzing about. But they are both consistent and solid, with the ability to finish a fight either while standing or on the ground.

Sanchez has only two losses going back to 2015: to Freire and Weichel. He is seeking to avenge a 2016 split decision defeat to Weichel, a fight Sanchez believes he won. Weichel, meanwhile, has lost to Freire twice, but in their first fight he rocked the champion and in the second he took the Brazilian to a close split decision. Either one of these men has a chance to win this fight and give the Freire vs. Carvalho winner a tough time in the semifinals.

Daley, the exciting, charismatic British slugger, has won two straight after being ousted from the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix by Michael Page in February 2019. He meets Sabah Homasi on Friday night. Homasi is a UFC veteran on a two-fight winning streak and is no easy test. If Daley passes it, he'll put himself in the conversation for a fight against welterweight champion Douglas Lima.

There is also the possibility that Daley could earn another date with Page, his countryman, with whom he has a rivalry. Daley called for that rematch against "MVP" after Daley stopped Saad Awad with strikes last October. At 37 years old, Daley is not still the same guy who came close to fighting for the UFC welterweight title 10 years ago. But he's still a lightning rod -- and still capable of putting foes to sleep with one left hook.

Who is next for Cyborg, the newly crowned Bellator women's featherweight champion? Perhaps the answer can be found on the Bellator 241 undercard. While it seems Arlene Blencowe has the inside track right now, either Smith or Miele can put her name in the hat with a big performance.

Monday through Friday, host Mina Kimes brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. Listen

Smith was actually Cyborg's first UFC opponent in 2016 and is a friend of the champion. But she has lost just once since fighting Cyborg -- to Blencowe in November -- and her bouts are always exciting to watch. Miele, meanwhile, has won four straight and could position herself as a top contender with a win over a known commodity like Smith. Cyborg will surely be watching closely.

"Prospect" is an odd term. What does it really mean in MMA? Someone young? Someone unproven? Gracie isn't young. He's 30 years old. But in MMA, he's inexperienced, with just three pro fights -- all with Bellator, and all since 2018. Every one of his fights has ended with a submission win, which should come as no surprise given his last name. His family helped bring Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the United States and was essential in starting the UFC in 1993.

Robson is the youngest brother of Renzo Gracie and, of course, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He has looked strong in MMA so far, and his challenge Friday will be Billy Goff, a 21-year-old Connecticut-based fighter who is 2-2, mostly with local regional promotions. This is very much a showcase fight for Robson, who should win. If he doesn't, we can definitely hit the brakes on that "prospect" distinction.

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Patricio Freire's title, tourney hopes on the line at closed Bellator event - ESPN

An international team of researchers spread out over three labs in Switzerland, Italy, and the UK have successfully joined artificial neurons and an organic neuron to form the first operational biological-artificial hybrid neural network.

Theyve made a cyborg.

The team set out to recreate a classic experiment showing how neurons can learn by transferring information through synapses.

In a classic neural network, various neurons light up in response to stimulus. Over time the neurons will require more or less stimulation to fire, thus demonstrating how neural networks adapt and learn.

Read: Scientists discover strong evidence of life on Mars

Weve studied this concept in organic neural networks such as those found in living brains, but this is the first time its been done with both living and artificial neurons.

Per the teams research paper:

We demonstrate a three-neuron brain-silicon network where memristive synapses undergo long-term potentiation or depression driven by neuronal firing rates.

The experiment involved three different neurons across three different geographical locations, connected via the Internet using standard TCP/IP.

The first, a silicon-based artificial neuron, resided in Switzerland where researchers used it to send information to another artificial neuron in the UK.

Connecting the two human-made neurons was an organic neuron derived from a lab rats brain in Italy which served as a bridge for information.

The scientists demonstrated the hybrid neural networks ability to learn by modifying the way the data was sent, thus causing the artificial neuron at the end of the transmission to require more or less stimulation to light up.

Theoretically, this experiment could be expanded exponentially. With enough artificial bridges mimicking natural synapses we may one day be able to emulate entire brain regions.

The implications could go as far as total-conversion cyborgs that retain only the bare minimum of organic brain material essentially, this could mean immortality.

But, more likely in this century, it means scientists may one day be able to repair damaged or abnormal brain regions. This could mean a cure for paralysis, dementia, and other brain disorders, even those currently considered irreparable.

Theres still plenty of work to be done. It takes hundreds of thousands of connections for even simple brain circuits to operate, the three-neuron approach is little more than proof of the concept.

But when full-on cyborgs walk the Earth, theyll trace their origins back to this research.

You can read the full paper here.

H/t: Singularity Hub

Published March 11, 2020 22:47 UTC

Excerpt from:

Scientists successfully created a cybernetic neural network - The Next Web

Scientists have linked up two silicon-based artificial neurons with a biological one across multiple countries into a fully-functional network. Using standard internet protocols, they established a chain of communication whereby an artificial neuron controls a living, biological one, and passes on the info to another artificial one.

Whoa.

Weve talked plenty about brain-computer interfaces and novel computer chips that resemble the brain. Weve covered how those neuromorphic chips could link up into tremendously powerful computing entities, using engineered communication nodes called artificial synapses.

As Moores law is dying, we even said that neuromorphic computing is one path towards the future of extremely powerful, low energy consumption artificial neural network-based computingin hardwarethat could in theory better link up with the brain. Because the chips speak the brains language, in theory they could become neuroprosthesis hubs far more advanced and natural than anything currently possible.

This month, an international team put all of those ingredients together, turning theory into reality.

The three labs, scattered across Padova, Italy, Zurich, Switzerland, and Southampton, England, collaborated to create a fully self-controlled, hybrid artificial-biological neural network that communicated using biological principles, but over the internet.

The three-neuron network, linked through artificial synapses that emulate the real thing, was able to reproduce a classic neuroscience experiment thats considered the basis of learning and memory in the brain. In other words, artificial neuron and synapse chips have progressed to the point where they can actually use a biological neuron intermediary to form a circuit that, at least partially, behaves like the real thing.

Thats not to say cyborg brains are coming soon. The simulation only recreated a small network that supports excitatory transmission in the hippocampusa critical region that supports memoryand most brain functions require enormous cross-talk between numerous neurons and circuits. Nevertheless, the study is a jaw-dropping demonstration of how far weve come in recreating biological neurons and synapses in artificial hardware.

And perhaps one day, the currently experimental neuromorphic hardware will be integrated into broken biological neural circuits as bridges to restore movement, memory, personality, and even a sense of self.

One important thing: this study relies heavily on a decade of research into neuromorphic computing, or the implementation of brain functions inside computer chips.

The best-known example is perhaps IBMs TrueNorth, which leveraged the brains computational principles to build a completely different computer than what we have today. Todays computers run on a von Neumann architecture, in which memory and processing modules are physically separate. In contrast, the brains computing and memory are simultaneously achieved at synapses, small hubs on individual neurons that talk to adjacent ones.

Because memory and processing occur on the same site, biological neurons dont have to shuttle data back and forth between processing and storage compartments, massively reducing processing time and energy use. Whats more, a neurons history will also influence how it behaves in the future, increasing flexibility and adaptability compared to computers. With the rise of deep learning, which loosely mimics neural processing as the prima donna of AI, the need to reduce power while boosting speed and flexible learning is becoming ever more tantamount in the AI community.

Neuromorphic computing was partially born out of this need. Most chips utilize special ingredients that change their resistance (or other physical characteristics) to mimic how a neuron might adapt to stimulation. Some chips emulate a whole neuron, that is, how it responds to a history of stimulationdoes it get easier or harder to fire? Others imitate synapses themselves, that is, how easily they will pass on the information to another neuron.

Although single neuromorphic chips have proven to be far more efficient and powerful than current computer chips running machine learning algorithms in toy problems, so far few people have tried putting the artificial components together with biological ones in the ultimate test.

Thats what this study did.

Still with me? Lets talk network.

Its gonna sound complicated, but remember: learning is the formation of neural networks, and neurons that fire together wire together. To rephrase: when learning, neurons will spontaneously organize into networks so that future instances will re-trigger the entire network. To wire together, downstream neurons will become more responsive to their upstream neural partners, so that even a whisper will cause them to activate. In contrast, some types of stimulation will cause the downstream neuron to chill out so that only an upstream shout will trigger downstream activation.

Both these propertieseasier or harder to activate downstream neuronsare essentially how the brain forms connections. The amping up, in neuroscience jargon, is long-term potentiation (LTP), whereas the down-tuning is LTD (long-term depression). These two phenomena were first discovered in the rodent hippocampus more than half a century ago, and ever since have been considered as the biological basis of how the brain learns and remembers, and implicated in neurological problems such as addition (seriously, you cant pass Neuro 101 without learning about LTP and LTD!).

So its perhaps especially salient that one of the first artificial-brain hybrid networks recapitulated this classic result.

To visualize: the three-neuron network began in Switzerland, with an artificial neuron with the badass name of silicon spiking neuron. That neuron is linked to an artificial synapse, a memristor located in the UK, which is then linked to a biological rat neuron cultured in Italy. The rat neuron has a smart microelectrode, controlled by the artificial synapse, to stimulate it. This is the artificial-to-biological pathway.

Meanwhile, the rat neuron in Italy also has electrodes that listen in on its electrical signaling. This signaling is passed back to another artificial synapse in the UK, which is then used to control a second artificial neuron back in Switzerland. This is the biological-to-artificial pathway back. As a testimony in how far weve come in digitizing neural signaling, all of the biological neural responses are digitized and sent over the internet to control its far-out artificial partner.

Heres the crux: to demonstrate a functional neural network, just having the biological neuron passively pass on electrical stimulation isnt enough. It has to show the capacity to learn, that is, to be able to mimic the amping up and down-tuning that are LTP and LTD, respectively.

Youve probably guessed the results: certain stimulation patterns to the first artificial neuron in Switzerland changed how the artificial synapse in the UK operated. This, in turn, changed the stimulation to the biological neuron, so that it either amped up or toned down depending on the input.

Similarly, the response of the biological neuron altered the second artificial synapse, which then controlled the output of the second artificial neuron. Altogether, the biological and artificial components seamlessly linked up, over thousands of miles, into a functional neural circuit.

SoIm still picking my jaw up off the floor.

Its utterly insane seeing a classic neuroscience learning experiment repeated with an integrated network with artificial components. That said, a three-neuron network is far from the thousands of synapses (if not more) needed to truly re-establish a broken neural circuit in the hippocampus, which DARPA has been aiming to do. And LTP/LTD has come under fire recently as the de facto brain mechanism for learning, though so far they remain cemented as neuroscience dogma.

However, this is one of the few studies where you see fields coming together. As Richard Feynman famously said, What I cannot recreate, I cannot understand. Even though neuromorphic chips were built on a high-level rather than molecular-level understanding of how neurons work, the study shows that artificial versions can still synapse with their biological counterparts. Were not just on the right path towards understanding the brain, were recreating it, in hardwareif just a little.

While the study doesnt have immediate use cases, practically it does boost both the neuromorphic computing and neuroprosthetic fields.

We are very excited with this new development, said study author Dr. Themis Prodromakis at the University of Southampton. On one side it sets the basis for a novel scenario that was never encountered during natural evolution, where biological and artificial neurons are linked together and communicate across global networks; laying the foundations for the Internet of Neuro-electronics. On the other hand, it brings new prospects to neuroprosthetic technologies, paving the way towards research into replacing dysfunctional parts of the brain with AI chips.

Image Credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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Scientists Linked Artificial and Biological Neurons in a Networkand Amazingly, It Worked - Singularity Hub

Netflix has released a new series of stills for its upcoming contribution to the Ghost in the Shell franchise -- the CG anime series Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

The images, shared to Netflix's official NX Twitter account, highlight the show's characters, though primarily main protagonist Motoko Kusanagi and her second-in-command, Batou. Netflix's caption reads, "Hey cyberpunks, quit hacking gibsons and check these new screens of Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045."

RELATED:Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Netflix Releases Trailer for CG Anime Series

Based on the popular manga created by Masamune Shirow and set to arrive next month, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 takes place after AI developments following an economic disaster called the Synchronized Global Default in the year 2045 plunged the world into "Sustainable War." The series fallouts Motoko and Batou, whose mercenary work takes a sharp turn with the arrival of "post humans."

Per the show's full synopsis,

When sustainable war spawns a "post-human" threat, Major Kusanagi and her Section 9 team are called back into action.

In the year 2045, after an economic disaster known as the Synchronized Global Default, rapid developments in AI propelled the world to enter a state of Sustainable War. However, the public is not aware of the threat that AI has towards the human race.

Full-body cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi and her second-in-command Batou are former members of Public Security Section 9, who are now hired mercenaries traveling hot devastated American west coast. This land is full of opportunity for the major and her team, they utilize their enhanced cyberbrains and combat skills from their time working in Section 9. However, things get complicated with the emergence of post humans, who have extreme intelligence and physical powers. The members of Section 9 comeback together again in order to face this new threat.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is directed by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki. The series arrives on Netflix in April.

KEEP READING:Ghost in the Shell: The Best Watch Order for the Anime Movies and Series

What's Shonen Jump's Future After One Piece & Other Popular Series End?

Noah Dominguez is a jr. news editor at Comic Book Resources who joined the site as a writer in the summer of 2018. He has also written for such sites as WhatCulture and Gaming Access Weekly (formerly Gamer Assault Weekly) and holds a degree in mass communication. A lifelong fan of all Marvel and DC has to offer, be it comic books, movies, TV shows, or video games, as well as countless other series, franchises and artists, Noah is something with a lot to say when it comes to the world of pop culture. He firmly believes that The Amazing Spider-Man movies are criminally underrated, Ewan McGregor is the definitive Obi-Wan Kenobi, Too Tough to Die is unquestionably the best Ramones album and that comics should be for everyone. If you want to hear Noah ramble about these and other topics, you can follow him on Twitter at @akaFirebrand.

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Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 - Netflix Shares New Stills from Its CG Anime - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The future is what we make it, but what about the unmade Terminator sequels that would have followed Salvation, Genisys, and Dark Fate? Mark finds out.

This feature contains spoilers for all of the Terminator films, including Dark Fate.

The original Terminator trilogy comprised three movies released in three different decades. For all the flaws with Jonathan Mostows Terminator 3, a well-made sequel that nevertheless comes up short next to James Camerons films, its probably the best of the post-T2 sequels.

The franchise now numbers six entries, with the addition of three different trilogy-starters, distributed by three different studios, with three different creative leads, all in little more than 10 years. Salvation, Genisys, and Dark Fate were all intended to kick off sequel trilogies, but whether it was down to rights issues or audience apathy, none of their respective follow-ups came to pass.

In the workings of a franchise machine that absolutely will not stop ever, until we are dead, we can be thankful that simply remaking the 1984 original remains an unthinkable option for now. Heck, the series has tied itself in knots just to keep Arnold Schwarzenegger involved beyond the reasonable playing age for a mass-produced cyborg.

But where would these new creative directions have taken the series if they had come to fruition? Heres our look back at the Terminator trilogies that never were

Setup: 15 years after Judgment Day, in the far-off future of 2018, upstart resistance captain John Connor (Christian Bale) encounters an experimental human-Terminator hybrid named Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) who is protecting Johns teenage father Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) from Skynet.

What went wrong? Despite being the worst-reviewed movie in the franchise up to this point, Salvation was a decent-sized hit at the worldwide box office in summer 2009. However, when Terminator rights holders The Halcyon Company went bankrupt later that year, the rights changed hands and Salvations most lasting impression on pop culture was the ubiquitous leaked audio of Christian Bale ranting at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut.

What would have happened next? Unlike the films that followed, Terminator Salvation is about as linear a sequel as you could expect from such a circular narrative. It picks up roughly after Rise Of The Machines left off but feels like more of a reboot than it ought to because of casting changes.

As well as being the only entry in the franchise that doesnt feature Schwarzenegger, (outside of a cameo from a CG double anyway) its unique in its lack of time travel shenanigans. So, what did director McG have in mind for the untitled Terminator 5 and 6?

One of the problems is that in a post-apocalyptic world, everybodys a little bummed out, he told IGN in 2009. Everything went haywire. So, the idea is to play with one of the tried and true rules of the franchise time travel and introduce it in this picture.

In further statements around the same time, McG suggested a fifth instalment would play around with the timeline that was largely respected in Salvation. This time-travel adventure was going to send Bales Connor back to a pre-Skynet 2011, the same year as the sequel was intended to be released. Even though Salvation acknowledges that Judgment Day took place in 2003, the idea was to revisit the contemporary chase-movie style of previous instalments.

This neednt have broken the franchise, but the minds behind Terminator 5 also intended to show Skynet figuring out how to send non-infiltrator Terminators back through time, meaning that the war machinery seen in countless flashforwards would invade our present. In case you dont see what a bad idea that would be, ask yourself why they wouldnt have just sent a Hunter-Killer back to get Sarah Connor in 1984, if that ever became possible?

Speaking of Sarah, McG intended to retcon her death, which occurred off-screen before Rise Of The Machines, and have Linda Hamilton return for the fifth film. It also would have featured Robert Patrick as a 60-year-old scientist who is researching cell replication, as if a shapeshifter like the T-1000 would need design inspiration to begin with.

As it stood, McG had two potential projects lined up between completing Salvation and Terminator 5 one was a James Cameron-produced remake of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and the other was a screen version of the rock musical Spring Awakening. Neither of those films materialised, but due to those pesky rights issues, (which weve covered more extensively elsewhere)neither did his take on Terminator 5.

After it became apparent that new rights holders Annapurna Pictures would be pursuing a new take, with Schwarzenegger once again front and centre, Dark Horse Comics released a 12-issue sequel series titled Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, the story picks up threads involving Connor, Wright, and Helena Bonham Carters Dr Serena Kogan, and ultimately ties all loose ends back into the circular narrative of the rest of the series.

Setup: Time is in flux during the dying days of the war against the machines, as an alternate-universe version of Skynet (Matt Smith) sends a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah Connor as a child. Tumbling into an alternate 1984, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) discovers that Sarah (Emilia Clarke) was raised by a reprogrammed T-800, (Schwarzenegger) while back in his own time, John Connor (Jason Clarke) has also been assimilated.

What went wrong? All editorialising about the films quality aside, Genisys got an even colder reception from critics and audiences than its predecessor. While Alan Taylors film took a leaf out of JJ Abrams Star Trek in a bid to kickstart a rebooted trilogy, the back-to-back sequels that had been dated for 19th May 2017 and 29th June 2018 were quietly removed from Paramounts slate after the film underperformed at the international box office.

What would have happened next? For us, this is Terminator 1, this is not Terminator 5, said Annapurna executive David Ellison, describing the filmmakers approach to the intended trilogy. Despite bringing Schwarzenegger back into the fold, Genisys was very much hyped as the start of a new series based on Camerons original two films. If nothing else, its a curious move to acknowledge that the film is overwriting the two cast-iron classics that kicked off the franchise during the film it didnt prove to be a popular choice.

Writers Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier were charged with coming up with the new trilogy and while doing press rounds for Genisys, they were emphatic in saying that they had a three-film arc for this new alternate timeline. Indeed, they claimed that they knew the last line of the third movie but were understandably unwilling to reveal what it was at that point.

As mentioned, Genisys sets up some of the questions that would percolate throughout the next two films, like where the alternate version of Skynet had come from (or rather, why he didnt bring a fez and a mop to tidy up this timey-wimey nonsense). Smiths role in the finished film amounted to an extended cameo, but the mid-credits scene was devoted to showing that Skynets new Genisys form had survived in 2017, and the sequels were supposed to explain where it had come from.

Notably, the film sees our heroes trying to avert yet another Judgment Day in 2017, which is when the first sequel was supposed to turn up. Unlike the causal loop established across previous instalments, the many-worlds version allows for further alterations to the mythos, so Kalogridis and Lussier would pretty much have had free rein on the sequels.

Its not too much of a stretch to imagine that Part 2 would have seen Judgment Day come to pass again, with the alternate-universe Skynet avoiding the mistakes of previous versions, so that Part 3 could deal with the immediate aftermath, perhaps having other characters hop between timelines too. Although the sequels were dated and a complementary TV spin-off series was announced, the films box office put paid to any plans to answer the films dangling plot threads.

And so, what little else we know about the planned Genisys sequels has largely come from the actors involved. For instance, we know that Dayo Okeniyis Cyberdyne whiz Daniel Dyson was set to play a larger part and that JK Simmons filmed pick-up scenes in Genisys to make it clearer that his character survived, ahead of a more important role in the sequels. But the biggest clue weve had so far comes from Jason Clarke, who lamented that he didnt get to explore the T-5000 version of John Connor any further.

He told Collider in 2018: What I remember was that second one was going to be about Johns journey after he was taken by Skynetlike going down to what he became; half-machine, half-man. Thats where the second one was going to start, and thats about all I knew. Its such a bummer we didnt get to do that.

By contrast, his namesake and screen mother Emilia Clarke was much more contentto be free of the Terminator franchise machine, claiming in a 2018 interview that she was relieved that the film didnt do well. Elsewhere, Ellison brought James Cameron back on board as a producer to have another run at the franchise that made his name

Setup: Utilising the same many-worlds approach to liberally ignore everything since T2, Dark Fate opens with a shattering postscript to Camerons last film and then picks up 22 years later, as Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) encounters a new saviour of humanity, Dani Ramos, (Natalia Reyes) and her cyborg-hybrid protector, Grace, (Mackenzie Davis) on the run from a Terminator sent by a different, non-Skynet AI called Legion.

What went wrong? Pivoting from Trek to Star Wars in its legacyquel tack, the film drew much warmer reviews all around, but had the lowest box-office opening of any Terminator film since the first one in 1984. Many box office prognosticators blamed franchise fatigue with the third would-be trilogy-starter on the bounce, but all told, Paramount and Skydance Media declared a loss of $130 million on the film.

What would have happened next? As youd expect from Cameron, he was a hands-on producer, proving instrumental in co-writing the story that Deadpool director Tim Miller went on to make. Indeed, before Dark Fate, the producer reportedly sat down, just as he has with his as-yet-unreleased Avatar sequels, to hammer out a three-film arc with writers Charles H. Eglee, Josh Friedman, David Goyer, and Justin Rhodes.

Camerons main reason for returning to the Terminator franchise was to address the ever more topical relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. But by his own admission, Dark Fate doesnt get around to that, instead tacitly acknowledging the stray timelines of Salvation and Genisys by suggesting that some version of this conflict has happened before and will happen again, until something fundamentally changes in that relationship.

He further explained: We know where our storyline is going in broad strokes. The innate conflict that the future Terminator films will have to resolve, will be the ultimate and inescapable showdown between humanity and A.I.

The first sequel was pencilled in for early 2022 by producers estimates, but that was before the film turned out to be a financial write-off. By the end of Dark Fate, Sarah and Dani drive off towards an uncertain future, (again) but behind the scenes at least, it seems as if Cameron and his co-writers had made preparations to ensure that the film worked as a standalone story, but also that they didnt paint themselves into any corners If the series continued.

The only area in which things seemed more ambivalent about the sequels was Schwarzeneggers return in its second half, the film introduces a T-800 model that feels like the logical extension of Uncle Bob from T2 and goes to some lengths to start that this time, he wont be back. And yet when asked, Cameron cheerfully said that he could find some way to bring Arnie back, they gladly would.

However, Dark Fate belatedly brings the franchise back to the realisation that Sarah Connor, not the Terminator, was the protagonist of the original film, so well leave the last word to Hamilton. In January 2020, she stated that shes more or less finished with the franchise after the latest films underperformance.

She told The Hollywood Reporter I would really appreciate maybe a smaller version where so many millions are not at stake. Todays audience is just so unpredictable. I cant tell you how many laymen just go, Well, people dont go to the movies anymore. Thats not Hollywood analysis; that just comes out of almost everybodys mouth.

It should definitely not be such a high-risk financial venture, but I would be quite happy to never return. So, no, I am not hopeful because I would really love to be done.

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The Terminator sequel trilogies that never were - Film Stories

This article was written by guest writer Sam Weyen. You can follow him and the current tree @DaStanfordTree

Close your eyes and think deeply of 1947. What do you picture? Do you see Jackie Robinson making his debut in a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey? Do you feel the explosiveness as the US and the USSR make Cold War eye contact for the first time?

No. No you do NOT. You picture Edward H. Land presenting the first Instant Print Polaroid camera in New York City to the Optical Society of America.

Yes, the Polaroid camera was birthed from Edwards stout hips over 70 years ago, and ever since its been a staple for kombucha binge drinking hipsters, Outkast enthusiasts, and four of the six weddings my Aunt Kaki has had this decade.

The advent of so-called digital cameras may have damaged the social salience of the Polaroid camera, but I for onea card carrying Blockbuster member and a shareholder for Kodakam still a believer.

So for this years Pac-12 Tournament, I set out to see if I could prove to those sellout DiPhos (Digital Photographers) that there is only one way to truly capture basketball in motion. Rule of Tree credentialed me as a photographer, I grabbed my trusty Polaroid OneStep 2 Viewfinder I-Type Camera, and I set out to do the Lords work.

Flashing my badge to the photography czar, I was met with a gruff and condescending chuckle. Prejudice knows no bounds.

I was led court side to a bivouac of DiPhos. Each photographer was occupying a 1 by 3 foot rectangle outlined in white tape. More cyborg than human, I was astonished to see each sitting in a Crazy Creek chair packed to the brim with technological profligacies: scopes, lenses, extensions, boom mics, bump stocks, silencersit was disgusting. Were they even human?

Origami-ing my flesh into my designated rectangle, I thumbed through my ammunition: 8 Instant Photos for the days 4 games. I mean seriously who knew polaroid film would be so expensive? The buzzer sounded and I began to paint my canvas.

Excuse me, is THE LOUVRE available for comment? My first polaroid of the day would make Banksy leak from his eyeholes:

As Im sure youve read about the Tournament That Never Happened TM, Utahs Alfonso Plummer shattered records (Klay Thompsons) and jaws (Mine) as he nailed 11 of 16 three pointers. It took about 35 minutes for Alfonso to (1) come close enough for a camera without zooming capabilities and (2) not move his body for the ~3 seconds required to capture him chemically.

Okay okay so this one didnt turn out so great. I mean I couldnt use my flash for obvious reasons (though isnt Vegas in some respects the flashing capital of the world!?) and besides Washington had the audacity to wear black

But maybe just maybe. Its symbolic? Washington didnt really show up to this game, and thats reflected in my polaroid a la Marty McFlys family in Back to the Future.

Ever on the hot streak, I have TWO photos to share from the Stanford game. The first shows Daejon Davis after a layup, his body appearing ghostlike and holy in the film to signify his Divine Mandate. I dont want to brag, but Id also like to point out I got the ball on the backboard. Id like to see a DiPho do that.

The next is the whole gang in what would turn out to be their last huddle of the season. Theres a weight to this picture seen on the faces of the players and built into their postures. Also I did accidentally spill some Dr. Pepper on this guy so it is also literally heavier than the others.

Meh. Do you really need a photo from this one? Instead, heres a polaroid of me and fellow Rule of Tree contributor Grant Avalon:

And then after that, the world sort of imploded. Rudy Gobert single handedly shut down the NBA. The NCAA slowly rolled back the scope of the Big Dance and its affiliate conference tournaments until they were no more. Even golf was cancelled.

As the event was called off and I shuffled out of the arena, polaroid companion in hand, I began to wonder was my experiment a success? Did I prove that Polaroids belong in the world of sports? Would my ligaments ever recover from being crammed into a little white photography box?

Probably not. But I knew in my heart that Edward H. Land would be proud all the same.

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The Pac-12 in Polaroids - Rule Of Tree

Ross Garon is living the dream, retiring at the age of 48 after what has been by this account a very successful 10-year-run at the helm of Cubist Systematic Strategies, Point72 Asset Managements quantitative arm. Of course, one mans desire for rest and relaxation and not getting yelled at all the time is not the same thing as Steve Cohen abandoning the nerd game in which hes invested so much time and energy in recent years. Far from it! For Cohen is not only dedicated to keeping Cubist goingand why wouldnt he be, given how successful it apparently isbut in building upon it, in a Robocop kind of way.

In an email to employees, Mr. Cohen said he was still committed to his quant-trading operation, as well as the idea of combining quant and traditional investing, something he calls person + machine.

I expect us to continue to expand the use of systematic strategies across the firm, he wrote.

Point72s Head Quant Is Leaving the Firm [WSJ]

Continue reading here:

Who Wants To Help Steve Cohen Build A Trading Cyborg? - Dealbreaker

Alita may be able to take on robots twice her sizebecause she's a cyberneticpowerhouse, but while sentient robots aren't a thing (yet), cyborg limbs you can control with your brain now are.

Ingenious scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a prosthetic arm that can be controlled with just your brain. The non-invasive process requires almost negligible muscle grafts and machine-learning algorithms from a brain-computer interface (BCI). This isnt the first attempt at merging robotics with mind control, since DARPA (which also funded this study) is developing weapons with this kind of technology, but it is the first prosthetic limb that successfully does this. There was one amputee who described it as feeling like he had his arm back.

This is the biggest advance in motor control for people with amputations in many years, said Paul Cederna, University of Michigan professor of plastic surgery and biomedical engineering, who recently published a study in Science Translational Medicine. We have developed a technique to provide individual finger control of prosthetic devices using the nerves in a patients residual limb. With it, we have been able to provide some of the most advanced prosthetic control that the world has seen.

Mobius (if that name is giving you dj vu, think Mobius Final Fantasy) Bionics' LUKE arm takes advantage of an often-neglected group of nerves to give amputees the use of a limb that is supposed to feel eerily real. Peripheral nerves extend outside the brain and spinal cord. They have been ignored in the past because they tend to transmit weak signals, which needed invasive probes to pick them up. These nerves are already fragile, and implanting probes created scar tissue that muffled the signals even more.

Enter the regenerative peripheral nerve interface. Cedernas team tapped the potential of peripheral nerves by figuring out how to untangle bundles of them into smaller fibers they could actually work with. These nerve fibers could then be manipulated to give the patient more precise control than any prosthetic ever has.

This was achieved by a muscle graft wrapped around nerve endings in patients arms, and the procedure amplified nerve signals. Electrodes implanted in the arms of two patients were then able to record these otherwise faint signals and transmit them to the prosthetic hand.

The regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) serves as a biologically stable bioamplifier of efferent motor action potentials with long-term stability in upper limb amputees,"Cederna said in the study.

Such tech differs form Neuralink in that Musks company is looking to create AI that specifically targets neurological diseases and could eventually give the brain a proverbial hand with artificial intelligence. Both Neuralink and the LUKE arm rely on brain-computer interfaces that connect the brain to a computer so communication can happen. The difference is that Neuralink would work to reverse illnesses like Alzheimers and Parkinsons by targeting neurons in the parts of the brain that are degenerating rather than putting the focus on peripheral nerves that can control a limb.

The Michigan team found that voltage recorded from nerves ended up being not just higher than previous results, but the highest recorded so far. They were able to pick up the first millivolt signals ever. Signals coming from individual finger movements could be accessed, and another plus was that no learning was required from the patient, since the BCI algorithms were already there in the prosthetic arm. Patients have been able to play a modified version of rock, paper, scissors and pick up objects just by thinking of the action. The tech also lasts without degrading and creating scar tissue.

Cederna and his team are determined to keep upgrading the LUKE arm and doing more investigation into neuroprosthetics. If this sounds sci-fi now, just wait.

(via University of Michigan/Science Translational Magazine)

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Alita's got nothing on this mind-controlled robotic arm that links to your nerves - SYFY WIRE

One of the most intriguing aspects of the MCU is seeing how the creative minds at Marvel Studios translate characters and concepts from page to screen. Not everything makes the transition intact, as some ideas just aren't practical, and some are just outdated. With alien characters like Nebula, being not as well known and inherently sci-fi, there's a lot more flexibility.

RELATED:MCU: 5 Of The Most Heroic Things Nebula Has Done (& The 5 Most Foolish)

Still, that doesn't mean that Nebula showed up in Guardians of the Galaxy exactly as she appeared in the comic books. Far from it. Let's take a look at some of the ways Nebula is the same as her comic inspiration, and some of the ways she's different.

The biggest difference is the most obvious. When Nebula first appears inThe Avengers #257way back in 1985, she has long, shiny dark hair. The blue skin and purple-ish costume carry over to the big screen pretty much intact, but sadly, not the hair. The creative team behind Guardians decided to make Nebula totally bald, emphasizing her cyborg parts, and sadly for Karen Gillan and fans of gingers everywhere, she had to shave her head. One wonders if we may see Nebula with hair in the future, as her character continues to grow and evolve from a villain.

Much like her counterpart on screen, Nebula is a straight-up villain in the comics. She's introduced as a space pirate in The Avengers and displays some pretty big ambition. When the team encounters her, she's taken over the Sanctuary II, a massive spaceshiponce under the command of Thanos (more on him in a bit). She wants to take over the Skrull Empire, and she's already massacred a race called the Xandarians. Not exactly the type of girl you bring home to mom. Nebula never really drifts too far from her status as a villain in the comics.

Nebula in the films is virtually all cybernetic, a product of the unimaginable brutality of Thanos. Thanos pitted her against her adoptive sister Gamora, and whenever Nebula would lose - which turned out to beoften - Thanos would punish Nebula by replacing a part of her body with a cybernetic implant. Harsh.

RELATED:5 Most (& 5 Least) Heartbreaking Deaths In Infinity War That We're Still Not Over

This eventually transformed Nebula into a bitter, competitive weapon hellbent on proving her worth to her father, and eventually on his destruction. In the comics, she starts off without any cyborg parts and only gets them after a violent run-in with Thanos.

Both versions of Nebula can and do kick butt. In the films, her skills are honed through all those years and years of conflict with Gamora, and in service of Thanos. Nebula is often present or spearheading one of his nightmarish campaigns to cull the galaxy to fit his grotesque visions. Though she's paired with Ronan The Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy, she really only has one or two interactions with him in comics. In the original Marvel comics, she doesn't need much help. She's naturally gifted. With a blaster, a sword, or her bare hands, she's one space pirate you don't want to mess with. But she probably wants to mess with you, anyway.

In the films, Nebula and Gamora are both the adoptive daughters of Thanos, beneficiaries of his charity (at least, that's one way of looking at it). They grow up as rivals and combatants, before eventually coming to realize they are both tools of a megalomaniacal villain who doesn't really care for them at all. In Avengers: Endgame, their relationship comes full circle as Nebula helps a past version of Gamora realize the error of her ways. We don't know where their relationship goes next, but in the comics, there is no such relation between them.

You can never keep Nebula down for long. She runs into the brick walls of the Avengers, or Thanos, and she still gets back up. In the films, her fierce determination is most obvious in her endurance of unimaginable suffering at the hands of Thanos. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, her only ambition is to find and kill Gamora. She goes so far as to crash her ship headlong into the ground to do it. Nebula displays the same dogged persistence in the comics, never abandoning her ambitions for galactic dominance, or letting a pesky little thing like death get in the way.

In the MCU, Nebula's goal is pretty singular: prove herself worthy to her father, Thanos. In the comic books, she's got way more ambitious plans. In addition to her early ambitions to take over the Skrull Empire (nothing you do on a whim), Nebula later nearly annihilated the entire universe in a bid for ultimate power. The Avengers stopped her, but just barely.

RELATED:MCU: 5 Reasons Nebula Is A True Avenger (& 5 She Will Always Be Thanos' Daughter At Heart)

And then, most famously, she briefly wielded the Infinity Gauntlet after seizing it from a distracted Thanos. This doesn't exactly work for her; her revenge blinded her to the fact that using the gems to restore herself would also benefit Thanos. MCU Nebula never even gavethe Gauntlet a thought, even with the knowledge her sister had been killed by Thanos.

Though she didn't get her cyborg status until a bit later in the comics, the original version of Nebula did for a time share the same undead quality as MCU Nebula. Remember that we first meet Nebula aboardthe Sanctuary II, a spaceship once commanded by Thanos. He eventually gets it back from her, and she pays the price. Thanos used the Infinity Gems to transform Nebula into something of a zombie, a living corpse mutilated by his anger. Despite her horrific condition, Nebula maintained her focus and desire for revenge, ultimately taking the Gauntlet from Thanos.

Though Nebula introduces herself as the granddaughter of Thanos in the comics, this apparently is a lie. It angers Thanos enough that he zombifies her for it, along with stealing his ship. The relationship with Thanos in the comics remains... nebulous, but in the films, it's one of the more defined aspects of the Guardians corner of the MCU. Nebula, along with Gamora, is introduced as the Titan's adopted daughter and ruthless enforcer. Their dynamic, twisted and heartbreaking, plays out across several films, culminating in Avengers: Endgame.

After her ordeal with Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, Nebula is a lot worse for wear. Being a zombie will do that to you. Her brain is damaged, necessitating major, major repairs. As a result, she loses those dark locks and gains the unique baldness that will eventually inform her MCU counterpart. This metamorphosis occurred throughout several issues of Silver Surfer, a title intrinsically linked to The Infinity Gems storyline of the 90s and was executed mostly by a space surgeon called Dr. Mandibus. Mandibus had a long history with Nebula: he was her first mate aboard the Sanctuary II when we first meet her, back in Avengers #275.

NEXT:10 Best Marvel Titles For The Cosmic-Curious

NextSailor Moon: 10 Characters We Completely Forgot About

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5 Things About Nebula The MCU Changed (& 5 They Kept The Same) - CBR - Comic Book Resources

This article contains opinion.

The classic Mozart opera, Don Giovanni, broke the fourth wall during its performance from Thursday until the final performance Sunday.

Directed and produced by Dr. See-Yin (Oliver) Lo, the performance featured students from the theater and music departments.

Don Giovanni (Gino Parillo), an Italian, old-fashioned playboy, tries to woo the girls of the village. He tries to win the heart of the wrong girl, whose father rushes to her defense. A fight ensues, and Il Commendatore is killed in the process.

Donna Anna finds her fathers body with her fiance, Don Ottavio. She vows vengence on the mysterious killer and enlists the help of Donna Elvira, one of Giovannis former lovers.

A wedding between two peasants, Masetto and Zerlina, is crashed by Don Giovanni and his servant, Leporello. The two invite them back to Don Giovannis house for dinner, where a scream from Zerlina brings everyone to her rescue.

Giovanni manages to escape while Leporello takes the blame.

Eventually, guilt gets the better of Giovanni in the form of Il Commendatores possessed statue who commands Giovanni to repent of his ways before it is too late.

The production was in Waller Hall, mainstage. While certain actors performed on certain nights, Parillo portrayed Giovanni the whole weekend. Alexandra Dee conducted the orchestra.

Overall, the performance was well-done. The actors portrayed the characters well and the fusion of cyberpunk with Mozarts classic opera was a fresh take.

Since the take on Don Giovanni was fused with cyberpunk, four screens displayed different ads for futuristic, technological businesses throughout the performance. When Il Commendatore was killed, the screens displayed the Miz & Mizzus Funeral Services, and when Masetto and Zerlina were making up after an argument as an engaged couple, the screen displayed a new app for futuristic lovers.

Had microphones been added to the performance, the singers would have been easier to hear. Without the use of microphones, the performers were difficult to understand with certain areas.

However, operas are normally performed without microphones. Don Giovanni stayed true to the opera form with the option of foregoing microphones.

The set design, which featured futuristic binary codes, gears and even lighting, was a great addition to the performance. With two balconies helping separate the outside world from the inside, and a small stage on the actual stage to help separate the world of Giovannis house from the outside, it was easy to imagine the scenery in which the actors were.

Leporello broke the fourth wall multiple times during the performance by addressing the audience solely. Notable was the first time, while he and Giovanni were discussing a secret and Giovanni kept asking if they were alone. Leporello would continuously look toward the audience throughout the dialogue.

Another time was when the orchestra began playing a song and Leporello broke character, asking the audience, Hey! We know this one, dont we?

All in all, the performance was an interesting take on Mozarts personal opera while combining modern-day technology.

More:

'Don Giovanni' breaks fourth wall, fuses cyborgs with Mozart classic - Indiana University The Penn Online

From The Shining to A Clockwork Orange, Mumbo Jumbo and A Cyborg Manifesto

When Juergen Teller shot literary heavyweight Joan Didion for Celines SS15 campaign the world, bizarrely, came to a standstill.The image of the author wearing oversized glasses, a black top, and a gold necklace went viral so viral,it prompted Didion to make a statement on the matter. I dont have any clue, she told the New York Times when asked what she made of all the fuss.

And with countless other examples of authors breaching into the realms of fashion, there are also the designers who have looked to books to inform their own work.

From Alexander McQueen who looked to H.G Wells The Island of Doctor Moreau to create his wild and animal-like Its a Jungle Out There collection to Alessandro Michele who created Gucci cyborgs for his AW18 show after being influenced by Donna HarawaysA Cyborg Manifesto, here, on World Book Day, we explore the relationship between fashion and literature. Outlining some of the industries most favoured books, influencing the likes of Grace Wales Bonner, Rei Kawakubo, and Vaquera, these are eight of fashions favourite texts.

Virginias Woolfs Orlando tells the tale of an Elizabethan nobleman who wakes up one morning a woman. Following this, Orlando goes on a 300-year time-travelling journey, meeting some of literatures key figures on the way. Adapted into a film starring Tilda Swinton, Woolfs novel has gone on to become a cultural touchstone, notably in the LGBTQ+ community. With its extensive timespan and gender-fluid approach to fashion, a number of designers have looked to the book for inspiration. From Ann Demeulemeester and her AW07 collection to Christopher Bailey for his AW16 Burberry show, there is also Rei Kawakubo who has dedicated both her SS20 men and womenswear shows to the novelas part of a three-part project. With a demure mostly black menswear collection which saw models styled in frock coats, pinafores, and petticoats, the collection then evolved for the womenswear presentation which was a maximalist lesson in theatrical fashion. The final iteration of this came last December with Kawakubo costuming an opera performance ofOrlando.

Written in 1823, Frankenstein is one of the most influential gothic novels in the English language. A story about human limitations, Shelley tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who undertakes the experiment of creating a sentient being. With its rich and dark descriptive passages, Frankenstein has become one of the most referenced works of literature on the runway. From its very obvious interpretations where visual depictions of the books monster have been printed on Prada and Christopher Kane shirts to the more subtle references found in Feng Chen Wangs SS19 andAlexander McQueens SS99 show, its most recent iteration, however, comes from Alessandro Micheles AW18 Gucci presentation. We are all Dr Frankensteins of our lives, he wrote in his show notes, where he also referenced Donna Haraways A Cyborg Manifesto.

A post-modern text, A Cyborg Manifesto is a critique of the traditional notions of feminism which pushes forward socialist and anti-identitarian politics. Using the cyborg as a metaphor to reject binaries and challenge the notion of identity, Michele created his own Gucci cyborg for AW18. Set in a medical style room, decorated with hospital beds and clinical lighting, models walked down the runway carryingmoulds of their own heads, miniature dragons, and chameleons. Along with Haraway and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Michele also cited French philosopher Michel Foucault for this collection.

A Clockwork Oranges imagery has become iconic. The story, written in 1962, tells the tale of a 15-year-old named Alex. Following him and his group of droogs who go around a raping, stealing, and harassing civilians, Burgess dystopian tale delves into themes of morality, and law and order. With the looks detailed in the book instantly recognisable, mostly due to Stanley Kubricks 1977 film adaption of it, the novel has been referenced by Jun Takahashi for Undercover. Taking the book to the runway for his AW19 collection, models wore the theatrical masks, bowler hats, and canes symbolic of the novels characters. Elsewhere, tops were also embossed with some of the books integral made-up language.

Another of fashions favourite books to be adapted by Stanley Kubrick comes in the form of Stephen Kings The Shining. A horror novel, The Shining tells the story of a writer who takes the job as an off-season caretaker at a hotel. Joined by his wife and psychically gifted son Danny, who is able to see the hotels terrifying past, a snowstorm then leaves the family stranded, all the while supernatural forces torment the protagonists sanity. Alexander McQueen took this as the setting for his AW99 show, The Outlook. Set in a Lucite box filled with artificial snow and bare trees, models walked and later ice-skated around the runway. An eerie and dramatic presentation, the show also referenced one of The Shinings most iconic scenes of twin girls standing in a hallway. Although this was not actually part of the book, Jun Takahashi also used this idea to inform hisUndercover SS18 show. Wearing 50s-styled dresses decorated with landscape motifs, models made their way down the runway in pairs, walking hand in hand.

Set in the 1920s, Mumbo Jumbo details an epidemic called Jes Grew a virus carried by black artists causing half of America to recklessly dance and enjoy jazz. A satirical tale which embraces jazz, magic, and conspiracy theories, it was this book that Grace Wales Bonner looked to for her AW19 collection of the same name. With the showaccompaniedby a special piano performance by Ishmael Reed and Ben Okri, who recited a poem at the presentation, the collection sought to explore African Intellectualism. With the British designer renowned forher intense and academic research process, in her show notes the LVMH prize winner outlined: The collection considers the role of writers as oracles, connecting to a rich and magical lineage, serving as the custodians of ancestral wisdom passed down and reinterpreted. Words are collaged and transformed, becoming spells woven in cloth.

For his AW97 collection entitled Its a Jungle Out There, Alexander McQueen referenced the work of H. G. Wells and his science fiction novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. A book which explores ideas of what it means to be human, the story follows Edward Prendick, a shipwreck survivor who lands on an island belonging to Doctor Moreau, a scientist who practices vivisections. McQueen took this story and transformed it, giving his models exaggerated cat-like make-up and wild, crazy hair. With the rest of the collection accented with hints of animal prints and fur, the show is considered to be one of his most iconic. Elsewhere McQueen has looked to the Italian poet Dante to inform his work which came in the form of his AW96 collection of the same name.

Written in 1985, A Handmaids Tale has had a cultural resurgence in recent years, thanks to the TV adaptation which hit our screens in 2017. A dystopian tale set in a future where the American government has been overthrown by a quasi-Christian group which dictates, among other things, that women lose control of their bodies, too many the novel became bizarrely reflective of our current times. With the female characters dressed in red robes and a white hood, it was New York label Vaquera which took Atwoods words and transformed them on the runway with a collection created to promote the TV show.

In light of World Book Day, clickhere to view our favourite books to read this month.

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8 books that inspired fashion collections - Dazed

InAltered Carbonseason 2, Simone Missick plays a strong-willed, loyal bounty hunter named Trepp, but youmay have seen her before on-screen in several different roles. As Trepp inAltered Carbon she isa tough, professional bounty hunter who values her family's safety more than anything. On several occasions she savesprotagonist Takeshi Kovacsand his other allies, andshe proved to be truly reliable backup.

Missick's Treppis one of the best newcharacters inAltered Carbonseason 2 due to her competence and strength. Unlike Detective Ortega inAltered Carbonseason 1, who became somewhat of a damsel in distress, Trepp remains a valuable and key member of the team up to the season finale.Trepp also could not be further from a love interest for Takeshi Kovacs, which was refreshing for a female character in the show.

Related: Altered Carbon Timeline Explained: When Season 2 Takes Place

Missick'saptitude for playing tough talkers and fightersis also seen elsewhere in her filmography. She appeared in guest roles in shows like Tell Me A Story and Wayward Pines, but here's where you're most likely to have seen Missick on screen before.

Simone Missick is best known for her portrayal of Misty Knight in several Marvel shows on Netflix.She makes her first appearance in the universe inLuke Cageas an NYPD detective with a very intense moral code and strong belief in justice. Misty later becomes allies with more of Marvel's Netflix characters and is a main character in bothThe DefendersandIron Fistseason 2, where she teams up with Colleen Wing. Knight fights fiercely alongside her superhero allies and even loses an arm inThe Defenders,which is later replaced with a powerful cyborg arm.

The CBS legal dramaAll Risepremiered in September 2019. Missick plays a Lola Carmichael, a former prosecutor, newly elected judge, and the show's main character. The show has received average to good reviews, with critics complimenting Missick's performance.All Riseis Missick's first starring role and she is making the most of it. With her consistently impressive performances forThe DefendersandAltered Carbon,more opportunities will certainly follow.

Simone Missick has made a name for herself playing no-nonsense characters on Netflix shows, and Trepp has one of the more complex character arcs in the second season of Altered Carbon. It remains to be seen if she will return forAltered Carbonseason 3, butfans would surely be happy to have her back.

More: Altered Carbon: Every Actor Who's Played Takeshi Kovacs So Far

Star Trek: Picard Finally Gave Us The Riker TNG's Movies Never Did

A writer and musician from Naples, Florida. Loves to write fiction stories as well as news pieces, movie reviews, etc. Earned a degree in Creative Writing from Florida State University. Has had articles published by The Nashville Scene, Music Neighbors and This Wonderful World.

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Altered Carbon Season 2: Where You Know Trepps Actor From - Screen Rant

The sound of a cellphone speaker hits the ear like slow-dripping battery acid. It seeps into your auditory canal and spirals down the cochlea, drop by pernicious drop, where it floods the brain and dissolves your train of thought.

As smartphones proliferate, oblivious half-wits are blaring their digital media in public. Its rude behavior, like spitting on the sidewalk or farting in an elevator. This aural menace must be stopped now, before its too late.

The metallic drone can be heard all over the world. It suddenly erupts in a quiet coffee shop or pierces the din of a favorite restaurant. Its coming down a hiking trail or from the next aisle over. More and more you hear it in the bookstore, orcurse you allin the library.

This audio pollution is the next global crisis. For those of us with acute hearing and little patience, the artificial vibration of that little speaker strikes the ear drum like a hammer and rattles every bone in our bodies. What the strobe light is to an epileptic, the smartphone is to a peace-loving curmudgeon.

Color and creed are irrelevantif you play your tinny smartphone in public, the rest of us hate your guts. We hate your clanging pop songs and your stupid sports clips. We cant stand your kids cartoons or the squealing voice on the other end of your FaceTime session. We pray that the genderfluid robot barking directions from your dashboard will short circuit.

Theres hope for reconciliation, though. This could all end with love and understandingif youd just frame your mug with a pair of earbuds.

These days, we acknowledge that texting while driving is deadly, enough so that its illegal in48 states. Likesecond-hand smokeandmercury thermometers, obnoxious cellphones are a public health issue. Before long, someones gonna get killedeither because one of us snaps on a smartphone cyborg, or because there are just too many of them, and those of us in the wetware remainder have to join hands and jump off a bridge.

If we dont want to involve the government, the obvious solution is to create voluntary earbud-only zones. The first step is to raise awareness. Begin by creating a 10-foot radius of rabid intolerance around yourself. If you hear something, say something.

I do it all the time, risking life and limb for the greater good. But one Luddite vigilante isnt enough. To regain the organic serenity of espresso grinders and wailing babies, we need an army of scolds to start nagging now: Please buy some earbuds.

Most people dont want to be jerks. They dont mean to blow cigar smoke in your face or drag wooden chair legs across the librarys tile floor. They just dont know any better. So when a fellow patron annoys you with yapping dog videos, just tell him politely: Buy some friggin earbuds! And if youre a parent with a tech-addicted brat, stuff em in that kids ears before one of us does.

The private sector has an important role to play in the resistance. Business owners who adopt an earbud-only policy will see their clientele surge, if not in quantity, then surely in quality. Caf owners should create a safe space for the literate and the contemplative.

In any sane establishment, the earbud-noncompliant would get the boot. If youre a flight attendant, explain to noisy passengers that if they dont shut that thing off, youre willing to hijack the plane and crash it into a mountainside for one sweet moment of peace. Then hand them a free pair of earbuds.

Failing a voluntary solution, we may have to resort to coercion. Hopefully, my prototype for a personalEMPgun (patent pending) will be ready for production by next year. The device looks like a Nintendo Zapper and fits neatly into a hip holster.

Imagine youre enjoying a good book on a public park bench. Suddenly you hear a squawky YouTube video playing nearby. No need to say a word. Just draw your hi-tech peacemaker and fire an electromagnetic pulse that fries every circuit in that dudes phone. Then enjoy the silence. Itll take out whining aerial drones, malodorous vape pens, and those ridiculous electric scooters, too.

If worse comes to worst, well have to legislate this thing.CFCsgnawed holes in the ozone layer, andDDTgave bald eagles flimsy eggshells, but no one wanted to give these chemicals up. So today we sendarmed Environmental Protection Agency agentsto keep things under control. Bureaucratic measures are never ideal, but desperate times call for authoritarian measures. It may be time to form a Luddite Enforcement Agency, where my EMP guns will be standard-issue.

This is ultimately a matter of personal liberty: the cyborgs freedom to make synthetic sounds versus humankinds deliverance from aural oppression. Its often said that the mutually hostile tribes of our planet will never come together unless theres an alien invasion. Well, the invasion is here, and its time to unite. Together, we can drive this scourge through the gates of hell and cork that hole with an earbud.

Joe Allen is a writer and fellow primate who wonders why we ever came down from the trees.A lifelong student of religion and science, he has kept his hands dirtyas a land surveyor, communal farm hand, kitchen servant, andfor over a decade, climbing steel as an arena rigger.His work appears in various outlets from left to right because he prefers liberty to security. Daily interjections:@EvoPsychosis.

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Enforce Earbud-Only Zones For The Jerks Infecting The Public With Noise - The Federalist

The DC Cinematic Universe still has a plethora of projects that are still in the development stage. Just in case anyone forgot, one of them is the Cyborg movie. Yes, I am talking about the ninety-nine percent CGI character from Justice League. The character made his debut as a cameo in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, but became a central character in Justice League. If you remember the old Teen Titans cartoon fro the early 2000s, that version of Cyborg is what fans wanted to see. That Cyborg was an optimistic, pizza-loving joyride of a character with the famous catchphrase, Booyah! coming out of his mouth consistently. Unfortunately, the Cyborg we got in the Justice League movie paled in comparison to that version that we all loved. The DCEU version we got was moody, barely smiled, and spent most of his time hacking things.

Even at the end of the film, his one and only Booyah! felt kind of flat. When he said it in the cartoon, it was meant to literally be his war cry. Whether he was fighting bad guys or even kicking butt in video games, that was his line. His delivery of that line in Justice League barely had any enthusiasm behind it, making it feel a bit forced. Lets once again go over how he was primarily a CGI character, with the exception of the right side of his face. Ill just say it, because I seriously think he was a bit too CGI-ish. It honestly looked incomplete and he didnt look completely real as a result. That was disappointing, especially since most of the film suffered from that issue.

Cyborg was an underwhelming character in Justice League, but despite that, he was confirmed to be getting his own solo film. Ray Fisher was set to return to the role, a release date in April of this year was set, and that was it. Literally, no other details every emerged about the film. No director, no other cast members, no plot details, nothing. Lets just be straight and ask the big question: is the Cyborg movie still happening? Well, nothing has really been confirmed or denied yet, so the chances of the film seeing the light of day is still up in the air. I really mean way up in the air, so if you want to see more live-action Cyborg, stick to the Doom Patrol show for now.

A Cyborg movie in limbo only means more time for speculation. I always thought the idea of a solo Cyborg movie was strange, but given the right director and vision, anything is possible. That being said, there is some potential to a Cyborg movie and the number of directions it can take. Lets begin with the other DC characters he is primarily associated with. No, it is not the Justice League, but the Teen Titans. Before he became a member of the Justice League, he was one of the Teen Titans, a group of young and ambitious superheroes.

Unlike most of the other Titans, the young Victor Stone wasnt a sidekick to a popular superhero. He also didnt received his powers by choice, as his robotic body was made as a result of a horrific accident. His powers of technopathy were considered by him to be a curse, literally claiming that death would have been the better alternative. He began as a tragic character, but in time, he became more content with his new body and used it for the greater good. It was during this time that Cyborg became more like the cartoon version we fans recognize. He learned to control his powers and he actually became happy.

The ending of Justice League showed Cyborg transforming his body and even accepting it. This would serve as a great set up to his solo movie, because he can be fully committed to learning more about his powers. His arc would be set up, but who would he interact with? The answer is the one and only Teen Titans.

I know, it sounds like Im basically proposing a Teen Titans movie. Well, thats because I pretty much am, and thats because it would be exciting. If were talking about specific members, all you have to do is look back at the old cartoon. Cyborg developed a close relationship with his teammates, which included Robin (Dick Grayson), Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. The lineup was small, but they proved to be an effective team and became close friends.

This is the kind of dynamic the DCEU really needs. Its most successful movies, like Shazam and Aquaman, had a believable family element to them. Not only did it take away the dark gloominess the DCEU originally thrived on, but it actually worked well. The relationship between the Titans is all about young people learning to work together and become more mature and experienced heroes along the way.

This kind of premise would serve well for Cyborgs movie. He can spend most of the movie learning to adapt to his body even further while making new friends in the process. An older Batman heavily implies that an older Dick Grayson as Nightwing exist in the DCEU, and he would act as Victors greatest ally. The list of heroes doesnt stop there, as the addition of Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy would provide for useful supporting characters. Introducing the Teen Titans to the DCEU sounds like a fun idea to me.

Now that that I talked about the heroes, its time to talk about the villain. Cyborg has a history dealing with some bad apples, but the baddest of the bunch would be Brother Blood. Sebastian Blood has made appearances in the old cartoon and the CW Arrow show. The comic version has been usually shown as a manipulating cult leader backed by many fanatical followers. Hes a creepy and sadistic villain who has a knack for controlling others. His particular rivalry with Cyborg is shown in the old Teen Titans show. This led to some brutal fight scenes between the two with Brother Blood often dominating them.

Brother Blood would be a different kind of villain to introduce to the DCEU. Not only is he scary, but oddly real as well. A cult leader vs. teenage superheroes? Give it a shot.

There are other supporting characters who can appear in Cyborgs film, including his father and other Justice Leaguers. I personally care more about making the Teen Titans work and setting them up for the DCEU. It would introduce a new team to the DCEU and expand on Cyborgs character development, something thats very needed. If the Cyborg movie is still happening, then this is the best route it can take.

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This is What the Cyborg Movie in the DCEU Can be Like - TVOvermind

CyborgVoice

Victor "Vic" Stone

A body made up of entirely robotic systems granting him superhuman strength, resilience to damage, capability to fix many appliances, unsurpassed knowledge of technology and robotics, a cannon built into his arm that can shoot sonic blasts, and numeral other gadgets built into his body

Sonic Cannons built into his arms and numerous other gadgets installed throughout his body

Cyborg (sometimes "Cy") is the half-cybernetic half-man, chief technological expert and one of the five founding members of the Teen Titans.

Cyborg was a promising strong teenage athlete named Victor Stone, before an accident killed his mother and injured him so severely that his father replaced the damaged body parts with cybernetics to keep his son alive. But since these mechanical parts were not inconspicuous, he was shunned by his home environment and his friends, which frustrated him greatly. This caused him to have resentment and hatred for his father.

One night, wanting to get away from his father, Cyborg took to the streets wearing a hoodie to cover his cybernetic parts, where he ran into the new arrivals Robin and Beast Boy fighting a rather violent alien girl, who was actually a fugitive from a prisoner transport. Soon, Cyborg joined by the mystery girl Raven, the youngsters teamed up to defeat the girl's alien captors and formed a permanent team to combat villainy. Cyborg constructed the Titans Tower and its systems from a Gordanian landing ship, and the team moved into its new headquarters. From that point on, Cyborg served as the team's chief technician, constructing their primary vehicles such as the T-Car and T-Ship.

Cyborg wearing a hoodie to hide his cybernetics.

In the series' third season, Cyborg used the alias of Stone and a pair of holographic rings to infiltrate the H.I.V.E. Academy, which was at that time administered and mind-controlled by Brother Blood.

The Titans exposed and foiled his scheme to utilize a new superweapon called the Ion Amplifier, but in the process, Cyborg unknowingly had the construction plans for his cybernetics copied by Blood, who used them to build new superweapons. Outraged, Cyborg declared a personal vendetta on Blood and confronted him personally when he attempted to employ a gigantic sonic cannon from an undersea base. However, Blood's martial arts skills got the better of him, and he won only with Bumblebee's assistance, who was at that time infiltrating the H.I.V.E. with the help of Aqualad. In order to hunt down Blood and other supervillains more efficiently, Cyborg helped Bumblebee and Aqualad establish and outfit an Eastern branch of the Titans, with Speedy and Ms y Menos joining the ranks. Soon, they were attacked by Blood and an army of modeled robots, but apparently, Cyborg managed to repel them all. Met with a proposal to remain and become the leader of the Titans East, Cyborg decided to stay with his new team.

Cyborg as his original "human" self

At one point, Cyborg attempted to upgrade himself by installing a super-processor chip called Maximum-7 (or Max-7) into his cybernetic brain. Initially, it did work for his benefit, boosting his physical and mental processing speed well beyond his former capacities. But when the Titans first engaged Billy Numerous and were unable to catch him, a frustrated and obsessive Cyborg began shutting down his human personality in order to increase the Max-7's efficiency, which had the detrimental effect of making him more and more a robot, and eventually, this conflict between human and cybernetic nature led to a short-circuit which nearly killed him. The other Titans managed to remove the chip before this could happen, and now, Cyborg restored to his true self, devised a successful plan which brought down Numerous for good.

In the comic series based on the TV show, Cyborg meets a young teaching volunteer by the name of Sarah Simms. Despite several rocky times they have since formed a very close romance.

Cyborg eating meat

Cyborg is a very outgoing, cool, and fun-loving character who likes to enjoy life, especially since he found friends who consider him a person, not a freak. He is upbeat, smart, funny, and cheerful, but serious and heroic when he needs to be. He likes to enjoy playing video games, tinkering with technological gizmos and eating. He also tends to be stubborn at times and has had some serious arguments with Robin in the past, but he does make a capable second-in-command in Robin's absence. He also frequently bickers with Beast Boy, mostly about the latter's culinary taste and habit of misplacing all manners of personal items, though the two entertain a close friendship.

Cyborg often plays the protective big brother role of the team, getting quite serious when they are upset and does whatever he can to make them feel better. He is never hesitant to put Beast Boy in his place when he thinks the younger Titan is being inconsiderate of Raven's or Starfire's feelings. Likewise, Raven and Starfire also do the same for Cyborg, evident in "Car Trouble" and "Deception".

Much like the other Titans, Cyborg does not take betrayal lightly. He hates losing battles, especially to seemingly insignificant opponents. Their first defeat from Terra made him extremely angry with himself, because he had a chance to take a shot but didn't. He has been known to display emotions of anger (which he often takes out on his friends), frustration, and becoming depressed.

Cyborg's replacement robot dressed up

One facet of personal vulnerability is Cyborg's great personal pride in his inventions and constructions. For this reason, he tends to foster an immense dislike for anyone abusing his technology for selfish reasons, especially Gizmo and Brother Blood, and to be overprotective of his most personal projects, like the T-Car.[1][2][3][4]

He also possesses a tremendous appetite, and he will consume any edibles within his reach when hungry. His favorite food is barbecue and he also especially enjoys other meat, milkshakes, pizza, and waffles. The only food he would not voluntarily touch is Starfire's cooking and tofu (especially since Beast Boy goes to great lengths to try and make him eat it) although he once mistakenly ate the alien meat substitute.

As revealed in "Troq", Cyborg has a personal dislike for bigots as shown when he became disgusted with Val-Yor when he found out what he had really been calling Starfire to the point where he felt the need to tell the others what "Troq" really means..

However, he can be surprised when Beast Boy adopts a more serious persona as shown when he took note of the latter's behavior when reuniting with the Doom Patrol. He was even more surprised Beast Boy went with them to defeat their old enemies. This likely showed him Beast Boy merely puts up an act, as he had no problem with Beast Boy's leadership when fighting the Brotherhood of Evil.

Despite this, Cyborg can sometimes show his immature side with Beast Boy as they also enjoy playing their favorite game they made up "Stankball".

Cyborg and Raven fixing the T-Car

Raven and Cyborg have a fairly stable and healthy relationship. They had very few episodes dedicated to mostly the two of them, but this is likely because the two of them have always been fairly close and comfortable around each other. Cyborg, despite being the Titan most similar to Beast Boy, is more mature than he is and is more considerate of Raven's preferences. Raven, for her part, reciprocates this, as she is more patient with Cyborg than she is with Beast Boy.

Cyborg often looks out for Raven, making sure that Beast Boy does not go over the top to annoy her or hurt her feelings. In "Nevermore", Cyborg is especially serious with Beast Boy, reminding him that he shouldn't be messing with her, following the prior night's events, and made sure he went to apologize. Even though he tried to get Raven to play Stank Ball with him and Beast Boy, she clearly stated she doesn't want to play, which made Beast Boy angry. He called her creepy, with Raven still listening, and told him to leave her be, knowing she wanted to be alone.

In the Teen Titans Go! comics, Cyborg, on Christmas, bought Raven an antique bookcase he knew what she wanted, causing Raven to become uncharacteristically elated and showing an appreciation for her tastes and hobbies.

When they first met, Raven felt as if she did not fit in, but Cyborg reassures her that she fits in just fine. Even though they fight occasionally, they maintain a healthy friendship.

Despite sometimes being a bit inconsiderate of Cyborg's feelings, Raven never intends to hurt him emotionally. This is evident in "Car Trouble", where she initially dismissed 's dismay over his stolen T-Car by telling him "Calm down, it's just a car." which made him rather angry. However, she ultimately realizes it's her fault, and goes to comfort him and help him get his car back. Although Cyborg was forced to destroy it, Raven goes as far as to help him rebuild it, further proving their close friendship.

When Cyborgis the only one left with Raven in "Fear Itself", he likely knew she was afraid, and tried to reassure her that they'll get through the ordeal. being the last Titan to disappear that night may further hint at his big brother role to Raven, being protective of her when she wanted to save Starfire when there was no possible way to.

Cyborg is shown to often be more understanding of Raven than the other Titans, as he respects her desires to be alone but still tries to include her when he can. Raven, in turn, seems to accept as he is without question and accepts his enthusiasm for his hobbies, even if she does not share it.

Cyborg makes Raven smile more than anyone else in the series. Her biggest smiles, at least, two episodes centering around Cyborg's troubles.

Cyborg and Robin fighting

It is revealed that Cyborg is Robin's second-in-command.

Cyborg had helped Starfire greatly in "How Long is Forever?" when she was pushed forward in time. Even after so many years, Cyborg cared deeply for Starfire's well-being. In the series, Cyborg seems to act like the big brother to Starfire, and Starfire looks up to him.

The two often like to lift weights together, and despite countless times having witnessed Starfire's impressive strength, is still shocked when she is able to lift heavier weights than he is with relative ease. They are the strongest in the team physically, as their physical prowess far outmatches Robin's, Raven's, and even Beast Boy's.

Cyborg and Starfire have a practically mirrored personality, both being cheerful yet considerate of others' feelings, and they seemed to get along well from the very beginning.

In the episode, "Troq", Cyborg was the first one to learn the meaning of the word Val-Yor had been calling Starfire, (Troq, which is a slur for literally "nothing"). Because he initially misinterpreted Starfire's explanation that it meant nothing, he went to call her that, which hurt her deeply. But after learning that it literally meant nothing, went to comfort her. Being half-robot, knows exactly what it is like to be mistreated just for how you look, and completely empathized with her. He then told Robin, who was equally outraged.

Cyborg also makes note of Starfire's close relationship with Robin, and in "Stranded", he even teased Robin, calling Starfire his girlfriend. And when Starfire and Robin had their first real kiss in the final movie-episode of the series, Trouble in Tokyo, he voiced his approval, saying, "Well, it's about time."

Cyborg with cannons

This ability has its own cons though. His entire power cell and the whole power of Titans' Tower is only just enough to make one blast. This is why he only uses it in desperation, and it is much like an ultimate form, much like Beast Boy's Werebeast form and Raven's white form.

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Cyborg | Teen Titans Wiki | Fandom

The retro-shooter genre has mostly focused on being like Doom or Quake. Fast-paced games with an emphasis on twitch reflexes and knowing the enemies rather than outsmarting them. Thats not badit gave us games like Dusk. But how about the other late-90s shooters like Deus Ex or System Shock? Theres a lot of nostalgia for those, and Core Decay is a game that looks to replicate that look and style of play, but with 21st century sensibilities.

The developers say its a slower-paced game focusing on understanding environments and knowing how to conserve your limited resources rather than flying through levels blasting everything you see. Theyve just released an announcement trailer.

Core Decay is the story of an amnesiac cyborg exploring facilities left behind by a mysterious Contingency Accord. This takes place against the backdrop of a resource-starved Earth ruled by despotic corporations and on the verge of complete ecological collapse. The player can attempt to either retain their humanity, or reject it and become something more, with increasing numbers of cybernetic upgrades to themselves. Along the way, youll also collect and upgrade weapons as you explore the games levels. Core Decay is set to release an open beta later this year. You can keep track of it via the Core Decay official website or developer Ivar Hills Patreon.

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Core Decay is a retro-shooter immersive sim about a cyborg on a dying Earth - PC Gamer

A man named Orrin who said hes a cyborg from the future already made his claim on a recent episode of the Dr. Phil show. Dr. Phil showed he was a skeptic, but now Orrin has received a second chance to explain himself on the YouTube time travel channel ApexTV.

Hardly any commenters on the channel are buying his story either. In fact, theyre mostly laughing at him.

According to his interview with ApexTVthe YouTube channel that mostly features so-called time travelers making predictions about the futureOrrin said hes a collective conscience and cyborg sent by a higher civilization to warn humans of the incoming apocalypse. Humans, he said, are writing their own destruction with disease, famine, environmental disaster, and technological singularity.

Orrin said he used to be a normal person but that we have taken over his body and are speaking through him to you, thanks to an implanted chip in his head.

In 2050, Orrin said the rivers are poisoned with mercury and that humans are enslaved by artificial intelligence. Asked by ApexTV if theres such a thing as the Matrix, like the movie, Orrin confirmed it was true, saying we are being kept down by the corporation. Theyre lying to us through marketing schemes and propaganda to get us to hate ourselves, to hate our brethren, to divide us based on gender, race, sexuality, identity, and preference. Were being divided through our individuality. This is all a simulation.

Orrinwho said he doesnt feel the need to prove any of his claims or that hes actually a cyborg time travelerthen called for a revolution to change the institution and framework to value the greater good and the environment.

He also plugged his website where you can buy merchandise and his Instagram account, where you can find content like this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4OA0HbFDO8/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8CD1nvFSlf/

Though some ApexTV viewers tend to believe the supposed time travelers that show up on the channel, most of the commenters on Orrins video are simply laughing at him.

If hes warning about environmental disaster, than (sic) why does he have 2 plastic bottles in the back ground? wrote one.

Wrote another: The first cyborg that Ive seen trip overhis words. Must be a glitch in his operating matrix.

Said another: Its refreshing to know that The Matrix movieis still common knowledge in 2050. Great flick. Great frickin flick!

But people really enjoyed it when Orrin transformed himself into a cyborg salesman.

Was almostbelievable till the mech pitch at the end.LOL, wrote one.

Commented another: Hes gotmerchandise because hes a broke cyborg.

And another: And Ive come to save you from a greatdisaster by the way I have tshirts for sale.

Maybe Orrin is right and maybe the apocalypse is coming inthe next 30 years. If thats the case, who really cares if you spend $50 on anOrrin hoodie. That way, when the robots are enslaving you, at least youll bewarm.

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This YouTube time traveler says hes a cyborg from 2050and he wants you to buy merch - The Daily Dot

I am unable to fairly get a learn on Days of War, which got here out of Early Entry a couple of weeks in the past, as a result of the US servers are principally empty at any time when I am on. That is the hazard of releasing a multiplayer-only recreation as we speakit is so arduous to drag individuals away from the entire different multiplayer video games they might be enjoyinghowever at the least there are bots to kill, and so theyre fairly enjoyable to kill. They do an excellent job of standing nonetheless or operating straight towards gamers in order that we will plunk them filled with M1 Garand holes.

Days of Struggle clearly takes some inspiration from Day of Defeat, the Half-Life mod turned standalone collection, and it additionally jogs my memory of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. (At this level, I believe it is time to cease utilizing the day of naming conference. With Day of Infamy as properly, we have now sufficient.)

Within the one at present accessible mode, groups spawn at reverse sides of easy maps and run towards seize factors, that are usually positioned in open areas accessible via alleys and hallways, generally with overlooks for sniping. No less than when enjoying in opposition to bots, it is easy to cover together with a hallway ready for enemies to jog in entrance of me, or to hold again and stare at a choke level till a physique seems in my sights. Pushing some extent via a number of entryways is theoretically the proper transfer, however I do not know that I might name Days of Struggle tactical even when that works out. It is about taking pictures first.

As anticipated of a shooter that goals to duplicate the WWII video games of the early 2000s, it takes no a couple of to 3 hits to kill relying on the gun. The rifles are laser-accurate down the sights, and fairly correct from the hip at shut vary. The automated weapons are additionally straightforward to spray in shut quarters, apart from the heavy machine weapons, which have hilariously highly effective recoil when not mounted (see the gif above).

The fundamental Allied rifle is the M1 Garand with its ping, in fact, whereas the German riflemen wield bolt-action one-hit-kill Ok98s. You have additionally obtained your scoped Springfields, your BARs, your MP40s, your Mosin-Nagants, and so forththe People, British, Germans, and Soviets are all concerned and over 60 weapons can be found. The animations meet the minimal requirement of current, however arent something particularweapons vibrate such as youd anticipate, and a meaty hand inserts clips with unnatural pace.

The whole lot is quick in Days of Struggle: sprinting, time-to-kill, respawns, and wins. Within the one accessible mode, capturing all of the management factors immediately wins a spherical, so if the opposite group is goofing off (or is principally bots), you possibly can sneak onto the ultimate level and win a spherical a minute after it began, as seen within the gif beneath.

Days of Struggle doesnt ship on all of its guarantees simply but. The old trailer depicting a dramatic Omaha Seaside touchdown is not one thing you possibly can play. That map is deliberate for the upcoming Detonation mode, and a 3rd mode, Groundwar, additionally stays locked for now.

There are at present some good accouterments to go together with the one mode, although: There is a separate devoted server executable, in addition to a map editor that may be obtained through the Epic Launcher (it requires Unreal Engine 4.20).

The developer will be running a free weekend in some unspecified time in the future within the coming weeks, and I will youll want to level it out when it occurs. Pushed Arts intends to have the Detonation and Groundwar maps prepared by then, and extra modes plus a trial interval might make a giant distinction for Days of Struggle.

For now, Days of Struggle is enjoyable, however like so many low-population multiplayer video games, it is arduous to suggest until its fortunes change. It is obtained potential, although, and I have been leaping in at times to benefit from the nostalgia, though most of my opponents simply stand and stare at me earlier than I shoot them. Poor bots. They do their greatest.

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Core Decay is a retro-shooter immersive sim a couple of cyborg on a dying Earth - BingePost

Energizer is best known as the battery maker that isn't Duracell. Few, however, are aware of the Energizer phone brand, which today announced its latest effort the KaiOS-powered Hard Case H280S.

Although the Hard Case H280S sounds like it could be a cyborg Millwall supporter, it's actually a rugged handset resembling a beefed-up feature phone with a 2.8-inch QVGA display. KaiOS a fork of Firefox OS, Mozilla's abortive attempt at a mobile operating system comes with a fleshed-out app store and an active developer ecosystem.

Under the hood, it uses a Unisoc SC9820E platform, which packs two Arm Cortex-A53 cores, as well as a Mali T820 GPU. There's 512MB of storage, and a generous (given the context) 4GB of storage. It also supports microSD cards up to 64GB.

On the connectivity front, the Hard Case H280S ships with a 4G VoLTE-capable modem, as well as Bluetooth (albeit the older 3.0 standard), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), and GPS.

And while KaiOS supports the usual social media time-sinks, you probably won't want to upload any footage or pics from the Hard Case as it ships with a puny 2MP rear shooter and a VGA selfie camera. That in itself isn't surprising, given that the Unisoc chip used only supports sensors up to 5MP.

The Energizer marque conveys a sense of battery longevity, and the Hard Case H280S lives up to that with a 2,000mAh battery that lasts up to five days on standby.

While that doesn't sound much (most Android phones nowadays have between 4,000mAh and 5,000mAh), it's not bad considering the average user won't be using this phone for any juice-draining tasks like gaming.

Energizer's phones are manufactured by French firm Avenir Telecom ("avenir" being the French word for "future"), which has somewhat of a reputation for designing interesting if not slightly impractical phones.

A personal favourite is the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop. This blower was unusual for a host of reasons chiefly because it came with a 18,000mAh battery, which resulted in the phone having a thickness of 18mm.

Making the phone even weirder was the fact that it came with a nearly borderless display, as well as a pop-up selfie camera. Because if you're carrying around a phone thicker than a paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice, the last thing you want is to be distracted by bezels, right?

Predictably, the phone-buying public wasn't enthusiastic. Avenir decided to test the waters by listing the Power Max P18K Pop on Indiegogo, where it only reached 1 per cent of its $1.2m funding goal.

Fortunately, the Energizer Hard Case H280S is a bit more sensible. There's an appetite for rugged devices, largely from those working in rougher industries, like energy and construction. And not all of those will want a phone running the full Android OS, or something as wide as a standard touchscreen blower.

Distributors can order the Hard Case H280S now although consumer pricing and availability is yet to be announced.

Sponsored: Quit your addiction to storage

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Energizer Hard Case H280S: A KaiOS-powered blower that can withstand a few knocks - The Register