Daily Archives: November 22, 2019

At first, Carolina Concha and her fellow researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute worried that every mutant butterfly would die. They were attempting to deactivate a crucial wing-patterning gene known as wntA, and they aimed to make this genetic change not in just one variety of butterfly, but in 22 types. Fortunately, the mutant insects developed normally, from egg to caterpillars to chrysalises to full-fledged butterflies. And when the butterflies finally unfurled their wings, they contained a lesson in evolutionjust like navigating a car through a web of city streets, there are many routes to get to the same evolutionary destination.

Concha says the research, newly published in Current Biology, investigates several broad evolutionary questions, among them, How is convergent evolution achieved?

When different species independently develop traits that closely resemble each other, thats convergent evolutionit means that the same evolutionary solution boosted their chances of survival. Butterflies provide good case studies of this phenomenon because theyre impressive mimics. Some types of butterflies can produce cyanide-like toxins, making them very unpleasant prey. A bird will eat a butterfly and learn, after one, or two, or three experiences, not to eat it anymore, explains Concha. The bird remembers that butterfly from its wing patterns and avoids it. Other species, poisonous and harmless alike, that live in the same area have evolved lookalike wings for protection.

Basically, we were asking whether the butterflies use the same developmental networks to color and map their wings in different species, Concha says.

To investigate this big evolutionary question, researchers at STRI and partner institutions focused on something miniscule: the scales on butterfly wings, so small the naked eye cant distinguish them. The scales, overlapping like tiles on a roof, as Concha describes them, form the black-and-brightly-hued patterns adorning butterfly wings. In the butterfly genus Heliconius, known for their varied wing appearance, four genes strongly influence wing pattern, including the pre-patterning gene wntA.

Wings start out as wing disks towards the end of the caterpillar stage of metamorphosis. Pre-patterning genes like wntA activate and communicate with different molecules and genes, more or less outlining the master plan for wing pattern. Eventually, these signals determine the identity and position of each wing scale, which develop colorless in the chrysalis at first before pigments get made. (Yellow, white and red are the first colors to emerge; black and darker pigments appear later.)

To better understand how wntA shapes wing pattern under normal conditions, Concha and her team had to create mutants, deactivating the gene using CRISPR, a genetic editing tool that was introduced in 2012.

In an interview with Vice, biologist Michael Perry from the University of California, who has studied the genetic basis of butterfly wing color, noted the innovative technique. Eight or nine years ago, I wouldve never believed you if you said that it would be possible to make targeted mutations in 12 different species of Heliconius. But with CRISPR, the STRI researchers reared more than 100 modified butterflies from 12 species and 10 sub-types.

By disrupting the wntA gene in the mutant butterflies, researchers wanted to see how wing pattern changed. If two different species with mirror-image wings under normal conditions both had the gene knocked out, would the mutated patterns look similar across species, or would the genetic mutation lead to different end results for separate species?

As it turned out, diverse species responded differently to the deactivated gene. Scientists noticed what Concha describes as a boundary shifting, often color bleeding into areas that had previously been black. Normally, Heliconius hewitsoni and Heliconius pachinus, whose habitats overlap in western Costa Rica and Panama, share three yellowish-white stripes and a central flare of red. But in the wntA mutants, H. hewitsoni had off-white coloring spread almost throughout its forewing and developed a patch of gray in its hindwing. H. pachinus, in contrast, still had a bold black stripe through its forewing and no gray.

The discrepancy told the scientists that wntA has evolved to act differently in these distantly related species. If evolution is a maze where the exit is optimal survival, its like the species figured out two separate twisting-turning pathways through the genetic labyrinth to arrive at the same color patterna result Concha calls a bit unexpected. People would more frequently expect that they would share a common pathway, she says, especially because these creative genetic pathways cropped up in a relatively short time span; the species diverged between 14 and 10 million years ago.

The researchers then zoomed in, using a microscope that creates close-ups 15,000 times bigger than their actual size, to look at the texture of individual scales. Different color scales have unique topography, and this closer look confirmed, Concha says, the gene is controlling the identity of that scale.

In these particular butterflies, evolution had happened more speedily and less predictably than scientists tend to expect. In the Current Biology paper, Concha and her co-authors note that evolution is too complicated for generalizations. Still, she says, if evolution took two starkly different paths to pattern near-identical butterfly wings, It could happen more than we think.

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What Butterflies' Colorful Wing Patterns Can Teach Us About Evolution - Smithsonian.com

The Big Event a Christian conference nestled beside Lake Champlain and inviting students from all over New York and New Jersey changed my confusing experience in faith, but also highlighted the challenge of choosing to be a Christian on a secular campus. When put in a room with a bunch of people who shared my same belief, it was not difficult for me to get immersed and feel God working. It was almost overwhelming how much the energy changed. The most honest prayer I can pray is the one I pray when I am heartbroken, and heartbreak doesnt begin to cover what I was feeling.

Despite being Christian all my life, I truly fell in love with Christ and His personality at Big. But I wish it was as easy as it sounds. Take it this way, falling in love with God is remarkably similar to falling in love with someone theyre so interesting and attractive, but you will never know how they feel since you talk to them (maybe) twice a week. The only way to know who He is, is to talk to him and get to know Him, and sometimes it is not all rainbows and sunshine because as long as youre human, no relationship can be perfect but heres the catch, God is perfect love.

I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I served at my churchs worship team, became an usher and helped with their youth group. But going abroad, I conveniently left my faith at the steps of my small church in Bandung, Indonesia. Christianity no longer became a banner I waved with pride, especially when it was associated with certain points of views, practices and beliefs that even I could not wrap my head around and tolerate. Finding my own identity in the culture of the world, I left my identity as a Christian. I felt like a stranger in my own skin, not entirely sure where I stand in matters of my belief.

Throw away all your preconceived notions of a Christian conference. Now imagine a room with a live band, hip-hop music blaring from the speakers, 375 college students from across New York and New Jersey all talking amongst each other, having dance-offs, singing, praying that kind of atmosphere flooded The Big Event.

The most memorable moment that I had at the Big Event was when I felt like I was wrestling with God during worship. I realised that I was disillusioned about the idea of God. If He is so perfect and all-knowing and if He loves me, its easy to ask why didnt He do this one thing I really wanted Him to? Why did God read my message and leave me on read? If He really wants what is best for me, why didnt He make my prayers a reality? And to all those questions, Gods response was You cannot change hearts, only I can. I love you, thats why I need you to wait, for I know whats best for you. And to that, I broke down, and all the anger and jealousy that overflowed in the pits of my chest were gone, and my burden was lifted and exchanged with a cross I chose to take up.

Walking by the shoreline of Lake Champion, the first thing I realised was how light my heart felt. Pride, jealousy, anger- emotions that I never knew I felt had been replaced with a feeling of tranquillity. It was like being embraced by your best friend who you have not seen in so long. During Big Event, I was reminded that there was no certain mold of what an ideal Christian looks like (Hint: it is definitely not Bible-beaters in their high castles, twisting the Word to fit their personal and political agenda).

I can be whoever I am now, with all my imperfections, guilt, and shame. And as a college student, I still can glorify God through what I like to do: academic endeavours, extracurricular activities, and work. I dont have to fit any mold because jars of clay look different, and God still set treasures in them.

Youve always been like that, my mom told me over a Skype call from a thousand miles away. I told her about how I found a perfect Christian analogy about how being close to God was a lot like tuning in a radio. The world was noise a bunch of little dots on your screen that dont really make a lot of sense until you tune in to a channel. When you tune in to Gods channel, life starts to make sense. You start to see images, and colour, and stuff that has the potential to be beautiful.

When I realized that everything I do at Skidmore can be something that shows Gods character, being a Christian became something that I didnt need to hide anymore. This remains the challenge: when the spiritual high dies down and when the worlds noise starts to get to you, that is when you realise that being a Christian in a secular campus is an active choice you are making, and that is a liberating experience- and I know Im not alone. Worship and change do not only start in a camp in the middle of the Catskills, but it was a catalyst for me.

Christian Fellowship meets every Friday at 7pm in the ICC and every Wednesday at 6pm in the Joto Penthouse, if youre interested.

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Glorious Burdens: "The Big Event" and One Student's Evolution of Faith - Skidmore News

The first time I came across the hash key was as a child when I saw it on a landline. It was sitting right there, at the bottom corner of the keypad, and it remained unused for as long as I can remember.

The era of mobile phones brought with it the use of the hash key. Remember the code on recharge coupons that you had to enter into your phone to get the recharge done? We always had to use the hash key for the same. The hash key was now being used but still not enough to really make a difference.

The hashtag has been there since the time of the Romans. It was an abbreviation for pound in weight and then, the Englishmen modified the abbreviation a bit and it looks much closer to the hashtag that we see today.

The rise of the hashtag, as we know it, comes with the rise of various social media platforms. Chriss Messina, a technologist and product designer introduced the hashtag for the very first time on Twitter but Twitter didnt really buy it. Then, in 2007, there was a wildfire in San Diego and Chris saw his friend tweeting constant updates about the wildfire. Chris had an idea and he asked his friend to use the hashtag for all of his tweets on the raging fire. Upon using the hashtag, people on social media started posting about the San Diego wildfire with the hashtag and the hashtag became an overnight star!

Watch the video below to find out the evolution of the hashtag.

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The Evolution Of The Hashtag - Mashable India

While Pidgey has been around throughout the years, each new Pokemon generation has introduced a main Flying type bird that is available very early in the game. Rookidee was that Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield, who evolves to Corvisquire, but that is not its only evolution. This other evolution will come a good bit later and this guide will detail how you can evolve it.

After getting your Corvisquire, its going to be awhile before you end up evolving the Pokemon. Just like in the evolution from Rookidee, all you have to do to evolve Corvisquire is raise its level high enough, which in this case is level 38.

Unlike a lot of other final evolutions in Pokemon Sword and Shield, Corviknight is one you likely have seen already in the game. However, not from trainers, but instead you have seen it by using the Flying Taxis in the game, which are literally Corviknights.

Corvikinght also comes with a brand new move upon evolution due to it gaining an additional typing, which is Steel Wing. This is a good move to add to Corviknights repertoire as a now Flying/Steel type, as it is very useful to add to your types to use in battle.

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Pokemon Sword and Shield - How To Evolve Corvisquire Into Corviknight - Attack of the Fanboy

Evolution Recruitment Solutions has been named as Investors in Peoples Employer of the Year: Platinum (50-249 people) at the 2019 IIP Awards. They were the first company to ever be Platinum accredited by the initiative.

The recognition follows the companys last IIP assessment which ensured they were reaccredited until 2021. In that assessment, Investors in People described Evolutions commitment to its employees as a very strong performance against an internationally recognised business transformation framework.

The awards ceremony, was held in London on 19th November, hosted by Russell Kane, and saw some huge names in business being nominated in the same category as Evolution, including Brother UK and Hermes Airport Limited.

We are absolutely thrilled to be named as the 2019 Platinum Employer of the Year by Investors in People, said Gareth Morris, Evolutions CEO, UK & Europe. After being recognised as the first business in the world to achieve the Platinum standard in 2016, Evolution has gone from strength to strength to remain accredited up until 2021.

It is Evolutions 20th birthday in 2020, and our objective for next year is to attract new talent to the business to support our growth plans, so this award is a fantastic ending to 2019.

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Platinum Employer of the Year for Evolution Recruitment Solutions. - The Global Recruiter

We need to revolutionise agriculture in the next 30 years. In 2050 we may have almost 10 billion people to feed. Farmland is already degraded by existing agriculture, and climate change is putting new pressure on crops and livestock.

With the tools we have now we cant create new breeds and cultivars fast enough to cope with the rapidly changing conditions. How will we get strong yields in uncertain environments and make more food without using more land?

Part of the answer is synthetic biology: using cutting-edge genetic technology to build organisms that evolution never did. Synthetic biology has already had some successes, such as turning yeasts into tiny chemical factories and giving cotton the qualities of synthetic fibres.

At CSIRO, we have already used synthetic biology to produce energy-rich feed for livestock. Our scientists have switched on high oil production in the stems and leaves of plants, which could potentially triple the amount of oil they produce.

But these examples are just the beginning.

Synthetic biology applies engineering theory to biological systems. It relies on a standard kit of biological parts such as genes that can be combined to generate complex subcellular machines, circuitry, devices and even whole cells and complex engineered organisms.

This means cells and other biological systems can be designed like electrical circuit boards. Methods that have been successful in other areas of engineering such as design-build-test-learn cycles, robotic assembly systems and using artificial intelligence algorithms to extract meaning from large data sets can now be used on life itself to rapidly improve engineered organisms.

Read more: The synthetic biology revolution is now here's what that means

Evolution allows plants and animals to explore various different solutions to problems they encounter via random mutations and natural selection.

For example, breathing can work in several different ways, and some of these are much more efficient than our lungs. Evolution doesnt necessarily deliver the best solution to a problem it just delivers one that lets an organism survive in a given niche.

So, for any given problem, better solutions may exist than the ones already available in biology. Synthetic biology lets us explore this untested solution space much more quickly than evolution on a timescale of weeks or months, rather than years or millennia.

Synthetic biology therefore allows us to explore places where evolution has never gone and in some cases, probably never would go. It means we can reach outcomes chosen to meet human needs, instead of evolutionary pressures.

To make the most of synthetic biology, there are several systemic challenges that need to be addressed.

I recently met with colleagues from around the world to explore these challenges for agricultural synthetic biology and we have just published our conclusions in Nature Plants.

We agreed that synthetic biology is changing not just what we deliver but how we do this kind of science.

Designing high-throughput bioengineering experiments is quite different from the bespoke, master-craftsperson approach we have used previously. It requires a conceptual and cultural shift that has to happen in a relatively short time frame. Universities will need to modernise their teaching programs to keep pace.

Read more: A fresh opportunity to get regulation and engagement right the case of synthetic biology

We also need to build robotic infrastructure (known as biofoundries), create faster analytical systems to handle testing, and develop new data-analysis methods and machine-learning algorithms. A global alliance of biofoundries was recently established to help push this science forward rapidly.

Basic research into the fundamental principles of the systems that we aim to engineer must also be supported. We cannot engineer effectively unless we understand the system we are modifying. Engineering a system effectively in turn aids our understanding of that system.

Finally, we must ensure the social, legal, ethical, regulatory and institutional issues surrounding synthetic biology are addressed in parallel with development and deployment of these technologies.

Australia has recognised the importance of synthetic biology. CSIRO, Australias national science agency, established the Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform in 2016 to build our synthetic biology capability. This is now a A$60 million research and development program with 45 partners nationally and internationally.

It includes a strong investment in social sciences and responsible innovation. The Australian Council of Learned Academies published a roadmapping report for synthetic biology in 2018, and the Australian Research Council has just invested A$35 million into an ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology.

At CSIRO, synthetic biology is being used to create cotton with the properties of synthetic fibres, such as being stretchy, non-creasing and even waterproof. This avoids the use of petrochemicals, and the cotton remains biodegradable.

And at The University of Queensland we are engineering yeast the same yeast used to make beer, wine and bread to make sustainable agricultural chemicals. The chemicals can alter crops and their associations with microbes in the roots so they take up nutrients more efficiently. The aim is to increase the yield of crop plants.

We have much to do and a relatively short time to do it in. We need to explore uncharted territory beyond evolution to solve the existential problems that agriculture faces. The synthetic biology tools and techniques we are developing will be critical to deliver the agriculture we need in a challenging future.

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To feed the world in 2050 we need to build the plants that evolution didn't - The Conversation AU

Superbugs are germs that have become resistant to the drugs that should destroy them. These drug resistant bacteria and fungi are difficult to control and treat.

Often, superbugs are bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. They can also be fungi.

Antibiotics are a vital class of drugs that help save many lives. They treat a wide variety of infections, from mild urinary tract infections to life threatening sepsis.

However, the recent rise in superbugs is partly to do with the overuse of antibiotics, which contributes to antibiotic resistance.

There is no way to stop antibiotic resistance entirely, as it is part of the natural evolution of germs. Yet, it is essential for both doctors and patients to take steps to avoid antibiotic resistance.

In this article, learn more about antibiotic resistant germs, including how they have developed resistance and what we can do to prevent their spread.

A superbug refers to a germ that has formed resistance to multiple drugs that once treated the infection caused by the germ. The term "superbug" was developed by the media.

While any germ may become a superbug, bacterial and fungal strains that routinely infect humans, animals, and crops are most likely to do so.

As these bacteria and fungi adapt to the way a drug works, they may begin to resist treatment. Treating these infections may then take multiple doses of different and stronger drugs.

Antibiotic resistant infections lead to more than 35,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Antibiotic resistant bacteria may be more present in certain areas that require regular sterilization, such as hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Regular sterilization is key to combating infections in these settings, but it may also be making some germs stronger.

In addition, these dangerous germs may be more present in some foods, such as in animal products that farmers have treated with antibiotics.

The CDC recently released a report called Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019, which classifies resistant germs based on risk.

The highest risk germs include:

Doctors traditionally use carbapenems to treat severe or otherwise high risk bacterial infections.

Meanwhile, other infectious germs can pose serious threats to health, including drug resistant versions of:

The CDC report also includes a watch list of three pathogens that have the potential to become resistant and spread. These include:

Hospitals are major sources of drug resistant infections. A certain group of bacteria cause most of the antibiotic resistant infections in hospital settings. This group, called the ESKAPE bacteria, includes:

Stronger strains of these bacteria have become antibiotic resistant and have little or no response to antibiotics.

Some have even developed resistance to sanitizers, such as the alcohol-based disinfectants that many hospitals use.

The authors of a 2018 scientific report noted that strains of E. faecium isolated after 2010 were 10 times more tolerant to alcohol disinfectants than older isolates.

The list above does not give a comprehensive picture of all of the potentially drug resistant pathogens. With regular exposure to antibiotic or antifungal treatments, almost any bacteria or fungi may develop resistance.

The pathogens listed above, however, currently pose the greatest threats to health.

No special symptoms indicate that a person has an infection with a superbug. The person will likely experience the same symptoms that they would if they had a regular infection.

However, time can help indicate that a person has a superbug infection the infection will not respond well to treatment, and the person's symptoms will likely get much worse.

If the infection is not responding well to treatment, the doctor will ask about the person's medical background and travel history. They may also run tests to help determine whether the germ causing the infection is drug resistant.

What people call "superbugs" have appeared partly because of the natural evolution of germs. Infectious germs, such as bacteria, multiply very quickly. This allows them to overpower the body's immune system and cause an infection.

When a person introduces an antibiotic into their system, the antibiotic attacks and destroys the infectious germs.

However, they also adapt in response to their environments through mutations in their DNA. This helps them continue to multiply.

While the antibiotic kills the more susceptible germs, a small number of resistant germs may survive the treatment. These stronger bacteria then multiply and become dominant, passing on their antibiotic resistant genes.

These resistant bacteria can spread and cause an infection that is more difficult to treat with the same antibiotics.

Eventually, a person may have an infection that does not respond well to the initial antibiotic. The doctor may then try a different antibiotic. Any bacteria that survive this second treatment may slowly develop a resistance to it, as well.

As this cycle continues, the germ's ability to adapt allows it to survive many different antibiotic treatments, and it becomes a superbug.

Also, some germs have phenotypic resistance, which means that they are resistant to certain antibiotics without genetic mutation occurring.

Preventing infection is one of the most crucial ways to fight against superbugs. This involves practicing safe hygiene in various ways. For example, by:

Also, people can minimize the risk of illness in general by eating a healthful diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

Antibiotic resistance is a natural process. As such, there is no way to stop it completely. However, it is possible to slow down the development of resistance.

On a personal level, people can take steps to reduce widespread antibiotic use. These include:

On the medical side, researchers are working to create new and more effective antibiotics, and in the search for ways to combat antibiotic resistance, they are casting their nets wide.

For instance, a 2019 study in the journal Advanced Science found that an antioxidant from cranberries may help prevent antibiotic resistance, in some cases. This antioxidant, proanthocyanidin, may help make some antibiotics more effective by getting around bacteria's natural resistances.

New research shows promise in improving treatments and decreasing the risk of antibiotic resistance.

Superbugs have become a serious issue. These germs are often bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. They can also be fungi.

Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally over time, and this is usually a very slow process. However, the overuse of antibiotics has led to a sharp increase in resistant bacteria, which can be challenging to eliminate.

While different drugs can still help eliminate resistant bacteria or fungi, the focus should be on keeping these germs from developing.

It is crucial to take steps to prevent infections and to avoid using antibiotics unless it is absolutely necessary.

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Superbugs: What they are, evolution, and what to do - Medical News Today

Sam Brooks reviews the latest generation of thePokmongames which finally hits the big-ish screen.

I love Pokmon but I wish I could play it on my TV.

Ive been playing Pokmon for 20 years and thats been the main thing Ive heard from my fellow Pokmon friends/fans. The games have been engrossing, addictive and entertaining ever since they were released, on three different handhelds now, but theyve always been that handheld experiences. Thats not to say that handheld games are any less or any worse than console games, but theyre intimate, portable experiences by design.

But what I wanted (and Im not alone here) was to play an episode of the Pokmon anime the best marketing tool a video game series has ever had. I wanted to be in the brightly coloured, full-size world of the cartoon. Sprites were fine, but they were representations not of the real world, but of the anime. Even as the graphics got gradually better, they were still largely 2D sprites. There wasnt the range of colour, the scale or the depth to feel immersed. These were experiences that got within your head, but you often felt like you were scaling down your fantasy to meet the screens.

A city in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Not so withPokmon Sword and Shield. Thanks to the Switchs ability to well, switch, between being a home console and a portable handheld one, for the first time (not including the console games), you can play a Pokmon game on your big screen. And it really, really matters, you guys.

Its still the same Pokmon. You still play a child set loose in a wild world to catch monsters who can potentially ruin the world many times over, and set those monsters in recreational matches against each other. There are still several hundreds of Pokmon to catch, although in a controversial move, theyve slashed the available Pokmon from 800 to 400, which is still, in my opinion, far too many Pokmon. Your ten-year-old avatar wanders around this world (and in a crucial change, Pokmon roam around the world with you, theyre not random encounters anymore), collecting Gym Badges and fighting to be the Pokmon Champion. You know, like the anime.

There are minimal changes to the gameplay, the most notable of which is Dynamaxing, where you can turn your chosen Pokmon be it a fluffy cloud, a living teapot or a fire-breathing dragon into your very own city-stomping kaiju.It doesnt change up the actual battle system hugely, but it leads to a shot of excitement in a gym fight here and there.

Theres also the addition of camping where you can bond with your chosen Pokmon, which in turn leads to them being better in fights. There are also some general shakeups of the battle system that will be unrecognisable to the casual player, but a huge change to the more devoted gamers. For most of us, its Pokebusiness as usual, which is a very good thing.

Running into an Onix in the Wild in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

The biggest change to the gameplay is the addition of the Wild Area, an open world area that resembles in philosophy the Safari Area of the previous games, and in design the open world ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.You can run into the vast majority of the games 400 Pokmon here, including some very high-level ones, and even mess around in Pokmon dens to fight Dynamaxed Pokmon alongside other trainers. Its a little bit shallow, as you might expect from the franchises first foray into open world, but if theres a game with the breadth to support an open world, its this one.

Despite minimal changes to the gameplay, this feels like the biggest evolution in what is, frankly, gamings biggest franchise in two decades. You could make a very boring argument that Pokmon Sun and Moon was more experimental, and honestly, Sword and Shield undoes a lot of those changes. But the most crucial evolution is how you, as player and protagonist, are placed in the world.

For two decades now,Pokmonhas done a great job of making a big world feel intimate. It makes the tallest peaks feel scalable, and theres an undeniable thrill in that. But the initial wonder has worn off. With each generation the Pokmon universe gets bigger, but the games dont scale up to meet that size. They dont fill the world theyve built. I cant remember the last time this franchise had the thrill of revealing an entire new Kanto region in Gold and Silver; the world getting bigger around your tiny sprite. The graphics have improved, the gameplay has gotten deeper, but the scale has stayed the same. It might get bigger, but it still feels like different paint on the same canvas.

Not so withSword and Shield.With a simple perspective change, it reinstates the wonder that the old Pokmon games used to have, a wonder that was frankly very much borrowed from the anime. It replaces it with its own.

The rolling hills of Galar in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

A big part of that is that this game is available on a bigger screen. We can see the gorgeous scenery of Galar in big, beautiful HD rather than scaled-down on our screens. GameFreak has definitely made use of this, right from the time you crest the hill of your first home village and see the green-and-yellow hills beyond. Rather than the fairly small scope of vision of the previous games, youve got a world rolling out ahead of you. That wonder is even present when youre playing on the smaller screen, but it really inspires that awe.

But its more than just the graphics, its the way that Galar, the UK-based region of Sword & Shield is built and presented to us. Rather than the usualPokmon rigamarole of being a ten year old going on a journey to the Pokmon league, its presented to us immediately in the very first cutscene as a massive deal (yes, this game has cutscenes that justify being called that). People watch in stadiums, its broadcast all over TV, and the people who take on the Gym Challenge usually the backbone of the structure for any of these games are special people. They have to be endorsed and chosen.

This gives the protagonist and by proxy, the feeling of actually being someone special. If anything, thats the thing that this game does better than anything else in the series so far. You feel like an important part of this world, and the Pokmon that you raise with you feel equally important. For the past few generations youve been able to build relationships with your chosen six Pokmon, but now you can send them out on jobs (not even monsters are free from capitalism) and play around with them in the camp. These are small but significant touches that pull you into Galar.

I cant say if its the best Pokmon game out there. Ive played far too many, and Ill never be as fully invested in them as I was as a child. There are still the usual flaws (why on earth is there only one save slot still?) and repetitiveness, namely that once youve figured out your team youre pretty much set, but this is the first time in well over a decade that Ive played a Pokmon game and felt wonder.

Sword and Shield didnt make me feel like a kid again, but it made me wish I was a kid so this could be my first Pokmon game. For the first time, maybe since the first or second generation, weve got a game that doesnt feel like just another game, but thenextPokmon game.

Pokemon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch out now.

The Spinoff Weekly compiles the best stories of the week an essential guide to modern life in New Zealand, emailed out on Monday evenings.

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Review: Pokemon Sword and Shield finally reach the next stage of evolution - The Spinoff

There are plenty of new and exciting Pokemon to discover as you work your way across the Galar region, but one of the headliners is Galarian Obstagoon. Evolving from Galarian forms of first Zigzagoon, and later Linoone, the entire Pokemon family is inspired by the band Kiss - complete with black and white fur and long tongues. But while Galarian Zigzagoon and Linoone are both quite common in Pokemon Sword and Shield, getting Galarian Obstagoon takes a little more work. So then, how do you evolve Galarian Linoone into Obstagoon in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Well, the answer is less than straightforward. On the Pokemon Sword and Shield website, it states that "the Linoone of the Galar region live in harsh conditions compared to those found in other regions, with fierce competition against others of their species. Their survival instincts have been honed as a result, leading to their Evolution into Obstagoon." Doesn't seem to tell us much does it?

However, there's a clue in there and it's in the words 'survival instincts'. It turns out that the only way to evolve Linoone into Obstagoon is Pokemon Sword and Shield is to literally make it keep on surviving, by battling with it. My Linoone evolved from Zigzagoon at Lv. 20, but only evolved into Obstagoon at Lv. 56, and I quote from the Pokedex here, "after experiencing numerous fights". From memory, that was somewhere in the region of 50-100 battles, but it's unclear whether Linoone needs to participate in all battles or simply be in your party.

For now, if you want a Galarian Obstagoon, keep it in your party and use whenever possible, as much as possible, in order to guarantee the speediest route to evolution. We'll update this guide as soon as we have more concrete information.

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How to evolve Galarian Linoone into Obstagoon in Pokemon Sword and Shield - GamesRadar

Acosta Danza is a Cuban- based dance company founded by Carlos Acosta, the great Cuban ballet dancer and choreographer. He is the Artistic Director of Evolution and also makes a guest appearance as dancer in the final work.

Evolution is a terrific show.

The first piece of the evening is Satori. Choreographed by Raul Reinoso its mysterious and surreal in a display of sumptuous vibrancy, intriguing in its confusion of gender certainty. Its here we first meet the extraordinary dancer, Zeleidy Crespo, what a find she is.

Paysage, Soudain, la nuit, the second ensemble dance piece of the evening, choreographed by Pontus Lidberg, is lent enchantment by the lighting of Patril Bogardh which transforms a soft strip of golden barley into crops growing in a field by moonlight. Initial concern that this might be just a pretty work describing young people as a crop running their romantic activities at night was dispersed by the choreography which was distinctive, sourced from Cuba.

The duet Faun was the dance highlight of the evening. Performed with sensuous athleticism by the superb Carlos Luis Blanco and remarkable Zeleidy Crespo theres a palpable sense of danger communicated by these two dancers as they depict the coming together of beings of equal strength. Emphasising this aspect rather than vulnerability.

From forest spirits floating free these two transform into pin point precise insect type creatures scurrying in the woodland floor in pursuit of each other capturing something primeval within all nature, including ourselves.

The juxtaposition between this erotic battle and Debussys most romantic music ( with additional music by Nitin Sawhiney) is very satisfying. The combined effect of all the individual components of Faun is visceral theatrical magic. Poetry is found and lingers.

Coming down from this wonder is problematic for the audience who are confronted by a change of tone from high art to popular culture in the final piece, Rooster. Choreographed by Christopher Bruce and performed to the music of the Rolling Stones and the voice of Mick Jagger, it captures the awkward way some men approach sexual intention. Head first, body sliding forwards, ungainly, fearful maybe or just concealing. The key posture describing the Rooster is simple genius.

Carlos Acosta performs, having positioned himself in the ensemble rather than as a principal he looks to be enjoying himself hugely. His charm and musicality, his ability to manage an audience are second to none. Notably while the other dancers of his company smoothly cross dance genres from ballet to contemporary to Cuban his chest proud stance on stage remains balletic.

Watching Mr Acosta dance as part of an ensemble offers an opportunity to analyse the small ways in which he stands out as an extraordinary dancer beyond grand gestures, the perfect angle of his head and, particularly, the ever so knowing and beautiful positioning of his hands.

The female dancers may be pert, amused, untouched at the antics of the ungainly roosters in this piece but they also seem too anodyne and uniform to be as interesting as the awkward peacocking males. This is dance as style. The female dancers costumes were too redolent of cheerleaders and did not assist in dispelling this impression.

Rooster was therefore the antithesis to Faun while also being about romantic intentions. Perhaps they were supposed to be read together, compare and contrast.

The programme of dance selected by Carlos Acosta describes a purposeful interest in moving beyond conventional portrayals of romance in dance having so often been cast as romantic hero in his balletic career. His interest in the truth of human relationships is enriching his work at this point in his career. He has found an exceptional group of dancers to communicate his vision while he himself is utterly charming, enjoying himself dancing to the lyrics of the Rolling Stones on stage.

Dont miss it. Enjoy it.

Review by Marian Kennedy

After a critically acclaimed national and international tour, Carlos Acostas eclectic Cuban company bring a second programme of new and existing works to Sadlers Wells. Acosta himself makes a guest appearance in the iconic Rooster, choreographed by Christopher Bruce to music by the Rolling Stones. The Company also perform new works, Paysage, Soudain, la nuit by visionary Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg and Satori, by breakthrough Cuban choreographer Ral Reinoso.

Inspired by Vaslav Nijinskys Laprs midi dun faune, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui completes the bill with masterpiece Faun, set to Debussys original score with additional music from Nitin Sawhney.

Acosta Danza Evolution18 23 November 2019Sadlers WellsRosebery Avenue, London, EC1Rhttps://www.sadlerswells.com/

Summary

Reviewer

Marian Kennedy

Review Date

2019-11-21

Production

Acosta Danza - Evolution

Author Rating

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Review of Acosta Danza - Evolution at Sadler's Wells - London Theatre 1