Anatomy students in Australia are using virtual and augmented reality to learn about the body – CNBC

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In the latest sign that digital innovations are changing the way we learn, anatomy students at a university in Australia are using augmented and virtual reality.

The pilot of the technology is being used to help boost spatial awareness, accessibility and explorative learning, La Trobe University said in an announcement Monday.

According to Aaron McDonald, La Trobe's head of the anatomy discipline, augmented reality (AR) offered students 24-hour access to three-dimensional anatomy images through their phones, computers or iPad. On campus, headsets are used to provide access to virtual reality technology.

"Augmented reality allows students to visualize and manipulate anatomical structures and develop a deep understanding," McDonald said. "You can superimpose anatomical structures over a peer who can perform movements along with the app, to better understand muscle function," he added. "It is a great resource for both team work and self-directed learning."

The university said that, in terms of cost, the use of AR technology amounted to 10 Australian dollars ($6.74) per student compared to over 100 Australian dollars for just one textbook.

Technology is driving change across the education sector, with computers and tablets now a common site in classrooms and libraries around the world. The last few years have also seen the development of digital based learning platforms including massive open online courses, or MOOCS.

Providers such as edX which was founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012 offer free online courses from renowned institutions such as Columbia University and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The platform provides more than 2,400 courses and its users come from all over the world.

In July this year education publisherPearsonannounced that all new releases of its 1,500 active U.S. titles would be "digital first." The company said the titles would be updated on a continuous basis "driven by developments in the field of study, new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and Pearson's own efficacy research."

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Anatomy students in Australia are using virtual and augmented reality to learn about the body - CNBC

PlayStation VR 2 could bring wireless virtual reality to your PS5 and more – TechRadar

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Sony has finally confirmed the PlayStation 5 will release at the end of 2020 but even though the company spilled a few key details about its next-generation console as part of the announcement, we didn't hear anything about the inevitable PSVR2.

However, LetsGoDigital has unearthed a patent for the next-generation virtual reality hardware that suggests that PlayStation VR 2 will be wireless, boasting built-in cameras and a transparent mode.

Sony Interactive Entertainment filed a patent earlier this year - which was approved on October 3, 2019 - with the United States Patent and Trademark Office titled 'Data processing'.

This patent details a virtual reality headset with three built-in cameras - two at the front and one at the back - alongside motion detection technology. If that's not enough, it looks like the PSVR 2 headset could also be wireless (connected via Bluetooth) and boast a built-in power supply, microphone and its own video/audio signal source. In other words, no more plugging in headphones for sound, as speakers will be built-in.

This is a big change from the current PSVR headset that is wired, and lacks a built-in speaker and microphone, although the actual look of the potential PSVR 2 headset doesn't look far off its predecessor.

(Image credit: USPTO/Sony)

The potential PSVR 2 headset could also be much better at movement tracking, according to the patent, with numerous LEDs positioned around the back of the headset.

While the headset itself may be wireless, a separate camera (like the PlayStation Camera) may still need to be used to track these LEDs and track the players' movement.

We could also see the PlayStation Move controller getting an upgrade, including its own built-in camera.

Next up is the potential addition of transparency mode. This would allow the headset the ability to show a certain amount of transparency when required, allowing the user to see the real-life environment. The purpose of this? To allow for AR applications.

And finally, we have once again seen the mention of a holographic mode which would allow users to play games in 3D in PlayStation VR.

It's almost inevitable that PSVR 2 is on the way, but whether it will resemble the patents we've seen to date is still uncertain. We know the PS5 will land at the end of 2020, but we don't expect to see next-generation PSVR until at least 2021.

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PlayStation VR 2 could bring wireless virtual reality to your PS5 and more - TechRadar

‘Traveling While Black’ virtual reality exhibit is coming to Utah – Salt Lake Tribune

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A person could watch Roger Ross Williams Traveling While Black on The New York Times website, where it was first posted in January.

But if you havent seen it through a virtual reality headset, as viewers can at Salt Lake Citys Broadway Centre Cinemas starting this week, you basically havent seen it, Williams said.

The beauty of VR, especially with a subject like this, is that you cant escape it, Williams said in a phone interview last week. You are trapped in that reality, in that world. You cant eat popcorn or candy, or glance at your cellphone or your watch. You have no choice but to experience what you are experiencing in every way.

Traveling While Black will be presented as a VR exhibit in the lobby of the Broadway, starting Tuesday, Oct. 8, and running through Dec. 31. Admission is free.

The documentary, which premiered in the New Frontier section of this years Sundance Film Festival, is a series of conversations about the struggles African Americans have faced over the decades.

The interviews start with people who dealt with restrictions traveling through segregated areas of the country in the 1950s and 1960s. The last interview with Samaria Rice, whose 12-year-old son Tamir was killed in 2014 by police in Cleveland shows the pain of racism isnt confined to the past.

Its amazing. Ive cried in my headset every time so far, said Barb Guy, marketing director for the Salt Lake Film Society, the nonprofit that runs Broadway and Tower theaters.

The interviews take place in Bens Chili Bowl, a landmark diner in Washington, D.C., known as a safe haven for black travelers. People seeing Traveling While Black at the Broadway, as they did at Sundance, sit in a black-box set resembling a diners interior providing the sensation of sitting in the booth or at the counter, listening to people telling their stories.

Williams was approached by Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, who had written a play called Traveling While Black, nearly a decade ago. Williams wanted to explore what was then called transmedia and began experimenting with storytelling forms at the Sundance Institutes New Frontier Story Lab.

I didnt want to make a traditional documentary, Williams said. This is such a subject that calls out to the audience to participate in it, to be a part of it.

Williams has a long resum as a documentarian. His 2010 short Music by Prudence won him an Academy Award. His feature films God Loves Uganda (2013), about the evangelical movement in the African nation, and Life, Animated (2016), which follows an autistic man communicating with his family through Disney cartoons, both premiered at Sundance. His next feature The Apollo, about the legendary Harlem music venue airs on HBO in November.

Williams, working with grants from The New York Times and the MacArthur Foundation, struggled to find the right format for Traveling While Black. At one point, he planned to use animation; at another, he hired actors to reenact the conversations. He also went on VR dating, spending a year meeting production companies specializing in virtual reality.

Eventually, Williams met Flix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphael, co-founders of the Montreal-based Flix & Paul Studios and was particularly impressed by their VR documentary The Peoples House, a 2016 tour of the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama.

They said, Think about a place that is iconic and important, and basing it there, Williams said. Bens Chili Bowl is this incredibly iconic place. Its a safe space for black people, and its part of a community. I know the stories in that place and community have something important to say.

The restaurant was one safe location listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a series of travel guides printed from 1936 to 1966. The Green Book told African American travelers which hotels were open to them, which restaurants would serve them, and which towns were safe to drive through at night. (The guide is mentioned, barely, in last years Best Picture Oscar winner, Green Book.)

Williams said he wanted his film to really express the experiences African Americans have had traveling in America in the 50s and 60s with the Green Book, and connect it to the present day, and what we still experience in America.

Working in VR has technical challenges, Williams said. For one thing, he had to sit in a video village outside of the diner, because if he was in the diner, he would show up in the camera arrays 360-degree view. Editing also is tricky, because theres no cutting away from an interview subject in the middle of a sentence.

You have to walk out of the room and let things happen, and hope they happen the way you want them to, he said.

The results can be worth it.

Its amazing to watch people experience it, Williams said. At Sundance and other venues this year, he said, people were just weeping, crying into their headsets. I saw this couple holding hands across the table as they were experiencing it. Its some very powerful stuff.

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'Traveling While Black' virtual reality exhibit is coming to Utah - Salt Lake Tribune

How 5G will affect augmented reality and virtual reality – ZDNet

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Widespread deployment of 5G mobile networks could accelerate the adoption of augmented and virtual reality, although wider availability is not the only requirement for VR and AR to thrive on 5G: compelling use cases are also required to make these technologies viable, although the addition of 5G does give developers a larger canvas on which to design new experiences.

SEE:Special report: How 5G will transform business(TechRepublic Premium)

Priority for the first 5G NR standards centered around eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband), providing improved download and upload speeds, as well as moderately lower latency compared to 4G LTE. While eMBB specifications in 5G NR are beneficial for all rich media applications -- such as mobile augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as 4K and 360 video streaming -- the biggest benefits of 5G for VR and AR are not yet fully realized.

URLLC, or Ultra Reliable Low-Latency Communications are a 5G NR component standard anticipated for formal publication by the 3GPP -- the standards body responsible for 5G NR -- in Release 16, scheduled for mid-2020. URLLC is designed for mission-critical latency-sensitive cases, including self-driving cars/autonomous vehicles and robot-enabled remote surgery. URLLC targets 1ms latency. For comparison, latency on LTE networks is 48.6ms on AT&T, 51.6ms on T-Mobile, 54.0ms on Verizon, and 55.1ms on Sprint, according to Opensignal's July 2019 Mobile Network Experience report for the US. (Carriers in the UK were slightly faster, with EE leading the pack at 37.9ms, while Vodafone leads in Australia at 31.7ms, according to Opensignal.)

While average latencies on 5G are likely to be modestly higher than the specification standards provide (1ms should be considered a best-case scenario measurement), there is ample room for 5G URLLC to improve on latency speeds. For example, for users of VR headsets, high latencies between action and response -- particularly for head movements -- can result in motion sickness. Overcoming this allows AR and VR to be used more widely, and potentially for longer durations before users would need to take a break.

Deployment of 5G mobile networks is currently in its early stages and faces significant obstacles to practical use in smartphone contexts, upon which AR and VR applications add complexity. First, not all 5G networks are equivalent. While deployments in Asia rely on sub-6 GHz radio frequencies, most 5G networks in the US are millimeter-wave (mmWave) networks.

mmWave radio frequencies provide faster data speeds, but are inherently line-of-sight, making it likely that users will lose access if they encounter obstructions such as large buildings, when moving. This can limit the practicality of AR applications in urban environments.

5G would allow for higher flexibility in use cases. AR is commonly used on smartphones or tablets in museums to present additional content for exhibits, or for interior design, allowing shoppers to virtually place furniture in a room to see how it matches. With 5G, the ability to use AR in live, outdoor environments away from reliable wi-fi signals can influence the types of interactions and integrations that developers can build.

Perhaps the biggest issue in existing 4G LTE deployments is the cost of data: in the US, mobile plans touted as 'unlimited' are typically throttled after 22GB. While this is not an encumbrance for deep-pocketed enterprises, attempting to deliver an AR/VR experience directly to consumers could be frustrated by these limitations.

"Unless [mobile network operators] are offering a truly unlimited service at a decent cost, then all 5G will be is a faster way to reach your data cap on mobile," Will Burns, executive director at Perpetual Studios and former vice chair of the IEEE Virtual World standards group, told ZDNet. If typical mobile contracts are not made more permissive to allow for more data consumption, "VR and AR serve as a faster way to rack up overage charges or max your data plan. It isn't helping the VR and AR industry for wider adoption. If anything, it will stigmatize it as an expensive toy for rich kids -- the exact opposite of what the industry wants or needs."

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How 5G will affect augmented reality and virtual reality - ZDNet

Virtual reality is taking Tennessee veterans on adventures – NewsChannel5.com

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) Residents at the Tennessee State Veterans' Home in Murfreesboro are traveling the world without leaving the building.

Using MyndVR headsets, veterans can skydive, drive a race car, play with puppies or stand on stage at a Broadway show.

"It has a big impact on the residents and the quality of life they have," said Ed Harries, the executive director.

There are hundreds of videos that come with MyndVR. They are all designed with seniors in mind.

Ninety-three year old World War II veteran Jordan Baker hauled cars for 40 years after serving in the army. He likes the Nascar videos.

"I got to go to a lot of racing when I was in Michigan," said Baker.

Luana Brandon, 94, served in the air force. She had pets all her life. The videos of dogs and cats are her favorite.

"Oh I loved the animals! The little puppies were so cute," said Brandon.

Studies show that virtual reality is therapeutic for vertans with anxiety or PTSD.

"After we phase in the virtual reality, we'll create therapeutic regimens to look at those residents who have PTSD," Harries said.

There are four state veterans' homes: Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Knoxville and Humboldt. Harries said there are plans to buy more headsets to outfit the other locations.

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Virtual reality is taking Tennessee veterans on adventures - NewsChannel5.com

Essays on Non-virtual Reality: Why do we love our pets? – The News-Messenger

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Ken Baker, Ph.D., Columnist Published 1:22 p.m. ET Oct. 8, 2019

Ken Baker and Cocoa(Photo: Submitted)

In 2014, researchers reported on a group of capuchin monkeys in Brazil that had adopted an infant marmoset (a much smaller monkey), which they carried about, cared for and played with for over a year. Perhaps surprisingly, this was the first confirmed record of a long-term pet-like association developing between two animal species not under the direct supervision of human caretakers.

There are certainly plenty of other well-documented stories of chummy inter-species relationships (check out YouTube for weird animal friendships), but in each case the animals involved have spent most or all of their lives under close human supervision. Even the capuchin-marmoset association wasnt established under entirely natural conditions as it occurred in a biological reserve where the animals were being provided with food as part of an ecotourism development project.

So it seems that only humans regularly bring animals into their lives for non-utilitarian purposesthat is, primarily as pets rather than as sources of food or labor. Why?

A boy singing with his dog.(Photo: Submitted)

More to the point, why do we so love our pets? Why do we invest so much of our time and resources to feed them, play with them, take them on walks, pay their veterinarian bills, and post reams of their cute photos and videos online?

Well at least for dogs and cats, the answer seems obvious, doesnt it? Theyre furry, warm and friendly. Theyre sweet, funny, playful, mischievous, loyal, beautiful, goofy, energetic, crazy, brave, adorable, adventuresome, cuddly and loving. We just cant help ourselves.

Really?

In 2011, University of Nevada researchers Peter Gray and Sharon Young published a cross-cultural study of pet-keeping practices in 60 societies from around the world. Dogs were the most commonly kept pets, followed by birds, cats and a wide array of other animals stretching from caimans and tortoises to ostriches and bats.

Digging a little deeper into the data on the human-canine relationship, they found that although people lived with dogs in 53 of the cultures, they were only treated as pets in 22 of them. But even there, dogs were primarily kept for their value in hunting, herding, defense and other utilitarian functions and were not considered members of the family circle, as seems the norm in so many Western households.

In fact Gray and Young found that dogs were played with in just three of the 60 cultures, leading the researchers to conclude that the resources and attention given to pets in the U.S. and Europe represents something of a cultural anomaly when considering the full spectrum of human societies.

Then too, even in the most pet-friendly of cultures, many people cant envision why anyone would ever want to invite an animal into their household. They are messy, demanding and potentially aggressive. Whats to like?

For many years, Western psychologists largely accepted the view that pet-keeping offered us significant health benefits in the form of reduced stress due to the companionship they offer and the increased physical activity they commonly engender.

But recent research is at best equivocal on such benefits. Although some studies have found pet-owners profit from lower blood pressure, higher self-esteem and fewer visits to the doctor, other investigations have found indicators of generally poorer psychological health in pet-owners and no differences between pet-owners and non-owners in longevity.

Western Carolina Universitys Harold Herzog has studied the biology and culture of pet-keeping for many years and has concluded that the existence of a general beneficial pet effect on human health and happiness is not a well-established fact but a hypothesis for which there is some support.

In a 2014 paper, Herzog argued that while humans do possess a variety of innate traits that would favor attachment to members of other species (such as our parental urges and attraction to creatures with infantile features), the practice of pet-keeping has a strong culture-specific component; it is a product of social learning from other members of the community in which one lives.

In modern lingo, its a meme a rather contagious culturally-based behavior, more prevalent in some societies than in others.

Which is not to say our love of pets hasnt a biological basis. Epidemiological studies have shown that pet-keeping in Western societies tends to run in families. Theres a genetic component underlying how predisposed one might be to fall to pieces over a beagle puppy.

And theres also the hormonal angle. In 2015, researchers reported that oxytocin, the hormone most commonly associated with mother-infant bonding and romantic love, spikes in the brains of both dogs and their owners when they interact.

As Duke Universitys Evan MacLean puts it, Our relationship with dogs are very much like parent-child relationships. We respond to our dogs quite a bit like human childrenOne evolutionary scenario might be that dogs found a way to hijack these parenting responses andover time may have taken on more childlike and juvenile characteristics to further embed themselves into our lives.

Ken Baker is a retired professor of biology and environmental studies. If you have a natural history topic you would like Dr. Baker to consider for an upcoming column, please email your idea to fre-newsdesk@gannett.com.

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Drones, virtual reality, and books – the future vision to save Devon’s libraries – Devon Live

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Devons libraries could soon be hosting drone racing as part of plans to buck the trend in declining usage.

The number of people who used Devons libraries fell by six per cent last year, compared to the previous 12 months, with stock issues falling by seven per cent.

The number of events and activities that took place though rose 14 per cent, there was a 32 per cent increase in event attendance, and while physical stock issues dropped, eBook issues rose 25 per cent.

Alex Kittow, Libraries Unlimiteds new chief executive, though has plans to reverse the decline in visiting.

Drag Queen Story Time and live streaming events from the Royal Shakespeare Company have already taken place, and speaking at last months Devon County Council Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Committee meeting, he floated ideas around childrens parties, personal shopping experiences, and even drone racing as potential future activities.

While the ideas may feel radical, he told the committee that books were in the library before they were in the home, the same with computers and the internet, so they are looking at what may be next, with a plan to introduce virtual reality, among other exciting developments, in the next 12 months.

Active users those who have interacted with a library service using their membership number within the last 12 months were down by two per cent at the end of the year compared to the end of the previous year, but Alex, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week, said: Our library service remains the envy of other places.

Were absolutely focused on bringing more people into our libraries and to encourage people to read for pleasure, so of course we will do our best to reverse the decline.

However, we have to be realistic and accept that the way we live our lives is changing, high streets are used less, increasingly more shopping and borrowing of books is done online and we all lead busy lives which means convenience is a priority.

We see significant traffic going through our websites and were always looking at ways to improve our digital services so that we can meet peoples needs. At the same time, were continually expanding our services and events within libraries to encourage people through the doors to explore what we have to offer.

Events and activities massively increased last year though and the main reason is because we have been working hard to bring new people into libraries through a diverse events programme. Were trying new things all the time, like Drag Queen Story Time and live streaming events from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

We want communities to look to the library when they want something to do, whether its parent and toddler groups, Lego and Code clubs, knit and natter, dementia cafes, author visits or fundraising events organised by one of our supportive Friends Groups.

Is this the future? I think this will bea way that libraries and their buildings can be used to serve our communities more, by providing events and experiences that people might not be able to access elsewhere.

He said that the majority of people who do use libraries are either from the older or younger age of the spectrum, but what thrilled him this summer is that there was a nine per cent increased on the number of people participating in the summer reading challenge and that a large number were from schools that had not engaged before.

Alex said: Young kids still love physical books and turning the pages but we dont mind if people prefer physical books or digital books. We are passionate about reading for pleasure and we know that reading and stories in any form can help to improve peoples lives in many ways.

Technology is changing the way we live and we therefore want to continue investing in our digital offer as we know that enhancements in digital services with continue to change the way we interact with books and information. That said, I have no doubt that there will always be a strong demand for physical books. Kids love them, adults love them and over the past year or so, reports have shown that the sale of books has begun to pick up again as more people move back to hardcopies. Either way, we will remain committed to providing people access to both.

While the core service of a library remains around book issues, Alex said that libraries nowadays have to be offer more than just books to find other ways of utilising their space to draw in people.

He said: I was chatting with someone about drones and about how you can fly them indoors, and I was thinking that with the layout of a library, you can get great obstacle courses to do drone racing which would be great fun.

Why do this in a library? We you can get young people in and as they are learning about drones and how to fly them, we can show them books talking about it, they can print their drone on a 3-D printers, and then they can become the engineers of the future. And that is just reference books, let alone all the fiction books, and it is something that excites people.

We have lots of ideas for how we can better utilise our libraries. Were up for trying new things to help reach our communities and to increase our income to ensure a sustainable future, although we need to carefully weigh up our options and develop strong business cases for each.

With drones, I believe theres huge opportunity for children to come to libraries to develop new science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, just like the way that Code Clubs teach children coding.

Other suggestions mentioned at last months council meeting included running childrens parties and personal shopping experiences. He said: Kids like books but sometimes schools turn them off as they tell them what to read. But if you like reading, we can tell you what other kinds of books you may like. It may be the wrong level or what they say you should be reading, but if you have a love of reading, our expert librarians can point out what other authors they may like and want to read.

He added: I expect we will see some new ideas implemented sometime in 2020. If any of your readers have an idea that will help our libraries generate income and increase our community impact at the same time then please let me know on info@librariesunlimited.org.uk

Books were in the library before they were in the home, the same with computers and the internet, so what next? We already have Code Clubs, 3D printers and laser cutters in some of our libraries, and over the next year or so we plan to introduce virtual reality amongst other exciting developments.

It is about making things accessible and providing the inspiration and aspiration that libraries can have and a legacy we can leave for the next generation.

What you can be sure of is that over the next few years there will be friendly, knowledgeable staff and lots of books. My hope is that libraries will be increasingly used as community hubs and the impact they have on our quality of life, our health and wellbeing and our community cohesion will be better understood.

My experience of libraries in Devon is that they are not always quiet and the impact they have is less to do with the books on the shelves and more to do with the relationships they facilitate.

But we need to also go out to the people who arent reading, rather than making them come to us in what are some intimidating looking buildings, either because of the structure or the people in there.

Although library visits fell two per cent last year, there was a 10 per cent increase in visits to the smallest group of libraries, with Topsham Library, where they opened a brand new library in the Nelson Close Community Centre, up 49 per cent.

He said: Since opening the library has attracted lots of visitors and weve seen a real increase in usage. This is largely what it is behind the 10 per cent increase, although Uffculme Library has also seen an increase due to Library Extra sessions run by volunteers which has helped to increase the hours that the library is open.

But he warned: The short message to people though is use it or lose it. I think we have a good chance of keeping Devons libraries open for the long term with the support of our commissioners and local councillors at Devon County Council. However, we will continue to need the support from our volunteers and Friends Groups and will need to take an entrepreneurial approach to ensure we arent too reliant on public sector funding. We will also need to be ahead of the game when it comes to new trends and developments so that libraries remain relevant.

I dont know what will happen to our libraries for sure, but if they arent being used, then clearly there is not a demand for them, so we could lose so of them. So lets encourage people to use them, not just occasionally, but regularly, and to get your neighbours as well and not just your kids but other kids as well.

We need to encourage people to continue to use the library. What you can buy on Amazon and have delivered at home may be more convenient, but you can borrow it from a library and keep them open.

While all of Devons libraries have remained open, the library budget in 2010 stood at approximately 10m, was down to 3m in 2014, and as part of the contract, Libraries Unlimited were required to reduce the cost of the library service by a further 1.5m, with a further 300,000 of reductions targeted over the next two years in line with the Councils wider financial pressures.

Alex said: Austerity has been going on for a while, and libraries have faced significant funding cuts over the past 10 years. However, I think we are only just beginning to feel its effects. The reduction in funding has been devastating to our local authorities and in turn to library services, library staff and most importantly, the people of Devon.

Devon County Council is currently developing a new library strategy, and Cllr Roger Croad, cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, said that he was keen that Devon responded to the national decline in book lending and buck the trend by getting more people back into libraries.

Speaking at the CIRS meeting, he said: We want to maintain a love of reading through physical books, but we do need to respond to changes and deliver a digital offer and recognise what people are doing in their leisure time. We need to ensure they are used as community assets and are a place for the whole community.

Will we still have 50 libraries next year? We havent closed any in the last 10 and I dont intend to close any in the next 10 years. Our event attendance is well up as well so proves that libraries are being used as a community space.

Cllr Ian Hall added: People used to go into libraries, but things have changed. We need to find out what the communities want their libraries to be and we need to be engaging with them.

Cllr Martin Shaw said that he had concerns about the way service is going and he didnt think digital borrowing can stand up for decline in physical issues. He added: Book issues are down seven per cent this year and they have been going down for 10 years due to the decline in funding for the service and cultural changes. This remorseless reduction in funding year on year cannot continue if we are to have a credible service.

But Cllr Kevin Ball said that he thought the figures were alright. He added: There are some areas for improvement, but they are not as bad as they could be and are elsewhere, and there is lots of good news. Events are exactly what we should be doing to draw people in so they can become readers, and I want to sign up for racing drones.

And Libraries Unlimited has also been named as one of three finalists in the Tesco Bags of Help Centenary Grant initiative, a community funding scheme that supports community groups and charities to deliver projects that have a positive impact on communities

In celebration of Tescos Centenary, the supermarket has teamed up with Groundwork to deliver a special voting round which will see grants of 25,000, 15,000 and 10,000 awarded to community projects.

Voting is open in all Tesco stores in Devon during October, November and December and customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

A taster of activities taking place across Devon and Torbays libraries this week includes:

Polarbear will be joined by two of the countrys most exciting and talented graphic novelists, Joff Winterhart (Driving Short distances Penguin Books) and Katriona Chapman (Follow me in Avery Hill).

Together they will discuss their inspiration, and how they are breaking new ground in their use of graphics and storytelling to create 3-dimensional work for this ever popular medium.

With a special recorded introduction by star Cal Major.

Throughout the week activities with a digital focus for adults and young people will be on offer including coding clubs, Bring Your Own Device,an introduction to digital skills, digital screenings, live streaming of events, one to one digital help clinics, assistance to access digital books and audio books.

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Drones, virtual reality, and books - the future vision to save Devon's libraries - Devon Live

Play Games, Experience Virtual Reality, and Snap a Photo to Raise Funds for the United Way on Oct. 9 – University of Arkansas Newswire

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Faculty, staff and students are invited to play "old school" arcade games, experience virtual reality, and take green-screen photos during a United Way fundraising event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Arkansas Union Ballroom. The event will be hosted by the University of Arkansas Global Campus.

Have fun at this one-day event while making donations to the 2019 U of A United Way campaign, which continues through Oct. 15. This year's campaign theme is "Change Does Not Happen Alone." Donations will support numerous organizations that help children and families in need.

Participants can play classic arcade games:

Instructional Design and Support Services staff will help participants strap on virtual-reality headsets to enjoy immersive experiences that are educational and engaging. Experience the wonder and majesty of the ocean, play the role of a secret agent with telekinetic abilities, take an elevator to a wooden plank anchored 80 floors above the ground, or paint in a three-dimensional space with stars, light and fire.

Finally, get your photo taken with a backdrop of Paris, a peak in the Alps, on the Yucatan Peninsula or other exotic sites. The Global Campus Media Production team will place participants in front of a green-screen background and use chroma key photography to replace the solid-colored background with selected sites.

U of A employees can donate online at unitedway.uark.edu to support the United Way.

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Play Games, Experience Virtual Reality, and Snap a Photo to Raise Funds for the United Way on Oct. 9 - University of Arkansas Newswire

New Virtual Reality Experience Unveiled At Kildare Town Heritage Centre – Hospitality Ireland

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A new state-of-the-art virtual reality experience has been unveiled at Kildare Town Heritage Centre following investment of 156,000 by Filte Ireland alongside financial support of 44,000 from Kildare County Council.

The "Legends of Kildare" immersive 3D experience will transport visitors back in time to discover the heritage and mythology associated with Kildare. It is expected to draw an additional 30,000 visitors to Kildare Town Heritage Centre over the next five years and generate up to 1.3 million in revenue for the local area.

The stories of St. Brigid and mythological legend Fionn Mac Cumhaill will be brought to life through virtual reality as well as the history of Kildare's medieval sites including St. Brigid's Cathedral and Round Tower and the ancient Fire Temple. Kildare's horse racing heritage will also be showcased as part of the new experience, whichwill be made available in French, German and Chinese.

Kildare mayor Suzanne Doyle stated, "This wonderful installation brings the art of Irish storytelling to a whole new dimension. The story captures the romance, heroism and tragedies of Kildare's ancient past that echo in the ruins of our abbeys and cathedrals. It will whet the appetite of visitors to travel further and enrich their experience when visiting our ancient sites, and highlight the prescience of Brigid."

Meanwhile, Ireland's Ancient East manager at Filte Ireland Derek Dolan commented, "Ireland's Ancient East has the most extensive range of built heritage in Europe including tombs older than the pyramids, historic castles, ruined abbeys, great fortresses and amazing sites like St Brigids Cathedral and Round Tower here in Kildare. At Filte Ireland, we are always looking for opportunities to stimulate the development of brilliant visitor experiences, and the new experience at Kildare Town Heritage Centre will enhance the county's tourism appeal. This investment as part of Ireland's Ancient East will deliver significant growth in the number of visitors coming to Kildare, bringing greater spend and revenue to the area."

2019Hospitality Ireland your source for the latestindustrynews. Article by Dave Simpson. Clicksubscribeto sign up for theHospitality Irelandprint edition.

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Virtual Reality may be the Most Effective Next Generation Learning Platform for Health Professionals – University Herald

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Virtual reality has made it possible for people to enjoy online gaming in a whole new level. But a study shows that the same kind of virtual world may be used as a learning platform among health professionals to further enhance their learning. Knowledge of other health professionals particularly in successfully implementing collaborative care for patients is what this pilot study is about. Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine recently published their initial findings on the topic in the Journal of Interprofessional Care.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is aimed at fostering collaboration and learning among healthcare students from a variety of professions with the goal of enhancing patient care. Making their schedules meet, on the other hand, has always been a barrier to this type of collaborative learning. The study looks into the use of virtual reality as a form of IPE, which is already interdisciplinary by nature.

"IPE has already provided students with valuable learning experience and team-based palliative care has shown significant impact in lowering health care costs without sacrificing patient care and quality of life," said Amy Lee, first author of the study and an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine.

The researchers believe that interdisciplinary learning is crucial is shaping the training of a health professional. The challenge has always been about how they could physically meet and actually do work together. Communication in real time is an essential component that virtual reality provides.

Through Second Life, the researchers designed an IPEsystem about palliative health care experience. Thirty -five (35) health care students enrolled in a two-hour online session in groups of three to six students from multiple geographic locations and different professions, including those in the fields of medicine, social work, and nutrition.

The participants were grouped together in teams coordinated over audio and group text messaging. This allowed the teams to work together to provide excellent health care support. A series of pre- and post- session surveys were conducted to assess the effectivity of the virtual reality platform in fostering collaborative palliative care learning between participants. Students were also asked to submit written reflections describing their experience.

Comfortable and convenient that was how students described the virtual reality approach. They also expressed their appreciation of the virtual experience in assessing patient symptoms, which then translated to having an increased sense of empathy as seen in their post-session surveys. They particularly liked that the experience made them practice anonymously without worrying about making mistakes in the learning process. Some of the participants have even expressed their interest in palliative care and their desire to continue IPE training -- both in virtual and in real life.

A multidisciplinary team-based medical health care is what palliative care is all about. A patient needs a team of healthcare professionals that will provide them with medical, logistical, and emotional support. The study emphasizes the role of collaborative learning in emphasizing the important role each one plays in providing the patient with utmost care.

The team, however, also recognized that the participating group may be too small to be a strong indicator. The volunteer nature of the study may also have affected the desire of the students to participate, which may have also ignited their interest in education through virtual reality.

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Reactions to ‘Sesame Street’ Moving to HBO Max Is Outrage Culture at Its Dumbest – Pajiba

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Right off the bat, I want to apologize for using the term outrage culture in the headline because I really dont want to sound like Todd Phillips, Shane Gillis, or the seemingly endless buffet of assholes who are mad that they cant just fire off lazy slurs and be treated like comedy gods. That said, I dont know what other term to use that encapsulates the amount of super dumb reactions to Sesame Street moving to HBO Max thanks to online writers not doing a scant two seconds of Googling before firing off sloppy headlines with equally sloppy reporting. If I seem extremely salty its because this is how 2016 happened. Just a complete disregard for facts and reality because it doesnt fit your narrative that Bernie will instantly turn the United States into a socialist utopia with the snap of his fingers, or Trump will get rid of all the gays and brown people just as quickly. Whichever flavor you were into at the time.

On that note, here are the facts: Sesame Street will continue to be free to watch on PBS. Absolutely nothing has changed since the original HBO deal from five years ago that not only saved Sesame Street but allowed it to create more episodes than ever, all of which freely flow to PBS and its PBS Kids app after nine months. Sesame Workshop specifically chose HBO because the network agreed to make sure low-income children still had access to its educational programming in accordance with its mission statement. In short, there has been no impact on a child turning on PBS and having free access to Big Bird and the gang. Theyre still getting a mix of old and new episodes as has been the case for decades.

Whats happening now is that instead of new episodes of Sesame Street airing on HBO before hitting PBS, its airing on HBO Max. Thats it. Well, not entirely, because it turns out HBO is bankrolling a slew of spinoffs including an Elmo talk show, all of which holy shit will air for free on PBS. How do I know this? I did two seconds of Googling and found this Deadline report with the full announcement. Its almost like all of this is a good thing, but you wouldnt know it if youre one of the terrifying number of Americans getting their news from social media.

So lets take a look at The Verge whose post is getting the most amount of traction and whose writer was retweeting just straight-up wrong takes before scrubbing her Twitter account over the weekend. Clearly, she knows that her headline is deliberately misleading her own reporting contradicts it but has it been corrected? Nope. Heres the passage thats still being repeated ad nauseam as if its the smoking gun of this whole debacle.

For the record, despite putting at some point in quotes even though the time period is nine months like its been for the past five years, the episodes airing for free completely debunks The Verges headline. But this is the internet, so guess what 90% of people are only seeing and immediately reacting to: The headline, which looks like this on Twitter.

It also doesnt help that The AV Club aggregated The Verges reporting, and then made it even more nefarious sounding by ignoring the glossed over part about PBS.

Jesus Christ. No, it is not a big unanswered question because, again, HBO has specifically said that new episodes of both Sesame Street and whatever spinoffs it produces will air for free on PBS. Its not like you have to sift through goddamn microfiche to find that information. Theres a literal computer in your pants that will serve it to you in a matter of seconds.

The problem here is that Sesame Street moving to HBO Max is great news for PBS viewers isnt as sexy a headline and/or take as EVIL CAPITALIST NETWORK TAKES BIG BIRD HOSTAGE IN STREAMING WAR. Once that narrative took hold, welcome to goddamn Galaxy Brain City. It also doesnt help that not only is no one educating themselves on the basic fundamentals of the Sesame Workshop/HBO deal before hitting Send Tweet, but theres clearly a vast misconception about how Sesame Street has been beamed into TVs for almost half a century. Youd think youd want to look into the broad strokes before pontificating on the supposedly villainous move by HBO, but that would make the internet a less festering poophole of dumb.

In a nutshell, there appears to be a narrative out there that Sesame Street has been mostly if not fully funded by the federal government through PBS for decades, which benevolently passed it out for free until HBO came in and Fern Gullyd the place or whatever. Not even close. Sesame Workshop, formerly known as Childrens Television Workshop, had been fighting off a severe lack of federal funds since the 70s. There was a very, very tiny window when the government was helping out, but without seed money from this should melt some brains Carnegie Steel or Ford Motor Company, Sesame Street wouldve never happened. So the solution to this problem was to rely on merchandising, which Sesame Workshop reluctantly and painstakingly started licensing because it didnt want to exploit its child audience. Every dollar was poured back into the show, and thats what kept it alive for decades albeit tenuously. DVDs were a huge boon for a while, but when streaming took hold, the shit hit the fan as those sales tanked, and HBO stepped in and essentially saved the show from extinction.

Of course, if you mention any correct information during the current discourse, heres the type of reaction youll get:

Please kill me.

On that note, here are some viral tweets that are still up and reached tens of thousands of users. A fun thing to do is watch how the OP reacts when its pointed out to them that either Sesame Street is and will continue to be free to watch on PBS or that its relied on capitalism since the jump. The go-to response is almost always, Well, its super messed up that theres a tiered level of content for the rich, which is a f*cking insane thing to say. Were talking about Sesame Street here, a show predominantly watched by toddlers. You can put them in front of an episode from 1999 or 2019, and they wont give a shit as long as Elmo has mail. I have kids of my own, and I couldve bulldozed the entire living room without them blinking an eye if that little red bastard was on. But go off on kings and queens.

I mean, Christ, this tweet is just flat out wrong in every possible way, so naturally, it has the most interactions of them all.

And here are a bunch of other bad takes that just completely ignore that Sesame Street will still be free to watch on PBS. Some of these people are journalists who should honestly know better.

Kids will have it now. It says it right in the poorly headlined article you just tweeted. Goddammit.

Header Image Source: Sesame Workshop

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One Hundred Years Ago Feels Brand New at A Noise Within – coloradoboulevard.net

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Gem of the Ocean at A Noise Within (Photo Craig Schwartz)

By Melanie Hooks

A Noise Within, Pasadenas resident troupe dedicated to keeping the classics fresh and accessible, does just that with their current production of August Wilsons Gem of the Ocean. Part of a series of ten plays, each portraying a decade of the 20th century (you might know of Fences from this series, whose film version recently netted Viola Davis an Oscar), Gem begins forty years after slaverys abolition but far from the utopia once envisioned by the older generation, who are now elderly but were young people when first freed.

As actor Evan Lewis Smith commented in a recent question and answer forum, his character Citizen Barlow, a young man, has no memory of the institutionalized horror that central character Aunt Ester (powerhouse Veralyn Jones) lived. In fact, he has no idea of his personal story beyond his own short life, a brutal, confined one of manual labor, his wages shorted, stolen and ultimately used to keep him in servitude a cycle that leads to his violent rebellion and arrival at Aunt Esters door, asking her to wash his soul.

Could a visit to the mythical City of Bones, an African mystical place Aunt Ester alone remembers, ground Citizen and lead to his redemption? Does the context of our suffering help us to accept and transcend it? Jones believes so, and the casts lively discussion of the importance of story as a center of self lent great insight into this American classic that deserves a broader reputation. As one audience member commented, This is our story. The American story.

If youve only read of Wilson but havent experienced much of his work live, this is a chance not to be missed. Multi-layered characters of different generations are treat enough alone. Lifetime friends Eli (Alex Morris), the protector, and Solly Two Kings (Kevin Jackson), the rascal join Ester and traveling salesman Rutherford Selig (Bert Emmett) as one of the most grounded and charming coffee clatches on the modern stage. The first three all started life incarcerated in Alabama before the Civil War, and their stories of escape and coming north would tempt any listener to beg for more.

Wilsons pace allows for this sort of dwelling in memory. In fact, the action that pushes the play forward Citizens crime and his striving for redemption play more like a subplot in the first half. Once that bomb ignites after intermission, however the power of Esters mysticism takes center stage a fascinating mix of African tales, music and Biblical imagery.

(L-R) Veralyn Jones and Evan Lewis in Gem of the Ocean at A Noise Within (Photo Craig Schwartz)

Director Gregg T. Daniel and Choreographer Joyce Guy take full advantage of the thrust stage, pushing Citizens journey of the mind into the audience, using the fly spaces like one of last seasons Argonautika battle action sequences. Its a thrilling, heady mix of light (Jean-Yves Tessier) and sound (Martin Carrillo) design that pushes the solid house sets (Stephanie Kerley Schwartz) around like toy blocks. Truly its a spectacle that only theater can provide. These characters dont allow their minds or spirits to be caged, and the production invites us into their inner worlds as few do.

The dialect of Alabamans-now-in-Pitt presents a special challenge, and coach Andrea Odinov deserves a special nod for making the idiom-filled script accessible for modern audiences living a world away from the characters surrounds.

Also a special treat: the young, incredibly self-possessed Black Mary, brought to life by Carolyn Ratteray. Wilsons words provide the highway, but Ratteray drives the car and its a V8, especially in scenes with the equally young and un-aware Citizen. She runs circles around his simplistic understanding of sexual power a raucous audience moment of sheer, very modern pleasure. Add to that the searing self-righteousness of her brother Caesar, local enforcer for the law, referred to by other characters as an overseer and played with genuine understanding of collaborator sympathy by Chuma Gault, and you have a truly layered family one that feels more like real life than many a modern show.

A Noise Within hopes to bring Wilsons entire cycle of ten Century plays to life; dont be the person who misses the first one. Your inner storytelling soul will be sorry.

Colorado Boulevard is your place for enlightening events, informative news and social living for the greater Pasadena area.We strive to inform, educate, and work together to make a better world for all of us, locally and globally.

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Pictures of the week – The Bookseller

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Published October 4, 2019 by Francesca Pymm

David Mitchell reads from his new novel Utopia Avenue (Sceptre) in this week's pictures round-up, while BookTrust hosts a free event for aspiring writers and...

Philip Pullman revealed the inspiration behind The Secret Commonwealth (Penguin/David Fickling Books) during a sold-out launch event at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday 2nd October. Pullman was joined on stage by journalist Zing Tsjeng.

David Mitchell read an exclusive extract from his new novel Utopia Avenue at a Sceptre Salon storytelling event on Tuesday 1st October.

To celebrate the launch of Elevate, an employee led BAME networking group founded at HarperCollins, BAME in Publishing's Sarah Shaffitalked toAmrou Al-Kadhi about theirmemoirUnicorn(Fourth Estate)on Monday 30th September.

L-R Barry Forshaw, Catherine Steadman and Robert Glenister took part in a panel event entitled Building Drama Page by Page at the inaugural Capital Crime festival, held at the Grand Connaught Rooms last weekend (26th-28th September).

On Saturday 28th September, BookTrust Represents held a free training session for aspiring writers and illustrators of colour at the Centre for Literacy and Primary Education (CLPE) in London. (David Parry/PA Wire)

Broadcaster Emily Maitlis joined Bret Easton Ellis, Brian Cox and Sir Richard Dearlove at the third Cliveden Literary Festival, which took place at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire last weekend (28th-29th September). (Cliveden Literary Festival)

L-R Georgina Capel, Ben Okri, Kate Mosse and Ian McEwan were among the guests at a drinks reception hosted by The Arts Club during the sold-out festival. (Cliveden Literary Festival/The Arts Club)

Bonnier Books UK hosted a proof party at Brunswick House on Thursday 26th September to celebrate Stacey Halls' new novel The Foundling.

L-R Emma Straub, Marian Keyes, Louise Moore and Jane Fallon attended Michael Joseph's spring 2020 showcase at Shakespeare's Globe in central London on Wednesday 25th September. (Tom Nicholson)

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Todd About Town: Word on the Street in Minneapolis and St. Paul This Week – Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

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It was opening week for the Broadway touring production of Mean Girlsat the Orpheum Theatrein Minneapolis.The cast party was held at the Le Meridien Chambers Hotel.While mingling amongst VIPsand the cast of Mean GirlsI ran into Lisa Krohn, the director of theatre programming for Hennepin Theatre Trust.HTT is responsible for booking many of the shows we see at the Orpheum, Pantages and State Theatre. Lisa is also one of the select few in Minnesota that sees every show nominated for a Tony Award and casts her ballot for her favorites. I thought, Who better to ask than Lisa what her top three picks would be for anyone planning a trip to NYC yet this year?Lisas top picks are Hadestown, David Byrnes American Utopia and Girl from the North Country.See you in the Big Apple!

Caf Latte, the restaurant that has been bringing us delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, and those amazing desserts for the past 35 years, is doing a little refresh and expansion. You may remember the old Quince retail space in the back of the building adjacent to the pizza and wine bar. The area will soon be reinvented as an exhibition style cake finishing area with a massive glass walk-in cooler to display all things covered in whipped cream. The area will also be used as an event space for bridal showers, afternoon high teas, and wine tastings. Owner Bryce Quinn plans to have the new area open in January 2020. My top two personal favorites are the Vanilla Tres Leches Cake and the Turtle Cake.

Scout, the mens clothing store in the West 7thStreet neighborhood of St. Paul celebrated one year in business in August, when a white SUV crashed through the glass entryway of the store. No one was hurt in the mishap but the shop owners were forced to evacuate the historic building. I talked to John Migala, a partner in the mens apparel and gift shop this week, as to their future plans. Scout plan to open a pop-up shop in the former Ann Taylor store on Grand Avenue in St. Paul until their charming West 7thStreet location is rebuilt and ready for business.

Entertainment reporter Todd Walker covers the gala a social circuit for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Look for him at events and weekly on FOX 9 News.

October 7, 2019

12:10 PM

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13 cool things to do this week in Pittsburgh – NEXTpittsburgh

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Here are the events you need to know about this week in Pittsburgh: October 7-10.

Monday, October 7: Public Exchange at the Frick Environmental Center 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.October is the perfect time to participate in this free public forum with staff from Get Outdoors PA, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Dynamic Paddlers and Venture Outdoors exploring topics like adaptive kayaking, equitable investment and community engagement. Tour the Frick Environmental Center, hike through Frick Park and network with like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.

Monday, October 7: Artist Resource Fair at the New Hazlett Theater5:30-9 p.m.Seeking support from grants, residencies and local and regional resources for your art? Head to this free event to gain insight from experts representing 14 foundations and arts service organizations. At the networking reception, youll meet funders, program directors and fellow artists and enjoy food from Sprezzatura.

Monday, October 7: Stephen Chbosky at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall7 p.m.After having his debut novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, become a multi-million copy bestseller and spawn an award-winning film, the celebrated writer and Pittsburgh native Stephen Chbosky is back with a highly-anticipated second book. Dont miss his Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures talk, followed by a book signing.

The Orion String Quartet.

Monday, October 7: Chamber Music Pittsburgh at Carnegie Music Hall7:30 p.m.Add some music to your Monday. The Orion String Quartet and virtuoso violist Catherine Cho will perform a soaring repertoire of compositions by Beethoven, Haydn, Currier and others.

Tuesday, October 8: Where to Turn Resource Fair9 a.m.-12 p.m.If youre in need of vital community resources, this event is for you. Attend lectures on health care topics, peruse an exhibitor fair packed with helpful resources and meet with social workers, service coordinators, educators and others.

Tuesday, October 8: Bianca Del Rios Its JesterJoke at Stage AE8 p.m.Comedy queen Bianca Del Rio, who emerged from the New Orleans nightclub circuit to win RuPauls Drag Race, brings her new hit comedy sensation to the Burgh. Follow the self-proclaimed clown in a gown on a trip through her outrageous globe-trotting adventures from politics and traveling, to family drama and social media.

Where Justice Ends, George Zuber. Photo courtesy of Reel Q.

Wednesday, October 9: Reel Q LGBTQ+ Film Festival at Row House Cinema7:30 p.m.The regions only LGBTQ+ film festival runs through Oct. 13. On-screen tonight is George Zubers documentary, Where Justice Ends, chronicling the experiences of transgender people within the U.S. prison system. The event includes a panel discussion with Zuber, documentary subject CeCe McDonald and SisTers PGH Executive Director Ciora Thomas.

Thursday, October 10: All for All Summit Neighborhood Tours2-5 p.m.Hop aboard a trolley at Alphabet City on the Northside to kick off the three-day All for All Summit. Experience Pittsburgh through the lens of immigrants, Black Americans and youth and explore the intersection of economic development, art and community-building as you visit neighborhood organizations and cultural landmarks and hear from business owners, local leaders and cultural creators.

Photo courtesy of All for All.

Thursday, October 10: Utopia or Oblivion by Kevin Clancy at Bunker Projects5-8 p.m.Dont miss the free opening reception at this mecca for emerging artists in Garfield, where youll get a first look at new work by Kevin Clancy. Examining the omnipresent forces of the internet, social media, surveillance and screens in contemporary life, the exhibition will feature mixed-media sculptures and a soundscape composed by John Also Bennett.

Thursday, October 10: Pittsburgh Tech Crawl in Downtown Pittsburgh 5-9 p.m.Pittsburgh has numerous art and pub crawls, and even crawls dedicated to cookies and cats. Now, you can eat, drink and network your way through Downtowns booming tech industry. There will also be tech demos, prizes and swag, plus an after-party at the Metropolitan Club.

Thursday, October 10: Tactoberfest at Black Forge Coffee House in McKees Rocks5:30-7 p.m.Move over Oktoberfest, its time for Tactoberfest. Savor a special vegan taco menu at Black Forge Coffee Houses new McKees Rocks digs, where all proceeds from the pop-up dinner will benefit Planned Parenthood of Western PAs Defund Fund.

Thursday, October 10: Soul on the Hill at the Energy Innovation Center6-9 p.m.Celebrate the people, places and music of Pittsburghs historic Hill District neighborhood. See performances by Jacquea Mae Olday, Teresa Hawthorne and the Legacee Live Band, explore multimedia public art by Njaimeh Njie and get groovy during a SOUL Dance Party led by DJ Nate Da Barber.

Catapult. Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Thursday, October 10: Catapult: The Amazing Magic of Shadow and Dance at the Byham Theater7:30 p.m.This is an art form you have to see to believe. Watch in awe as shape-shifting performers morph into a massive mountain, elephant, helicopter and other entities. As seen on Americas Got Talent, the imaginative production fuses music, shadows and sculpture and more to tell captivating stories.

Looking for moreevents and live music? Read ourtop weekly and weekend events,Top 12 things to do in Pittsburgh in October,33 great Pittsburgh concerts in October and NovemberandDont miss these 15 kid-friendly Pittsburgh events in October.

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Enterprise hits and misses – AI gets a fresh evaluation, and offshoring gets a rethink – Diginomica

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Lead story - Is AI an agent of big tech dominance, or a democratizing force?

MyPOV: It was an AI futures kind of week at diginomica, but this time around, it was not about jobs. Kurt kicked things off with Is AI an agent of big tech hegemony or multi-disciplinary research and innovation?

He pushes back on an alarmist New York Times article about big tech's AI dominance Kurt's reply? "AI hegemony is a myth." Why?

Fears of a big tech monopoly of AI talent and technology are overwrought and comparing the systems required to perform AI research to particle accelerators is absurd... The areas where mega techs like Amazon, Facebook, Google, et al. have a distinct advantage are less due to their AI acumen and more a result of their access to vast amounts of consumer data, be it e-commerce transactions, search results or online interactions.

Deep learning systems crave massive data sets. Access to those data sets, argues Kurt, is the real divide:

If such data repositories are deemed to create unfair competitive asymmetries, the solution isn't an AI technology tax or publicly funded AI server farms, but regulations on the collection, use and sharing of such data.

Meanwhile, Chris parses a seemingly upbeat AI study from Samsung, which found the public to be more informed - and optimistic - about "AI" than I would have expected.

Roughly half of all respondents (51%) believe that AI's impact on society will be positive, 16% that it will be negative, with the remaining one-third of interviewees being ambivalent or unable to answer the question.

Particularly intriguing:

Support is greatest among those who are familiar with the technology and lowest among those who are not.

Not sure where that leaves folks like me, who get more concerned each time a utopian future is flogged by salivating, gee willikers tech vendors the black box is lifted. Chris has issues with some of the survey's approaches - a common affliction with vendor-sponsored surveys. Still, he writes:

Samsung should be commended for trying to counterbalance the negative tabloid narratives and decades of dystopian sci-fi with an outreach programme of techno-evangelism.

However, utopia doesn't fly:

[Samsung] would establish a great deal more credibility for this exercise if it lets the figures speak for themselves, both for and against each question, rather than appear to impose its own utopian narrative.

On a truly upbeat note, Den shares his talk with Vishal Sikka, a long-time AI proponent who now has skin in the AI startup game: Democratizing and demystifying AI - Vianai Systems' approach. Sikka's first question:

How do you make tools that make it dramatically easier for people to use so that millions can take advantage of AI?

Now there's an AI mission I can get behind.

Diginomica picks - my top stories on diginomica this week

Vendor analysis, diginomica style. Here's my top choices from our vendor coverage, as we reach the peak of the fall event season:

A few more vendor picks, without the quotables:

Jon's grab bag - Stuart comes to the defense of the unexpected, and by that I mean... Facebook? Yep, Stuart's favorite dopamine factory software company, Facebook, is finding backbone on a big issue: encryption (Facebook is right for once as the US, UK and Australia gang up on it over encryption). "Facebook is right. There - Ive said it. Three words youre not going to read very often" - at least not in these parts! Then Stuart shifts from privacy to free speech, another suddenly quaint idea, in Is freedom of speech the real loser as Europe's top court takes on social media platform providers?

No standout pieces this week, so it's time for... quick hits across the enterprise web:

Armis warns of unpatchable vulnerabilities in critical hardware - "For some devices, the vulnerabilities are so severe that they are considered unpatchable." Oh boy. Josh Greenbaum adds via Twitter:

The New York Times published a navel-gazing piece on where outsourcing doom-and-gloom went wrong: The White-Collar Job Apocalypse That Didn't Happen. Quote to ponder:

Where in retrospect I missed the boat is in thinking that the gigantic gap in labor costs between here and India would push it to India rather than to South Dakota," Mr. Blinder said in a recent interview. "There were other aspects of the costs to moving the activities that we weren't thinking about very much back then when people were worrying about offshoring."

Looking to the future of work, this caught my eye:

The new study found that in the jobs that Mr. Blinder identified as easily offshored, a growing share of workers were now working from home. Mr. Ozimek said he suspected that many more were working in satellite offices or for outside contractors, rather than at a company's main location.

Reader Frank Scavo adds:

Honorable mention

So a giant elevator could connect Earth to space, and as per Business Insider, it could be done using current technology. I hope this gets more traction than The Onion's satirical call from George W Bush to construct a giant national air conditioner to combat global warming.

And yes, Broadcast Meteorologists Love To Interrupt Football Games. Let's face it - from time to time, they have a reason. Still: huge bonus for the "FU and your games" graphic. Oh, and a Russian man is suing Apple, claiming his iPhone turned him gay. I really want to make a joke about AirPods here, but I think you'll agree that I'll just get myself into needless trouble.

Finally, in honor of our AI themes this week - I had a bit of a falling out with Alexa recently.

I got a bit roasted on this one, but hey, I set myself up pretty good. All I know is that "You betcha!" is a far cry from the personalized responses I was expecting three years into my "smart home." See you next time...

If you find an #ensw piece that qualifies for hits and misses - in a good or bad way - let me know in the comments as Clive (almost) always does. Most Enterprise hits and misses articles are selected from my curated @jonerpnewsfeed. 'myPOV' is borrowed with reluctant permission from the ubiquitous Ray Wang.

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ATEEZ Reflect on 1 Year Since Their Debut, ‘Treasure’ Album Series & More – Billboard

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Its been a little under a year since K-pop boy band ATEEZ arrived on the scene with their dual debut songs Pirate King"and Treasure in October 2018. Since then, theyve rapidly picked up a reputation as one of the industrys most dynamic young acts and gained particular renown for their impactful performance style and flair for creative sonic production.

With a strong international following -- in the States, each of their first three EPs, all part of their Treasure album series, premiered on the World Albums chart, and they've seen several singles rank on the World Digital Song Sales chart -- the group recently held their first world tour, and have since signed with RCA for local representation.

While in Los Angeles this summer for KCON 2019 LA, ATEEZ sat down with Billboard to reflect on their first year in the K-pop industry. Check out their Q&A below.

You recently signed with RCA. How are you feeling about that?

Hongjoong: Actually, that were [with]RCA, that situation is so amazing to us. Its a very amazing moment. But [theres] nothing different from before. Its a big company, but well continue to do our best. I think there wont be many differences, just that were a bit more secure now. It feels very nice.

What do you hope to achieve in the U.S. now that youve signed with a local company?

Wooyoung: Touring and Billboard [Music] Awards.

Hongjoong: We want to go to some awards shows in America too.

You recently asked your fans their opinions in the decision-making process behind your singles for your most recent album, Treasure Ep.3: One To All, and for your official lightstick. Why did you want to do that?

Seonghwa: For the album, there were two really good songs for the title songs [Wave and Illusion] and we couldnt decide between the two so we talked to our company about it and we thought a voting poll would be nice.

Would you like to do more similar events?

Hongjoong: Of course. Every album, we have different input from fans. Someday maybe well do an album cover made by[our fans] ATINY. We can do everything like that.

Why is it important to you to open up your creative process in this collaborative nature with your fandom ATINY?

Jongho: There must be a reason that fans like us, and through ATINY[s input] we can see a bit of that reasoning. Theres a synergy between us and ATINY.

What if you didn't like their decision?

Hongjoong: Itll never happen. Their opinion is our opinion too. Destiny.

How do you feel, if at all, Treasure Ep.3: One To All shows a new side musically to ATEEZ?

Wooyoung: In the first and second album, it was a lot darker and we showed a charismatic side. Now, were showing off a more summery, lighter viber to ourselves on the latest album. Very pretty, very different from the first two.

Do you feel you fit the darker or brighter styles better?

San: Every member is kind of unique, and there may be some members that pull off cute better than others but in the end were all able to pull off everything.

What are every members favorite album? [A/N: Many responded with single titles, not album titles.]

Wooyoung: Say My Name

Mingi: Say My Name

Hongjoong: Debut album, Pirate King.

Yeosang: Second album,Say My Name.

San: Yeah, Say My name.

Yunho: Episode 3. This album.

Jungho: I think Say My Name.

Seonghwa: Debut.

It sounds like a lot of you like the earlier stuff, so would you like to go back to that now that youve tried something a bit more vibrant?

Hongjoong: Maybe we will try many more different concepts.

What are you guys working on right now?

Hongjoong: Every day, every night, we always make music and try something for the next album. We practice. Were always doing [something]. We cant sleep.

Because of work? Or becuase of insomnia or something?

Hongjoong: Oh, no, Im a very good sleeper. I always sleep. When I eat something, sometimes I fall asleep. I sleep really well, its the opposite of insomnia.

Yunho: [He falls alseep] justin three seconds.

This is the third Treasure album. Is this the final album from the series, or do you plan to continue it?

Hongjoong: We already know how we make our next story, but we cant say about [that] yet.

[Since this interview, the group announced they will release the fourth and final Treasure album, Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action, on Oct. 8..]

What did you want fans to take away from the adventure theme Wave and Illusion music videos?

San: Since the first and second albums music videos were really dark and charismatic and kind of represent how weve worked very hard, these music videos were brighter and can sort of represent atime of rest. Like, for our fans, if you work Monday through Friday, the third album is like the weekend when you can take a break.

You released a music video for Aurora after the albums release, and received a lot of love. What does that song mean to you?

Hongjoong: When I was writing the song, I got inspiration from the stage when I see ATINY from it. I feel like they look like an aurora because they always have their [handheld] lightsand different ways of cheering us [on]. I want them to feel the same way as us when they watch our dancing or listen to our music, that they feel an aurora. Relax, very beautiful. I like that. So I write songs like that. The lyrics are about that too.

You also have a song on the album called Utopia. Whats each member's idea of utopia?

San: My utopia is ATINY, so through the song we wanted to show them how weve made a utopia through the bond between ATEEZ and ATINY.

This is a bit random, but you feature the phrase Hakuna Matata in your single Wave. Are you guys big Lion King fans?

Wooyoung: When I was younger, I watched Lion King with my older brother a lot when I was younger and I want to see the live-action film.

Yunho: [Sings the opening lines of Circle of Life.]

Do you have any other favorite movies or fictional inspirations you want to draw inspiration from for future releases?

Jongho: La La Land, Aladdin, those two soundtracks I really like. I think that could be influential for me.

Yunho: I like The Avengers. Kind of how in the seperate movies the general theme is cool and superhero-esque, I would like to see if ATEEZ could pull off something like that. [San plays around in the background, imitating Iron Man and Thor.]

Hongjoong: Pirates of the Caribbean. Were already doing like that [with Pirate King], but yea.

What are some changes youve seen among yourselves since your debut?

San: In the beginning, I wasnt 100% satisfied with myself and fully confident. But by watching the performances of my seniors and through ATINYs support, I was able to find confidence. Even though I may still be lacking now, I feel like Ive made a change for the better. Im very confident, but skills-wise I can work harder.

Who are some of the senior artists youve looked up to to learn from?

San: Taemin [of SHINee], Kai [of EXO]. I dont discriminate between senior male groups or female groups, so also Seulgi [of Red Velvet.] Theyre really good at performing, so I look up to them.

Kind of a similar question, but isthere anything that you feel youve changed about how you perform your songs or choreography since you started out? Either from the reaction of fans, or things youve learned more about as youve developed since your debut?

Seonghwa: When I look on social media, I do see a lot of opinions from my fans. I have my own opinions about what I want to become as well, so I take into account all of these different opinions and try to become a more diverse person with a more unique image for myself.

What is something you want to see for yourself?

Seonghwa: I want to keep improving on my hand gestures and facial expressions for during my parts during our performances.

How about anyone else?

Hongjoong: Weve actually made some changes to our shows. Our fans like more active, harder music sometimes, so we arranged our songs [to be] like what they want. So in our fanmeeting in Korea, we arranged the music again. Some music had a street version, some had an electric guitar version. Things like that. We receive their message, and they want harder music, they want more energetic [music] so we change it a little bit with arrangements. As for me, I want to try everything. For example, in Aurora I want to make more strings. In Pirate King I want to make it more active with drums, guitars, like that.

Yunho: When I was a trainee, I was talking about how I focused on choreography, and one of our strong points as a team is that our choreography is very coordinated. ATINY really likes that, so thats a driving factor, to work on growing as a group.

Another kind of random question but since you mentioned thatyou look online at what fans say Do you have any favorite memes?

Seonghwa: Theres this type of comedic picture where fans compile one picture out of many other pictures, and its really funny to me.

Youre known as a hardworking, really dedicated group, so how do you relax?

Jongho: Every member has a kind of unique way of resting during their break, like some people like to play games and others like to listen to or make music.

What kind of music do you guys like to listen to when resting?

San: Begin Agains Lost Stars.

Wooyoung: [Onces] Falling Slowly.

Yunho: I like upbeat dance music.

Jongho, joking: Heavy metal.

Yunho: No, not up to the point of heavy metal. Upbeat pop songs.

It sounds like many members of ATEEZ like musicals a lot. Do you have any favorites?

Jongho: Jesus Christ Superstar. I watched a lot of musicals when I was younger.

Whats something youd like to try musically moving forward?

Mingi: Lately, Ive been listening a lot to hip-hop and R&B, and the genres are really kind of blending together. The strict boundaries are getting more and more hazy, so Id like to venture into a song that mixes both. Ive been listening to Drake and Lil Nas X.

Do you like Old Town Road?

Hongjoong: [Starts singing.]

Mingi: Yes, but my favorite is Rodeo.

Whats something you miss about not being celebrities in the spotlight?

Mingi: Cant go to the Jimjilbang [Korean sauna.] I saw theres one in Koreatown [in LA] and Id like to go if I have time.

Whats something youve never told fans?

Mingi: Last night, San called room service and ordered pizza for me. My best friend. I love you.

Whats something that you want to try and achieve by the end of 2019 that you havent been able to achieve yet if anything?

Seonghwa: Change the color of my hair. I want to go through a lot of colors and then go back to black.

Wooyoung: I want to perform at the Mnet Asian Music awards.

Watch ATEEZs newly released performance teaser video for their upcoming single Wonderland below.

This interview was conducted in English and Korean, and edited for clarity.

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ATEEZ Reflect on 1 Year Since Their Debut, 'Treasure' Album Series & More - Billboard

Love and War in European Fiction – The New York Times

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There are clear parallels between this story and the stunning late-90s Danish film Festen (The Celebration, in English), in which a man attends a grand birthday party for his father, using the well-attended occasion to publicly disclose the familys dark history. Hjorth mentions the film multiple times in her novel, and explicitly, effectively contrasts her storys upshot with that of the movie.

I was so inhibited and traumatized that I had to stay away from something that might have been good for me, Bergljot writes after not attending a party. All because of my stupid childhood. That should be my epitaph: All because of my stupid childhood.

THE GIRL AT THE DOORBy Veronica RaimoTranslated by Stash Luczkiw 229 pp. Black Cat. Paper, $16.

Dystopian fatigue is real. It seems that every other novel today is set in some undetermined yet overdetermined future. The Girl at the Door, the first work by the Italian writer Raimo to be translated into English, freshens the genre a bit by setting it in a utopia. Miden is a fictional island where there are no longer any diminutives or pet names, Raimo writes. They were eliminated from the language to keep women from being harangued in an untoward or debasing way. There are no poor people there, nor even unhappy people, because the society couldnt conceive of them.

The novel is told in brief, alternating chapters narrated by characters simply called Him and Her. He is a professor of philosophy in Miden, and she is his pregnant partner. She has recently been visited by a former student of the professor who claims that he raped her throughout an affair they had two years ago. I didnt know then, the girl tells her, meaning that she had been subjected to violence. I know now. A commission is deciding whether he is guilty of causing TRAUMA No. 215 in his victim.

The book makes vague mention of an international language, and as in many dystopian stories there are plenty of portentous, underexplained words in capital letters: There was a Crash that led many to emigrate to Miden. The female narrators father was one of the founders of the Dream. There are Mediators who are subjected to constant monitoring and psychological stress tests in which they had to demonstrate their objectivity even in the most controversial situations and what was often meant by controversy was just life.

Everything in Miden is produced locally because imported goods make the inhabitants feel destabilized by the unknown. Readers have reason to believe that the professor is at the very least morally cloudy, but Raimo is clearly most interested in complicating our ideas about what it might mean to expunge, or even attempt to expunge, the worst impulses and elements from society.

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Love and War in European Fiction - The New York Times

The AIF announces shortlist for 2019 awards – Access All Areas

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The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Independent Festival Awards, which will take place on 6November in Sheffield as part of its sixth flagship Festival Congress.

Taking place again at 92 Burton Road in Sheffield, this years winners will be announced during an awards ceremony hosted for the first time by actor, writer and comedian Thanyia Moore.

In 2017, Moore joined the likes of Katherine Ryan, Andi Osho, Sarah Millican, Miss London Hughes and Desiree Birch when she was crowned Funny Women Champion, beating over 400 women in the process and also reaching the semi-finals of the BBC New Comedy Award in 2018.

In a shake-up for the Independent Festival Awards, there are nine awards categories in total this year, designed to recognise success and innovation across the independent festival industry. These include, Unique Festival Arena, Smart Marketing Campaign, Live Act of the Year and four new categories: European Festival of the Year, Backstage Hero, In On The Ground Floor (forward thinking artist booking) and Never Mind The Pollocks (best festival artwork).

The Smirnoff Arctic Disco at Snowbombing Austria, The Seaside Stage at Victorious, The Street at Beat-Herder, Elephants Grave at Nozstock and The Roadhouse at Black Deer Festival are all up for Unique Festival Arena this year.

The contenders for Live Act of the Year, presented in association with PRS for Music, are KOKOKO!, Yola, The Murder Capital, Black Futures, and Bloxx.

Elsewhere, Pete The Monkey (France), Snowbombing (Austria), Let It Roll (Czech Republic), Dunk! Festival (Belgium) and Blue Balls Festival (Switzerland) are all in the running for the inaugural European Festival of the Year award.

Nominees across other categories include Standon Calling, Barn On The Farm, Twisterella, Deer Shed and The Mighty Hoopla.

AIF CEO Paul Reed said: Were refreshing the Independent Festival Awards this year, with a new host and four new categories. The awards were set up as an irreverent alternative to other award shows, and the ultimate end of season celebration for the independent sector so its important to keep moving. Were delighted with the shortlist after receiving a record number of nominations from our members, proving there is no shortage of creativity and innovation in the independent festival sector. Were doing even more with the production and theme of the awards this year to emphasise that festival feel and weve introduced a European Festival of the Year category to demonstrate that, no matter what, the UK industry will remain a Europe-wide market and community.

DJ/producer Bear Growls dubbed the purveyor of the cosmic boogie will DJ at the awards, which will be followed by an after-show party at Yellow Arch Studios with DJ Katie Owen.

AIF has also announced the final Festival Congress schedule including an opening keynote from Owen Kingston, Artistic Director of immersive theatre company Parabolic Theatre, whose productions include For King And Country and Land Of Nod.

Kingston joins more than 45 speakers including previously announced Bing Jones (Extinction Rebellion), rock n roll photographer Jill Furmanovsky, Bert Cole (Arcadia Spectacular), Rebecca Wrigley (Rewilding Britain), Chris Sheldrick (what3words) and many more, with panels and workshops on topics including sustainability, the nature of independence, volunteer management, festival apps and data, licensing, contingency planning and more.

The theme of the event is Utopia And Dystopia, and the two-day conference will take place at Abbeydale Picturehouse a 1920s cinema in Sheffield.

See the complete schedule and list of speakers at festivalcongress.com

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The AIF announces shortlist for 2019 awards - Access All Areas

How a Mexican Generals Exile in Staten Island Led to Modern Chewing Gum – Atlas Obscura

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Two years before he died senile and broke, the disgraced Mexican General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna lived in a modest residence in Staten Island. Known variously as the executioner of hundreds at The Alamo, the man who lost Texas, and His Most Serene Highness and The Eagle, Santa Anna was missing a leg and had recently been conned out of tens of thousands of pesos. He spent his exile moving among high society, plotting to get rich or return to Mexico, and chewing on something called chicle.

Santa Anna hoped that his supply of chicle, a natural latex harvested from trees in the same fashion as rubber, would make him rich. Hed pitched Thomas Adams, a local inventor, on developing this foreign substance into an inexpensive replacement for rubber. It never worked. But after he left for Mexico for the final time, dumping his chicle on Adams, it became something else: the first modern chewing gum.

Santa Anna was born in 1794 to an aristocratic family in Veracruz, Mexico. A conflicted character from as early as his mid-teens, he fought with the Spanish in Mexicos struggle for independence but had a change of heart a few years later. Santa Anna ultimately became a Mexican general and helped the rebels overthrow his former colonial comrades. Like many revolution-leading generals, his next act was as a populist dictator, becoming Mexicos eighth president after years of struggling to consolidate the countrys independence and years of infighting for political power.

To boost his image, Santa Anna pulled propaganda stunts that included staging a state funeral for an amputated leg hed lost in battle. (His wooden prosthetic was later captured by Americans as a war trophy and allegedly displayed by P. T. Barnumalthough that may have been one of the showmans many hoaxes.) Alongside his military victories, they made him immensely popular. His supporters praised him as Liberator of Veracruz, Hero of Tampico, and Founder of the Republic.

His habit of chewing chicle, though, was unremarkable. After all, chewing the waxy sap of the Yuctan Peninsulas abundant sapodilla tree was common in Santa Annas birthplace. Following ancient Maya tradition, chicleros had harvested the sapodilla trees resin under the zig-zag slash of a machete for centuries. Chewy, odorless, and tasteless, it was an ancient form of gum.

Santa Anna was president of Mexico no less than 11 times, flip-flopping on issues when it benefited him. To first gain power, he stood for freedom, but once installed, he told a U.S. ambassador, A hundred years to come my people will not be fit for liberty unenlightened as they are. Increasingly out of touch, Santa Anna began to lose public support.

The fatal blow to his reputation came with the loss of large swaths of territory to Texas and the United States. Still, his grandiose sense of self-importance persisted. Infamously captured at San Jacintothe battle in which Mexico lost Texas and was considered revenge for Santa Annas cruelty at the Alamohe proudly remarked to his captors that man may consider himself born to no common destiny who has conquered the Napoleon of the West.

Forced into exile in the mid 1850s, Santa Anna floated around Cuba, Colombia, and Jamaica. In the Danish West Indies, he met with U.S. Secretary of State William Seward. Misinterpreting this as American support, writes Jennifer P. Mathews in Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, he was convinced by a Colombian revolutionary that the U.S. intended to back him against the current ruler of Mexico. Blinded by ambition, Santa Anna invested personal funds into the ploy and voyaged to New York City.

Fatefully, he brought his supply of chicle with him.

In New York, he learned that it was a lie. When all was said and done, Santa Anna was caught up in costly litigation, defrauded of tens of thousands of pesos, and forced to lease an unimpressive home on Staten Island, which was then not even within New York City limits.

Living among the Islands modest agricultural and fishing community, Santa Anna pursued his most far-fetched machination yet: to replace rubber with chicle. Santa Annas interpreter had befriended local glass merchant and inventor Thomas Adams, a Civil War photographer who had settled down to raise seven children. Sharing his chicle supply, Santa Anna implored him to develop it into a cheap alternative to the costly rubber used in carriage tires. If it worked, theyd become rich.

Chicle did make Adams rich, but not as a replacement for rubber.

During the late 1850s, Adams and his son Thomas Jr. made many attempts to vulcanize chicle. They yielded nothing, and Santa Annas focus drifted. Near the end of his life, penniless, beaten, and sliding down a steep slope of physical decline, he was allowed to return to Mexico City. Two years later, the Napoleon of the West died, unaware that his lasting legacy would come from leaving his chicle in Staten Island.

Adams had sunk $30,000 into the rubber project, to no avail. But before he gave up, he noticed a girl buy gum at a drugstore.

In Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, Mathews explains that at the time, chewing gum was nothing like it is today. Made with a paraffin base, it was brittle after chewing and often contained impurities. In comparison, as Thomas Adams noted in his patent application, chicle gum contained nothing of an unwholesome character and it could be stretched, molded into form, or broken and instantly reunited.

Inspired, Adams and his sons boiled down some chicle and rolled up a batch of flavorless balls. First put on sale in 1859, they sold so quickly that Adams and his sons went all-in on chicle chewing gum. Together, the family founded Adams Sons and Company and sold Adams New York Gum - Snapping and Stretching for a penny a pop. They soon added flavors to their gum, and the company took off.

By the late 1800s, Adams Sons and Co. had turned into a conglomerate called American Chicle Company that employed more than 300 workers at the largest chewing-gum plant in the world, near the Brooklyn Bridge. Chewing gum became so popular that, in an article arguing against Prohibition, Nikola Tesla claimed excessive gum chewing was more dangerous than alcohol abuse.

Adams continued innovating. Under his direction, pharmacies received chewing-gum machines and New York subway platforms saw the installation of Americas first vending machines, which sold Adamss popular Tutti Frutti flavor. Chicle became the base of gum the world over, giving birth to the $19 billion industry we know today.

Eventually chicle was overfarmed, leading to the use of alternatives. While Adams and Santa Anna sought to replace rubber with chicle, in the end it was the other way around, when synthetic polymers (a kind of rubber) developed by a Staten Island chemist in 1909 became the base of choice for gum manufacturers.

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How a Mexican Generals Exile in Staten Island Led to Modern Chewing Gum - Atlas Obscura