Daily Archives: June 27, 2017

Martin Taupau is making his mark as an NRL beast – NEWS.com.au

Posted: June 27, 2017 at 7:17 am

NRL: Manly have beaten Cronulla in the NRL.

Marty Taupau is at his rampaging best.

YOU used to have the feeling whatever Martin Taupau was delivering, he always had the ability to give you just that little bit more.

The 27-year-old started his NRL career with the Bulldogs but rose to prominence in a two-year stint with the Wests Tigers that concluded at the end of 2015. The 1.9m, 112kg giant became a cult figure at the club for his hard running and big hitting.

But despite the undoubted potential, Taupau was always just a whisker away from being the full package. He was a damn good footy player nobodys disputing that but he wasnt the fearsome wrecking ball his frame allows for as often as he should have been.

There were signs the same shortcomings that prevented him from stepping up from regular NRL player to genuine matchwinner would plague him again when he joined Manly in 2016. He knocked Jack Bird out with a high shot early on that year and later copped a three-match ban for a dangerous throw before the season had even hit the halfway mark.

The Sea Eagles may have been regretting luring the big bopper to the northern beaches on a four-year deal later extended to keep him at the club until 2020 if he was only going to be playing two years worth of games due to suspension.

But Taupau has already started repaying Manlys faith. Never was that more evident than in his sides 35-18 thumping of defending premiers Cronulla on Sunday afternoon.

The rampaging front-rower has started to destroy opposition teams like everyone knew he could, but has rarely seen on a consistent basis. Taupau ran 17 times for approximately 220m in the Shire on Sunday. He recorded five offloads and three tackle busts.

He was immense from the opening whistle, and people stood up and took notice.

Martin Taupau is carrying a heavy load.Source:AAP

Their opening set just set the trend, Marty Taupau had a couple of touches early and boy they were powerful, NSW legend Peter Sterling said on Triple Ms Dead Set Legends.

Ex-Queensland captain Gorden Tallis nicknamed the Raging Bull in his playing days knows all about unleashing the aggression needed to dominate on an NRL paddock, and he saw plenty of rage in Taupau last weekend.

His second carry was a 20m carry going through the Cronulla forward pack. I think it was five offloads, 220-odd metres and 15 or 16 runs. He was absolutely devastating yesterday, Tallis said on Fox Sports program Monday Night with Matty Johns.

He gave the guys like (halfback) Daly Cherry-Evans and (five-eighth) Blake Green the room to move.

Matty Johns called the Manly giants improved mobility since he traded Concord for Narrabeen unbelievable.

Do you know what the big turnaround has been? Watching him at the Tigers he had that size and power but whats improved at Manly is his mobility and footwork. Its unbelievable, Johns said.

And as important as his work with the ball has been, its his work without it in defence and with his discipline thats impressed former Kangaroo Nathan Hindmarsh most.

Hes got the crap out of his game as well. He had a bit of crap it was a bit like (Rooster) Jared Waerea-Hargreaves when he first came onto the scene a little bit of pushing and shoving and wanting to start stuff, Hindmarsh said.

But now what hes doing is hes just running the ball as hard as he can and his defence has improved out of sight. Instead of trying to whack everyone all the time hes making proper tackles.

Taupaus starting to deliver on his potential.Source:AAP

And the numbers back up Taupaus evolution from hit-man to go-to man.

In 11 games this season, the New Zealand international averages more than 181m a game. Only two other Manly forwards average more than 100m a game Addin Fonua-Blake (102.5m per game) and Jake Trbojevic (137m per game). On average, Taupau makes the same amount of ground in a game as fullback Tom Trbojevic.

He also averages nearly five tackle breaks per game. Only one other Sea Eagle (Akuila Uate) averages four or more.

Taupaus work doesnt end when he hits the defensive line. He averages 4.2 offloads per game, while the next best is Curtis Sironen along with Lloyd Perrett, who average 1.8 offloads each a week.

Stats rarely tell the whole story in any sport, but these figures go a helluva long way towards explaining why opposition forwards around the country have every reason to be fearful when lining up against the bullocking Kiwi.

Manlys start to the season gave fans such little cause for optimism, losing the opening two games. But a stunning resurgence led by Taupau, the Trbojevic brothers and Daly Cherry-Evans sees it locked in the top four with nine wins from 14 games.

The question that remains to be answered is whether Manly and Taupau can sustain the form thats got them this far into September, when it matters most.

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Scott Turner’s Purpose and Desire An Important New Voice in the Evolution Debate – Discovery Institute

Posted: at 7:16 am

The crisis of evolutionary biology is spoken of openly here and by scientists who are professed advocates of intelligent design. It is acknowledged in much more circumspect terms by other scientists who know they would be hounded and punished by colleagues for doing so in the public arena. You have to look carefully at what they admit in professional journals, when they think laypeople arent listening.

However, a forthcoming book by biologist J. Scott Turner, Purpose & Desire: What Makes Something Alive and Why Modern Darwinism Has Failed to Explain It, is a real shot across the bow. Dr. Turners last book, from Harvard University Press, was The Tinkerers Accomplice: How Design Emerges from Life Itself. The new book, from HarperOne, is aimed not at an academic audience but straight at the broadest thoughtful reading public.

Turner is a delightful, clear, and highly engaging writer, and he sets out his argument against smug Darwinism forthrightly. As he shows, biology itself is in crisis, having failed to grapple with the enigma of what life really is.

From the Preface:

[T]here sits at the heart of modern Darwinism an unresolved tautology that undermines its validity. We scientists might not be troubled by this, but we should be, not least because the failure to recognize it closes off modern evolutionism from many big problems it should be capable of answering: the origin of life, the origin of the gene, biological design, and the origins of cognition and consciousness, to name a few. Intentionality and purposefulness are important to all these unresolved big questions, and yet we are very quick to fence these off behind a wall of denial. Instead of a frank acknowledgment of purposefulness, intentionality, intelligence, and design, we refer to apparent design, apparent intentionality, apparent intelligence.

The latest biologist to come out swinging at Darwinism, Turner is not an ID proponent. He teaches at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

And this is not a review you will be hearing more about Purpose & Desire, here and elsewhere, in weeks to come and more so when the book is published on September 12. Instead I want to invite you to take advantage of a great pre-order deal. See here for details. All you have to do is pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other selected venders, and you get two free e-books, Fire-Maker: Fire-Maker: How Humans Were Designed to Harness Fire and Transform Our Plane, by Michael Denton, and Metamorphosis, which I edited as a companion to the Illustra Media documentary of the same name.

Its as simple as this: order, and then click on the button at the bottom to let us know your order number. The two free e-books are then yours. Needless to say, this deal is of limited duration, so dont dawdle about it!

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The Bigger News – Townhall

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Posted: Jun 27, 2017 12:01 AM

As Washington newshounds wondered whether the Trump administration will crash, the June 19 issue of Current Biology unveiled a new study about the eyes and brains of unborn babies that should ratchet up the pressure on those committed to aborting a million of them each year.

Lets back up a moment to explain. Charles Darwin wrote in 1859 as if cells were stackable blocks of wood rather than the intricate factories we now know they are. The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 was the great-great-grandson of On the Origin of Species: It disregarded the origin of babies and decreed it legal in every state to treat unborn children as if they were Lego blocks.

Doctors then knew, and through ultrasounds we now all know, what Psalm 139 teaches: In our mothers wombs we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Christians should never be anti-science: Thats especially true now, as science affirms Biblical truth in so many ways. Steve Meyer notes in Signature in the Cell and Darwins Doubt that discoveries are dooming Darwinism. Other studies -- unborn babies moving their lips to sounds they hear, and choosing to watch lights that look like faces -- should doom abortion lobby attempts to dehumanize them.

The June 19 journal article by Lancaster Universitys Vincent Reid and his associates noted that the womb is not the dark place we often imagine it to be. Its more like a room on a sunny afternoon with thin shades drawn: We probably cannot read, but we can still see. With mothers hooked up to top-notch 4-D ultrasound machines, researchers projected patterns of dots through the uterine wall and found that 39 third-trimester unborn babies were more likely to turn their heads toward face-like shapes than other shapes.

Bumper stickers rightly proclaim that abortion stops a beating heart, and we increasingly understand that it also stops a processing brain: As the Current Biology article proclaims, Work on prenatal visual development suggests that visual perceptual capacities are analogous to newborn functionality well before term. In other words, some may snicker at the tradition in eastern Mongolia of determining age by the number of full moons since conception for girls and the number of new moons since conception for boys, but counting a newborn as 9 months old is right.

Other studies show unborn babies bonding to the sounds of their moms. Responsiveness increases late in pregnancy, but researchers have found arm and leg movements beginning as soon as the ninth week after conception. By the end of the first trimester babies are reaching their hands toward their faces, eyes, and mouths, as if to quench doubts about whether they really exist. But some of this understanding is not new. The title of one journal article in 1986: Prenatal maternal speech influences newborns perception of speech sounds.

From such research two takeaways emerge. Pro-choice people tend to focus on what this means for babies their parents have chosen for survival. The Atlantic recently reported a 1980 experiment in which pregnant women read The Cat in the Hat to their fetuses, again and again for the last 7 weeks of their pregnancies. As soon as the babies were born, [researchers] DeCasper and Fifer gave them pacifiers. The babies could then choose to hear a recording of either The Cat in the Hat or a different childrens story, by sucking at different times. And they sucked for the cat.

1980 -- and yet every year from 1980 to 1991, U.S. abortionists killed about 1.6 million unborn children. Some would argue that most of those 1.6 million were first- or second-trimester deaths of those who could not yet recognize The Cat in the Hat -- but several months patience, while a great virtue, is not too much to ask. It may seem too much to a young mother dumped by her boyfriend and left largely alone, but thats why all of us should participate in or support the work of pregnancy resource centers. The same goes for efforts to promote adoption and to help single moms, and to help them get married, once children are born.

Now, thanks be to God and His servants, the enormity isnt as great, yet we still have on our hands the blood of nearly a million children each year, and we still need to be pro-life and pro-science.

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E3 Robotics – The Carolinian

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Community

Courtesy of E3 Robotics

Catie ByrneFeatures Editor

When most people think of the science, technology, engineering and math fields known as STEM, they think of science labs, math equations and nerds in thick-rimmed glasses.

What may not necessarily come to mind, is the field of robotics. An interdisciplinary field, robotics combines skills from science, math, engineering and technology to build machines that can be used for fun purposes such as fighting other robots and being utilized in life-saving medical technology.

While many people may agree that robotics seems like an interesting field of study, similar to most STEM subjects, it has the potential to scare people away from pursuing the subject due to a fear of lacking the skills necessary to succeed in the field.

This anxiety around being unable to pursue STEM fields such as robotics is precisely what Greensboro-based STEM education nonprofit, e3 Robotics, aims to mediate.

Founded in 2014 by Maria Rosato, e3 Robotics was formed as a non-profit organization with the purpose of educating and cultivating an interest for children in STEM fields.

The various ways with which e3 Robotics engages children in STEM and specifically robotics, is through STEM afterschool workshops, a competitive robotics team and leadership and volunteer opportunities.

In their mission statement from Rosato, e3 Robotics specifies that these programs, consist of after school K-12 METALS workshops, our METALS Competition, teams and a leadership development program we run with the help of our partners Guilford County Schools, the Forge, Caldwell Academy, Uwharrie Charter Academy, Erwin Montessori, The North Carolina Leadership Academy, The College Prep and Leadership Academy, MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education), The Math and Science Academy, and Fusion 3.

Geared towards developing STEM and robotics skills in children in local schools in the Triad area, in their program statement, e3 Robotics additionally emphasized the services they provide are available to elementary, middle and high school students.

In addition to our METALS Competition, our Robotics teams are run in various schools throughout the community as well. Elementary, middle, and high school students participating on our teams witness the exciting world of math and robotics as they choose an area of math to research, and also design and build robots using the technology of their choice to solve a set of missions in our Robot Game. Our Underwater Robotics Team, powered by a grant we received from MATE, familiarizes elementary, middle and high school students with the technology of Oceaneering, (and potential careers in underwater robotics) as they build Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) that they launch underwater in a regional tournament we host every year. The Innovators is a team for high school students who wish to learn STEM skills, how to build robots, programming and CAD, and engage in leadership training, and internship and mentorship opportunities as well. These students assist with an outreach robotics club held at the early middle college at GTCC where they use fun, hands-on projects to encourage other high school students to pursue careers in STEM, said the e3 Robotics programing statement.

A representative from e3 Robotics, Sandra Nikula, spoke to me about why she believes that educating children about STEM and robotics from an early age is important.

Occupations in STEM and robotics are going to rise, and were not only trying to promote that interest, but connect children to the STEM industry in Greensboro, the Triad and North Carolina area. We need more people, we need more inventors, we need more ground-breaking devices, we need more computer programmers, we need more engineers, we need people with those skillsets nowadays and a lot of people in the workforce are looking for people that have these skillsets. We want to make young people see that there are jobs around here that want people to go into engineering and related science and technology fields. Were trying to open the doors for everybody, especially women, because traditionally they are very underrepresented [in STEM] as well as minorities, said Nikula.

Rosatos future plans for the non-profit, as explained in an e3 Robotics case statement, says that, Marias next big vision for the organization she built is to see an Innovation Center located in Guilford County that will serve as our headquarters, and help us make a larger impact in exciting, educating, and encouraging children about the thrilling and fulfilling world of STEM.

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Anki Delivers Powerful Robotics Programming Platform for Kids With Cozmo Code Lab – Markets Insider

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - June 26, 2017) - In a technology-fueled world learning to code has quickly become a cherished skill, empowering kids to become creators of the technology that they use and enjoy. However, the current tools that are meant to inspire robotics programming offer a lackluster and disjointed experience, often lacking access to high-level functionalities that can help transform an aspiring child into a full-fledged programmer. Anki, the consumer robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) company, today announced Cozmo Code Lab. It's a simple and intuitive visual programming language that allows Cozmo owners to easily tap into his advanced robotics technology to program the physical robot. Dragging and dropping blocks into a sequence in Code Lab will trigger related actions from Cozmo in the physical world. Code Lab is available now to all Cozmo owners as a free software update to the Cozmo app.

"Everything we do at Anki is in an effort to advance the state of robotics, whether that is kids learning coding for the first time, or Ph.D. students solving complex computer vision challenges in a lab with Cozmo," said Boris Sofman, CEO and co-founder at Anki. "With the launch of Code Lab, Cozmo now helps kids develop the logic and reasoning skills that programming requires. Based on the Scratch Blocks project, a collaboration between MIT Media Lab and Google, we now have a powerful tool that gives anyone interested in learning to code a robot the opportunity to unleash their creativity. There's simply no consumer robotics platform available like Cozmo."

Delightfully Intuitive. Easy to Execute.

Cozmo Code Lab provides opportunities for thoughtful and logic-based play as kids are challenged to approach programming much like a real programmer. Writing sophisticated programs requires a programmer to define a set of rules to solve an issue. Code Lab challenges kids to find a solution to prescribed prompts by moving the blocks into an appropriate sequence. It also allows them to experiment with Cozmo to create whatever content they can imagine. Each block represents a specific action, movement, or animation including:

Code Lab for Cozmo is based on Scratch Blocks, a project of the MIT Media Lab, used by millions of people around the world. With Code Lab, Cozmo owners can start out with very simple programs, but then move into extremely sophisticated coding projects like creating entirely new games for the robot.

Check out Cozmo Code Lab Videos Hereand Here

About Cozmo

Cozmo refuses to sit tight and wait for the fun to begin. He's ready to play. The more Cozmo gets to know his human friend, the more skilled he becomes as new abilities and upgrades are unlocked. The free-to-download Cozmo app, which runs on compatible iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire devices, comes packed with gameplay content and constantly introduces new ways to play. Cozmo even brings his own toys to the game -- three interactive Power Cubes that he's willing to share. So whether he's playing with his Cubes or challenging his human friend to one of the many games he ships with, he's always ready for action. New Cozmo abilities and game modes are introduced via free software updates, which ensures that the relationship between Cozmo and his human friend stays fresh year-round.

Supporting Resources

About Anki

Anki is harnessing robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver magical experiences that push the boundaries of the human experience. Founded in 2010 by three Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute graduates, Anki creates consumer experiences using cutting-edge technology that was once confined to robotics labs and research institutes. For three years in a row, Fast Company has named Anki one of the top 10 most innovative companies in robotics. Sales of Anki OVERDRIVE and Cozmo have catapulted the company's products into the category of top four best-selling premium toys ($75+) of the 2016 holiday season, according to The NPD Group. For more information, visit http://www.anki.com.

Anki and Cozmo are trademarks of Anki, Inc.

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Amazon Echo Show Review: The Power Of Alexa, A Touchscreen, And A Camera – Fast Company

Posted: at 7:15 am

This is embarrassing to admit, but I probably use Amazons Echo speaker to brew coffee more than anything else. Being an insufferable Aeropress snob involves precise timing while juggling a few different tasksmeasuring, preheating, grinding, pouring, plungingso asking Amazons Alexa assistant to set a timer tends to be easier than pulling up an app on a smartphone.

Amazons $230 Echo Show, which launches on Wednesday, is a fine assistant barista, with a touchscreen that can show the seconds running down. But what really sets the Echo Show apart from its screen-less siblings is how its coaxed me into using it as more than just a glorified kitchen timer. Whereas the Echo speaker can be easy to overlook, the Echo Shows persistent display and front-facing video camera have a way of beckoning for your voice commands, ensuring that Alexa doesnt get neglected.

While the original Echo vaguely resembles askinny airport trash receptacle, the Echo Show looks more like a piece of the Aggro Crag, all hard edges surrounding its speaker grille and 7-inch, 1024-by-600 resolution display.

Audio quality is similar to the original Echoloud enough to fill a large room, but lacking the oomph of a premium sound system and subwooferwith one major distinction: The Echo Shows speakers are stereo instead of omnidirectional, so audio becomes a bit muffled when you move behind the device. Ive seen people put their Echo speakers on kitchen islands and bar tops, but the Echo Show might require more deliberation about how to position the screen.

The display springs into action whenever the Echo Shows camera detects motion. The time and weather appear in the top-left corner, while the bottom half of the screen cycles through Alexa tips, upcoming calendar events, and news headlines. The subtext here is clear: Go on, start talking. Listen to some music. Watch some Amazon Prime video. Ask a question. Call a friend. Get some use out of this device for which you just paid $230.

The Echo Show has some other new ways of ingratiating itself. You can turn its home screen into a digital photo frame, either by uploading a single image through Amazons Alexa smartphone app or by linking to an album in Amazon Prime Photos. The device can also serve as a bedside alarm clock, with just the time displayed over a black background. Amazons interface even includes some cute little touches, such as lyrics for songs on Amazon Prime, and the virtual Newtons Cradle that pops up during the final seconds of a timer.

Fundamentally, though, the Echo Show is still a voice-driven device, with no shortcuts on the home screen to any Alexa functions. At most, the touchscreen provides secondary controls for certain things such as checking off to-do list items, scrolling through Amazon product search results, and adjusting music playback.

The dependence on voice can be frustrating at times. I wouldnt mind, for instance, a way to launch recent music playlists or Amazon Prime video episodes with just the touchscreen, or a control panel for smart home devices. But these limitations do send a message: The Echo Show is an entirely different device than your phone or tablet.

The Echo Shows front-facing camera is more than just a motion sensor. It also supports video chat with other Echo Show devices, and with anyone whos installed the Alexa app on iOS or Android. I tested this briefly with an Amazon representative, which at least proved that the Echo Show can handle video calls smoothly and without major glitches.

But while Amazon positions video calling as one of the Echo Shows key features, Im skeptical about how useful this will be in practice. The Echo Show must be plugged in for power, requiring you to stay in one spot throughout the conversation. My guess in that in most cases, a phone or tablet is going to be more practical. (Desktop PCs make you stay in place, too, but at least you can assume there will be a chair there.)

One notable exception is a feature called drop in, which lets trusted contacts start a video call without any confirmation from the recipient. Audio starts playing immediately during a drop in, and the recipient has about 10 seconds to end the call before video fades into view. In theory this could turn the Echo Show into a frictionless in-home intercom, or a way to keep tabs on elderly relatives, but my brief demo session didnt give me a sense of how well this works.

On some level, I suspect video chat is more about marketing than practicality. Its not available on other Echo devices, so it may help justify the Echo Shows $50 premium in peoples minds even if they seldom use the feature.

The trade-off with that camera is that an all-seeing Alexa device might make some people skittish. But Amazon does offer a long list of assurances that people wont be snooped on: The Echo Shows camera doesnt transmit video for anything other than video chat, and the device only sends audio to Amazons servers when it detects the Alexa wake word, which is processed on the device itself. Amazons drop in feature also requires opt-in consent from each contact, and users can disable the feature entirely or limit it to in-home intercom use. For moments of heightened paranoia, you can just tap a button atop the Echo Show to shut off its camera and microphone.

Its worth noting that when Amazon launched the original Echo in late 2014, it could only answer basic questions, play audio from a few sources, and read the news. Smart home controls, third-party Alexa skills, and more sources of music and news came later through software updates. The Echo Show feels like its in a similar stage of infancy, even though it includes all the Alexa functions that Amazon has built up over the past few years.

Weve yet to see, for instance, how third-party Alexa skills will take advantage of the screen. At the moment, they merely display a transcript of Alexas audio responses, but on the Alexa companion app, theyre also allowed to show an image and complementary text. The Echo Show could allow for similar visuals, and perhaps pave the way for more interactive features such as hyperlinks and scrollable lists. Amazon has already announced that smart home cameras such as the Nest Cam will be able to display a video feed on the Echo Show, so it seems likely that the company will open up the screen to more uses in the future.

It also wouldnt be surprising if Amazon found more uses for the Echo Shows front-facing camera, beyond just video chat and activating the display. Perhaps the motion sensor could trigger smart home devices through a service like IFTTT, or allow for the same selfie-cam capabilities as the mirror-like Echo Look.

I would never suggest buying a tech product in anticipation of unreleased or unannounced features. But even in its current state, the Echo Show succeeds at giving Alexa a stronger presence in the home. Its worth buying over the $180 screen-less standard Echo if you can spare the extra $50 and dont mind the lack of omnidirectional audio. And for Amazon, its a solid foundation for taking its virtual assistant to greater heights.

Jared Newman covers apps and technology for Fast Company from his remote outpost in Cincinnati. He also writes for PCWorld and TechHive, and previously wrote for Time.com.

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Tate Modern Uses Virtual Reality to Recreate Modigliani’s Early 20th Century Paris – Fortune

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A visiter tries a pair of HTC's Vive Virtual Reality (VR) goggles, during the annual Computex computer exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan June 1, 2016. Tyrone Siu Reuters

A new exhibit at the Tate Modern gallery in London is getting some virtual reality love.

HTC, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer and maker of the Vive VR headset, said Monday that it has partnered with Tate Modern on an upcoming exhibit featuring the works of painter and sculptor Amedeo Clemente Modigliani that will be accompanied by a new VR project.

The company said the VR exhibit is based on elements of early twentieth century Paris and incorporates archival material and new research to bring [Modigliani's] historical context to life.

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The smartphone company didnt elaborate on the specifics of the new VR exhibit, only to say that museum visitors will be able to see a fresh perspective into Modiglianis life and influences and parts of Paris that inspired the contemporary of Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris.

The BBC reports that the new exhibit will be the first time Tate Modern has used virtual reality technology. A museum curator told the BBC, "By using VR we want to feel closer to Paris as a city, the exhibition is about feeling connected with a particular place."

But several other museums have also looked to VR as a way to lure more visitors and create more compelling exhibits. For example, the National History Museum of Los Angeles County, recently hosted a VR exhibit called theBlu, in which visitors could put on VR headsets to explore the ocean in virtual reality.

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The Detroit Institute of Arts is also experimenting with augmented reality technology and is partnering with Google for an Ancient Egypt exhibit in which visitors can use the museums smartphones to see special digital graphics and information overlaid on certain objects, like a mummys sarcophagus.

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Five ways virtual reality is improving healthcare – The Independent

Posted: at 7:15 am

Virtual reality is much more than just a new form of entertainment, it is increasingly being used in a wide range of medical applications, from treatments to training. Here are a few of them.

1. Pain management

There is good scientific evidence that virtual reality (VR) can help relieve pain. The parts of the brain that are linked to pain the somatosensory cortex and the insula are less active when a patient is immersed in virtual reality. In some instances, it can even help people tolerate medical procedures that are usually very painful.

Other studies have shown that amputees can benefit from VR therapy. Amputees often feel severe pain in their missing limb, which can be hard to treat with conventional methods, and often doesnt respond well to strong painkillers like codeine and morphine. However, a technique called virtual mirror therapy, which involves putting on a VR headset and controlling a virtual version of the absent limb,seems to help some patients cope better with this phantom pain.

2. Physical therapy

VR can be used to track body movements, allowing patients to use the movements of their therapy exercises as interactions in a VR game. For example, they may need to lift an arm above their head in order to catch a virtual ball.

Its more fun doing exercises in virtual reality than it is in a gym, so people are more motivated to exercise. It can help in other ways too. For example, we found that for patients who are anxious about walking, we can control their virtual environment so that it looks as though they are moving much slower than they actually are. When we do this, they naturally speed up their walking, but they dont realise they are doing it and so it isnt associated with pain or anxiety.

Virtual reality can be used in physical therapy (Wendy Powell)

Studying how people perceive and interact with VR systems helps us design better rehabilitation applications.

3. Fears and phobias

If you have an irrational fear of something, you might think the last thing you need is to see it in virtual reality. However, this is one of most established forms of medical VR treatment. Phobias are often treated with something called graded-exposure therapy, where patients are slowly introduced to their fear by a therapist. Virtual reality is perfect for this as it can be adjusted precisely for the needs of each patient, and can be done in the doctors office or even at home. This is being used to treat phobias such as fear of heights and fear of spiders, but also to help people recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

4. Cognitive rehabilitation

Patients with brain injury from trauma or illness, such as stroke, often struggle with the everyday tasks that we take for granted, such as shopping or making plans for the weekend. Recreating these tasks within virtual environments and allowing patients to practise them at increasing levels of complexity can speed up recovery and help patients regain a higher level of cognitive function.

Doctors can also use these same virtual environments as an assessment tool, observing patients carrying out a variety of real-world complex tasks and identifying areas of memory loss, reduced attention or difficulty with decision-making.

5. Training doctors and nurses

In the future your doctor may prescribe one of these (Shutterstock)

Virtual reality is, of course, not just for patients. It also offers benefits to healthcare professionals. Training doctors and nurses to carry out routine procedures is time-consuming, and training generally needs to be delivered by a busy and expensive professional. But virtual reality is increasingly being used to learn anatomy, practise operations and teach infection control.

Being immersed in a realistic simulation of a procedure and practising the steps and techniques is far better training than watching a video, or even standing in a crowded room watching an expert. With low-cost VR equipment, controllable, repeatable scenarios and instant feedback, we have a powerful new teaching tool that reaches well beyond the classroom.

Wendy Powell is a reader in virtual reality at University of Portsmouth. This article was originally published on The Conversation (www.theconversation.com)

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Virtual Reality arcade coming to Lakewood – 9NEWS.com

Posted: at 7:15 am

Amanda Kesting, KUSA 5:34 PM. MDT June 26, 2017

LAKEWOOD - The Denver-metro area's first virtual reality arcade is set to open in Lakewood this weekend.

Head Games VR is a place where gamers can try out virtual reality headsets and play the latest VR-compatible games.

It will include three gaming stations with HTC Vive headsets and gaming computers.

According to the arcade's founders the idea is to "introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to the potential of virtual reality entertainment."

The July 1 opening corresponds with the second day of Denver Comic Con, so as part of the grand opening event, Head Games is hosting a Comic Con after-party. They are encouragingthose who want to try out some of the best in VR as well as Denver-based developers to stop by the new arcade and check it out.

Learn more about the grand opening party here:http://bit.ly/2uaY2Ao

The owners of Head Games VR hope to eventually add more gaming stations to the arcade, as well as have an area where participants playing the games are filmed in front of a green screen. That way, they would be able to compose the player into the game world on a screen where friends would be able to watch.

Head Games VR is opening at 9655 W. Colfax Ave in Lakewood on July 1st.

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Umphrey’s McGee & Lettuce To Be Featured On New Virtual Reality Platform – Live for Live Music

Posted: at 7:15 am

Fans ofUmphreys McGee andLettuce can now experience content from both bandsin VR environments thanks to social music VR platform Endless Riff.Endless Riff is a virtual reality platform that provides new ways for fans to experience live, recorded, and self-captured music together. A virtual music festival, Endless Riff allows music lovers to consume, communicate, and bond over live performances, archived concerts, and exclusive b-roll content within existing, former, or new virtual venues. Using networked VR tools, the platform offers content across a broad variety of capture technologies including 2D, 3D, and 360-degree video.

After signing in to the Endless Riff platform via an Oculus Rift headset, users will be able to watch an exclusive band-curated Umphreys McGee umVR video playlist and Lettuces funkumentary Let Us Play in immersive, social 3D environments, where they can interact with their friends and fellow fans in real time.

Enjoying music is always more fun with friends, and thats especially true for artists like Umphreys McGee and Lettuce, who have hardcore fan bases traveling all over the world to see them live, said Mark Iannarelli, CEO of Endless Riff, in a press release. With the Endless Riff VR platform, we can offer Lettuce and Umphreys fans a brand new twist on that experience in which friends, family, and other music fans can join together no matter where they are, providing invaluable opportunities to connect and share their love of the music.

The 16-song umVR playlist features versions of Umphreys favorites hand-selected by the band including Puppet String, All In Time, and Booth Love, as well as unique takes on songs from The Beatles and Pink Floyd, and a recap of the bands 2017 Summer Camp event.

Umphreys McGee has always tried to be on the frontline of new technology relating to music, such as the interactive UMBowl and S2 events where fans texted directions to the band mid-performance, Kevin Browning, Manager of Umphreys McGee, said. There are so many new possibilities with VR and music, and given how dedicated and community-driven the Umphreys fanbase is, letting fans experience the bands favorite collection of videos together in a virtual setting was a no-brainer.

Filmed over a 6-month period, Let Us Play documents Lettuces intense touring schedule and the creation of their 2015 album, Crush. Footage from live sets, recording sessions, interviews, and candid scenes from the road are all included in the 45-minute film, providing a well-rounded portrait of the band, their life, and what it takes to write, record, and promote a top-notch funk album.

One of the main lessons I took away from my six months with Lettuce is that this band and their music are really all about community, said Let Us Play director Jay Sansone of Human Being Media. Thats why this film is a perfect fit for Endless Riffs VR platform, which will amplify that feeling with its virtual movie theater. Im excited that fans of my film can now experience it in a new way, and hope it will further enhance their understanding of and appreciation for this band.

Watch the trailer below, and view the whole thing here!

Endless Riff is currently available in open beta in the Oculus Rift store, where users can watch curated playlists with friends (via life-like avatars) within the interactive app. The company plans to offer a variety of branded content experiences along with the virtualization of cherished music venues from across the globe, beginning with New York Citys Rockwood Music Hall this spring.

Endless Riff will be available on additional devices later in 2017. For more information, please visit the website.

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Umphrey's McGee & Lettuce To Be Featured On New Virtual Reality Platform - Live for Live Music

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