Category Archives: Evolution

In todays fast-paced world, the automotive industry is constantly evolving to meet the demands of consumers seeking safer, more efficient, and technologically advanced vehicles.

From electric cars to autonomous driving systems, modern technologies are revolutionizing the way cars are developed, manufactured, and driven. This article explores the key advancements in car development and highlights the impact of these technologies on the automotive landscape.

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

One of the most significant advancements in recent years is the rise of electric vehicles. EVs offer a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to traditional gasoline-powered cars. With zero tailpipe emissions, they contribute to reducing air pollution and combating climate change. The development of advanced battery technologies has increased the range of EVs, making them a viable option for everyday use. Moreover, the integration of regenerative braking systems and improved charging infrastructure has made EVs more convenient and accessible to the masses.

If youre interested in exploring a wide range of vehicles, including electric cars and other modern technologies, oakwood auto auction is a great place to start. With a diverse inventory and regular auctions, they offer a unique opportunity to find your dream car.

Autonomous Driving

Autonomous driving technology is another groundbreaking innovation that has gained considerable attention in recent years. Self-driving cars, equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence, have the potential to revolutionize transportation by enhancing safety, reducing accidents, and improving traffic flow. These vehicles can analyze their surroundings and make real-time decisions, eliminating the need for human intervention. While fully autonomous vehicles are still being tested and perfected, many modern cars already incorporate semi-autonomous features such as adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

Connected Car Technology

The advent of connected car technology has transformed the driving experience. By integrating vehicles with the internet and other devices, cars can now offer a range of features and services that enhance convenience, comfort, and safety. This technology enables real-time navigation updates, traffic information, and even remote control functions through smartphone apps. Additionally, connected cars can facilitate vehicle diagnostics, maintenance reminders, and emergency assistance, ensuring a more seamless and efficient ownership experience.

Advanced Safety Systems

Safety has always been a paramount concern in the automotive industry, and modern technologies have significantly improved vehicle safety features. Systems such as lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, and forward collision warning utilize sensors and cameras to monitor the surrounding environment and alert drivers of potential hazards. Moreover, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) like automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection can intervene to prevent accidents or mitigate their severity. These technologies have the potential to save countless lives and make roads safer for everyone.

Lightweight Materials and Aerodynamics

Car manufacturers are increasingly utilizing lightweight materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, and high-strength steel to enhance fuel efficiency without compromising safety. These materials reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, resulting in improved performance and reduced emissions. Additionally, advanced aerodynamic designs help to minimize drag and optimize fuel consumption. By utilizing these technologies, automakers can create more eco-friendly cars that offer better fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

Conclusion

The automotive industry is undergoing a technological revolution, with advancements in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, connected car technology, safety systems, and lightweight materials. These innovations are shaping the future of transportation, providing greener, safer, and more efficient vehicles for consumers. As we witness the rapid development of these technologies, it is clear that the automotive landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace.

Remember, embracing modern technologies in car development not only benefits us as individuals but also contributes to a more sustainable and connected future.

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The Evolution of Modern Technologies in Car Development - FinSMEs

A male emerald harvestman (Iporangaia pustulosa) guarding its eggs in the Atlantic rain forest of Brazil. Studying the embryos this species revealed that vestigial eyes may be widespread in harvestmen. Photo: John Uribe

While some people may first associate daddy longlegs with, well, their long legs, researchers Guilherme Gainett and Prashant Sharma have been especially focused on the arachnids eyes. In their paper published last week in the journal Current Biology, the researchers found that a living species of daddy longlegs has two additional sets of underdeveloped eyes as embryos, implying that the species diversified earlier in the evolutionary tree than scientists believed.

The clue to this unexpected discovery lay hidden under the microscope, beside the developing legs of a daddy longlegs.

I couldnt believe my eyes. It was one of those little moments that happens in science when you see something that no one has ever seen and get really excited, recalls Gainett, who is now a post-doctoral researcher at Boston Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

What Gainett was seeing were opsins, visual proteins that are important for the formation of visual organs and the mechanics of sight. Finding these opsins clustered on the embryos indicated to the researchers that they were likely vestigial eyes, structural remnants that, at another point in evolution, would have developed into two additional sets of lens-bearing, functional eyes.

Under a microscope, the head of a daddy longlegs glows magenta where its modern-day eyes form. Opsins shown in green indicate that two additional sets of vestigial eyes existed in an earlier stage of the animals evolution. Photo: Guilherme Gainett

One set was lateral, located on the side of the head beside the frontmost pair of legs, while the other was a median set, located in front of eyes that appear today on the front of the head. Gainett and Sharma also found evidence that these organs have remained connected to the visual processing part of the brain.

Until now, present-day daddy longlegs were believed to have only one set of median eyes, positioned at the top of the head. While a fossilized specimen of a more ancient version of the arachnid found in 2014 had an additional set of lateral eyes on the side of the head, the new study is the first to show evidence of more than one eye set in a living daddy longlegs species.

Vestigial organs have been of interest to scientists since Charles Darwin began discussing his ideas of evolution.

They leave these footprints behind in the crime scene of what happened in the transition from one morphology to the other in different groups, Gainett says.

He explains that vestigial organs are important because they can link the ancient and modern traits of species, allowing us to track the evolutionary process as a species gains or as with this case loses features over time. Interestingly, the position of the vestigial eyes found in living daddy longlegs are similar to what was reported in the fossilized specimen.

Different eyes have different functions, Gainett explained. Median eyes usually have better visual acuity, so theyre better at forming crisp images in some arachnids. Lateral eyes are helpful for detecting movement and light in general, not so much for producing clear images, making them helpful in low-light conditions.

But since the lateral eyes Gainett found on the daddy longlegs embryos dont have lenses, they arent processing visual information into images in the same way that fully developed eyes do. Instead, Gainett and Sharma believe these eyes are picking up on more general information to help the arachnid tell the difference between light and dark.

Once they discovered the vestigial opsins, Gainett and Sharma began to wonder why and how the daddy longlegs ancestor lost two pairs of eyes. Its difficult to know what environmental conditions could have played a roll, so instead they looked to the genetic and developmental conditions that give rise to different kinds of eyes.

Gainett and Sharma studied a group of genes that code for the development of arachnid eyes.

Guilherme Gainett

Some of these genes are expressed in both types of eyes, so theyre necessary for all eyes, for median eyes and lateral eyes. But some of these genes are more restricted to one type or another, says Gainett.

By experimenting with knocking down genes expressions, they were able to provide evidence that the vestigial organs were likely eyes. Gainett explains knocking down genes as a temporary way to dim down their expression, rather than permanently switching them off entirely.

To dim the expression of genes responsible for eye development, the researchers used a process called RNA interference. It essentially tricks a cell into thinking its own gene is a threat and, like a virus, should be chopped up so it cant be duplicated. When the expression of these genes was lowered in daddy longlegs embryos, the individuals did not develop eyes.

Each row in the image above illustrates the head of a single embryo at increasing developmental stages of eye formation. Magenta, yellow and green mark the expression of three different genes that code for vision. The first column is a composite to show all three genes at the same time. Photo: Guilherme Gainett

Drawing these genetic and developmental links between the vestigial eyes of a present-day daddy longlegs and the fossilized specimen gives an important look inside how evolution happens.

One of the goals of studying the genetics behind what we see in morphology is really understanding how evolution happens. What do you need to change in the underlying recipe of genes for the diversity of eyes to evolve? Gainett explains.

At Boston Childrens Hospital, Gainett hopes to continue his work on arthropod eye evolution by studying the genetics behind the transition from compound eyes, like those of flies, to camera-like eyes that we see in many spiders.

Funding for this research comes from the National Science Foundation, grant no. IOS-2016141.

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The eyes are a gateway to evolution of daddy longlegs at least. - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Newey instead branded it as a "third evolution" in their F1 lineup.

The RB20 has become a focal point in the early stages of the 2024 season, garnering attention across the F1 paddock for its assertive design, particularly in the sidepod region.

At first glance, similarities can be drawn between the RB20 and Mercedes' 2022 design, as well as their setup from the onset of the previous year, notably with their engine cover.

With the stark deviation from the all-dominating RB19, which clinched victory in 21 out of 22 races in 2023, many have questioned Red Bull's decision to introduce such innovation given their prior success.

Nevertheless, Newey has played down the perceived disparity between their latest model and its predecessor.

"No, not at all," Newey said on the F1 Nation Podcast when asked if the RB20 was a 'step into the unknown'.

"I mean, the underlying architecture of the car is the third generation evolution of what started as RB18.

"Where we carry everything, apart from the radiators, they've changed, but apart from that, the layout of the front suspension, the rear suspension, the gearbox, casing, et cetera, it's a third evolution of RB18.

"The bits that are visible, and they've obviously caused quite a lot of attention, obviously, we're pursuing aerodynamic gains there, but the visual change is actually much, much larger than the performance change you get from that and there are other much more subtle bits, that people haven't noticed, that are probably responsible for a bigger gain."

READ MORE: Max Verstappen to face media amid Red Bull drama ahead of Saudi Arabian GP

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Adrian Newey: RB20 is the next step in Red Bull's design evolution - PlanetSport

In the past several years weve seen a staggering growth of loyalty program launches and iterations from restaurant brands, and that trendcontinues as consumers become more tethered to their mobile devices. In the past year alone, weve seen new or updated loyalty programs from brands like KFC, Just Salad, CAVA, and Dominos Pizza.

As part of loyaltys evolution, programs are shifting away from a discounting-focused model to more of a personalized, surprise-and-delight-rewards-focused model. Were also starting to see that such mobile-based programs arent just for coffee concepts or lunch spots anymore; more full-service concepts are jumping on board, and, like their limited-service peers, they are also reaping the benefits of higher frequency and check from their members. Of course, loyalty isn't a new concept forfull-service brands. Chilis launched MyChilis in 2015, for instance, while Bloomin Brands launched its loyalty programabout a year later and made itavailable for all of its brands. But casual dining category players are starting to evolve their programs capabilities to be more robust and, of course, more digital. One example here is TheCheesecake Factory, which unveiled its new loyalty program last year, includingaccess to reservations, complimentary slices of cheesecake for members birthdays, and even integration into the DoorDash platform to also make offers available there. During Cheesecakes Q4 earnings call last month, CEO David Overton said the program is so far exceeding internal expectations.

Related: 11 notable new loyalty programs, revamps, and upgrades of 2023

We remain encouraged by the level of member activity and engagement we are seeing, he said. We are continuing to test acquisition tactics and activation campaigns to better understand the key elements that are resonating with rewards members and most effectively increasing membership enrollment, engagement and driving frequency.

He added that the company is centrally focused on the rewards program for its marketing approach this year.

Meanwhile, Cracker Barrel launched its rewards program in September and during the companys Q2 call last month, new CEO Julie Masino said there have been strong enrollment levels so far.

We are encouraged by the engagement, feedback, and response rates were seeing, she said, adding that loyalty members accounted for nearly 50% of the chains Thanksgiving heat-and-serve sales, which was partially driven by the programs ability to directly engage with them. Therein lies the impetus behind these loyalty launches.

Today, were spending a lot in mass marketing. We are doing some targeting and digital and so on, but its still a version of mass marketing, CFO Craig Pommells told analysts. As the loyalty program continues to scale, well be able to talk to guests in a much more targeted and one-to-one way.

Cracker Barrel wouldnt share enrollment numbers quite yet, but executives noted its ahead of plan and is driving incremental traffic and strong engagement.

The power of loyalty in digital is realized through the scaled collection of guest data, capitalizing on the behavioral insights through robust test and learn campaigns, and delivering individualized experiences that drive engagement, incremental sales and increased visitation. With our recent success, I believe we can do more to faster realize these goals, Masino said. We continue to believe the program, with its easy-to-use and engaging design and rewarding value, will be a meaningful brand differentiator and traffic driver over the long-term.

This is likely what Red Robin is also going for as it gears up for its loyalty program relaunch this year. The current program has over 13 million members and has historically been discount focused.

We intend to transform our program into a VIP-like experience, delivering relevant messaging to our members and ultimately fostering a new generation of Red Robin ambassadors, CEO G.J. Hart told analysts last month. Were excited to transition to a points-based system that makes it easier for our most loyal guests to earn rewards, giving them incentive to visit us more often.

A full-service case study for successful loyalty program evolution can be found at IHOP, which recently reported its 11th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales and outperformed the category on traffic. The chains International Bank of Pancakes loyalty program was launched in March of 2022 and now counts 8 million people. According to Dine Brands CEO John Peyton, the IHOP loyalty app is being downloaded 8,000 times a day and those members visit on average nearly twice as much as non-members and spend about 5% more.

I believe there is much more upside here, notwithstanding the quick growth of the program loyalty only accounts for approximately 6.5% of total sales for IHOP, up from less than 3% in 2022, he told analysts last month. We are just beginning to scratch the surface in terms of the loyalty programs ability to drive incremental traffic and sales, and we are also starting to learn the purchasing habits of our loyalty members that will lead to more personalized marketing.

During a recent interview, IHOP CMO Kieran Donahue said the chains recent rollout of a new point-of-sale system will further buoy the loyalty program, as all of the brands technology is now integrated, allowing better one-on-one connection with guests.

Thats been a key for us, she said. Well continue to get more value out of our loyalty program and use that to meet guests where they are and use the program to recognize and incentivize members. Theres a lot that we have in front of us.

Contact Alicia Kelso at [emailprotected]

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The loyalty program evolution makes its way to the full-service restaurant category - Nation's Restaurant News

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was a blockbuster series with a gloriously simple premise. Years into the future - and in a continuity separate from the original TMNT - three of the original Turtles have been killed in battle leaving only one survivor, Michelangelo, to avenge his fallen family. It was tougher and darker than most Turtles comics and fans lapped it up.

Two years later, the sequel is upon us. Clearly hoping that lightning will strike twice, IDW has re-assembled the original creative team, including writers Tom Waltz and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, along with artists Esau and Isaac Escorza, and Ben Bishop. We've read the first issue and while we can't get into spoilers just yet - the issue is published this Wednesday - it's safe to say that The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution #1 will satisfy those hoping for an action-packed sequel even if, on the basis of this first issue, it has quite a different tone to the previous series.

The story picks up 15 years after the events of The Last Ronin. Hiroto and the Foot Clan are long gone, but New York City is falling ever further into chaos. Meanwhile, April O'Neil and her daughter Casey Marie are raising a new generation of ninja turtles in secret while also fighting to keep a lid on the growing violence on the streets. It's not quite working - as Casey puts it early in the issue, "it's become a war of attrition" - and even their allies are starting to feel that the Resistance's non-lethal methods aren't making enough of an impact.

Enter the new Turtles: Yi, Odyn, Moja, and Uno, trained in the skills and traditions of Clan Hamato and Masters Splinter and Michelangelo. Can they turn the tide and save the city?

It's fair to say that The Last Ronin II isn't simply more of the same. By its nature, four young, wise-cracking Turtles are going to be a very different proposition to the terse, solitary and vengeance-driven Michelangelo going it alone. In some ways it feels closer in tone to the regular TMNT - not a bad thing, but it does mean that this first issue feels less distinct and radical than the original Last Ronin. It's also a little slower, with lots of exposition, often in very wordy speech bubbles. Hopefully this cautious pacing will pay off as the run continues.

Where the book shines is in its art. Primarily drawn by Esau and Isaac Escorza (with a tasty interlude by Ben Bishop, the nature of which we won't spoil here), it's kinetic and hyper-detailed, especially in the later pages where we see the new team leap into their first mission. The fights are as crunchy and physical as you'd hope and there's plenty of action here both involving the turtles themselves and Casey Marie, who has grown into something of a badass.

Indeed, the characters are another of the book's strengths. None of the original turtles feature here and the new gang have a slightly different and younger dynamic, but there's something really appealing about being with these brothers and sisters as they make their first moves in the hero game.

Of course, with only one issue to go on so far it's too early to judge how The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution will stack up against its predecessor, but it certainly feels good to be back in this version of the TMNT world. The second issue is set for May 1 and it can't come soon enough.

You can keep track of everything happening with TMNT: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution right here.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution #1 spoiler-free review: goes hard on the action, but ... - Gamesradar

Many organisations in India are migrating to the cloud, and there is no shortage of cloud providers. But if you want cloud to revolutionise your business, it wont help to get stuck with a basic cloud configuration that works by default but doesnt keep pace with your evolving goals.

This is what Mobicule Technologies, an independent software vendor (ISV) in fintech, realised as they expanded their client base in Indias financial services industry.

Large banks have tens of thousands of loan customers. Managing these accounts is an operational burden, as it involves constant follow-ups on monthly instalments, account maintenance and timely collections, especially when customers default on payments.

Mobicule has developed a comprehensive, cloud-based platform that automates the end-to-end management of various loan types, including consumer, vehicle, home and business loans. Their clients transfer the full management lifecycle of their loan accounts to this platform, which blends a range of digital functionality with a customer-focused call centre to streamline debt collection and resolution.

While other loan-management software vendors typically charge a fixed monthly fee per loan account, Mobicule only bills their clients once instalments have been recovered. This allows banks to minimise the risks associated with their loan accounts in a flexible, cost-effective way.

Before Mobicule started working with NTT DATA, they had already sourced cloud services from a large hyperscaler and were doing development in the cloud.

However, they lacked a sense of ownership of their cloud environment, and they found themselves having to fit square pegs in round holes while demand was rising for their services. They needed a provider who could tailor a solution to their needs, with an emphasis on cost efficiency because they deliver their software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering in a hypercompetitive market.

In financial services, security and compliance are as important as reliability and responsiveness. Mobicule needed help with their security information and event management (SIEM) approach: combining security information management (collecting, analysing and reporting on log data generated from all their technology infrastructure) and security event management (monitoring, correlating and analysing security events generated by hardware and software, in real time).

This level of reliability and security had to be scalable across multiple clients, each of which needed a guarantee that, despite being part of a cloud-native, multitenant environment, their data and infrastructure would remain private and protected.

As a pioneer in a competitive market, we need to be nimble in order to maintain our early-mover advantage. To achieve this, we needed a cloud partner who could assume the role of a trusted adviser and deliver a cloud landscape that would enable us to create a robust, secure and cost-efficient cloud landscape for our SaaS offerings, says Siddharth Agarwal, Founder and MD of Mobicule.

NTT DATA went the extra mile to help Mobicule, starting with cloud discovery and analysis sprints to define clear objectives. Working with the Mobicule team, we selected our SimpliCloud public-cloud platform as the optimal execution venue for their application landscape.

With SimpliCloud, Mobicule can deploy infrastructure-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service solutions, containers and microservices, and connect to other hybrid or multicloud platforms as needed.

The combination of SimpliCloud (an on-demand enterprise public cloud) and SimplyVPC (an agile and secure hosted private cloud) allows us to offer a seamless hybrid and multicloud solution for organisations navigating the complexities of SaaS delivery.

Mobicule now consumes cloud capacity in an on-demand, pay-as-you-go model, with access to a range of cloud-native microservices, all managed around the clock by NTT DATA. In this way, they have realised savings in the form of a 40% cloud cost optimisation compared with their previous public-cloud setup.

Combined with our portfolio of managed services, which span everything from the application layer to people, tools and processes, this cloud solution is a compelling proposition not only for Mobicule and financial service providers but also for organisations in other industries.

NTT DATAs cloud platform has been instrumental in enabling us to be efficient and agile. Their approach to cloud transformation allows us to focus on our core ISV offerings rather than worry about our cloud landscape, says Agarwal.

We want to help our clients grow because their success is our success. This sets us apart in the cloud space, and we hope to help many more innovative organisations like Mobicule advance their digital transformation.

Read more about NTT DATAs Managed Cloud Solutions in India

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Why cloud evolution needs a cohesive approach to succeed - CIO

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 5, 2024 / Gilead Sciences, Inc. Originally published by SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES on bizjournals.com

Much has changed since Daniel O'Day, chairman and CEO, arrived at Gilead Sciences in 2019. The company has grown considerably and expanded on its long-standing leadership in antiviral therapies to include a focus on cancer medicines. Today the Foster City-based company is the second-largest biotech employer in the Bay Area, and according to a Bay Area Council report, it created an estimated economic impact of $22.1 billion in 2020 alone. It has more than 25 marketed therapies for HIV, cancer, hepatitis, COVID-19 and other diseases, and one of the strongest and most diverse pipelines of new medicines in its history.

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View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gilead Sciences on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info: Spokesperson: Gilead Sciences Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gilead-sciences Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Gilead Sciences

View the original press release on accesswire.com

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Gilead Sciences CEO on Company's Evolution and Commitment to the Bay Area - BioSpace

The sandworms we see in Dune: Part Two couldn't be farther from those we see in the first Dune. Yes, they share the same physical characteristics: a circular mouth, crystalline teeth, thick hide perfect for weathering Arrakis' brutal desert conditions. But on a narrative level, they serve a different function, shifting from mysterious entities to well-known allies.

"In part one, [the sandworms] are a threat, an invisible threat," director Denis Villeneuve told Mashable in a video interview. "You hear about them, but you barely see them."

Timothe Chalamet in "Dune: Part Two." Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Indeed, our sandworm interactions in 2021's Dune are mostly limited to flashes of their mouths sucking down spice harvesters, or hints of their bodies surging beneath the sand. Part of this is due to the sandworm behavior Villeneuve worked to bring to the screen. "A sandworm will always try to protect itself from the surface," he said. "It's a very shy creature. I love the idea that it's trying to be as invisible as possible, even if it's a huge being."

The limited glimpses of sandworms in Dune are also a matter of perspective. As seen through the eyes of characters who aren't native to Arrakis, like Paul Atreides (Timothe Chalamet) or Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), the sandworms are alien unknowns to be feared. Dune's careful withholding of sandworm imagery adheres accordingly to these characters' points of view and to their unfamiliarity with the desert.

It isn't until Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) find themselves in the deep desert of Arrakis that we see a sandworm in full for the first time, looming above the pair as they take shelter on a rocky outcropping. The scene marks a major shift in how Dune treats the legendary sci-fi beast. There's no more hiding of the sandworm. We linger on this creature for several beats, the film accustoming us to the sight. The message is clear: Paul, Jessica, and the audience aren't in Arrakeen anymore. They're in Fremen territory now, and that means worms.

Dune: Part Two builds further on that pivotal sandworm scene. There's no more obfuscation or mystery surrounding them. Here, we get up close and personal with their scaly, ridged surfaces. Characters ride them through the desert or into battle. At one point, we even meet a baby sandworm kept in a Fremen sietch in order to make the substance known as the Water of Life.

Javier Bardem in "Dune: Part Two." Credit: Niko Tavernise

The new side of sandworms on display in Dune: Part Two is a direct result of Paul's alliance with the Fremen. As we get to better know the indigenous people of Arrakis, we also understand their perspective on aspects of desert living, such as the sandworms. They view the sandworms whom they call Shai-Hulud as a physical manifestation of their god, so they treat them with faithful reverence. Yet they've also been able to control sandworms and use them for their own needs, such as transportation. A sandworm can even be a form of garbage disposal: In one darkly funny scene early in Dune: Part Two, the Fremen call a worm to devour the bodies of slaughtered Harkonnen soldiers, leaving no trace of their prior battle.

The evolution of the sandworm from frightening beast to a familiar part of everyday life is also present in Frank Herbert's novel. Upon re-encountering Paul after two years apart, Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) is astonished by the Fremen's ease around the sandworms. "The creature all men on Arrakis fear, you treat it like a riding animal," he tells Paul. The idea of "all men" really only applies to offworlders who view the sandworms as obstacles for spice production. While colonizing forces like the Harkonnens and Atreides run from worms, the Fremen embrace them.

For Villeneuve, Paul's proximity to the Fremen and love of their culture gave him a greater opportunity to explore how the Fremen interact with worms. "The more Paul learns about the Fremen culture, the more he wants to be a part of it," Villeneuve explained. "That really touched me, how Paul wants to immerse himself in a culture and not impose his way, but more become one of them. And one of the aspects of [being a Fremen] is to be able to master a sandworm."

Timothe Chalamet in "Dune: Part Two." Credit: Niko Tavernise

That brings us to the sandworm centerpiece of Dune: Part Two: the first time Paul rides a sandworm. Not only is this one of the most memorable scenes from Frank Herbert's original novel, it's also the closest we've gotten physically to a sandworm in this franchise so far. To pull the set piece off, Villeneuve tried to ground it in reality as much as he could.

"All of this was based on my own interpretation of the book, how a Fremen will be able to jump on and harness a worm, and how this could be physically possible," Villeneuve said. "I wanted the sandworm riding sequence to look as real as possible, as edgy as possible. I wanted it to feel like a motorbike race." The result is a tense avalanche of sand and spice, where Villeneuve invites audiences to feel every bump and drop in Paul's ride. We also get to see new details of the worms' physical forms, like bristles and the sensitive inner sections of their segmented rings.

The scene took months to plan, with the creation of a specialized "worm unit" working to perfect the interactions between humans and sandworms. "[They were] like Navy SEALs dedicated to the exploration of the technique that I wanted to develop," Villeneuve said. He played coy about the actual technology developed for the scene, though, saying: "I'm always shy to talk about how we shot things, because it breaks the magic in a way. I love people to believe what we've done."

Still, even after perfecting the art of sandworm riding and giving us a deeper look into how sandworms are integrated into Fremen life, Villeneuve revealed there's more to explore with these iconic inhabitants of Arrakis. After all, we've only seen the outside of a worm what's going on past those teeth? If Villeneuve gets his way, we'll find out.

"If there's ever a Dune Messiah adaptation, I have a great idea," he said, his face lighting up. "About how you get out of a sandworm."

Dune: Part Two is now in theaters.

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Denis Villeneuve breaks down the evolution of sandworms in 'Dune: Part Two' - Mashable

The modernization and capacity of China's governance system have been improved, thanks to the modification of several institutional laws over the past few years, experts said.

Highlighting the significance of amending the Organic Law of the State Council, which is being reviewed by national lawmakers for the third time to optimize the operation of the central government, the experts added that its amendment, along with a few other pieces of legislation, will help improve the capacity of governing the country.

Before the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, began specifying the composition and work principles of the State Council, the country's Cabinet, it had already provided requirements for local governments.

In 2022, the NPC passed the amendment to the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments, streamlining the workflow of local legislative bodies and requiring governments to advance law-based governance. The amended law took effect on March 12 that year.

"Organic laws aim to define how State institutions work, and whether State organs run effectively matters for the country's governance," said Yang Weidong, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law. "Therefore, organic laws are the source or foundation of the governance."

Similar to the governmental organic laws are the amended Organic Law and Procedural Rules of the NPC, which allow stronger participation of NPC deputies in legislative activities and clarify that information involving the NPC should be kept transparent to help the public understand what the NPC can do and how it works.

The law and the rules were both adopted by all NPC members in March 2021, and they came into effect the same year.

As the highest organ of State power, the efficient running of the NPC is vital to national governance, so further regulating the NPC's work patterns by improving relevant laws and rules was a necessity, according to Yang.

Mo Jihong, head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law, said that amending the organic laws is conducive to strengthening the self-management of the State organs, urging them to take the lead in promoting the modernization of the country's governance system and capacity.

He added that such laws concerning State organs are defined as basic laws under the Constitution and the Legislation Law, meaning that their revisions must be reviewed by the NPC before their adoption.

In China, a draft or a draft amendment, in general, will become a law after being read by the NPC Standing Committee three times. If a law is deemed as a basic law, or closely related to national issues and people's interests, it will be reviewed by all NPC members instead of just being passed by the standing committee.

In addition to these organic laws, the NPC passed the Civil Code, a fundamental law for regulating civil activities, in 2020.

The NPC also adopted the Charity Law in 2015 to regulate donations across the country and passed the Supervision Law in 2018 to help strengthen the fight against corruption.

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Jeffrey Wright reprises his role as the Watcher in Marvel's What If?, teasing his character's critical role in the Season 2 finale.

Wright told Entertainment Weekly that he prefers to be oblivious about his character's next arcs in Marvel's What If? It's apparent that he wants to join audiences as they experience the episodes upon release. He says this is all for the better, because unlike Uatu he can only do so much to manage his priorities. "The multiverse of things that I am to oversee sometimes overwhelms my hard drive," he remarked. The actor did acknowledge the epic scale of stories explored in Season 2, and considering the nature of his character, the Watcher will also likely play a central part in the finale.

"He's not the Watcher that he was at the beginning," Wright said. "He's a different Watcher now. He's broken the fourth wall, so that's wonderful because it gives a nice complexity to the character, and it also allows him to be active in ways that he wasn't at the beginning of the series." What If? Season 1 saw the Watcher shift from an impersonal, neutral entity to an agent of change, taking the side of the protagonists. But since the concept of the series allows for virtually infinite storytelling possibilities, Wright said he would rather "stay in his lane and anticipate events like everyone else."

Wright describes Marvel's What If? as a homage to the oldest types of storytelling. "There's always a push towards something that's befitting the epic nature of this series," he said. "What I love about the Marvel Universe is that when it's done right, there's a type of modern myth-making that happens on a pop culture level, and it goes back to the oldest types of storytelling. The stories of these heroines and heroes is something that's almost primal to humans, and the culmination here is epic and sweeping, so it's only fitting." What If? does break out of the MCU's mold, giving its creatives free rein to explore new character arcs and crossover stories.

Wright revealed the Watcher is even more personable to the superheroes now he did assemble the team to save the multiverse in Season 1. "Yeah, they're all up in my business now," he confirmed. "It's a bit shocking. There's so much yet to explore with him, particularly this idea that he's hidden and then he's not, and who it is that's able to perceive him." The Watcher's adaptation in What If? is in keeping with the comics, as the character has broken his oath numerous times to prevent cataclysms. This same dilemma will likely now plague Loki, who was recently promoted to the god of time in Loki's series finale.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Marvel's What If? is now streaming on Disney+.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Exploring pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turning them on their head, leading the audience into uncharted territory.

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What If...? Star Jeffrey Wright Addreses the Watcher's Evolution and 'Epic' Season 2 Finale - CBR - Comic Book Resources