Daily Archives: January 9, 2022

Little did we know at the beginning of this term that Afrofuturism would become now, as weve been forced to adapt to new uses of technology not just to complete the school term, but just to go about our daily lives.

Tananarive Due, lecturer on Afrofuturism in UCLAs Department of African American Studies, speaking at the departments virtual commencement on June 12

Professor Due continued by paraphrasing Angela Davis, one of UCLAs most famous faculty members: In order to work toward a better future, we need to believe that future is possible. For many, Afrofuturism is exploring those possibilities.

An Array of Expanding Definitions

What is Afrofuturism? Its the story of musicians, artists, writers, philosophers, fashion icons, filmmakers, costume and set designers, actors, activists and academics who have believed in a better future for Black people and for all people.

Afrofuturism, more concretely, can be understood as a wide-ranging social, political and artistic movement that dares to imagine a world where African-descended peoples and their cultures play a central role in the creation of that world.

Witness the sci-fi novels of one-time UCLA Extension student Octavia E. Butler. The saxophone epics spawned by former UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music student Kamasi Washington. Marvels blockbuster Black Panther and the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, executive-produced and co-directed, respectively, by Bruins. Or Jay-Z and Beyonces Family Feud music video, set in 2444 and directed by UCLAs own Ava DuVernay.

These are all examples of Afrofuturism, a term coined in the 1990s to describe a decadeslong cultural wave thats now being recognized as a powerful creative force. Not only are these captivating, provocative works being brought forth by Bruin creators, but an entire body of UCLA scholarship also offers perspective on and gives shape to this multidisciplinary movement.

The album cover for the Sun Ra Arkestras Nuclear War.

Many of its aesthetic tropes a rich color palette, African iconography and a fascination with technoculture were laid down by cosmic philosopher and jazz giant Sun Ra, starting in the 1950s. According to Shana Redmond, professor of musicology and global jazz studies in the School of Music and professor of African American studies, the Afrofuturist movement is evidence that Black music has often operated as protest strategy as well as a portal for developing ideas about new futures for African-descended peoples. Today, during a health pandemic that has disproportionately impacted Black communities, combined with a renewed focus on systemic racial injustice, Afrofuturisms power to imagine a more just society is increasingly relevant.

Being in Los Angeles offers unique possibilities for the theorizing and practice of Afrofuturism, because theres such incredible talent in this space and people are constantly colliding through formal institutions such as UCLA, she says. The creative magnetism of Los Angeles is naturally going to feed into all of the rivulets of a formation that might be called Afrofuturism.

Sheer Boldness

With Afrofuturism, the point is to challenge what it means for Black people to be free on our own terms. Liberation is a very important part of the genre.

Dalena Hunter

Librarian and archivist for Los Angeles Communities and Cultures at UCLA Library

One of the movements inspirational figures is Octavia E. Butler, an Afrofuturist writer and thinker long before critic Mark Dery coined the term in his 1993 essay Black to the Future.

Butler was born in Pasadena in 1947. A self-described hermit, she would venture to the Los Angeles Public Librarys Central Library in pursuit of her passion for storytelling. At the library, she wrote her first book, Patternmaster, published in 1976.

In 2019, the Central Library opened the Octavia Lab, a do-it-yourself studio space named in Butlers honor. This past summer, the Octavia Lab used 3D printers the kind of technology that Afrofuturism celebrates to produce personal protective equipment for health care workers.

Against the odds, Butler blazed a trail through the white maledominated world of science fiction. She told the New York Times in a 2000 interview: When I began writing science fiction, when I began reading, heck, I wasnt in any of this stuff I read. I wrote myself in, since Im me and Im here and Im writing.

One of her fans is Dalena Hunter, a librarian and archivist for Los Angeles Communities and Cultures at UCLA Librarys Special Collections. In 2018, Hunter and Kelly Besser, archivist for UCLA Librarys Special Collections, participated in a San Diego Comic-Con panel called Beyond Wakanda: Intersectional Afrofuturism. Hunter says, With Afrofuturism, the point is to challenge what it means for Black people to be free on our own terms. Liberation is a very important part of the genre.

Besser notes that the Octavia E. Butler Collection the most-requested papers at the Huntington Library in 2019 offers an intensely personal window into Butlers writing life. When she was struggling to become who she became, she created these large posters that had inspirational themes on them: Act Courageous. Act Confident. Act Quietly Intelligent. And Take the offensive against your fears conquer them by sheer boldness, Besser says. It has a real goosebumps effect.

When Besser taught Butlers 1993 novel, Parable of the Sower, to high school students in South L.A., the teenagers saw parallels with the 1965 Watts riots and 1992 L.A. riots. The kids responded to the idea of shaping the future. There were people [in the novel] of all races, genders and sexual orientations struggling to survive. It looked like L.A. to my students.

Amazon Studios is adapting Butlers books Dawn and Wild Seed for TV, the former in partnership with DuVernays ARRAY Filmworks. Another indication were living in an Afrofuturist present? Parable of the Sower takes place in a fictional Los Angeles, set in the 2020s, thats dominated by corporate greed, wealth inequality and ecological disaster themes that are all too familiar today.

Jabari Jacobs

Dexter Story

A World of Sci-fi Black Champions

Music, too, is a critical element of the landscape. Dexter Story M.A. 19 is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and producer who grew up in the View Park section of L.A., bordering Inglewood. He has produced and music-directed several concerts for downtown L.A.s Grand Performances summer series Mothership Landing: Funk and the Afrofuturist Universe of 77 in July 2017, among them. A Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellow working toward his ethnomusicology Ph.D. at UCLA, he tells the story of Afrofuturism from the perspective of a musician, an academic and a fan.

I entered the world of Afrofuturism through comic books, the Black Panther when TChalla meets the Fantastic Four, he says. My start was in art. My mom was very encouraging of music but thought I should be involved more in fine art. What pulled me into Afrofuturist music were the

art-gallery

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Story was hooked on the funk collectives two bands throughout the 70s. Concurrent with me going into this Afrofuturist world with [Parliament-Funkadelic members] Bootsy [Collins], Bernie [Worrell] and [George] Clinton, I also had the artwork on the vinyl that spoke to sci-fi movies and soundtracks.

When Story saw Parliament-Funkadelic band leader George Clinton and the Mothership on stage in 1979, he realized it wasnt just that it was symbolic of Afrofuturism [Clinton] dared to go there and turn his narrative into an embodied experience for people a spaceship that flies over my head and blows pyrotechnics, then he exits, and Im transported to a world of sci-fi Black champions. So its that, too its daring to create ones relationship to this present and push the boundaries of whats possible.

Top Brass

Saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington embodies Afrofuturisms potential in the current moment, without being defined by it. He credits his time as an ethnomusicology student at the School of Music, from 1999 to 2004, with widening his worldview. He says he relates to the science-fiction and surrealist aspects of the Afrofuturist movement.

Ive always had that storyteller imagination, and I would drift off into my own little world, he says. Even before I knew the term Afrofuturism, once I found out theres a whole movement of people that are like that, it was like, Oh, cool!

It shaped who I am, musically and aesthetically, how I think and how I exist. To Washington, Afrofuturism is the creative expression of the wonder and marvel of what the future may hold.

Washingtons music comes out of the jazz tradition but is constantly seeking to go beyond. Washington, saxophone player and producer Terrace Martin, producer 9th Wonder, and piano and keyboard virtuoso Robert Glasper make up the recently formed supergroup Dinner Party (their eponymous album was released in July). The groups animated music video for Sleepless Nights is decidedly Afrofuturistic. Washington is also working on a graphic novel that draws from this aesthetic.

For Washington, music works as protest because it profoundly impacts the mind of the listener.

Sound is the one sense that we cant turn off, he says. [Music] is a great tool for creating empathy and for learning. Ultimately, the world is what the people who live in it make it. As we shape the minds of the people that live in the world, we help shape what that world will be at the same time.

Reflecting on the current social justice movement, Washington says: The most powerful thing Ive seen is the notion that everyone needs to help push this rock up the hill. This global system that were all in is not meant for equality. If were going to keep the same system, then that just means were going to put somebody else in a state of inequality. That means we have to change systems.

Black Panther, Green Light

Nate Moore 00 had his own Afrofuturist awakening in the early 90s through Marvels Black Panther comics, not knowing that one day he would be a steward of the billion-dollar Marvel film franchise. I was a fan of the comic Black Panther: World of Wakanda through the years the characters introduction by Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four, then Don McGregor embraced African culture and tech and combined the two, says Moore, who executive produced the 2018 hit film. There were the possibilities for an Afrofuturistic aesthetic with these characters. Chief among them was King TChalla, gracefully portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman,who died Aug. 28 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

Disney/Marvel Studios

A Black Panther scene featuring the Masai-inspired Dora Milaje, Wakandas elite royal military unit.

Moore says Black Panthers production designer, Hannah Beachler, and costume designer, Ruth E. Carter, worked in concert inspired by Afrofuturism to fully realize Wakanda on the big screen.

Hannah put together a Wakanda bible that would pull from the technological cutting edge and from various cultures in Africa, he says. It was a love letter to as many cultures as we could include, without breaking the reality of the world or crossing over into appropriation. Hannah focused on: What does the future look like? How do you steep that in Afrofuturism?

Moore adds: How Black Panther embraces Afrofuturism is why we wanted to make the movie in the first place. Without Octavia Butler and others laying the groundwork, it would have been harder to pull off. We owe them.

Following the movies breakout success, Moore has started to process what Black Panthers legacy could mean. Unfortunately, in America especially, visions of Africa are always of people in need of saving, he says. Saviors can come from Africa. That seemed revolutionary.

A Future Without Limits

So whats next? Or rather, whats now?

Story believes the coronavirus and current racial tensions related to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are accelerating our collective journey into Afrofuturism: [Video gaming platform] Twitch is the new home of Afrofuturism, if you follow people like [hip-hop DJ collective] theBeat Junkies, activistTanya DePass,BlackGirlGamersandThe Roots. The pandemic has dropped us into a wormhole of the cyberculture.

Hunter looks to the Afrofuturist movies that younger Black people are being exposed to, such as Spider-Verse, which was co-directed by former UCLA fine arts student Peter Ramsey. I appreciated how they incorporated [Miles Morales] African American heritage into his identity as Spider-Man, she says. Hes not trying to fit in, but finding his place in this new school and flourishing. You get to watch him mature.

And Redmond is optimistic for whats next. Theres been a whole recentering of the scholastic enterprise of Afrofuturism through the route of fiction and of music making, she says. We understand how much value we [as African-descended peoples] hold as a creative force in the world. If we can begin to take that seriously and train toward something different, then the alternative world will follow.

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Afrofuturism: From the Past to the Living Present | UCLA

Well, that's not good.Where Theres Smoke

As if the global chip shortage hasnt been unkind enough to PC builders and gamers, some are noticing their Asus motherboards heating up and in rare cases catching fire, Toms Hardwarereported last week.

The boards,which are a high-end model targeted at gamers called the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero that retails for $600, appear to have a backwards capacitor that may be causing neighboring transistors to burn out, as YouTuber Buildzoid suggested in a recent video.

In the worst case, as one Reddit user pointed out in a post last month, the mix up caused two transistors to visibly generate smoke.

Fortunately, in most if not all cases, the systems shut down before their PCs could fully burst into flames, according to Ars Technica.

Asus publicly acknowledged the issue last week, with its PR team starting to fan out the flames. The company set up a webpage that allows users to check if they own a faulty motherboard.

We have recently received incident reports regarding the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard, a statement received by Toms Hardware reads. In our ongoing investigation, we have preliminarily identified a potential reversed memory capacitor issue in the production process from one of the production lines that may cause debug error code 53, no post, or motherboard components damage.

The company is also working with relevant government agencies on a replacement program so there may be some hope for affected users after all.

READ MORE: Asus Admits Fiery Z690 Motherboard Flaw, Starts Recall Program (Updated) [Toms Hardware]

More on PCs: New Gaming PC Consumes so Much Power That Its Banned in California

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Expensive Motherboards Are Literally Bursting Into Flames - Futurism

Well, Facebooks metaverse is off to a depressing start.

Meta aka the artist formerly known as Facebook announced a slate of big name virtual reality concerts set to take place entirely in in its Horizon Venues metaverse last month. The star-studded lineupincluded rapper Young Thug on December 26, DJ David Guetta on December 31, and finally EDM duo The Chainsmokers for a New Years Eve concert to ring in 2022.

The only problem? Not many people noticed and those who did didnt seem to really care.

Despite being completely free, the concerts seemed to get incredibly little traction or notice from anyone outside of Meta offices. There was barely any mention of any of the performances on social media platforms like Twitter or even Facebook, let alone on news and music publications.

It probably wasnt helped by the fact that the concerts were barely optimized for a VR experience. Guetta just had a 2D live streamed video of his performance at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Young Thug and The Chainsmokers offered just a 180 degree view of their concert for Oculus users.

Young Thugs performance racked up just north of 100,000 views, while Guettas performances accumulated almost a million. The Chainsmokers performance, for its part, seems to have been removed. And keep in mind, too, that Facebook has been known to put a very optimistic spin on view counts previously in order to build hype for its fledgling video streaming platform.

If you think about it for just a second, it makes sense. Watching a concert alone while wearing a VR headset at home isnt how a lot of people want to spend their New Years Eve even if they are massive fans of The Chainsmokers for some reason.

Overall, it seems like the metaverse concerts werent the hit Zuckerberg was hoping theyd be. And the elephant in the room, of course, is Travis Scotts Fortnite concert last year, which drew tens of millions of participants and commanded huge amounts of media attention.

So while Meta has set some ambitious goals for itself, it seems like creating a successful metaverse and drawing new users in is going to take a lot more than some free concerts.

More on Oculus troubles: Christmas Present VR Headset Sends Boy to the Hospital

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Facebook Hosted Three Huge Concerts in the Metaverse and They Seriously Flopped - Futurism

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If it seems like everyone you know is catching COVID-19 now, youre not alone. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has caused a surge in cases that has disrupted nearly every facet of everyday life once again.

Thats because Omicron appears to be significantly more contagious than previous variants of the virus. In fact, some experts believe that its the fastest spreading virus in all of human history.

Anton Erkoreka, a medical historian and director of the Basque Museum of the History of Medicine and Science, told Spanish newspaper El Pais that the Omicron variant has even surpassed the bubonic plague known as the Black Death which resulted in the most fatal pandemic ever recorded almost 700 years ago, but took years to spread to be the most transmissible disease ever.

It is the most-explosive and the fastest-spreading virus in history, Erkoreka the newspaper.

William Hanage, co-director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard University, echoed the historians sentiments, telling the newspaper that the variant is certainly the most rapidly spreading virus among the ones we have been able to investigate at this level of detail.

Of course, the cultural context of the pandemic is also important. The Black Death was spreading in Medieval Europe, where travel was rare, whereas COVID quickly took over a very globalized world.

Omicron is currently the most dominant variantof COVID in the US. While it is spreading rapidly, health experts have found that it is resulting in far fewer deathsthan previous variants.

This is due to a number of factors including higher vaccination rates, which can drastically diminish any impact infections can have, and how the virus primarily invades the upper respiratory tract instead of the lungs, El Pais reports.

Of course, if we continue to let Omicron run rampant, itmay only be a matter of time before the number of deaths catches up.

Luckily, theres some hope. Current signs out of South Africa indicate that the variant has already begun to wane in the region. With testing and boosting efforts being pushed more in the US, well hopefully be able to avoid the unmitigated disaster that occurred last year.

Then again, who knows. If weve learned anything from nearly two years of lockdowns and a healthcare system on its knees, its that people can be recklessabout public health.

After all, people are literally pinning Betty Whites death on the booster.

READ MORE: Omicron: The fastest-spreading virus in history [El Pais]

More on COVID: Elon Musk Fans Furious That He Posted Antivax Meme

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Omicron Is the "Fastest Spreading Virus In History," Experts Say - Futurism

Alexa, open the pod bay doors. Amazon to Artemis

In yet another odd marriage of capitalism and space travel,Lockheed Martin has announced that it will be sending an Amazon Echo as part of the upcoming Artemis 1 mission.

No, astronauts wont be using it to check the weather or to play some lunar road trip tunes. Instead, itll be used to explore how commercially-available voice recognition technology could be used to help astronauts in future missions.

The project, dubbed Callisto, is a partnership between Amazon and Cisco. The idea is to demonstrate how Alexa, along with Ciscos teleconferencing platform Webex, could be used on future missions, SpaceNews reports.

We want to show that this type of technology can help astronauts with some of those unique human interface technologies, making their jobs simpler, safer, more efficient, Rob Chambers, Lockheed Martins director of commercial civil space strategy, told the site.

Lockheed hopes the tech will be able to help astronauts with tasks ranging from the simple to literal rocket science.

For example, crewmembers might be able to access key pieces of data regarding flight trajectory with it, and might even be able to adjust their spacecraft controls via voice command.

One way youll be able to do this with the Callisto payload is to say, Alexa, what is the average temperature across all the batteries, and what is the peak temperature? Itll perform that data processing for you, Chambers explained.

Artemis 1 is an uncrewed mission, so there wont actually be anyone aboard to test out Callistos voice command. Instead, Chambers said there will be virtual crew members that will give commands to the AI.

This is all about testing it on this flight, seeing if its valuable, and then we can assess how it can be used as we move forward not just on Orion but on habitats, at Gateway, rovers, and any number of other applications were actively looking at, he told the site.

So it seems like this is mostly a gimmick for now. If things do go well, though, we might see a future where astronauts are controlling their craft via voice command.

Hopefully, they work out the kinks until then to avoid any HAL 9000 scenarios.

READ MORE: Amazons Alexa to be tested on Artemis 1 [SpaceNews]

More on Artemis 1: NASA Head Says Moon Landing Delayed a Year, Blames Jeff Bezos Lawsuit

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NASA Is Installing Amazon Alexa on Its Next Moon Mission, for Some Cursed Reason - Futurism

The reactor was 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun for more than 17 minutes. Another One

A Chinese fusion reactor just completely demolished its own record.

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion reactor was able to sustain a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius for 1,056 seconds, according to a release from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This smashed its previous record of 101 seconds, set last spring,by a full 1,000 percent.

The team behind the reactor is a part of the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AISPP), and achieved the record in late December.

ASIPP has a perfect team, Professor Yuntao Song, director-general of ASIPP, said in the release. We will face up to difficulties no matter how hard it is!

This marks another massive milestone for the EAST reactor. Dubbed the artificial Sun, the reactor is able to partly replicate the natural nuclear fusion process of stars. Researchers hope that it could eventually lead to sustainable, clean energy production.

The length that the EAST reactor can hold the high plasma temperatures is key. Fusion reactions need to be self-sustaining, and superheated plasma could be used to eventually create a self-sustaining reaction.

So were still likely a while off from commercial fusion power, even ifsome experts believe its just around the corner. Regardless, its cool to see China break record after record in the international race to create sustainable fusion power.

READ MORE: 1,056 Seconds, another world record for EAST [Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences]

More on fusion power: Experts Say Fusion Power Is Finally Starting to Look Imminent

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China's "Artificial Sun" Fusion Reactor Just Smashed Its Old Record - Futurism

Less than one year after China announced its decision to crack down big time on crypto mining not to mention Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia and a de facto hiatus in Kazakhstan as authorities shut down the entire internet yet another country has joined suit in a bid to ease soaring energy prices and blackouts.

This week Kosovo, located in southeastern Europe, announced that its banning mining as well, after spending the last 60 days in a government state of emergency over an ongoing energy crisis.

After the countrys biggest coal-fired plant shut down last month, the BBC reported rolling blackouts and protests because the government was importing electricity at high prices. Authorities said the country was importing about 40 percent of its energy, leading Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli to announce the crypto ban in a bid to alleviate pressure.

The Kosovo Police has organized an action to discover and confiscate equipment for minimum cryptocurrencies, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla announced yesterday on Facebook. 272 of these kinds of equipment were seized and one person was arrested. All the action took place and ended without incidents.

In 2017, Bitcoin mining was already using more energy than a combined total of 159 countries. Since then its gotten progressively worse, and theres been little progress on eco-friendly cryptocurrencies. In fact, some mining has gotten so bad entire lakes have reportedly been turned into hot tubs because of the heat and energy pumped out by a local mining rig.

In short, Kosovos ban makes a lot of sense, and the government doesnt seem to be slowing down seizures any time soon.

Such actions will continue until the full implementation of the decision of the Parliament and the Republic Government, Svecla said in his statement.

Will the crypto ban actually help alleviate the energy crisis? Its a complicated, because the BBC reports that geopolitical tensions with Russia and Ukraine are also contributing to the crunch, but its at least a step in the right direction for both consumers and the environment.

More on Bitcoin busting: Bitcoin Crashes As Major Crypto Country Shuts Down Entire Internet

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Another Entire Country Just Banned Crypto Mining - Futurism

Hydration station!Drink Up

A global team of scientists led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing says theyve detected water under the surface of the Moon using data the China National Space Administration provided from the countrys Change-5 lander a stunning technical achievement on its own, as the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Unions Luna 24 mission in 1976.

The team used a panoramic camera, lunar mineralogical spectrometer (LMS) and lunar penetrating radar to look for evidence of water, according to a study published in the journalScience Advances this week in collaboration with researchers from the National Space Science Center of CAS, the University of Hawaii at Mnoa, the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of CAS and Nanjing University.

Its like a field trip out on the Moon, the first opportunity to detect signs of water at close range and high resolution on the lunar surface, said lead author and Chinese Academy of Sciences researcher Lin Honglei, according to a statement obtained by the South China Morning Post.

The team observed signals indicating the presence of water in reflectance spectral data acquired by the Change-5 lander. The theory is that solar wind has gradually swept hydrogen atoms toward the Moon, according toSCMPs reporting, where it

Well be honest. Given the recent Moon cube moment that turned out to be like we suspected a humble rock, were a little skeptical of any big space claims by China. But scientists have long suspected that theres likely ice and water on the Moon and, if the research holds up, water would be a tantalizing resource for a long-term presence on the Moon by human astronauts.

More on Moon cube: Remember the Moon cube? China Just Published a New Photo and Uhhh

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China Says Its Lander Has Detected Water on the Moon - Futurism

Is this how it begins?Fish Out of Water

A team of Israeli scientists have allowed a goldfish to navigate dry land or, at least, remotely control a fish tank on wheels.

Is it the beginning of the cyborg fish uprising, or just an innocent goldfish going out for a stroll? Well leave that up to you to decide.

The team of scientists from Ben-Gurion University designed a special Fish Operated Vehicle, (FOV) a four-wheeled cart featuring a computer, a LIDAR system, and a conservatively-sized plexiglass water tank, all in an effort to put the navigational skills of several goldfish to the test as the computer system translated the movement of the fish into movement of the vehicle.

The results were astonishing: the goldfish were able to move the FOV to a target zone in order to receive a small reward in the form of,well, fish food.

At first, many of the fish took 30 minutes to find their targets while dodging decoys and dead ends along the way but by the end of the experiment, they needed less than a minute.

The takeaway: goldfish may have a surprisingly excellent sense of direction, even way outside their watery comfort zone.

These results demonstrate how a fish was able to transfer its space representation and navigation skills to a wholly different terrestrial environment, thus supporting the hypothesis that the former possess a universal quality that is species-independent, the researchers conclude in their paper, published in the journal Behavioral Brain Research.

Will we be seeing goldfish jetting by on the freeway any time soon? Thats far less likely.

READ MORE: Israeli scientists train goldfish to steer car around room [The Times of Israel]

More on animals driving: Scientists Taught Rats How to Drive Tiny Cars

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With the wide variety of laptops available on the market today, choosing the right one to meet your needs can be a confusing process. Laptops range broadly in performance and storage space from basic models for browsing the web and ordinary work tasks to high-performance machines for gaming and video editing.

No one wants to end up with a laptop thats too slow to meet their needs or overspend for a high-end laptop with features theyll never use. This guide will help you identify what you need out of a laptop while reviewing some of the top models for work, school, photo and video editing, and hardcore gaming.

Best Overall: MacBook AirBest Cheap: Acer Swift 3Best for Gaming: Razer Blade Pro 17 Best for College: Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 Laptop Best for Video Editing: MacBook Pro Best 2-in-1: HP Spectre x360 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop

I considered a broad range of criteria when making my selections for the best laptops of 2021, including the all-crucial performance and value. With that in mind, I chose models that accomplish their intended tasks, from simply work functions to gaming settings. I also considered screen size as it related to the laptops intended use. While a 13-inch laptop was adequate for general work and school use, video and photo editing demand a larger display.

Battery life is key when it comes to a laptop, so I limited my selections to those that could operate for long periods without access to an electrical outlet. Other factors also played into my decisions including screen brightness (since laptops sometimes operate outside under bright sun) and weight, as laptops are designed to be portable machines.

Why It Made The Cut: With its switch to the Apple M1 microchip, the Air is faster than ever and offers tremendous battery life.

Specs:Processor: Apple M1Memory: 256 GBDisplay Size: 13 inchesWeight: 2.8 pounds

Pros:18-hour battery lifeEasy to transportUses a scissor keyboard

Cons:Expensive, especially if you need more storage

The MacBook Air was already great, but Apples decision to move it to the M1 chip makes it hands down the best laptop you can buy. The Airs latest incarnation, which debuted in 2020, is notable because it presents a departure for the Air, which has used the Intel CPU since it debuted back in 2008. This 2020 model uses Apples M1 processor, giving the Air three times the performance of the latest Intel chip.

In short, the M1 is fast and more efficient, which translates into significantly longer battery life. The M1 Air allows you to browse the Web for up to 15 hours or playback video for 18 hours on a single charge, roughly twice what the Mac Air with an Intel chip allows you to do.

The switch to the M1 isnt the only change for the AirApple switched the Air to the more responsive scissor-switch keyboard that the Pro uses. And with its 13-inch display, the Air isnt as big as other laptops, but it makes up for that in portability. It continues to be one of the lighter models on the market at just 2.8 pounds with a svelte 0.5-inch thick physique.

While the Air may be more expensive than other models, its still a great deal at under $1,000. You can also upgrade to 512 gigabytes of storage for $1,249 or bring the Air up to 16 gigabytes of memory and 2 terabytes of storage for $2,049.

Why It Made The Cut: Acers Swift 3 has comparable performance to other laptops at a significantly lower price making it the best cheap laptop.

Specs: Processor: 2 Ghz AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Display Size: 14 inches Memory: 8GB Weight: 2.7 pounds

Pros: Excellent performance at an affordable price Large trackpad Lightweight of just 2.7 pounds. Tough aluminum construction.

Cons: Resolution and brightness are not as high as other laptops

The first thing you need to know about the Acer Swift 3, aside from the fact that it has a low price tag, is that it runs on AMDs Ryzen 4700U mobile processor. The second thing you need to know is that AMD chips are faster than their better-known Intel rivals. This translates into a laptop that gives you similar performance to higher-end laptops at a budget price.

In addition to beingwell..swift, the Swift 3 also has a few other things going for it. It weighs just 2.7 pounds, which makes it one of the lighter laptops on the market, especially given its 14-inch screen. Its aluminum-magnesium body is stout enough to hold up to the bumps and jolts that invariably happen while transporting a laptop. The Swift 3 is also Wi-Fi 6 capable, which makes it ready for the next generation of WiFi technology.

Though its battery life isnt as high as other laptops, its still a respectable 8 to 10 hours, and it can be charged quickly via its USB-C port.

Although its display isnt as bright and lacks the resolution that other laptops offer, the Swift 3 offers comparable performance to other laptops at a price thats very hard to beat.

Why It Made The Cut: An eight-core Intel chip coupled with Nvidias premier graphics card puts this laptop at the top of all gaming laptops.

Specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-10875H Display Size: 17 inches Memory: 512 GB Weight: 6 pounds

Pros:Lightning-fast processing speed and frame refresh rateLarge display ideal for gamingCustomizable RGB keyboard

Cons:Heavy at about 6 poundsVery expensive

Its one of the more expensive laptops you can buy, but for serious gamers who like a computer they can take with them on the road, the Razer Blade Pro 17 is a must-have. This laptop marries Intels 10th generation of Core processors (the Core i7 or Core i9, depending on what set-up you choose) with Nvidias GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics card and a 120 Hz Ultra HD display. That translates to a laptop that offers serious performance for gaming.

With all that power under the hood, you might expect the Razer to be a bit bulky. While its 17-inch display (a must for gaming) makes it bigger and heavier than other laptops (it weighs about 6 pounds), the aptly named Razer Blade Pro 17 is just 0.8 inches thick, making it very portable.

In addition to its raw processing power, there are more features to like on this laptop, including a RGB keyboard that allows you to customize the backlighting color of each key. While this may seem a little pointless to the average laptop user, its a vital feature for gamers who like to color-code the keyboard controls for specific games.

With its high-performance processors and high-quality screen, this may be the best gaming laptop on the market for those who are willing to pay its high price tag.

Why It Made The Cut: This laptop is affordably priced for college students and is versatile enough to function as a workstation or entertainment center making it our choice for the best laptop for college.

Specs:Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 Quad Core ProcessorDisplay: 15.6 inchesMemory: 256 GBWeight: 4.18 pounds

Pros Can convert to a tablet Long battery life Lightweight for easy transport

ConsSmall storage capacity of just 256GB

The Yoga 9i may not have the fast processing speeds and frame recovery rates of more expensive laptops, but its durable construction, responsive keyboard, and ample battery life make it ideal for students who work in various locations around campus.

The line of Yoga laptops gets its name from its ability to fold back on itself, allowing it to stand in an A-shape, fold flat, or rest on its keyboard. This allows it to function as a laptop computer for work, tablet for browsing the Web, or entertainment center for viewing a video. Its 15.6-inch touchscreen with Intel Iris Xe graphics offers excellent resolution for all three activities. Its diverse collection of ports, which include two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a standard USB port, and an aux port for earbuds, add to its versatility.

In addition to its 2-in-1 functions, the Yoga 7i gets an average of seven hours of use on a single charge, eliminating the need to hunt for an available outlet in the library, or dorm common area. The Yoga 7i also includes useful security features, including a webcam shutter for privacy and a fingerprint reader for security.

Why It Made The Cut: This model is the best laptop for video editing because it has the best processor for handling the intense demands of video and photo editing.

Specs:Processor: Apple M1 ProDisplay: 16 inchesMemory: 512 GBWeight: 4.7 pounds

Pros Liquid retina displayLarge display is ideal for working with videoSurprisingly good sound quality from large speakers

ConsOne of the higher-priced laptops on the marketBulkier than other laptops

The Macbook Pros huge display coupled with a beast of a processing system that benefits from Apples heating-reducing technology makes the 16-inch version of the MacBook Pro ideal for video editing.

With the 16-inch version of the Pro, Mac has remedied the heat sink problems of the 15-inch model by adding a larger fan. While this makes the 16-inch Pro slightly thicker than the 15-inch model, this design is ideal for hefty video editing tasks that would quickly heat up (and slow down) lesser laptops. Plus, the larger body and screen doesnt make for a much heavier laptop. At just under 5 pounds, the MacBook Pro 16-inch weighs slightly more than the 4-pound 15-inch version.

In addition to managing the Pros heat issue, Apple has also fixed the keyboard problems that dogged the previous iteration of the Pro, doing away with the much-maligned butterfly keyboard in favor of the reliable scissor keyboard. Other features that will attract video editors include the large speakers that run alongside the keyboard, giving the 16-inch Pro sound quality thats similar to a Bluetooth speaker.

While the MacBook Pro comes at a premium price, especially if you upgrade to its higher memory capacity options, its high-performance processor coupled with a large 16-inch screen and exceptional speakers make it the ideal choice for video editing.

Why It Made The Cut: Its quick performance and intuitive design features, such as a 3:2 display, make it well-suited for use as a tablet or laptop.

Specs:Processor: Intel Core i5Display: 13.3 inchesMemory: 256 GBWeight: 2.86 pounds

Pros:4K touchscreen ideal for tablet useWeighs less than 3 pounds, making it easy to tote around16:9 aspect ratio

Cons:Expensive

With its well-designed display and surprisingly quick performance, the Spectre x360 is the best 2 in 1 laptop for those looking for the touch screen ability of an iPad with the keyboard functionality of a laptop. The first thing to note about this 2-in-1 laptop is its size the Spectre is notably smaller than other similarly priced laptops with its 13.3-inch touchscreen, but it overcomes this smaller size by going with a 3840 x 2160 resolution.

The Spectres higher price corresponds to its high performance, thanks to its Core i5 processor and 8 GB of memory. While the aspect ratio doesnt lend itself to watching movies, it does make the Spectre more tablet-like when folding it flat and using its touchscreen for navigating with a finger or a pen. Plus, its lightweight for easy transport, and with a battery life of up to 10 hours, its an ideal choice for those looking for a true laptop/tablet combo.

You should know what you plan on using the laptop for before you start shopping. Someone using a laptop for basic work tasks, online banking, Web browsing, casual gaming, and streaming the occasional video or movie can get by with a smaller 14-inch screen, slower processor, and 256 GB of memory. But those planning to use their laptop for heavy-duty video editing or hardcore gaming should consider laptops with 15- or 16-inch screens that offer advanced graphics cards, faster processors, and 500 GB or even 1 TB of storage.

Laptops are designed to be portable, allowing you to use them in a coffee shop, on a train, or in a library, as well as at home. For that to be possible, they need to operate for an extended period on their battery alone. With todays efficient processors and powerful batteries, you should look for a laptop that can get between 7 and 18 hours of life on a single battery charge.

Just as battery life is crucial to a laptops portability, so too is its size and weight. While a laptops length and width are generally determined by its screen size a 16-inch laptop is wider and longer than a 13-inch laptop thickness varies. While most laptops are around 0.7 inches thick, there are models that are under 0.5 inches thick. In terms of weight, laptops can vary dramatically. Most laptops hover around 4 pounds. Larger laptops with faster processors are generally heavier, weighing as much as 6 pounds while the lightest laptops weigh just under 3 pounds.

Q: Should I get a 4K screen on my laptop?You can get a 4K screen for your laptop, but most of the time it isnt necessary. Most laptops come with a 1080p screen, which has 1920 x 1080 pixels. In comparison, a 4K screen is 3840 x 2160 pixels. While this difference may seem large, its only noticeable on larger displays. A 4K screen on a 13-inch laptop probably isnt worth it. However, once you get to 16 inches and over, youll want to consider a 4K screen, especially if youre using the laptop for gaming or watching movies (though it certainly isnt required).

Q: Should I Consider a Refurbished Laptop?A refurbished laptop can be discounted by as much as 25 percent off its original price, so it certainly makes sense to consider one if youre on a budget. Refurbished laptops typically come in like-new condition since they go through a significant amount of testing and reconditioning and come equipped with the latest operating systems. When purchasing a refurbished laptop, make sure to stick with established manufacturers like Dell and HP who are willing to put their names behind these recycled computers.

Q: How much storage and memory do I need?For most users, around 250 GB is enough storage. Those who plan on storing entire movies or work with a lot of video files should consider upgrading to 500 GBs or even 1 TB if they are storing large amounts of video. Memory determines how fast your computer can process data, which in turn determines how fast your programs will run. About 4 to 6 GB is enough for basic web browsing and working with word processor documents. Laptops with 8 GB of storage are ideal for casual gaming and video watching. For higher-end multimedia and gaming, consider upgrading to 16 GB.

Q: How much do I need to spend?How much you need to spend on a laptop is dependent on what you plan to do with it. If youre using a laptop mainly to browse the Web, work on a word processor such as Google Drive, and maybe some light gaming then you dont need the large display and lightning-fast processors high-end laptops offer. Plan to spend $600 to $800 on a laptop. For tasks that require a faster processor and more memory, such as editing photos and videos or streaming video, expect to spend $1,000 to $1,500. For serious gaming that requires a fast processor and a display with a high frame rate, youll spend $2,500 or more.

Q: Which operating system should I get?Windows is by far the most commonly used operating system on PCs youll find it on lower-end laptops as well as mid-tier and high-end models. It works with a broad range of software and is more user-friendly than operating systems like Linux. It also happens to be the target of all kinds of different malware, making it less secure than other operating systems. MacOS has exceptional software offerings for creative professionals but a more limited selection of software than Windows. Mac updates its operating systems frequently and doesnt charge for new versions. Its also less susceptible to malware. The downside is youll have to pay more for MacOS as Apples cheapest laptop comes in at $1,000

Q: Which Laptop CPU Do I Need?The CPU you need depends on what you plan to do with it. If youre purchasing a Mac, then your choice is already made for you, as Apple began replacing the Intel chips in its computer with its own M1 chip at the end of 2020. For other laptop brands, you have a choice between AMD and Intel chips (with the exception of the Chromebook, which uses ARM chips). Both companies offer chips with similar performance, though AMD tends to have the advantage when it comes to gaming. With both chips essentially on par, you can move beyond the CPU and look at other features, such as screen size, memory, and weight, when making your decision.

When purchasing a laptop its crucial to consider how you plan to use it to ensure you get enough performance out of the laptop without spending more than what you need. With a powerful M1 chip that gives it a fast processing speed and ample battery life, the lightweight MacBook Air is one of the best all-around laptops you can buy. Those in the market for a more affordable laptop that still offers impressive performance should consider the Acer Swift 3.

This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurisms owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.

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Get It All Done in 2022 With the Best Laptops - Futurism