Monthly Archives: March 2017

A pair of skulls unearthed in China could shed light on the ancient humans that lived in the region, a recent study published in the journal Science reports.

Scientist have long known that Neanderthals dominated most of Europe and western Asia before Homo sapiens arrived in the area some 60,000 years ago. However, actual evidence of those early populations has been hard to come by.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing uncovered the remains during excavations in Lingjing, Xuchang County, between 2007 and 2014. Both findings are partial skulls dating back between 105,000 and 125,000 years ago. Though without faces, the bones have clear similarities and differences to the Neanderthals who lived further west.

In addition, the team noted certain characteristics such as a low, broad braincase that link the skulls to even earlier species. However, other features associated with those species, such as bony ridges over the eyes, were not found. The team believes this is an example of gracilisation, in which a bone steadily loses mass through evolution.

Both specimens are of interest because they have comparatively large braincases. This gives more credence to the theory that larger brain sizes steadily became more and more prevalent in Europe, Africa, and Asia as time moved on.

This morphological combination, particularly the presence of a mosaic not known among early Late Pleistocene humans in the western Old World, suggests a complex interaction of directional paleobiological changes and interregional population dynamics, said study co-author Dr. WU Xiujie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement.

Because the skulls have no teeth, the team is not able to say if they are related to the Denisovans another ancient human species. Though little is known about the group, many believe it split from the Neanderthal lineage about 400,000 years ago. That likely led to interbreeding, which means subsequent lineages could have Neanderthal features in their morphology.

Theres a certain amount of regional diversity at this time, but also there are trends in basic biology that are shared by everybody. And the supposed Neanderthal characteristics show that all these populations were interconnected, said study co-author Dr. Erik Trinkaus, a researcher at the Washington Universitys Department of Anthropology in St. Louis, according toBBC News.

Joseph Scalise is an experienced writer who has worked for many different online websites across many different mediums. While his background is mainly rooted in sports writing, he has also written and edited guides, ebooks, short stories and screenplays. In addition, he performs and writes poetry, and has won numerous contests. Joseph is a dedicated writer, sports lover and avid reader who covers all different topics, ranging from space exploration to his personal favorite science, microbiology.

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Ancient skulls shedding light on evolution of early humans - Science Recorder

GameTime: The Evolution Of The Three-Pointer - NBA.com NBA.com (blog) The GameTime crew discusses the evolution of the three-pointer and its use in the NBA. GameTime. 10:18. The GameTime crew discusses the evolution of the ... and more »

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GameTime: The Evolution Of The Three-Pointer - NBA.com - NBA.com (blog)

PARIS, France The future of silhouette was Rei Kawakubos description of her new collection, but it could equally have been silhouettes past that inspired her. Her designs exploded the female form into primal shapes that looked as much Stone Age as they did Space Age.Either way, they sidestepped any fashion consideration as efficiently as her defiantly non-fashion choice of materials. Nothing woven.That much we were told.We might have been looking at crumpled brown paper, a fake reptile texture composed of chemical by-products, the felt blankets that moving companies use, cotton wadding from a medical facility, silver foil

And it was beautiful.Beautiful like the Venus of Willendorf.Beautiful like Warhols Silver Clouds.There were recognisable human forms in the exaggerated shapes. Id swear I could see a figure with its hands thrust deep in pockets, for instance.One shape was belted.Another looked like a biker jacket melted in primordial heat.

It often seems like a Comme des Garons show simply happens, beginning and ending quite randomly.With the upcoming show at the Met,a different level of scrutiny will be applied to everything the label does.One thing that was striking about Saturdays presentation was its performance aspect: the placing and use of the suspended spotlights; the movement of the models, warily circling each other;Frederic Sanchezs soundtrack,of course, which used the chill, drifting electronica of Biosphere, the Norwegian musician who once recorded the noise made by the Northern Lights.

There was a quiet deliberation to all of this which heightened an eldritch sense of drama, of something pre or more likely post human.These werent so much clothes as they were evolving thought processes.And they highlighted how essential such evolution is.

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Essential Evolution at Comme des Garons - The Business of Fashion

Did you ever make a phone call through a switch board or party line? Maybe you had a rotary dial phone with a twenty-five foot cord you would stretch into your bedroom and close the door to talk with a friend. Then came call-waiting, caller ID and three-way calling. The thought of being able to carry a phone anywhere and talk to someone across the world seemed more than futuristic thirty years ago.

Technology and devices have changed dramatically since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in the late 1800s. Marketing products and services have evolved equally fast. False advertisements outlining the benefits of rattlesnake oil date back to the same era. Eventually, the snake oil salesman would use the telephone as a tool to scam people out of their money.

Today scams and fraud are more prevalent than ever because of technology advances and a globalized community. Phone scams have made the same strides in growth.

The BBB wants you to know the latest evolution of phone scams:

Spoofing. A call originating from anywhere in the country made by a scammer attempting to con people out of money and personal information.

Neighbor-hooding. A call originated by voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and appears to be coming from a nearby area code. Recipients tend to answer the phone because they think it is local.

Impersonation. The ability to access a contact list and use a number as their identity, or impersonate a public entity (IRS, federal agency, etc.) and make calls from that specific number. Imagine sitting with your daughter in the living room and your wireless phone lights up with your daughters phone number, however she isnt calling you.

Most phones today provide a digital display of the origination of the call. If you receive a call from outside of your area or locally that you do not recognize, do not answer. If it is important, the caller will provide a message. Keep in mind, even scammers leave messages to call them back. Listen carefully and if you are unsure, research the company by consulting the BBB directory or search for the company online and contact them through the information listed online to return the call. If you have been contacted by what you feel is a scam, report it to the BBB Scam Tracker at http://www.bbb.org/scamtracker and the FTC. Include the caller ID phone number, phone service provider or wireless carrier, date and time of call and additional details if possible.

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BBB Tip of the Week: The Evolution of phone scams - The Spokesman-Review

Horizon: Zero Dawn, a massive open-world game set in a lush, post-apocalyptic jungle inhabited by robot dinosaurs, is one of the most anticipated games of 2017.

Players take the role of Aloy, a young hunter in a far-flung future, well after most of human society has disappeared in a long-forgotten disaster.

Nature has reclaimed the land, with overgrown city ruins giving way to lush forests and plains. But there are still roving bands of robotic dinosaurs of unknown origin to contend with.

The last few years have seen a rise in female leads, such as Emily Kaldwin (Dishonored 2) and Evie Frye (Assassin's Creed: Syndicate).

That doesn't mean the medium has always been a complete dudefest. Since the earliest days of the Nintendo Entertainment System (even further back, if you count Ms. Pac-Man), gaming has seen a number of playable female leads.

With the help of several female game developers, we've put together a guide of some of gaming's original heroines as well as the new generation leading the charge.

Samus Aran from Nintendo's Metroid series, in her battle armour and 'zero' suit. (Nintendo)

Players didn't know much about Samus Aran, the armour-clad lead in the sci-fi adventure game Metroid for the NES in 1986. That is, not until she removed her helmet at the finish to reveal her long blond hair. This bounty hunter has been one of the first ladies of Nintendo ever since.

She's often been portrayed as a slender women while out of her suit, but an infographic in an old issue of Nintendo Power magazine had her standing at 6'8" with the physique of a mixed martial arts champion.

Laura Bow in 1989's The Colonel's Bequest, designed by Roberta Williams and Jacqueline Austin. (Sierra Entertainment)

Montreal-based developer Brie Code cites The Colonel's Bequest, a point-and-click adventure game designed by Roberta Williams and released in 1988, as the reason she got into games as a career.

The game stars Laura Bow, a college student and amateur detective investigating a Clue-like murder case in southern Louisiana. Code describes Bow as "a quiet but strong and inquisitive smart young woman."

Chun-Li in Street Fighter 5. (Capcom)

Chun-Liwas the only female fighter in 1991'sStreet Fighter 2and quickly became known for her rapid-fire Lightning Kicks. Her quote after winning a match, "I am the strongest woman in the world," remains a powerful statement and one of gaming's most memorable lines.

SHODAN, the malevolent artificial intelligence from System Shock 2. (Irrational Games/Electronic Arts)

One of Toronto-based developer Mare Sheppard's favourite female characters isn't a hero, or even a human. It's SHODAN, the malevolent artificial intelligence in the cyberpunk horror game System Shock 2 and one of gaming's most feared villains.

"SHODAN is just so cool. She is shrewd, ruthless and deliciously evil," says Sheppard. "You have to respect her drive and focus!"

Characters from 2000's Diablo 2, including the Amazon (far left) and Sorceress (second from right). (Blizzard Entertainment)

Fantasy dungeon crawlerDiablo2had five characters to choose from. Two of them were women: the Sorceress and the Amazon.

"Playing as a boy character when I could play as a girl didn't even cross my mind," recalls game designer Kara Stone, who first playedDiablo2when she was 10. "Seventeen years later, I see that the sorceress had a big impact on how I play games now."

The 2012 sequel,Diablo3, let players choose either a male or female version for all character classes.

Jade, the lead character of Beyond Good and Evil. (Ubisoft)

Beyond Good and Evil, a cult hit from 2003, is still loved by gamers for its Pixar-styled world and adventuring gameplay similar to the Legend of Zelda series. You play as Jade, an investigative photojournalist who's also good with a bo-staff.

Critics lauded Jade as one of the few female games characters of the era without an overtly sexualized appearance.

Lara Croft from 1996's Tomb Raider. (Core Design/Eidos Interactive)

The original Lara Croft might be gaming's most problematic fave. Debuting in 1996's Tomb Raider as a self-confident millionaire archaeologist, she became one of gaming's best-known faces for years.

She even crossed over into mainstream entertainment, portrayed by Angelina Jolie in a pair of Hollywood films.

Inspired by singer Neneh Cherry and comic book character Tank Girl, Lara's designers originally wanted her to run counter to stereotypical female leads in pop culture. But her buxom figure and racy poses on men's magazine covers resulted in confusion: Was she empowering to women or just a digital pin-up?

Lara Croft from the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. (Crystal Dynamics/Square-Enix)

Developer Square-Enix went back to the drawing board for the Tomb Raider reboot in 2013, recasting her as an archaeology student just discovering her potential for heroism. Trading in her hot pants for a bow and arrows a la Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, critics praised the reimagined Lara.

Red, star of Transistor. (Supergiant Games)

Red, from Supergiant Games' Transistor, is a silent protagonist much like The Legend of Zelda's Link. But it's not by choice: The former singer had her voice stolen by the rulers of her cyberpunk hometown, Cloudbank.

"Red deeply resonates with me because she reverses her setbacks into strengths," says independent game developer Tanya Kan. "By combining the strengths of the best citizens who've gone before her, she seeks to rewrite the city's fabric against a legion of killer robots."

Lilith, also known as 'The Siren,' from Borderlands. (Gearbox/2K Games)

Toronto game designer Kaitlyn Tremblay's favourite female character is Lilith from Borderlands, an action game set in a Mad Max-style universe.

"She gets to actually be a person, in a lot of ways," says Tremblay. "She's incredibly powerful, her progression toward becoming a leader is believable, but she's also vulnerable, not afraid to show fear and pain. She's also just a massive dork when it comes to flirting."

Commander Shepard, left, and Sara Ryder from the Mass Effect Series. (Bioware/Electronic Arts)

Mass Effect, a sprawling sci-fi adventure series by Canadian studio Bioware, let players choose between a male or female version of the hero, Commander Shepard. Since both versions had to be more or less interchangeable for the plot, "FemShep," as fans know the female version, was as smart, strong and respected by her peers as the male version.

The next game in the series, Mass Effect: Andromeda, is due in March and will again let players choose their hero from one of two siblings: Scott and Sara Ryder.

Left to right: Farah, Tracer, Zarya and Mercy, 4 of the playable characters from Overwatch. (Blizzard Entertainment)

Online multiplayer shooter Overwatch was one of the most popular games of 2016 and is still going strong. It's been praised for its large and diverse cast, which includes women of different ethnic backgrounds, ages and body types.

A Christmas-themed companion comic also confirmed that British adventurer Tracer is gay, making her one of a very small number of LGBT characters to appear on the cover of a video game.

Aloy in Horizon: Zero Dawn, out now on the Sony PlayStation 4. (Guerrilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Voice actor and gaming personality Ashly Burch voices Aloy in Horizon: Zero Dawn, out nowon Sony'sPlayStation4. She's a member of the Nora, one of a smattering of human tribes and settlements left on the planet.

Aloy has made a strong impression on critics as the latest heroine to headline a major console game release.

"She's as clever as Hermione Granger, as tough as Lara Croft and better with a bow than Katniss Everdeen," writes Engadget's Jessica Conditt.

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Horizon: Zero Dawn and the evolution of the video game heroine - CBC.ca

Kansas City Star

The evolution continues for Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who is ... Kansas City Star In six seasons with the Royals, Salvador Perez has established himself as one of the best catchers in baseball. This offseason, he focused on laying a ... and more »

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The evolution continues for Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who is ... - Kansas City Star

Having started a pair of winter friendlies at right back for the U.S. national team, the veteran is now finding a rhythm at the position in MLS play.

WASHINGTON Graham Zusi doesn't necessarily identify himself as a right back. Not yet, at least.

But after starting a pair of friendlies there for the U.S. national team this winter, Zusi went 90 minutes at the position in Sporting Kansas City's 0-0 draw with D.C. United to open the MLS season.

WATCH: Dempsey scores in return

To Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes, Zusi remains an option as a winger or central midfielder. Yet it's apparent the 30-year-old has real appeal as an overlapping right back in Vermes' 4-3-3 system.

"Talking with Peter, I think in his mind I'll probably be playing a bit of both," Zusi told Goal. "Positions aside, I think my versatility getting up and down the field and providing attack as a defender is what Pete's looking for."

After playing a handful of matches at right back last year most notably a draw with the LA Galaxy that caught the attention of now-U.S. coach Bruce Arena Zusi sits atop the Sporting KC depth chart at the position as 2017 kicks off.

Matched up with Patrick Nyarko on Saturday, Zusi did well to hold the crafty winger in check while jumping into the attack. With Jimmy Medranda Sporting KC's regular left back last year also lined up on the right flank, Zusi had sound defensive cover whenever he decided to venture forward.

"I told him, I thought the second half his 1v1 defending was tremendous on Nyarko," Vermes said. "What Graham does so well is first off he has a great mentality no matter where you put him. He anticipates things tremendously. There were times where he stepped in front, he cut off passing lanes, he won the ball and was putting us on the counter quickly.

"And then he also can do something with the ball after that it's not like he wins it and just boots it away. He finds the next layer to play to. ... If I were to play him at wing or play him in the middle of midfield, you would see a lot of the same stuff. He's a true pro."

Zusi's emergence at the position is bad news for Saad Abdul-Salaam, who made 30 appearances as Sporting KC's first-choice right back last season. But putting Zusi in the back makes room for another attacking weapon on a team that scored the fourth-fewest goals in MLS last season.

After notching at least five goals and seven assists every season from 2011 to 2014, Zusi combined to record four goals and nine assists over the past two years. In embracing a shift to right back, heis finding a way to to extend his influence for club and country as he enters his 30s.

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"He's a talented player, so he can play anywhere," defender Ike Opara said. "He understands the game, and he's got all of the tools to play whatever position he's put in."

Newcastle's DeAndre Yedlin figures to be the first choice at right back when the U.S. resumes World Cup qualifying with crucial matches against Honduras on March 24 and Panama on March 28. Eintracht Frankfurt's Timmy Chandler is suspended against Honduras, however, leaving the U.S. in need of a backup.

In delivering a sturdy performance at RFK Stadium on Saturday, Zusi continued to stake his claim to that role come late March.

"You know that's just around the corner," Zusi said. "For the most part, you have to focus on what's at hand. Right now that's club ball. For us to come in here and get a point on the road, that's a good thing."

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'A true pro' - Zusi takes right back evolution to Sporting KC - Goal.com