Category Archives: Mind Uploading

captionGarrett Watts is a YouTuber beloved by many.sourceJack Dytrych

When Garrett Watts joined our Zoom call to have a chat about his life and career, hed forgotten to change his background back from a blue and pink psychedelic pattern hed been experimenting with earlier.

I cant even take myself seriously, he laughed as he tried to get rid of it. Hang on, hang on. Everythings going to be cool. Its all good.

The image disappeared to reveal a poppy painting on the yellowish wall of the Washington Airbnb Watts was staying with his friend Andrew Siwicki.

Were up here in this honeybee themed cottage in nature, he said. Were just, like, hanging out with the trees Weve just been making stuff up here and goofing around a lot. We did a fire pit last night. I love it. I love camping and nature and all those sorts of things.

Watts normally lives alone in LA in a tiny house with his terrifying but iconic doll Benjamin and a garden where he leaves out cakes for various wildlife. He started building a following on YouTube about four years ago when he was given a gentle nudge by his friend, and YouTube royalty, Shane Dawson, who also hired Siwicki as his cameraman.

Watts cant remember exactly when he and Dawson first met, but it was on the dating app Tinder. They quickly realized theyd be better off as friends as there wasnt much of a romantic spark.

Watts, Siwicki, Ryland, and Morgan Adams formed a group that became hugely popular among fans for their adventures and experiences Dawson has been uploading to his channel since 2016. While Siwicki remained mostly behind the camera, Watts built a career with his wonderfully chaotic energy in front of it.

But before I could question Watts about any of that, he asked me how I was coping during the lockdown in London. He said hed only visited once, a couple of years ago, when hed stayed in a massive abandoned retirement home in the outskirts of the city.

I do a lot of couch surfing, he said. So I was staying with this hippie guy in there and his girlfriend. It was very interesting. It had been shut down a couple of years previous, but there were still some tenants who they said didnt have to leave. So there were still some elderly people living in there that were capable enough to live on their own.

Watts also wanted to show me one of the possessions that had made the trip to Washington before we got going a cuddly baby Yoda.

My friend Sean from Florida, he sent me this, he said. His girlfriend crocheted this baby Yoda and he just sent it in the mail cause hes a nice guy. Its so thoughtful. Im not even a huge Star Wars fan.

Its easy to see how Watts has a loyal following of over 3 million subscribers. You cant help but be taken in by his whimsical excitement for life, and how he seems like one of those people who picks up friends wherever he goes. Even with our interview, it was his idea to talk over video, simply because its nice to see another face.

He is captivating, but not in a way that feels performative. He has held onto a wonderment for things that most of us lose as we grow up, which makes him someone you want to have in your life. His channel description says, I dont care about fame, numbers or ego. I just wanna have a great time with you, and he leaves us with no doubt its true.

Inside the effervescent exterior, theres also a lot of wisdom. It might be something to do with his absolute lack of envy for anyone else on the planet.

Its like Im just missing some part of my brain that is able to compare myself to other people, he said.Its like thats the silliest thing in the world. Im a different human with different parents and upbringings and interests and all this stuff, and no ones going to do what I do, and everyone has different strengths.

His thoughtful nature maybe also partly be thanks to the long, haphazard journey he took to being an internet celebrity, which began when he was just 17.

He originally moved to LA to pursue being a director, but as is the case with many showbiz stories, he ended up doing a lot of other things. He was a wedding DJ for a long time, worked on at least 100 production sets, waited tables in at least 15 different restaurants and cafs, and even managed a pizzeria-slash-art gallery at one point.

Ive done everything possible before YouTube, which I really appreciate about myself, he said. Because I see some of these kids who are super young on YouTube on social media, not just YouTube theyre 15, 16, 17. I always want to shake them and just be like, Go live your life, do something else before all this stuff happens.'

He doesnt mean it in a condescending way, hes just grateful he had world experience before delving into the world of being an online influencer.

It just makes you respect so many different facets of every industry before starting something like this.

Watts created his YouTube channel back in 2012 to make content for a drag queen called Miss Coco Peru. Hed been a fan of hers since watching Girls Will Be Girls a parody movie about what its like to be an actor in Hollywood so he was more than happy to help. Being the actual YouTube star was never part of the plan.

It was an option for sure, Watts said. Like everyone in high school watched YouTube and knew all these YouTubers and stuff, but I didnt. I was a sucker for like old movies and all these different things, so YouTube wasnt part of my ambition.

He only really considered it a viable career path after he was laid off by Will Ferrells production company Funny or Die about three years ago, and Dawson, who was already a YouTube veteran, gave him some career advice.

He just gave me a really good push to be like, dude, what do you want to do? Watts said.

I was a Viner at the time too, and I already had the channel, so it just was a really healthy catalyst to get it moving. He kind of gave me a swift kick in the butt to help me with that.

Dawson told him YouTube was a creative space where he could do anything he wanted, which was really interesting to someone who was tired of doing literally every job on the planet, Watts said.

I just ended up having a really good time with it, he said. And thats still this ever-ongoing process of just figuring out how that evolves and what that turns into.

Sometimes it turns into documenting his attempts to wake up at 5 a.m. every day for a week, enlisting his friends to help clear out his house, or making a hit song about being a baby in 24 hours. Fans love his frenzied jumble of quick-fire thoughts and hilarious moments of self-awareness, but amazingly, Watts doesnt actually consider himself funny.

Ive never felt funny, he said.

Its just this weird thing where I feel like in my videos all I do is work with at risk of sounding pretentious like a flow of energy. I feel like its just like inviting people into my headspace.

It feels a little bit intimate in that respect, just being like, Hey, come in here for a second, or for 30 minutes or 20 minutes or something, and just see like what goes on in here.

Its pretty difficult to put Watts into a box not that youd want to as his videos are not quite comedy and not quite vlogs. As he puts it, hes just having a good time with a theme.

I guess what Im saying is Im very lucky that people find me funny in any respect and I hope it lasts, he said.

Watts doesnt struggle with letting the audience in because hes drawn barriers hes comfortable with. Hes not one of the influencers, of which there are many on YouTube, who lays out everything in their lives for their followers to see their homes, their emotions, their relationships, and so on. Hes even traveled to different countries in the past without even posting about it anywhere.

This is partly because its just not in his nature to immediately want to show off his life to the online world, but its also a conscious choice because he doesnt want to be part of the toxic culture on social media where everyone tries to make their lives seem perfect.

Everyone just highlights the 10 moments in their life and it creates this horrible illusion that their life is a 10 all the time, Watts said.

And its not. For every story that you see, think of the influencer or the friend or the family member whos just chilling. Theyre not in France, and theyre not at a music festival, because most of them are probably sleeping in and trying not to be sad that day.

He said hes also seen it too many times where the internet consumes someone completely and they lose part of their identity, and hed rather keep a certain side of his life to himself.

YouTube is something about me that I love and I appreciate deeply that people watch, but it is one thing about me, Watts said.

Its so much more important for me to maintain my relationships with my family and my friends and work on myself and do things way more so than it is to be some rockstar YouTuber.

Fans of Watts sometimes worry about him because there are sometimes months-long gaps between his videos. They dont understand why hes not uploading as often as other creators do, because he could post a video of something as mundane as ordering lunch and millions would love it anyway. This leads to them often coming to their own conclusions about his absence.

When you give someone something, like an Instagram post, theyre going to comment 18 seconds later under that, Are you dead?' he said. Its just like never enough. And I didnt set those expectations.

He was once asked in an interview why he was so cagey and distant on the internet.

I was like, am I so cagey and distant, or is everyone else just like hyper-visible? he said, Like, who defined that?

Watts is super aware of how long his breaks are he uploaded just three videos in 2019 and uses a self-deprecating wine lady character in his videos who judges him and voices concerns about where hes been.

I understand my failures so intimately, and no one has to remind me of those more than I do myself every day, he said.

When you fail, sometimes you just have to laugh it off, and make the most of it basically. So yeah, shes my little way to know that I am in reality.

Watts also doesnt really see the value of ambition when it costs every waking moment, and has never subscribed to the hustle culture narrative thats popular among creators right now. Thats why he doesnt see his upload schedule as a major flaw although he admits he could probably split the difference better.

He sometimes wonders what it would be like to stick to a regular upload schedule and give viewers more and more of himself, but he doesnt want to be someone whos defining his worth and career from what other people think.

Its just like, Ill just do me, and if that works for you, rock on. If it doesnt, also rock on, he said. Im just content with my little slice of the internet and Im really grateful for the people that watch me.

Watts also thinks bending to other peoples expectations might destroy the reason some people watch him in the first place hes a bit of an oddball who isnt like other YouTubers.

The only reason that Im at all alluring on YouTube to anyone is because I have that mentality of being like this guy who doesnt care for a G-wagon or being in party vans in Vegas and stuff, he said. Im not shading any mentality on YouTube or anyones content or anything, because people love that, and I get that.

He has no interest in the materialism that characterizes traditional celebrities and influencers. He prefers his possessions to be unique with a story behind them.

I cant stand going into a clothing store where theres 60 pairs of jeans stacked on top of each other and you grab them and go, Oh, this is my personality!' he said. I like everything to have a little bit of soul power.

Even the poppy picture behind him?

The poppy picture! he said. Its this silly cottage. I dont know I think you asked about my upload schedule and somehow I turned it into talking about the soul power of store clothes.

Watts mind darts around a lot, which probably explains his never-ending list of ideas. He has an ungodly note of his phone full of them which he has to scroll for nearly a minute on to reach the bottom. He just doesnt seem to have the time to materialize them into existence.

This may be because he hasnt found the best place to discuss all his passions. He said hell be working on that over the coming year, delving into other online content like game streaming and podcasts. He wants to be able to dedicate time to slower, more meaningful conversations about things like his deep obsession with music and love of miniature building.

People will see different sides of me because theres a lot of different sides of me, he said. That is my own version of being like, OK, how do I kind of rekindle this thing that I love about myself and refresh it a little bit.

Watts still has a lot of love for YouTube and sees it as part of his future, but hes probably not going to be making promises about his uploads anymore. Hes learned now that you really can do exactly what you want if youre willing to try, and it comes from a place inside rather than any external pressures.

Other peoples expectations will get you nowhere, he said. In fact, theyll lead you down a pretty dark road.

He sees younger people in the spotlight and within his own family looking at themselves through the digital gaze, and just wants to hug them and urge them to stop.

Take whats in your core and output it to the world in a way that has like fervor and passion and do that well, and then people will like it, he said. I just want to always remind people that their stuff comes from them.

Everything is a relationship, he said, from romantic partners, to careers, to creative endeavors, and each and every one of them requires care.

It cant be like an abusive thing in your head, he said. Those forces require a lot of other energies. And youve got to figure out what those are Im starting to speak like some sort of witch now.

Weve gone a bit off-topic again. Watts takes you down some twisty-turny detours when you talk to him, but he has such a zeal for it all youre more than happy to go along for the ride.

At several points during the call, he forgets the initial question I asked him because his curiosity for everyone and everything leads to infinite distractions. Talking to him is a bit like being led through a box of unopened ideas by an imaginary friend, which inspires you to absorb even a hint of his irrepressible enthusiasm.

Trust me, it would have been great, he said of one lost train of thought. And even though Im not sure how we got to the end of our conversation, or where it was going, I know great is exactly what it was.

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Read the original:

Garrett Watts might be the most unpredictable creator on YouTube, and thats why fans live for his rare uploads - Business Insider

I should reach Medicine Hat this week, my next choice will be closer, trying to shorten the number of steps and length of time it takes me to reach a destination.

At a regular Council meeting, Town Council voted to forgo painting the rainbow crosswalk this spring. Part of the decision was due to budget considerations based on the COVID-19 situation. To hear the full discussion, visit the Towns Facebook page. There will be further discussion June 9 at an open meeting. If you want to contribute to this, email the Town at devserv@smithers.ca for more information.

Ever wondered if there is a difference between a ventilator and a respirator? It seems a ventilator is a device designed to assist a patient to breathe. Respirators are masks designed to protect the wearer from particulates in the air.

I read somewhere that music has a proven power to help heal the mind, body and soul. Have you ever had the experience of hearing an old song and suddenly get taken back to your childhood or young adult years, remembering all the words to the song, even dancing a bit to the beat?

Some songs from my past can even bring me to tears remembering where I was and what was happening in my life at that time. Other music can have me laughing remembering what was going on then. I find that being at home a lot more right now, I am searching my collection for those old songs, old music and sometimes dancing along.

FYi doctors are offering complimentary prescription safety glasses for health care workers. They have secured a limited supply of these glasses and want to donate them to front line workers. Call 250-847-3611 or email smithers@fyidoctors.com for details.

The Writers Studio Online: SFU is offering a community-focused approach to creative writing instruction, joining formal learning with individual mentorship and group workshops. For more information on this, SFU will be hosting an online information session on Saturday, May 30, check out The Writers Studio or email write@sfu.ca.

CICK, 93.9FM, Smithers Community Radio continues to broadcast news and music. Many of the DJs are doing their programs from home studios. I have a program called Porch Talk and, honestly, it has been a struggle as I am not computer literate. But it is happening and I am getting better at recording and uploading music to the weekly program.

My goal is to highlight two Canadian singers in alphabetical order, forcing myself to listen to music that I do not usually appreciate. I have been surprised by some of it and now look forward to the next two on the list. If you have a song, a story or an interview you would like covered by CICK, send an e-mail to news@smithersradio.com or message CICK on facebook@cicknews.

A lady stopped me in Safeway to tell me that the Evangelical Free Church can provide prayer service, or assist if you have an urgent need for groceries or medication to be picked up. Contact 778-210-1217 for more information.

Closing with: arboreal, of or relating to a tree. Spring is here!

Read more from the original source:

Music has the power to heal mind, body and soul - Smithers Interior News

Here is a link to many coronavirus resources

Among the many changes for students this year, as the coronavirus pandemic has moved all classes online, are major changes to testing for Advanced Placement courses. Typically, AP exams happen in the first two weeks of May and are in very controlled environments. This year, AP exams started Monday and will continue until next Friday.

What are the changes this year to the AP exams?

The College Board, in order to accommodate students who have worked for the entire year to master college level content, took the initiative to provide students with an online exam opportunity since they knew that schools across the country were closed.

So instead of sitting for a traditional exam sometime during the first two weeks of May, where its pencil and paper and there are multiple choice questions and some free response, short answer, essay type questions, College Board designed an exam that is online, that is roughly 45 minutes.

For some subjects its one question thats an essay response and for many other subjects its two questions with the first question being about 60% of the exam and the second question being about 40% of the exam.

No, its absolutely an open book and open notes. The College Board designed it that way knowing that it was really a lot to expect that students would just work on an honor system in an online environment where theyre sitting at home.

What they have to attest to is that they havent had assistance from another human. So they can use whatever notes they have from the class, they can use their textbooks from the class.

But really the questions have been designed theyre not answers that kids are just going to be able to look up online or look up in their textbook or look up in their notes. It really takes a lot of what theyve learned and synthesizes it and applies skills theyve learned to go with the content.

When someone thinks about an AP class and an AP test, at least this is what I think about it, I think of it as very standardized. If you go from one region of the country to another or if you go from year to year to year they are very standardized. And now you have this one aberration year hopefully, its just one year.

Based on what I know from the things that College Board has communicated to us and communicated with universities, that universities have been part of the conversation in developing this. Because if universities dont have the confidence to use these scores to translate into college credit, then it would really be a pointless experience for students, right?

So every college Ive spoken with and every college that Ive seen information through the college board from have been very positive about this.

Theyve had to make their own shifts during this very strange time in education and so they recognize that they dont want to devalue what kids have accomplished in any way and that if theyre able to get their hands on some data that demonstrates kids have mastered the majority of the concepts in an introductory college-level course, then that student should get the credit for it.

I think if you go and review some of the stuff that College Board has on their website youll find a really wide range of colleges that have endorsed this online exam experience given the circumstances. And that ranges from the Florida State University System being on board with continuing with the same credit articulation that theyve always had, several other state university systems all the way up the chain to Ivy League schools being very supportive of the whole process.

AP exams are always two weeks. Its typically the first two weeks of May. The exams actually started yesterday which was one week late. It will still be a two-week exam window so exams will be done next Friday.

I think if I were a parent or student the thing I would want to hear is: go into it with an open mind. The students can just do their very best.

And even if they dont finish a response, uploading what they have is going to demonstrate some mastery, right? And so just take a risk and put it out there and do your best because there is literally nothing to lose and a lot to gain for students.

So I just want students to go in with an open mind and feeling really confident about what theyre doing.

For our teachers teachers have probably been more nervous about this than anybody else. Because the AP teachers have been working with these kids and they know what theyre capable of. And their hearts are a little broken right now because theyre concerned that its not going to come out the way it should.

But I think we have to have every confidence that College Board wouldnt have gone into this endeavor if they didnt feel like they could do right by students. Theyre a very student-focused organization. And so just take a leap of faith and a deep breath and dive in and do your best. Thats all we can ask of our students.

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Students and parents, expect changes to AP exams due to coronavirus - WMNF - WMNF

Weather can be a bummer in Edinburgh. The so-called Windy Citycan huff and puff and blow your brolly inside out, and even on the sunniest afternoon theres a routine shower waiting in ambush.

A trip to the Scottish capital, its fair to say, is often characterised by cumulonimbus rolling in. Here, weather retains a certain independence of mind.

Its not the same, of course, but if the coronavirus lockdown has got you down, consider a virtual tour of the city instead.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Youll brighten your days at home, feel inspired to visit once life returns to something like normal and be able to do it all without getting wet once. Because for a while, at least, this is your ultimate Edinburgh day out.

First, youll want to see the big sights, albeit virtually. On the plus side there are no queues to buy a ticket and you dont need to elbow past others to chew over the exhibits. Little perks, but silver linings all the same.

Take a virtual stroll through the Museum of Scotlands collection (istock)

You hear the words National Museum of Scotland and your mind conjures certain images: claymores and kilts, Outlander and assembled fragments from the times of Rob Roy and William Wallace.

Theres plenty of that kind of history to ogle inside Scotlands most memorable museum, but with some 20,000-odd objects to discover from Egyptian sarcophagi to cloned domestic sheep the galleries are devoted to Scottish history and influence on a far wider scale. All together, it paints a picture of a modern, thriving, and,at times,ingenious country beyond the bagpipes cliche.

On a clear day, you can see Edinburgh Castle from as far away as Fife across the Firth of Forth. In days like these, its a quantum leap from the streets of Edinburgh right to your front room.

Google does the best job of showcasing the citys landmark castle on its virtual tour, taking you on an interactive walkabout from Castle Rock into the inner courtyards of the Royal Palace, the Great Hall and St Margarets Chapel, Edinburghs oldest building.

Not to be outdone, Visit Scotland has an augmented reality app Portal AP, which lets you step into the castle too.

First impressions can be poor at the former royal yachtof Her Majesty the Queen.

The boat, in service from 1954 until 1997, promises five levels of state rooms and is a sweet reminder of the days when the royals took to sea. But its located outside Ocean Terminal, an ugly shopping mall surrounded by dockyards and the Port of Leith. Not that youll see any of that online out of context, the yacht brims with razzmatazz and a virtual snoop around feels likes walking into an episode of The Crown (just without all the Princess Margaret sex scenes).

There are plenty of DIY tours uploaded to YouTube, but the most insightful experience is to watch Secrets of the Royal Yachts, available to stream on Sky.

Fancy a virtual ramble up Edinburghs extinct volcano? Theres nothing fancy about Visit Scotlands tour of the 251m crag, but its weirdly revelatory and instead of taking you up to an hour, it fast-tracks you to the top in a matter of minutes.

So laudably conservation-minded is this zoo that it was the worlds first to house and breed penguins. One of whom, Sir Nils Olav, is so important hes the colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian Kings Guard.

Unlike elsewhere in the UK, there are also koalas and pandas, both of which can be seen on live video feeds of the enclosures. The safari-style webcams also capture the tigers and rockhoppers, with plenty of tail-twitching magic at play. Its safari, but not as you know it.

Intimate yet unforgettable, The Stand has built a formidable reputation for more than 25 years. The comedy club has given a foot up to the likes of Kevin Bridges and Frankie Boyle, and is now lauded as one of the best laughter factories in the world.

You cant come to it right now, but the show can come to you, because the venue is streaming live shows every Saturday (the first of which attracted more than 100,000 online viewers). Expect heavyweights like Mark Watson, Mark Nelson and Omid Djalili.

Trainspotters take note: no Edinburgh highlights tour is complete without a visit to the greatest railway bridge ever built. Experience it on live streaming here, then puzzle over the 53,000 tonnes of steel used during its construction.

The regal exterior of The Raeburn

The Raeburn

The opulent Whiskey Room at Prestonfield

Prestonfield House

The Scapa Suite at the restorative Dunstane Houses

Dunstane Houses

Enjoy some of Edinburgh's best dining, before sloping off to bed at 21212

21212

The Skerryvore Suite on the luxury Fingal

Fingal

This 14-bedroom property benefits from superb city views

Rock House

Design-led apartment hotel Eden Locke is hidden inside a rebooted six-storey townhouse

Eden Locke

The master bedroom, complete with William Morris wallpaper

The Stevenson House

The bold colour scheme at Tigerlily pulls no punches

Tigerlily

The regal exterior of The Raeburn

The Raeburn

The opulent Whiskey Room at Prestonfield

Prestonfield House

The Scapa Suite at the restorative Dunstane Houses

Dunstane Houses

Enjoy some of Edinburgh's best dining, before sloping off to bed at 21212

21212

The Skerryvore Suite on the luxury Fingal

Fingal

This 14-bedroom property benefits from superb city views

Rock House

Design-led apartment hotel Eden Locke is hidden inside a rebooted six-storey townhouse

Eden Locke

The master bedroom, complete with William Morris wallpaper

The Stevenson House

The bold colour scheme at Tigerlily pulls no punches

Tigerlily

Normally theres no point in listing a place you cant visit, but if youre desperate to see more of Edinburgh, join an Invisible Cities virtual tour. The online price includes videos, photos and audio, plus a virtual Zoom meeting with a guide.

Rarely do haggis spaghetti and crepes with clootie dumpling appear on the same menu. If youre up to the job, however, both can crop up in your kitchen if you take inspiration from Edinburghs most gifted chefs.

The recipe books of curly-haired enthusiast Tom Kitchin offer a masterclass in Scottish cookery. In particular, Kitchin Suppers is a tour of his Edinburgh kitchen, showcasing the one-pan wonders he cooks for his family. Traditionally, for example, his smoked salmon frittata comes loaded with cheddar and dill (his Swedish wife Michaelas influence, no doubt).

Chef patron Neil Forbes of Cafe St Honore, meanwhile, is continuing his tradition of uploading recipes online. One of the latest, brose (uncooked porridge) with cockles and mussels, delivers that perfect Edinburgh foodie hit: an outrageously-comforting dish, accompanied by a whiff of the sea.

Youll have plenty of time on your hands, so another recommended all-rounder is Visit Scotlands ebook The Scottish Recipe Collection. Cue tummy-tingling dishes from the likes of Edinburgh-based Mark Greenaway of Grazing By Mark Greenaway and Tony Singh, who now cooks at home at The Supper Club.

To better understand Edinburgh, switch on your stereo and TV.

This is the city of the Bay City Rollers (for a time, the worlds most successful boy band), Idlewild and Young Fathers, as well as the defunct The Rezillos, The Fire Engines and Josef K. All of whom have a story worth telling.

Two essential songs to stream while dreaming of Leith are Streets of Edinburgh and Sunshine on Leith by The Proclaimers. Like the band itself, both are inherently celebratory yet maudlin.

If you want to get geeky, you can trawl through a collection of movies filmed here. From Avengers: Endgame to Chariots of Fire to Mary Queen of Scots to Sunshine on Leith, all brim with local personality. The mood might take you to Danny Boyles classic Trainspotting, but the 2017 sequel captures the capital in a far more dazzling light.

Turns out, theres something more spirit-lifting than all of that. The Illusionist, from Oscar-nominated, Edinburgh-based animator Sylvain Chomet, is the ultimate sustained love letter to the city and is eminently watchable. Spot The Cameo cinema and Arthurs Seat, as well as pastel-splattered Broughton Street, Princes Street, Jenners department store and the New Town.

The age of ordering products from our favourite cities is upon us so go with it.

Start with a tote or clutch from Melville Street-based Strathberry (Meghan Markles a fan). Order a bottle of Edinburgh Gin, or join its weekly movie nights (Wednesday, 8pm). How about sodding the stuck-at-home diet by building a box of tablet and fudge from The Fudge Kitchen? Locals swear by the slabs of sea salted caramel and maple walnut.

Queen Victoria once commented that Edinburgh is fairy-like and what you would only imagine as a thing to dream of, or to see in a picture. That sentence, read at home while living under lockdown, now really takes on a whole new meaning.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. And thats a message Visit Scotland, the countrys national tourism body, has run with in the first few weeks of the lockdown. Its been pulling heartstrings with its evocative, if melancholic video tribute to the country, encouraging previous visitors to think back to the places within Scotland that live on in the memory.

The call is to share moments using the hashtag #VisitScotland, while Edinburghs tourist office is providing inspiration of a different sort on Twitter (@edinburgh) and Instagram (@thisisedinburgh). Among the spookily-empty shots of gothic streets are invites to join quizzes, virtual guided tours and submit photos of the day.

Social media can only skim the surface of Edinburgh, particularly when it comes to the citys Unesco-worthy scientific and literary credentials. The answer is to visit the online collection of the 17th-century Surgeons Hall Museum, where you can connect the dots between Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, Ian Rankin and John Rebus, and grave-robbing body snatchers Burke and Hare.

Stories help define Edinburgh and this is a city bursting to life with them. Even if some hide in the unlikeliest of places.

Original post:

How to visit Edinburgh without leaving home - The Independent

STRANGE though it sounds, I felt a little gleeful when I heard the news that foreign summer holidays will not be going ahead this year.

Of course my heart goes out to all the hard-working parents longing for a week in the European sunshine with their families.

4

But I cant help thinking a summer spent in Britain will do our spoiled metropolitan millennials a world of good.

Why? Because having spent their formative years jet-setting around the world, far too many of them are mind-bogglingly and unashamedly stupid about their own country.

Take my old university flatmate as an example.

After gap-yearing in Borneo and Bali, he turned up in the ancient, bustling city of York laden with so much fancy coffee making equipment it looked like he was carrying the whole of Starbucks on his back.

When questioned, he casually revealed that as a born and bred Londoner hed never travelled north of Wembley before and wasnt quite sure if cafes existed up here.

Hes not the only one.

Living in London over the past five years, Ive met a postgraduate student who confused Birmingham with Newcastle (whats the difference? Theyre both up North), a globe-trotting teenager who thought Glastonbury was in Wales, and most bizarrely of all a confident young lawyer utterly convinced that the Lake District was a fictional place.

On the face of it, their ignorance is laughable. And Ill admit, I didnt correct the lawyer (I want to see the look on his face when he gets sent to Cumbria on business).

But theres a darker side to it. A generation of young city dwellers who know nothing about Britain were always bound to underestimate our four great nations.

And so they did in the 2016 referendum.

The overlap between London and the Remain campaign has been well documented 60 per cent of the capital voted in favour of remaining in the EU.

Among Londons student population, the depth of support for the EU was overwhelming.

And with some ultra-liberal friends, there were moments when it would have seemed easier to come out as a paedophile than a Brexiteer.

Of course, ardent young Remainers convinced themselves that their love of the European Union was borne out of a sophisticated appreciation of all things global.

But it seems more likely to me that they saw the EU as the saviour to a backwards, grisly country they imagined in their ignorance to be Britain.

This summer, that ignorance could finally be shattered.

Thanks to Covid-19, the nations young people wont have the option of scurrying to Heathrow the second their uni exams are over.

Instead if they want holidays at all theyll be minibreaking in Manchester or camping in the English countryside.

Yes, they might turn their noses up at rolling hills, stunning architecture and incredible free museums.

But I have a sneaking suspicion theyll be surprised and impressed with what they find beyond the confines of the M25.

And, reconnected to their roots at last, they might just begin to feel the first stirrings of patriotism running through their British veins.

Eating time online

TOO much time on social media is making me potty.

When the Government published its new guidelines for lockdown in England, I like the rest of Twitter found myself getting very worked up about whether or not Im allowed to play tennis with someone outside of my household.

The problem, as my mum gently reminded me, is that in my case its a bit of a moot point: Ive never played tennis before and Im not entirely sure how to hold a racket.

I doubt either my housemate or my friends will be begging for a game any time soon.

ITS not often I find myself welling up at the radio. But LBC caller Liz, from Witham, Essex, got me in the gut this week.

Through uncontrollable tears, she explained that if coronavirus didnt kill her, being forbidden from touching her grand-children surely would.

4

Shes not alone. After nearly two gruelling months of lockdown, millions of us are experiencing real, gut-wrenching loneliness.

They dont like to complain they know their suffering is dwarfed by that of frontline health and care staffers. But starved of the company of those they love, they are withering like plants out of sunshine.

Youd expect a Conservative government instinctively to get this. For generations, Tory MPs have told us that family is crucially important to the functioning of the UK.

Theyve thrown their weight behind policies designed to strengthen families and made many moving speeches about how a family unit is more than the sum of its parts.

But it seems all that was just for show. For in their admirable haste to propel Brits back to work, this Government seems to have forgotten about families altogether.

Boris Johnsons Sunday night speech stuffed full of specific advice for workers didnt have a single word of hope for single adult relatives craving each others company.

And the millions of young adults longing to know when they can next hug Mum will have been bitterly disappointed.

Of course, the PM is right to say we need to get the economy going again.

Forecasts from the Treasury on the upcoming recession could hardly be more alarming and despite the best efforts of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his bailouts, millions of businesses will go bust if they cant get up and running again soon.

But if were expected to get up close with colleagues for the sake of the economy, surely we should get to see those we love best for the sake of our mental health?

The people of Britain are humans, not cash cows. And if they are to get through this long, draining war in one piece, they need the support of the people they love.

No Brucey bonus...

LISTENING to BBC News anchor Fiona Bruce casually describe carers as low-skilled workers really set my teeth on edge.

To the shame of this nation, care home staff are indeed low paid.

But low skilled? I reckon plenty of them would be more than capable of reading the news from an autocue for 250,000 a year.

And Id like to see coiffed Fiona feed, clean and comfort a newly widowed dementia sufferer without losing her cool.

FOR the best part of the past decade, bespectacled experts gravely predicted that online dating would kill romance.

Apps they told us would transform the dating scene into an endless virtual marketplace where singles could shop for each other (like an Amazon for human companionship), or else would turn dating into a minimal-effort pursuit of on-demand hook ups (like an Uber for sex).

4

How wrong they were.

Rather than bonking their way round new digital acquaintances, millennial Brits in the 21st Century spend their downtime uploading photos and biographies to their smartphones and earnestly looking for love.

And my, do they succeed.

Last year a whopping 39 per cent of newly married couples met online, and Hinge the dating app geared towards lifelong relationships is gaining users faster than any of its competitors.

Granted, these apps arent perfect.

We all like a good romance story, and Dad messaging Mum with a winky face because he liked her bikini selfie is hardly the stuff of Hollywood.

But now that flirting in the pub is a thing of the past, lets thank our lucky stars that the countrys poor singles have a shot at love at all.

Made with love

IT fills me with hope that apps dedicated to selling hand-made goods have soared in popularity during lockdown.

Rather than sitting on the sofa twiddling their thumbs, furloughed folk have been busy sculpting, chiselling and painting and selling the fruits of their labours online.

These plucky, small-time entrepreneurs are the very best of Britain.

And with them around, I have no doubt this country will be back on its feet in no time.

IM absolutely loving Normal People on BBC3.

The chemistry between Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) is really quite something.

4

And as an ode to young love, the whole thing is pitch-perfect.

In fact, my only quibble is why on earth are all the characters so darn sophisticated?

Theyre 19, for goodness sake.

Lets see fewer candle-lit, red wine-soaked dinner parties and more tins of warm Fosters.

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Itll do our spoiled young Remainers good to remain in Britain for the summer holidays - The Sun

In an earlier segment of the podcast, Can We Upload Ourselves to a Computer and Live Forever?, Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks and computer scientist Selmer Bringsjord discussed whether we could achieve immortality by uploading our minds to computers.

The basic problem with that idea is that human minds arent computable. Peter and Jane are not bits and bytes. Here, they continue the discussion, addressing the notorious Hard Problem of consciousness. People are conscious and even the most sophisticated foreseeable computers are not. And we are not at all sure what consciousness even is.

A partial transcript of the podcast follows (start at 8:50).

08:50 | Is consciousness a special case of cognition?

Robert J. Marks: In your paper, you claim that consciousness is a special case of cognition. Thats the first time Ive heard that sort of claim. Could you elaborate and unwrap that a little bit?

Selmer Bringsjord (right): Let me just say that I couldnt agree with you more about the delayed scrutiny [claims about uploading our minds to computers are pegged to an indefinite future] and the antidote to that is just taking a bet. But nobody wants to take the bets. So if Id been around when Herb Simon well, were talking the Fifties and he said, in a few years, were going to work it out. Or Marvin Minsky well, its a few summers or maybe even one summer, dont worry, well bring you back this AI.

What I dont get about this is, Well, really, heres five thousand dollars, heres fifty, heres a hundred, heres my entire 403B that says right now, you can take it and my descendants will sort this out. Lets work out the contract. Im willing to make a bet. Lets make a bet But no ones willing to take the bet.

Note: Its possible to get a great deal of attention for promising thinking computers in the indefinite future without making any bets as to performance or even being held accountable for lack thereof.

Herbert Simon (19162001): Machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work that a man can do. (1965).

Marvin Minsky (19272016): Within 10 years computers wont even keep us as pets. (1967)

Robert J. Marks: Its kind of an algorithm of the gaps that someday we are going to have an algorithm that does this sort of thing, yet it has been promised since sixty years ago and nothing has really happened. And nothing has passed, as Ive seen it, the Lovelace test that you proposed about fifteen years ago. So, consciousness isa special case of cognition?

Selmer Bringsjord: Right. I certainly will agree that that is not in any way universally affirmed and some people steer clear of consciousness and try to prevent consciousness from entering the scientific discussion, whether its neuroscience or even sometimes things that are more formal like treatments in decision theorywhether its normatively correct, that is, whether the agents are good at it, whether theyre making bad decisions. No, no, lets come up with an account of decision-making that doesnt take the consciousness associated with desire seriously. So we dont have to worry about what desire really is and the consciousness associated with that, lets keep it separate

If were going to be honest with each other, you cant instantiate these things in agents, at least agents of the human variety, unless that agent has feelings. Unless there is something that it is actually like to be human, unless the human feels pain, unless the human feels pleasure Lets just write down the activities that are part of being a cognitive agent as opposed to just an agent because in AI a textbook can say that an agent just computes a function from the percepts of the environment to actions. So even something that computes the square root is technically an agent in AI. But when we say a cognitive agent, we cant suppress consciousness rising up before our faces and we have to deal with it. But again, some people can try to dodge it.

Note: Approaches to consciousness that are currently under discussion in science principally fall into one of three categories:

It is a material phenomenon: Philosopher Galen Strawson argues that, in order to exist in any scientific sense, consciousness must be wholly physical.

It is an illusion, naturally selected to aid survival: Neuroscientist Michael Graziano espouses this view. The problem is that, as Michael Egnor explains, If consciousness evolved as an aid to reproduction, there is little reason to credit it with any particular effectiveness as a tool for ascertaining truth. Its an aid to coitus, not contemplation.

It exists and pervades nature but we are only aware of human consciousness: Thats the panpsychist view: Scientific American, for example, has given panpsychism considerable respectful space in recent years because the alternative appear to make even less sense.

The idea that consciousness is a real but immaterial phenomenon is not at present considered a scientific idea, irrespective of evidence.

13:16 | Are consciousness and cognition non-algorithmic?

Robert J. Marks (right): So, if we have these things cognition and consciousness, which are attributes of humans, your claim in your paper is that they are non-algorithmic, that is, that you cant write a computer program to simulate them. They are not computable. What is your argument that cognition is not computable?

Selmer Bringsjord: Well, first, to be careful, some of them are not computable. Clearly, playing checkers is a computable process, provably so by definition. If we want a simpler case, applicable even to young children, then Tic Tac Toe. Even a very young child can learn an infallible algorithm for Tic Tac Toe but when they make those decisions theyre doing something thats computable. But Im talking about things that distinguish the human person.

14:48 | Examples of cognition that are not computable

Robert J. Marks: So what would be some examples of cognition that were not computable? Clearly, chess and checkers are computable.

Selmer Bringsjord: Well, at the top of the list is conjectured discovery and confirmation in the formal sciences orto use what is probably good enoughmathematics.

Doing mathematics where you are conjecturing and making discoveries and confirming them is untouchable. I have a booketernally undone but getting quite close nowon Gdels great theorems. If you just look at one little piece of his career, where he proves that the continuum hypothesis (basically that there is no set between the natural numbers and the reals) this is astounding. So when we talk about AI doing all this work, it doesnt really do anything in mathematics.

The great thing about that one is that we can inspect the output produced by humans that are playing in this space. So its not like they just give us vague reports about doing these amazing things. They write their results down. So we can look at the results and we can say, Can a machine generate something like this? and the answer is, flat out, with a ring of iron, no. This would be my number one.

Number two would be creativity As much as he was a maniac, Wagner. I mean, how does one human being create the storyline, the music, the libretto, which is essentially poetry, and produce that out of whole cloth?

Lets just think about love. Whats it like for one person to genuinely love another person and be loved by that person. Now, we cant mathematize that. Weve got no account of what it is. In fact, the leadng formal account of human emotionsthe so-called OCC account, which I like very muchhas come up totally empty on any kind of formal account of love. And yet, we love people and we want to be loved and we know what were talking about so every human being on the face of the planet can just see that there is a major problem here!

Note: Transhumanists do not usually try to explain how they would create immortality by capturing human consciousness in a machine so one can only evaluate the social movement in terms of the issues it would raise if their ideas were remotely possible. Here are a few questions that have been raised:

What does it mean for conventional notions of the person? As Jonathan Bartlett asks, If I kill you, but upload your mind into an android, did I murder you or just modify you?

Bartletts question is especially pertinent because schemes for reproducing you as a computer program may require killing you first..

Would you want immortal life as a computer program? What would be left of life as it matters to us? Heres a test question: Would you give up your right arm for a robotic device that performs better?

Next: Why a computer will not write the Great 21st Century Novel

Earlier: Can human minds be reduced to computer programs? In Silicon Valley that has long been a serious belief. But are we really anywhere close?

Robert J. Marks and Selmer Bringsjord were discussing issues around human vs. computer thinking abilities:

Thinking machines? The Lovelace test raises the stakes. The Turing test has had a free ride in science media for far too long, says an AI expert. (This is the partial transcript and notes to the earlier part of the podcast.)

and

Thinking machines? Has the Lovelace test been passed? Surprising results do not equate to creativity. Is there such a thing as machine creativity? The feats of machines like AlphaGo are due to superior computational power, not to creativity at originating new ideas. Dr. Bringsjord sees the ability to write, say, a novel of ideas as a more realistic test of human vs. computer achievement.

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Why Our Minds Can't Really Be Uploaded to Computers - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

Philosophers involvedin the theories ofpost-humanism and transhumanismare captivated by the possibilities, or dangers, that the future poses to our understanding of human life.

According to Wikipedia,the idea of the post-human originates in the fields of science fiction, futurology, contemporary artand philosophy that literally refers to a person or entity that exists in a state beyond being human. In other words, a human so advanced that he or she is more or less distinct from our current conception of the ordinary person. This will mostly be facilitated by technological developments.

Steps towards post-humanism are already set in motion: they are not simply dystopian fantasies. Despite some of the hype around AI and robots might lead us to believe, noneof these massive changes are happening soon. These developments will be made in incrementally;often two steps forwards and three steps back. This is more linked to the way we humans are, rather than to the state of technology.

Philosophers such as Francesca Ferrando argue that transhumanism understands the meaning of humanity, in relation to technology and ecology. We should start to see humans not as the pinnacle of evolution and the rulers of the world, but as an integral part of the biosphere equal to other organisms. No longer can it be"them and us", with uncontrolled exploitation.

Humans are tribalistic in nature. There is discrimination between gender, race, nationality, ability. We will need to overcome this, yet progress here isn't linear. It is questionable if humanity can overcome tribalism. We might solve some form of these issues.At the same time, humans in their current form will rapidly find new ones to fight over (technology, robots, AI and so on).

In order to overcome some of these deeply ingrained human obstacles, post-humanism pointsto technologies that can be of assistance to manage humanity and our planet earth in a more sustainable way. A prerequisite for this is open societies.

Key issues that humanity will have to surmountare corruption, despotism and roadblocks to human development, whether itbesocially, culturally or economically. None of this will be easy and in the political reality of today, it could be seen as pure fantasy. But over decennia and centuries, things will change.

It is also interesting to contemplate what driveshumans to develop these new technologies.

From a philosophical and scientific point of view, we can think of scenarios that could take us further. Even if we see a global crisis creating massive havoc among our global population, we have already developed technologies that can assist us beyond such a situation, and with the coronavirus, we are seeing a spur of internationally collaborative developments that will greatly enhance this situation further.

In small ways, we are already seeing that "post-humans" will be far more intertwined with technology.

Look at pacemakers, bionic ears and eyes, artificial limbs and so on. We already have smart pills. Cybernetics has seen many breakthroughs in recent years, including the development of advanced prosthetics, used to provide amputees with a better quality of life.

The latest developments here are linking these prostheses direct to our brain and nervous system, making it increasingly more seamless. Soon individuals, otherthan disabled persons, may want similar functionalities. Think here for example about athletes the military and people that are already experimenting themselves with these technologies.

The MIT Media Lab is one of many organisations looking into cyborg developments. This is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts.

Going one step further, we are seeing the technology ofhumanoids. They are something that has an appearance resembling a human without being one. The current attempts still look underdeveloped,but compare them with the robots from a few decades ago.

Away from the hardware, now on to the software. Digital technology is already having an enormous impact on how we see ourselves.We already have some primitive forms of digital twins: our persona in digital formats, such as on social media. But there are other developments underway that would go far beyond that, if they ever get off the ground.

Neurotechnology is also a growth area. Utilising nanotechnologies, these technologies are progressing well with developments such as Neuralink: an optogenetic technology that will allow a human brain to download directly from a computer.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies will soon be able to assist humans withthe most complex and difficult problems. Through mind-uploading such as theNectomeprogram and mind-merging, the best brains of the world can work together, creating the Brainternet.

A technology known as neural-lace will see the implanting tiny of electrodes into the brain. The result would be the enhancement of memory and cognitive powers by effectively merging humans and AI. Could this lead to a universal consciousness? Is this what we need to overcomecurrent tribal human problems? Is it consciousness, rather than physical appearance, that makes us human?

Obviously, we would need to redefine what human means in such a situation. Who knows what lays ahead in the centuries, let alone the millennia (hopefully) in front of us? Planet earth perhaps has another billion years to goand it's highly unlikely that humans remain the same as humanswe knowtoday. Will we be able to travel to distant galaxies and in what form will we travel?

Most likely, it will be in some form of software that could emulate our mind. It would require highly integrated computer technologies that could instantly process zettabytes of information, something that is extremely hard to fathom.

A huge question will be how are we going to manage these developments? There will, of course, be many ethical issues that we as a society need to address. We also know that looking at the current unwanted digital technology developments that are happening, we must start planning for the futurebefore technologies like AI makethe decisions for us.

Many industry leaders and scientists have urged governments to start this process now. But like taking preventative measures in relation to the current pandemic, governments equally have been procrastinating in this area.

Rather than trying to preempt developments in the decades or centuries ahead, we should follow and, wherever necessary, regulate these developments as we go. However, it is critical to take this post-human concept into account and have a holistic discussion about these topics between scientists, technologists, politicians and indeed the broader community.

Though, it is impossible to make transhuman predictions from our current position.On the positive side, in order to overcome the current political, cultural, social and economic problems, we will need technology to ensure that all global citizens will have a viable and sustainable place to live with a good quality lifestyle.

Scientists and engineers are certainly making progress.

Paul Buddeis an Independent Australia columnist and managing director ofPaul Budde Consulting, an independent telecommunications research and consultancy organisation. You can follow Paul on Twitter@PaulBudde.

Support independent journalism Subscribeto IA.

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The benefits and risks of AI and post-human life - Independent Australia

If you thought we were living in cursed times, just remember thatRound The Twist existed and all of a sudden things will start to feel a bit more normal.

Now, some legend at the Australian Childrens Television Foundation (ACTF) has started uploading full-length episodes of Round The Twist to their Twisted Lunchbox YouTube channel.

Remember that logo at the end a bunch Aussie kids show in the 90s and 2000s? Yep, thats the ACTF logo.

So now you can spend your iso days reliving the supernatural chaos that constantly besieged Port Niranda and its goddamn lighthouse.

And honestly what the fuck were we watching back then?

Its genuinely surprising that seeing Pete give birth to a tree dryad didnt traumatise an entire generation.

To think that this was not only designed for children, but even shown in primary schools is wild.

And now its online, in all its supernatural glory, for us to binge-watch.

Theres also the unforgettable pilot episode, where a ghost haunts the outdoor loo of the familys lighthouse. Very normal premise for a very normal kids show.

Its not just 90s kids who who can relive their childhood, because the ACTF is uploading more recent shows too.

There are full-length eps of Noah & Saskia, Genie From Down Under,Mortified,Fleabitten and more.

The ACTFs uploading episodes every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which is honestly a bloody godsend when people are somehow running out of things to binge-watch.

Now we finally have just the thing to watch after a long day of school isolation.

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Full-Length Eps Of 'Round The Twist' Are On YouTube To Take Your Mind Off These Chaotic Times - Pedestrian TV

Upload plunges viewers into a future that seems almost disturbingly plausible. Advertising is everywhere, self-driving cars zoom along on the highways, mobile-device screens appear at the flick of a wrist and food is printed instead of cooked. Given some version of all these things is already with us, the idea that the technologys been perfected and accepted in the future doesn't seem so far-fetched. Add to this the idea that people are wearing face masks on crowded public transportation (although the show was shot well before the coronavirus pandemic), and the show's vision of the future feels downright prescient. So the idea that people can upload their consciousness to a corporately created version of the afterlife -- as long as they do so moments before they die -- fits within the shows premise. Upload is the story of one man's experience uploading to the posh, girlfriend-approved digital afterlife Lakeview, and the highs and lows that come with it.

After 27-year-old Nathan(Robbie Amell) is badly injured in a freak self-driving car accident, his girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), insists he upload to her preferred destination. There are many digital afterlife options at just as many price points, but Lakeview is the only place Ingrid lets Nathan consider. Under pressure and not especially capable of making well thought-out decisions, Nathan agrees. Soon he finds himself in a rigid, well-manicured world. Its beautiful, but its not exactly real life, especially since any extras -- in-room dining, better golf clubs, a cold have a price, and Ingrid holds the password to Nathans account. Although Nathan initially has trouble adjusting to his new circumstances, he quickly bonds with his "angel," Nora (Andy Allo), the customer support rep responsible for him. He also learns that his death may not have been so accidental, setting up a mystery that helps drive the plot along.

RELATED: Upload: First Trailer for Robbie Amell's Amazon Prime Sci-Fi Series Debuts

Yet, Upload has more on its mind than the exploration of its digital afterlife or the mystery of what happened to Nathan. From its first episode, the series has a strong undercurrent of social commentary about class. While it never hits viewers over the head with it, the series often returns to themes about haves and have nots. Before his untimely demise, Nathan and his partner were working on an open-source digital afterlife that would have enabled anyone to create their own ideal post-death experience, regardless of means -- a project that would have challenged the extremely lucrative paid digital afterlife industry.

Just like Upload's depiction of the future, its social commentary feels pertinent to our current day and age, but that doesnt make the show feel heavy or difficult to watch. This is a Greg Daniels show after all, and the man who created The Office and Parks and Recreation still knows how to land a joke. That said, this isnt as uproariously funny as Daniels' past comedies. The humor here is more wry, although there are some laugh out loud moments (including when a newly uploaded Nathan learns he'll never miss the toilet again). Plus, the characters are a lot of fun to spend time with, and even the unlikable Ingrid shows her endearing side by the end of the first season.

Part of the credit for that goes to the cast. As Nathan, Amell comes across as a less quirky Jason Ritter, and despite being vain and a bit reckless, his good-guy status is never in doubt. Meanwhile, Kevin Bigley as Luke, Nathan's friend at Lakeview, and Zainab Johnson as Aleesha, Nora's friend at work, fill in the digital and real worlds and offer a counterpoint to the two leads. Also, The X-Files' William B. Davis is a delight in a small role as Nathans billionaire neighbor who enjoys dining on endangered species.

However, the biggest standouts are Allo as Nora and Edwards as Ingrid. Allo brings nuance to the down-on-her-luck Nora, and makes it easy to understand why Nathan immediately gravitates to her. And although Edwards is playing a character that the audience is meant to root against, as the show continues, new and different parts of Ingrid are revealed that make her more sympathetic, even as she maintains her entitled attitude.

RELATED: Netflix's Space Force First Look Photos Revealed, Premiere Date Set

The other shows Daniels is known for were workplace sitcoms, of course, and there is some of that in Upload as well, especially in the real world Nora occupies. She navigates a difficult office environment on a daily basis, including a demanding boss and eccentric co-workers. Yet the inner-workings of the company that runs the digital afterlife are not the shows main concern.

While The Office and Parks and Recreation found absurdity in the mundane, the world presented in Upload is anything but ordinary. Thats part of what makes the show so enjoyable -- it presents a fully realized vision of the future whose characters are grappling with that reality just like we grapple with ours. Upload is layered and engaging, and while it brings up some big ideas, its consistently entertaining. If the show continues for additional seasons, it has the potential to become just as beloved as Daniels' other classics.

Created by Greg Daniels (The Office), Upload stars Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson and Kevin Bigley. The series premieres May 1 on Amazon Prime Video.

NEXT: Robbie & Stephen Amell Land Sci-Fi Series Code 8 at Quibi

Dragon Ball Super Reveals the TRUTH About Goku's Ultra Instinct Abilities

Freelance writer and pop culture enthusiast living in Los Angeles. Co-author of the books Mad Men Unzipped and the recently released Finding Truth in Fiction, about audience's positive responses to fictional stories.

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REVIEW: Upload Is an Entertaining, Fully Realized Vision of the Future - CBR - Comic Book Resources

All in jest

Stand-up comedian Shamik Chakrabarti will go online to crack some jokes. Chakrabarti quit his job to pursue a career in comedy. He is a self-proclaimed analog guy in a digital world, who spends most of his waking hours staring at computer and smartphone screens. His comedy material comprises rants on various topics. Pay Rs 100 to watch him live on Instagram on April 22. Sign up on www. bookmyshow.com.

Enjoy a dance recitalDifferent artistes will make an appearance in Art Heals, which is an initiative to give back to society during lockdown. The programme begins with initiatives such as breathing exercises and music. A session of dance is planned as well. The Art Heals series is now in its fourth week. So catch a dance performance featuring VP Dhananjayan and Shantha Dhananjayan, on April 23 at 6 pm. Sign up on http://www.bookmyshow.com.

Poetry and moreShekhar Recites Sahir -Part 1 features veteran actor Shekhar Suman. He will go live on Instagram to recite verses by Sahir Ludhiyanvi, who was a poet and lyricist. Listen to Sahir Ludhiyanvis famous works such as Kabhi Kabhi among others. You must be 12 years and above to enjoy the show. Recording or uploading of this stream is not permitted. So catch Shekhar Suman live on April 26 at 5 pm. Sign up on http://www.bookmyshow. com.

Mind speakOnkar Kishan Khullar, who is also known as Digital Gandhi, is an artiste with over 300 million views online. He is hailed as the break-up guru, artist, author and three-time dropout, social entrepreneur and rapper. Watch him take on problems related to love and breakups until May 3. Sign up on http://www.bookmyshow. com.

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EVENTS ONLINE: All in jest - Pune Mirror