Daily Archives: August 2, 2022

An illustration of Qikiqtania wakei (center) in the water with its larger cousin, Tiktaalik roseae. Alex Boersma hide caption

An illustration of Qikiqtania wakei (center) in the water with its larger cousin, Tiktaalik roseae.

You may have come across a meme showing an ancient fish known as Tiktaalik.

It shows the green, eel-like creature crawling out of the sea about 375 million years ago about the time that scientists say fish developed the physical characteristics to survive on land only to be directed to turn around.

The joke, as far as the meme goes, is that the fish should crawl straight back into the water to avoid the woes of our modern times.

Now, a new study published in Nature suggests a relative of Tiktaalik named Qikiqtania wakei did just that.

"You had this evolutionary series of fish evolving to walk, but this one said, 'Eh, not going to do that one. I'm going back in,'" said Neil Shubin, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago who co-authored the study.

Shubin was part of the team who discovered Tiktaalik during a 2004 expedition in the Canadian Arctic. Qikiqtania was found on the same trip, but the fossil went mostly unstudied while the team focused on Tiktaalik.

"This new species is a very close cousin of Tiktaalik. We know that by looking at all the features," Shubin said. "In fact, it's a very close cousin of both Tiktaalik and creatures with arms and legs and fingers and toes, so-called tetrapods."

Early tetrapods were likely spending more and more time out of the water during this period, Shubin said. The arrangement of bones and joints in these animals' fins was starting to resemble arms and legs, which would have allowed animals like Tiktaalik to prop themselves up in shallow water and survive on mudflats.

But Tom Stewart, an evolutionary biologist at Penn State who also worked on the study, said Qikiqtania's physiology suggested it was swimming in open water. Qikiqtania's fins are the result of its swimming ancestors crawling onto land, then returning to the water.

"That's an unexpected pattern," he said. "That's not something that would have been predicted before we had a fossil like this."

A digital reconstruction of the pectoral fin of the Qikiqtania wakei fossil. Tom Stewart hide caption

A digital reconstruction of the pectoral fin of the Qikiqtania wakei fossil.

The study expands paleontologists' understanding of this period in evolutionary history by showing that animals weren't just evolving from water-based fish to land-based tetrapods.

"The transition from life in water to life on land was going both ways," Shubin said.

Qikiqtania is a vivid counterexample to the long-debunked, yet enduring myth that evolution is a linear progression from one species to the next.

"We get introduced to the idea of evolution through images like an ape that slowly stands upright and then produces a man walking," Stewart said. "Those are some of these classic, iconic teaching tools ... but really, evolution doesn't work in that way."

Shubin said evolution was more accurately described as a set of branching paths, rather than a ladder. "Evolution is much more of a bush," Shubin said, "a tree of creatures evolving in many different directions."

We'll see how the memes evolve from here.

Read the original here:

This fish evolved to walk on land then said 'nope' and went back to the water - NPR

Where did morality come from? How you answer that question will depend on your worldview and on what foundation you base your thinking. And that was powerfully illustrated in a recent ethics piece titled, What might 100,000 more years of evolution do for the future of morality?

This article specifically focused on sexual ethics (something that doesnt really seem to exist in secular culture throughout the West anymore!), arguing that, for hundreds of millions of years, creatures just did whatever they wanted until a mere several thousand years ago, when human brains invented moral codes to regulate sexual behavior. But, the article continues, humans originally had a hard time living up to these codes... and evolution explains why:

But humans found it difficult to live up to those sexual codes. It was as if hundreds of millions of years in the evolution of animal sexual attraction and the biological urge to propagate could not be easily blunted by behavioral norms that arrived only yesterday.

There was an evolutionary mismatch between the human multimillion-year-old amoral self and a newly evolving moral self. Heres how the mismatch operated vis--vis sex: Humans devised moral sexual dicta that humans could not easily perform. Human sexual moral rules outstripped human evolutionary capabilities.

In the evolutionary view, morality is nothing more than societal norms that humans thought of and attempt to keep. In other words, its utterly arbitrary, subjective, and inconsistentand why should anyone bother following arbitrary, inconsistent morality?

Before I continue reviewing the article, I do want to highlight something for those who mix evolution and millions of years with the history God has given us in his Word. Evolution is an idea that attempts to explain the origin of everything apart from God, including morality. And yet the Bible is clear that morality comes from God and the conscience that he has stamped on the heart of each person (Romans 2:1216). So, who will you believe when it comes to this issue: mans ideas regarding morality (which undermine virtually everything Scripture teaches about sin and law) or Gods Word?

If you say, Gods Word, Id ask, Why? Why believe Gods Word when it comes to the origin of morality but then ignore and radically reinterpret Gods clear Word when it comes to the origin of everything else? Its inconsistent! Instead of trusting fallible scientists who start with their own wisdom, rather than Gods, we must start with Gods Word in all areas.

Now, back to the article. It continues by saying:

If this is the casethat human minds intuited a future that was nonexistent and impracticable at the moment of initial moral ideationcan some part of human ideation be viewed as vaticination, as a prophecy of things to come for humanity? The fact that humans can even ponder a thing called the future and imagine enhanced moral behavior in that future seems remarkable. And hopeful.

Im hopeful enough to think we are at the beginning of the human story and nowhere near its end. What if our very mindsreplete with anticipation of an increasingly moral, far distant futureprovide clues for a lengthy human tenure on earth? What if our good thoughts are adumbrations of good deeds to come?

Sexual rectitude became easier after a few thousand years of sexual morality. Time, and lots of it, was crucial in the development of our moral sense. Maybe a hundred thousand more years of evolution (or a million years) will empower humanity to immediately align human bodily capabilities with human moral sensibilities in all areas of moral performance.

Basically, this author is arguing that humans thinking of an ideal moral state will eventually produce one through evolutionary processes, given enough time. Really, its a false gospel this evolutionist is peddling! Its a gospel that gets the problem wrong (we have wicked hearts in rebellion against God, not bodies that havent evolved enough to do what our minds want them to), and the writer gets the solution (lofty moral thoughts and more time) wrong, too!

The true gospel is so much more hopeful and beautiful than anything evolutionists can imagine. The true gospel says that our natural state is sinful (Romans 8:7) and that were dead in our trespasses (Ephesians 2:1) and slaves (John 8:34) to sinful passions (hence why we cant do the good we want to do and avoid the evil we want to avoid!) apart from Christ. But the beauty is that this is us apart from Christ.

Christ, fully God and fully man, came to this earth and did what Adam, and no human since him, has been able to do: perfectly obey Gods commands (2 Corinthians 5:21). This perfect God-man then went to the cross, bearing our sin upon himself, and died in our place, taking our penalty of death for us (1 John 2:2). Gods holy wrath against sin was poured out on Jesus when he bore our sin. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave, conquering sin and death. Now Jesus offers the gift of forgiveness to all who will turn from their sin and trust in Christ (Romans 10:9). And someday those who have trusted in Christ will be with Christ in heaven where there is no longer any sin (or death or suffering).

This is such good news! We dont have to just have some kind of optimistic and utopic hope that humans will someday evolve to become more moral. We can turn from our sin and to Christ today, be immediately freed from the power of sin, and someday be fully sanctified and perfectly moral (according to Gods standard of morality).

Evolution isnt just a false view about the past; its also a false view of the future. Its an anti-God religion. The true history of the universe and everything else is found in Gods Wordand so is the truth about the future and how we can enjoy God forever.

I discussed this item today on Answers News with cohosts Dr. Georgia Purdom and Rob Webb. Answers News is our weekly news program filmed live before a studio audience and broadcast on my Facebook page and the Answers in Genesis Facebook page. We also covered the following topics:

Watch the entire episode of Answers News for August 1, 2022.

Be sure to join us each Monday at 2 p.m. (ET) on my Facebook page or the Answers in Genesis Facebook page for Answers News. You wont want to miss this unique news program that gives science and culture news from a distinctly biblical and Christian perspective.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiGs research team.

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Will Morality Evolve in 100000 Years? - Answers In Genesis

Marketers have long used Sonic IDs to associate brands with a desired behavioral response that resonates on an emotional and subconscious level. Sonic IDs can be transient, leaving a vague affinity that rises to the fore only when encountered again; however some Sonic IDs like those employed by HBO have been known to persist through repeated encounters, tied to powerful narratives festooned with emotional hooks. Planet Money's Wailin Wong collaborated with Twenty Thousand Hertz to share this fascinating walk through the evolution of HBO's Sonic IDs:

Let's take a look at the visual portion associated with the Sonic IDs mentioned above in HBO 2.0, starting with the HBO Static Angel, which at over 20 years old, is showing it's age like this opening sentence from William Gibson's novel "Neuromancer": "The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel"

By mimicking the introductions used by movie theaters at the time, HBO's 1982 intro sets the tone for future revisions to come:

1983 saw HBO further refining it's 1982 intro, stretching it out to over a minute long:

HBO began to use this shorter update of the 1983 intro in 2017, which would go on to be fractured into tiny sound bites lasting only seconds each, while retaining the same impact as the whole:

Dallas Taylor from Twenty Thousand Hertz, boils down the sentiment behind the success of HBO's Sonic IDs:

After all these years, that theme music and that static sound are still the foundation of HBO's sonic brand. They're catchy. They're memorable. And they're just satisfying to listen to. But the nostalgia that people have for these sounds is just as important as how they were designed, and nostalgia isn't something you can manufacture, and it's definitely not something you can buy.

Read the original here:

The evolution of HBO's Sonic IDs - Boing Boing

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A multi modal approach to microstructure evolution and mechanical response of additive friction stir deposited AZ31B Mg alloy | Scientific Reports -...

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. Bolthouse Farms has closed its acquisition of Evolution Fresh from Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). The acquisition includes the brand, business, and employees supporting Evolution Fresh. By uniting the two powerhouse brands, Bolthouse Farms looks to further accelerate the companys leadership within the premium juice and refrigerated beverage categories in retail.

Through this acquisition, Bolthouse Farms will expand its beverage offering from nutrient-dense, plant-powered juices and smoothies to include the full lineup of Evolution Freshs primarily organic, cold-pressed, premium juices. Starbucks stores in the U.S. will continue to sell Evolution Fresh products.

We are thrilled to welcome our colleagues from Evolution Fresh to the Bolthouse Farms family and look forward to working with them to drive the juice and refrigerated beverage categories forward, said Bill Levisay, president, Consumer Brands, Bolthouse Farms. As a combined company, we will share our resources, vertically-integrated supply chain, deep knowledge of fresh produce, and passion for ingenuity and innovation. Evolution Fresh produces deliciously fresh, cold-pressed juices that consumers are looking for. Our job now is to support their expertise and bring additional resources to the table to expand the brands reach.

Bolthouse Farms is the No. 1 super premium refrigerated beverage brand and one of the largest carrot suppliers to North American retailers1. Bolthouse has been on a rapid growth trajectory in the last few years, and this acquisition is an important step on the companys growth journey, with more expected to come, said Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse Farms. This acquisition expands our portfolio in a way that meets the health and nutrition needs of more consumers than ever before.

Bolthouse Farms is a portfolio company of Butterfly, a leading private equity firm that specializes in the food sector with a particular focus on high-growth, on-trend categories. Through Bolthouse Farms, Evolution Fresh joins Butterflys brand portfolio that includes the likes of Chosen Foods, MaryRuth Organics, Orgain, and Pete and Gerrys Organics.

Terms of the transaction, which Starbucks and Bolthouse Farms announced on May 24, 2022, were not disclosed.

About Bolthouse Farms

For more than a century,Bolthouse Farms has been known as the innovation leader in growing and distributing carrots and high-quality, nutrient-dense branded products. Employing more than 2,200 people and headquartered in Bakersfield in Californias fertile San Joaquin Valley, Bolthouse Farms is one of the largest carrot growers and distributors in the U.S. and the No. 1 premium refrigerated beverage brand in U.S. retail.* Guided by its purpose Ingenuity Grows Good the company also produces and sells super-premium juices, smoothies, caf beverages, protein shakes, functional beverages and premium refrigerated dressings, all under the Bolthouse Farms brand name.*SOURCE: IRI MULO L52 weeks ending May 1, 2022

About Butterfly

Butterfly Equity (Butterfly) is a Los Angeles, California-based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, spanning the entire food value chain from seed to fork via four target verticals: agriculture & aquaculture, food & beverage products, food distribution and foodservice. Butterfly aims to generate attractive investment returns through deep industry specialization, a unique approach to sourcing transactions, and leveraging an operations-focused and technology-driven approach to value creation.

For More Information:https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/08/01/2489744/0/en/Bolthouse-Farms-Finalizes-the-Acquisition-of-Evolution-Fresh-from-Starbucks-Strengthening-Leadership-Position-in-the-Juice-and-Refrigerated-Beverage-Categories.html

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Bolthouse Farms Finalizes the Acquisition of Evolution Fresh from Starbucks - BevNET.com

After controversy and the pandemic, one of the most iconic esports events in the world finally returns. The Evolution Championship Series 2022 will run its course this weekend, and here is why you should care.

Our story starts with a message board argument in the mid 90's. With Street Fighters rising popularity in arcades and healthy tournament circuits growing in the US, there was just one question left. Who is the best? A small tournament was held at the Golfland arcade hall in Sunnyvale, California. The Battle by the Bay.

Here on July 20, 1996, the event it would change gaming history. Back then, no one could've guessed that this annual even would one day grow into the most prestigious tournament in esports, the Evolution Championship Series. And I understand that some of our regular readers have probably no idea what I'm talking about, but don't worry, ESTNN is here to help you. Evolution or Evo in short is the Grand Prix of Fighting Games and a spectacle with no equal.

It is here where the best players across multiple fighting games collide in a three-day tournament to declare the definitive answer on who is the best in their discipline. But Evo also doubles as a convention for fighting games, it is here when new games get announced, demo builds can be tested, merchandise is being sold all capped off with mind-blowing reveals like new characters.

Image credit evo.com

But why is Evo so special? If you look at the prize pool compared to other landmark events like League of Legends World Championship or Dota 2's International, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Actually, compared to the leagues of some of those fighting games, it looks like a joke. But the answer lies in the open tournament format that most fighting game community (FGC) events often employ. It goes back to the arcade roots of the genre, when everyone could participate and play by just dropping a quarter.

And while being the best in Street Fighter after year long league play might be more impressive on paper. It doesn't even come close to the prestige of winning Evo. For Street Fighter V alone, there are a total of 1320 sign-ups and over the course of the weekend, one of those 1320 players will be declared champion in a double elimination tournament. But by far the biggest title at Evo this year is Arc System Works Guilty Gear Strive with 2161 players ready to fight for the crown. This will be the first in person Evo held after the start of the pandemic and under new ownership.

On stream, there'll be a total of 9 games featured on stage. Those titles being in order of highest to the lowest participants; Guilty Gear Strive, Street Fighter V Championship Edition, Tekken 7, King of Fighters XV, Dragon Ball: FighterZ, Grandblue Fantasy: Versus, Mortal Combat 11, Melty Blood: Type Lumina and Skull Girls: 2nd Encore. With a total number of signees at 8049 from 63 countries.

Evo 2022 will be held from August 5 to 7 atMandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can find a detailed schedule and links for all the live streams here. We're also going to keep you updated on any of the reveals that might be happening this weekend.

Image credit evo.com

The live event Evolution 2020 had been cancelled in August 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the United States. During that time, however, the FGC went through a lot of hardship and some serious allegations. Several prominent members of the FGC had been accused of sexual misconduct and harassment. This spiralled into more and more revelations coming to light which painted the entire community in a very bad light.

Years and years of stories about female members of the community being harassed, blatant transphobia, rampant racism and other unsavoury acts really shined a bad light on this whole subsection of the gaming world. And while some of these stories turned out to be made up, most were not, some uncovered even more disturbing stories and it was just a mess. Even if the FGC had always differentiated itself from esports in general, many communities also neglected to keep themselves to higher standards and hold each other accountable.

And while the FGC always had and hopefully will still maintain some competitive banter, there was a dire need to draw the line somewhere. This entire fiasco which ended up destroying several subsections of the community, long-lasting friendships and tarnished the reputation of the entire community at large. With numerous pro-players being dropped by teams and sponsors as punishment, but we'd also like to clarify that some players had been punished unjustly and been outed from the community prematurely. The story itself is so big, that there is no way we could do it justice here so we will refrain from casting any judgement.

Probably the biggest story coming out of this whole fiasco in 2020 were some serious allegations against then EVO CEO Joey Cuellar (known in the community as Mr. Wizard), one of the founding members of the event. Shortly after the allegations came to light and countless sponsors and developers pulled out of the event and the board decided to cancel the event and remove Joey Cellular from his position as CEO. Shortly after, the online version of the event was also cancelled and the organizers refunded tickets and vowed to donate the rest of their funds to the NGO Project HOPE.

In 2021, Evo announced that they had been acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment and Endeavour Group Holdings in a joined venture. The event had been held online and was split up over several regions to combat latency. All of this kind of took a toll on the event series but things are looking better this year.

The big shocker however is the absence of Smash Bros. Ultimate this year after Nintendo decided the title was not allowed to feature at the venue. It is unclear if that's due to the change of ownership, even if Sony vowed that they would do their best to showcase fighting games on every platform. In the past, Nintendo had been notoriously stingy about their support for the Smash Bros. community. But they also fairly recently officially licensed circuit for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Melee in North America with esports organization Panda Global.

Image credit evo.com

So this year's event marks a new beginning for the Evolution Championship Series and the Fighting Game Community. Combo Breaker 2022 and Community Effort Orlando 2022 (CEO) already had some strong showings, and Evo will be by far the biggest event of the year even in the absence of two of its strongest titles. It also marks probably the last big showing of Street Fighter V before we transition into Street Fighter 6.

There have also been rumours for the potential next entry in the Tekken franchise after all Tekken 7 released in 2015 in Arcades and in 2017 on home consoles and PC. You can also expect a strong showing by Arc System Works, with Guilty Gear Strive being the main event at in the Michelob ULTRA Arena on Sunday. So expect at least a character reveal and potentially the rumoured follow-up to Dragon Ball: FighterZ.

Of course, we'll keep you updated on all of this and more here on ESTNN

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Evolution 2022: The Pinnacle of Fighting Games Returns - ESTNN | Esports News Network

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Evolution of Physical Space in Hospitality" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Strategy Briefings offer unique insight into emerging trends world-wide. Aimed squarely at strategists and planners, they draw on The International's vast information resources to give top line insight across markets and within consumer segments.

Physical spaces are evolving amid the impact of the global pandemic on consumer lifestyles, business models and workplace alongside the influence of digital transformation. They embrace flexibility and functionality to enhance consumer experience and mitigate risks.

Key Findings

Physical spaces blend into the digital world

Lines between the physical and digital worlds are blurring, especially with the rapid rise of the metaverse. Physical spaces are incorporating elements from the digital world while also trying to maintain a unique selling point over their virtual counterparts.

Immersive spaces drive return of in-person experiences

As in-person experiences return, they are facing greater competition from digital counterparts. Hospitality providers are using physical space to create immersive environments that create the worlds of consumers favourite brands and entertainment franchises to lure them back to in-person events.

Wellness and sustainability drive design in hospitality

The pandemic put health and wellness front of mind for consumers, and lockdowns showed just how strong of an impact physical space has on wellness. Coming out of lockdown, consumers are looking for sustainably-designed spaces that support their overall wellness.

Digital hospitality providers embrace the value of physical space

Just as the physical world is incorporating digital elements, digital hospitality providers are increasingly moving into the physical world. Their investments in physical spaces demonstrate hospitality providers efforts to merge the best elements of the digital and physical worlds.

Space as a service

Increased workplace flexibility increasingly means that consumers can work wherever they want. The future of work is redesigning spaces, as hospitality operators open their spaces to remote workers and focus on servicing their needs.

Key Topics Covered:

Introduction

Evolution of Physical Space in Hospitality

Meeting Consumer Needs

Conclusion

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hpojh2

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Evolution of Physical Space in Hospitality, 2022 Consumer Report - Immersive Spaces Drive Return of In-person Experiences - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

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Theres been so much discussion about the metaverse recently, as companies try to understand what it means for their engagements with customers and employees, and how their brand can be extended into it. Because the metaverse is a complex technological concept, the first step in understanding the potential impact is to define it. Is the metaverse a virtual place or network of places online created and run by tech companies? Is it the technology-mediated experiences we already have day to day combining physical and digital journeys, like location-based offers that appear on our phones and interactive displays in museums and stores?

Both views are correct. The metaverse is the next (not final) iteration of the internet where human interactions will be a combination of virtual, real-time, three-dimensional, and physical experiences. Our ways of working, creating, buying and consuming are already radically changing. The impact of the change will be deeper than the impact of the smartphone.

We are still at the beginning stages when it comes to real ROI for businesses, but now is the time to experiment and invest and innovate in metaverse-based use cases.

The key for organizations is to focus on the business outcome and goal for creating metaverse experiences, regardless of whether they happen online or in a hybrid digital-physical space. For example, while theres been a strong business and media focus on the marketing- and revenue-generating potential of the metaverse, theres also a growing recognition of the variety of potential metaverse use cases. In addition to entertainment, for example, organizations may use the metaverse to optimize business operations and enrich employee collaboration and training experiences.

Its also important to see how digitally enabled human experiences are evolving, and to expect them to continue to evolve, in order to plan strategically. For example, most of us are used to 2D flat user interface-based interactions with tablets, phones, computers and monitors. In fact, we expect those kinds of interactions and may be surprised if theyre not available in stores to help with tasks like planning room dcor.

Now, were seeing more of what we call natural or spatial user interfaces, in which users and the physical environment interact. Some technologies that support natural interfaces include beacons, biometrics and 3D extended-reality environments that users experience through a headset.

Other senses can be engaged by natural user interfaces through touch (haptics), audio, and even olfactory experiences, to create a more immersive interaction.Experiences can include augmented or virtual reality (AR/VR) to enhance or create new capabilities or ways to interact. The result is an experiencethat combines visual, natural/spatial, and traditional interfaces enabling a multisensory experience.

But we still have much to learn when it comes to the actual human-machine-human interaction. User experience and interface design skills are about to radically change. Ultimately, the experience will have to feel trusted, secure and private when required.

The interesting thing about the metaverse is that the technologies that support it arent new they are just maturing and becoming more accessible and affordable. Engagement blueprinting is an effective methodology to plan for and design the art of the possible. The process involves looking at each moment in a journey to see what the user experience is now and to think about how new real-time 3D and spatial technology can improve it.

For example, think about a consumer contacting a customer support call center. The customer doesnt see the behind-the-scenes service design that goes into that experience, from the phone menu to the hold music to the conversation with the customer service representative. All those elements were laid out years or even decades ago, and they may now have a brand impact thats very different from when they first launched.

Engagement blueprinting brings a fresh eye to the experience to understand the customer or employees feelings about the brand as they move through the process. For example, long hold times negatively affect customers views of the brand, while slow interactions create frustration that stresses front-line employees.

By reviewing the stack of technology, processes, and training that create that experience, blueprinting can identify areas for improvement to create a better experience for customers and employees throughout their journeys so they retain a positive impression of the brand and remain loyal advocates.

Increasingly, metaverse experiences will provide solutions to these challenges. For example, a customer could interact with a real-time 3D model of the product through the companys help portal to pinpoint an issue before speaking to a representative. Then the employee can also see the same product model to walk the customer through a troubleshooting process thats easier to navigate and more effective than a standard phone conversation.

In addition to improving service interactions for customers and employees, metaverse-based solutions can support more effective training, field service and sales. For example, in many industries, companies are preparing to lose a large portion of their retirement-age workforce and these employees will likely take a large amount of institutional knowledge with them. How can these businesses effectively capture that tacit knowledge, organize it, and present it to employees that need that information to work more efficiently? Virtual and augmented experiences using headsets, 3D models and haptic feedback help to capture and preserve that knowledge and share it without relying on tedious one-to-one training interactions. Using virtual reality for training purposes helps employees retain 75% more knowledge.

Once trained, a service technician can work more efficiently with access to product diagrams, guided installation walk-throughs, and other virtually augmented experiences all of which can reduce the time of calls, increase customer satisfaction and drive employee retention. Additionally, these solutions can generate customized cross-sell and upsell recommendations for the field technicians to share with customers.

Understanding how to make the most of the metaverse may seem complicated, but it follows the same arc as any other technology application. First, start experimenting. Apply traditional structured innovation and identify the candidate business use cases to solve for. Next, blueprint the process involved to understand how customers and employees experience it. Then, think creatively about how to leverage and combine existing and new technologies to improve the experience. Finally, keep an eye on emerging technologies so you can revisit the process as the metaverse evolves and customer and employee expectations evolve along with it.

Charlton Monsanto is executive vice president, digital customer experience atCapgemini Americas.

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TALENTRECAP.COM Entertainment Celebrity

Jill ORourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like AGT, The Voice, and American Idol. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit

Former The Voice coach Ariana Grande has had a music career spanning over a decade. In that time, her style and talent have evolved over the course of six albums. Lets look back at her time in the industry, starting with her debut single in 2011.

This was Grandes debut single, released in 2011, while she was appearing in the Nickelodeon show Victorious. The track is an upbeat pop anthem with an inspiring message. Grande belts out the lyrics, but she hasnt entirely come into the breathy vocals and stunning high notes that will become her signature.

Grande herself has expressed mixed feelings about the song, saying in 2015, Thats like scrolling too far back on Facebook, and youre like, oh s**t.' She added that it felt like what people expected of her TV character Cat, but wasnt necessarily her style.

Grande released her debut album Yours Truly in 2013, with The Way featuring Mac Miller as the lead single. The singer leaned into the style of 90s R&B on the album, and the singles opening notes definitely bring to mind Mariah Carey.

This album also featured the singles Baby I and Right There, which have a very similar feel. Collaborations with artists such as Miller and Big Sean also bring a hip-hop influence to the album. The project feels much more in tune with the direction Grandes music has continued to take.

In 2014, Grande released her second studio album, titled My Everything. Its lead single was Problem, featuring Iggy Azalea. The singer continued to come into her own with this project, growing into a more mature style and incorporating more electronic elements into her pop sound.

Other singles from the album included Break Free and Bang Bang, in which Grande collaborated with Nicki Minaj and Jessie J. The album, which is full of tracks that make you want to dance, was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys.

SEE ALSO: WE RANKED ARIANA GRANDES VEVO LIVE PERFORMANCES AFTER PLAYING THEM ON REPEAT FOR A YEAR

In 2016, Grande released her third album, Dangerous Woman. The title track was also the lead single, as Grande showed off a sultry style and more mature lyrics, as well as a sexy music video to go along with it. The track features powerhouse vocals from the singer, who won Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards.

Other singles from the album included Into You and Side to Side, featuring Nicki Minaj. The latter track includes some pretty suggestive lyrics about sex, just in case anyone was wondering whether Grande had grown up since her Nickelodeon days.

Grande released her fourth album in 2018, featuring the lead single No Tears Left to Cry. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and received praise for its experimental approach, as Grande explored different genres and sounds such as trap and house.

The album also features the track God Is a Woman, in which Grande continued to show off her vocal confidence and sexuality. Grande won her first Grammy for Sweetener, taking home the award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Grandes fifth studio album was released in 2019, with the title track as the lead single. In the song, the singer got candid about her relationship history, name-dropping her exes such as Mac Miller, Big Sean, and Pete Davidson.

The signer continued her honest streak on further singles 7 Rings and Break Up with Your Girlfriend, Im Bored, which doesnt exactly beat around the bush. Thank U, Next was a success, earning four Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.

Grande released her most recent album, Positions, in 2020. The project brings together a number of musical qualities that Grande had become known for at that point, including sexually suggestive lyrics, a blending of genres, and strong vocals on songs like POV.

Its not clear when fans can expect Grandes next album. Earlier this year, the singer admitted to fans that she hadnt started working on her next project, as she was focused on The Voice and her upcoming role as Glinda in the Wicked movie adaptation.

In present day, Grande is preparing for her upcoming role in the film adaptation of Wicked. The singer will be featured in the film as the character, Glinda. She recently admitted that she has not been working on music of her own, but rumors have swirled that she will be featured on Beyonces upcoming album.

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Ariana Grande's Music Evolution Over the Years - Ariana Grande's Music Evolution Over the Years - Talent Recap

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The beauty of DNA is that it doesnt discriminate.

Following a moment of stunned silence, pandemonium broke out in a Barrie, Ont., courthouse on the night of March 1, 1991, when the jury foreman, after seven hours of deliberation with the 11 other jurors, stood and delivered the verdict in Claude Bourguignons trial.

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Bourguignon was charged with first-degree murder in the disturbing death in June 1989 of 2-year-old Paul Bourguignon Jr., Claudes nephew. The youngster had been sodomized and strangled, his body subsequently wrapped in a garbage bag in a Pampers diaper box and discarded in a dumpster near his west-end Ottawa home.

As soon as the foreman said not guilty, reporters hurried from the courtroom to file their stories. Others present, including family members, expressed their emotions, be they relief, thankfulness, anger or shock.

Hilary McCormack, the assistant Crown attorney who was prosecuting the case that, because of its notoriety, had been moved from Ottawa, waited for the other shoe to drop.

Im waiting for him to say not guilty of first-degree murder, but guilty of second, McCormack recalls. But nothing happened.

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The trial had gone extremely well for the prosecution, with Claude having to challenge the testimony of numerous witnesses in an effort to maintain his innocence. The neighbour who testified seeing him outside at 6:30 a.m. on the day Juniors body was discovered was mistaken, he claimed, as was another neighbour who testified to having heard a childs cry soon after Claude retired to the row house for the night. Even his mother and sister-in-law were mistaken when they said that he told them he received scratches on his stomach and groin from horseback riding, with Claude later telling police they were the result of picking burrs off a stray cat, a story that an animal expert for the Crown said was highly implausible.

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McCormack had also picked apart Claudes claim that the reason that sperm with his DNA was found on Juniors bed was that he had earlier masturbated there during a five-minute interlude when Juniors father, Paul Sr., had gone to greet his girlfriend. But hadnt the girlfriend testified that both Paul Sr. and Claude had greeted her together?

He really did look bad, McCormack recalls. I knew I had this guy it was just a matter of going through all these things. And at the end, I said to him, It couldnt have been anybody else, and he agreed with me.

The scene in the courthouse that night was soon turned on its head, however. McCormack recalls the juror closest to the foreman thumping him on the back, nearly knocking him out of the jury box, while other jurors shouted at him, No! No!

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Sorry, the flustered foreman explained to the court. I blew it. Claude Bourguignon was found guilty.

For that 10 or 15 seconds, McCormack says, Bourguignon thought he was acquitted. It really was quite a moment.

Claude Bourguignon was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years. Twenty-four years later, and at the time an inmate at Joyceville Institution, he died in hospital in Napanee at the age of 52.

The Bourguignon case was one of a pair of late-1980s Ottawa crimes crimes that heralded groundbreaking developments in the evolution of trials and evidence-collecting. Bourguignons was the first murder conviction in Canada secured by DNA evidence.

The other case was a brutal sexual assault that occurred in Ottawa in September 1988 and went to trial early in April 1989. Also prosecuted by McCormack, it marked the first time in Canada that DNA evidence at a trial led to a conviction. It was also first time that DNA in a criminal trial had been tested in Canada, by the RCMP.

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In that trial, the Crowns case against Paul McNally had concluded after three days of testimony, and the defence was due up next.

McNally, 32, had been charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement and breaking-and-entering following an attack on a 68-year-old widow in her New Edinburgh home. The woman was raped four times and forced to perform oral sex, with her assailant promising to return later that night and every night, she testified.

Trial judge Keith Flanigan, then a 19-year veteran of the bench, described the assault as one of the most repulsive attacks on a woman Ive ever encountered.

Although it was dark on the night of the attacks, the woman could make out enough of her assailant by the weak light of an outdoor streetlight to identify him. Her visual ID of the man was augmented, she added, by his smell. He was the same man, she said, who had been at her home a month earlier to tile a floor. She recognized the odour of the adhesive glue he used in his trade.

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If the womans identification wasnt conclusive on its own, it was enough for police to consider him a suspect, and an analysis of his DNA was conducted.

And so, on the third day of the trial, instead of launching into its case following the conclusion of the Crowns arguments, a break was requested by the defence. Facing overwhelming DNA evidence five independent tests leaving a slim one-in-70-billion chance that anyone else could have committed the crimes, according to expert testimony McNally, McCormack recalls, wanted some time to confess to his wife, who had vociferously supported him, before changing his plea to guilty.

McNally was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for the first charge, and two years each for the other two, to run concurrently with the first.

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The DNA evidence in the case, McCormack says, was crucial. Without it, the judges instructions to the jury about the reliability of visual identifications may have carried more weight. This would have been extraordinarily difficult to get a conviction (without the DNA). I would have pursued it, knowing that all of these adverse instructions from the judge were coming, because I was satisfied she was right.

But the admissibility of DNA evidence and its eventual overwhelming acceptance, McCormack adds, truly has revolutionized criminal investigations and criminal prosecutions.

The DNA evidence in the Bourguignon trial didnt draw a direct line from Claude to the youngster none of the uncles DNA was found on or in the boys body but it was one of many factors that strongly pointed to Claude and convinced a jury that he had committed the crime.

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Without that DNA evidence, McCormack is convinced that Claude might never have been arrested in the first place. And, unlike today, when suspects can, with a warrant and probable cause, be compelled to provide DNA, there was no such provision 30 years ago, except for blood samples from those believed to be driving under the influence of alcohol.

(Claude Bourguignon) had agreed, although not entirely voluntarily, McCormack recalls. Every other family member went and gave blood. He was kind of shamed into it by his family, by his mother.

Whether Claude knew the perils of submitting his DNA was uncertain. He had, however, already declined a polygraph, or lie-detector, test, the results of which are generally inadmissible in court. Those machines dont work, he said then. Theyre a waste of time.

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The use of DNA evidence in criminal trials, though still in its infancy, was not unheard of. The process of DNA extraction and profiling had been developed in Britain in 1985 and was first used in court in 1987, when Leicestershire baker Colin Pitchfork was convicted of the rape and murder of two 15-year-old girls, one in 1983 and the other in 1986.

McCormack, who in her undergraduate years had studied genetics and chemistry, followed that case closely. She understood the science of DNA fingerprinting, and, when the McNally case presented itself, wanted to use it.

They were testing in England and had started to do it in the U.S., she recalls. And so I phoned up my investigating officer and said I wanted him to go to the RCMP lab and get our samples. She had made a special presentation to the ministry to justify the expense. I said I think this is worth a chance because it was a really very brutal sexual assault really, really brutal and we ought to be investing in this. We would have been negligent not to do this.

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The RCMP, meanwhile, had just readied its lab to do DNA testing and offered to run McNallys samples.

The process of testing was extremely time-consuming and expensive then, considerations that factored into the three and a half months that passed between Junior Bourguignons death and his uncles arrest, as the public breathed heavily down the necks of Ottawa police to solve the murder.

It was a very, very slow manual process that took weeks to process a single case, says Dr. John Waye, at the time a molecular genetics specialist with the RCMP. Terribly laborious and slow, so it was used very sparingly, and prosecutors and the lab cooperated and picked out the cases where the evidence would be most probative.

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Now the director of laboratory genetics at Hamilton Health Sciences and professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University, Waye provided expert testimony at both the McNally and Bourguignon trials. And, while many viewed the bourgeoning science as hocus pocus, and indeed it was frequently challenged the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa, for example, suggested at the time that DNA typing might turn out to be no more significant than polygraph tests Waye never doubted the science.

Every aspect of the technology was being tested, he recalls, and in the Bourguignon trial I could give an opinion about the rarity of something, but I couldnt justify my opinion using statistics. After a very lengthy voir dire (the pre-trial process to determine the admissibility of evidence), it was decided that the numbers would be too prejudicial.

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Today, though, Waye says that DNA evidence is as readily accepted as fingerprints following a few rough years at the beginning with numerous challenges based on arguments that would now seem frivolous.

Eleven years after the McNally case, Canadas National DNA Data Bank was created by an act of Parliament. It formalized the centralized collection of hundreds of thousands of DNA profiles to assist investigators solve various crimes. According to the RCMP, which oversees the data bank, its main goals are to link crime scenes across jurisdictional lines; help identify or eliminate suspects; determine whether a serial offender has been involved in certain crimes; and assist investigators, coroners and medical examiners in finding missing persons and identify human remains.

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The exoneration of suspects by DNA is sometimes overlooked, but the very first use of DNA evidence in a criminal trial in Canada, in Calgary in 1988, did just that, as it has since in numerous widely publicized exonerations, including those of David Milgaard and Guy Paul Morin.

The beauty of DNA is that it doesnt discriminate, says McCormack, who became Ottawas Crown attorney in 2000, then director of Crown operations before becoming chair of the Military Police Complaints Commission in 2015. It just exonerates or includes, and its probably as powerful a tool for vindicating people, particularly those in the States who are on death row.

In that sense, it has become an extremely valuable tool that convicts the guilty and exonerates the innocent.

bdeachman@postmedia.com

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Capital Crimes: Ottawa trials figured prominently in the evolution of DNA use in crime-solving - Ottawa Citizen