Category Archives: Transhuman

Back in 1989, D.C. Fontanawho was the story editor for most of the original series first two seasons, the show-runner for the animated series, the uncredited co-creator of TNG, and who wrote for all those shows as well as one DS9 episode, many of which were excellent and influential episodeswrote a Trek novel called Vulcans Glory. It took place prior to The Cage (and retroactively, shortly after the Short Trek Q & A), and chronicled Spocks first mission on the Enterprise.

It also established that Number One was a genetically engineered human from the colony of Illyria, a backstory that was used in several other works of tie-in fiction (notably 2010s The Children of Kings by David Stern and 2016s Legacies trilogy by David Mack, Greg Cox, and Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore).

Said backstory has now been incorporated into the onscreen canon, with an interesting twist

One of my biggest issues with the first two episodes of SNW is the lack of focus on Number One. As I said back when SNW was formally announced as a thing that was happening, Number One is the one member of SNWs big three that is a totally blank slate, as prior to Discovery season two we had no idea what the characters fate was after The Cage.

The fleshing out of Number One had already taken one cue from the novelsthe first name Una, from Legacies, which means one and also a tribute to Trek novelist Una McCormackand this episode gives her the last name of Chin-Riley, and also establishes that shes Illyrian.

But theres one big difference between Trek now and Trek in 1989 when Fontana created that backstory for Number One: it wasnt yet established that the Federation had banned genetic engineering, a rather huge overreaction to the Eugenics Wars (and, out of the box, a reason for the lack of any kind of genetic engineering in a show populated by actors who are from contemporary Earth).

Ghosts of Illyria combines those two notions (and apparently ignores the Illyrians seen in Enterprises Damage) by establishing that Illyrians have been denied Federation membership because they genetically engineer themselves. Number One has kept her Illyrian heritage secret, but is forced to reveal it this week for reasons of plot.

That plot, ironically, involves an Illyrian colony that is on a planet regularly wracked by that original series standby, ion storms! Said colony was wiped out and Pike and the gang beam down during one break in the ion storms in an attempt to find out what happened. However, a stormfront moves in and everyone except Pike and Spock are able to beam backthe latter two are stuck because Spock was in a library reading, which is the most Spock thing ever, and by the time they made it to the beam-out point, the storm was too brutal.

Image: CBS

Unfortunately, the landing party brings a contagion back onto the Enterprise, one that causes people who have it to seek out light, often to the exclusion of common sense. It starts with one ensign shoving his head through glass to get closer to a light source, and ends with Hemmer trying to beam a piece of the planets mantle on board and Laan trying to make the warp core explode.

The key to stopping the contagion is in Numbers Ones genetically engineered immune system, which aggressively wipes out any disease or virus. The problem is, its so aggressive that theres nothing left for MBenga to work with by the time she admits her heritage. But Laans attempted warp-core breach results in radiation flooding engineering (something we also saw happening in The Wrath of Khan) and Number Ones hyper-immune system cures both her and Laan and its sufficiently complicated that her antibodies are still at it long enough for Chapel to get a sample and use it to cure the crew.

This is the third time in the last three weeks that a Secret Hideout Trek show has referenced the Eugenics Wars. There was Adam Soongs Project Khan folder in Picards Farewell and Pike referencing it as part of Earths ramp-up to nuclear armageddon shortly before first contact in Strange New Worlds. And given that its part of the backstory of both Number One and Laan, I suspect it may come up again, and Im wondering if theres an endgame to that

Yes, Laan, too. From the beginning, she was established as having the same family name as Khan Noonien Singh from the original series Space Seed and the movies The Wrath of Khan and Into Darkness. In this episode its established that she is a descendant of that tyrant, and it was a source of merciless teasing when she was a child, and on into adulthood where she was accused of being an Augment, even though she isnt one. (Why she didnt just change her name is left as an exercise for the viewer.)

Upon finding out that Number One is an Illyrian, and while still under the influence of the virus, which makes everyone who gets it more than a little binky-bonkers, Laan says some pretty nasty things to her. After being made fun of for so much of her life, to find out that her mentor is in reality what she was accused of being is a bitter pill to swallow.

Number Ones response is to point out that genetic engineering doesnt have to lead to tyranny. What Illyrians do is adjust themselves to fit their environment betterrather than terraform planets they terraform themselves. They make themselves better, helping the evolutionary process along with less risk.

Image: CBS

When Number One comes clean to Pike and offers her resignation, Pike refuses to accept it. When she reminds him that that makes him an accessory to her lying to Starfleet, his glorious response is, I welcome that conversation. Shes the best first officer in the fleet, and she just saved everyones asses. And the implication there is that he agrees with her that the genetic engineering ban is a silly goose. Though Number One does muse in a personal log (that she immediately deletes) that Pikes response might have been different if she hadnt just saved everyones asses, though I think thats not giving the captain enough credit.

Rebecca Romijn is superb in her long-awaited spotlight, as the characters cool confidence and no-nonsense leadership and easy professionalism is leavened nicely by her conflicted impulses with regard to revealing her heritage.

But shes not the only one with a secret, as we find out how the contagion got on board the Enterprise despite there being bio-filters in the transporters: the emergency medical transporter didnt get the same upgrades as the other transporters when the ship was upgraded prior to Strange New Worlds. And the reason why is also a potential explanation for why MBenga has a lower position in the sickbay hierarchy when we see him in the original series A Private Little War and That Which Survives, to wit, hes keeping his sick daughter in the medical transporters buffer. She has an incurable disease, so hes keeping her in the bufferrematerializing her periodically to prevent the pattern degradation that would happen if she spent too long in there, as established in TNGs Relics. Number One not only doesnt punish him for this, she promises to find a way to make it a more stable proposition. Earlier in the episode, Number One hesitated to do everything she could to save lives because of Starfleet regulations, and most of the crew got really sick and almost died. She wont make that hesitation again, and so she more aggressively chooses MBengas daughters life over regs.

The B-plot here is Pike and Spock down on the planet, and not only does it continue to solidify the Pike-Spock dynamic that would lead to Spock breaking dozens of regs to help Pike a decade hence in The Menagerie, but its also a master class by Ethan Peck in continuing the character of Spock. Every line of dialogue is delivered in a manner that is at once very Leonard Nimoy-like, and yet totally Peck as well. (Credit also to screenwriters co-executive producer Akela Cooper and supervising producer Bill Wolkoff for penning very Spock-y dialogue.)

This part of the story is also a poke in the eye to the Federations ban, as Spock learns from his reading that the Illyrians on this colony wanted to join the Federation, and as a good-faith gesture attempted to de-engineer themselves by removing their genetic modifications. It kinda failed, and resulted in them either dying from the same virus that nearly wipes out the Enterprise or turning into energy creatures.

Screenshot: CBS

The genetic engineering ban has been a bit of an odd duck since it was established in DS9s Dr. Bashir, I Presume? in 1997. I can see why they thought it would work for that episode and for the character of Julian Bashir in particular, but it doesnt make a lot of sense when you think about it in the larger context of the Trek universe, for the very reasons Number One enumerates to Laan. One wonders if the show is going to continue to challenge that twenty-five-year-old plot point

Points also to giving everyone something to do, even if its minorOrtegas only scene, for example, is discovering that one of the landing party has the virus, while Uhura only has two sceneswithout making it feel like theyre being sledgehammered in. Everyone has a role to play, and it works nicely.

Im still not entirely sold on Hemmer as a character. Hes still not much beyond arrogant genius, a character type that can wear out its welcome pretty quickly without something to ameliorate it. Hemmer hasnt really had much to do yet, and its mostly been the usual Im so brilliant, and Im just humoring the dummies around me stuff. Bruce Horak is playing the part very well, mind you, and the producers seem determined to give everyone a spotlight (Pike two weeks ago, Uhura last week, and Number One this week), so lets hope that Hemmer gets his day in the sun.

Weve also got now three crew members who are defying regulations in a manner that should probably have consequencesNumber One for hiding her heritage, MBenga for hiding his sick daughter, and Pike for not doing anything about either oneand one wonders when those chickens might come home to roost

Keith R.A. DeCandido has an essay in the new collection Unauthorized Offworld Activation: Exploring the Stargate Franchise, edited by Rich Handley & Joseph Dilworth Jr. Keithwho did a Stargate Rewatch for this site in 2015wrote about how the three leaders of the expedition in Stargate Atlantis were let down by their writers. The collection also features essays by Jo Duffy, Dr. Anastasia Klimchynskaya, Robert T. Jeschonek, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Mark L. Haynes, Brandon Jerwa, Ren Cummins, Bryanna Elkins, Frank Schildiner, Edward Dodds, Val Nolan, and Darren Sumner, and has a foreword by Alexis Skarra Cruz.

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Secrets and Lies Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ghosts of Illyria - Tor.com

Cyberpunk is not a miserable little pile of references, contrary to popular belief.Image: Production I.G / Warner Bros. / Tokyo Movie Shinsha / E3 / Kotaku

Cyberpunk. When you think of the word, you likely conjure up images of a futuristic cityscape awash in neon lights, amalgams of Western-Japanese architecture, and a cybernetic hero equipped with a samurai swordor a AAA game still trying to get its bearings. But what often gets lost in the glitz and synthetic glamor of the word are the larger philosophical ideas and disruptive technology that shaped the genre and that reflect the insecurities of the world we live in. This near-constant missing of the mark in cyberpunk games has me guarded.

Todays games have interpreted the genre incorrectly. While its easy to become enveloped in the power fantasy and the magnificence of transhumanism, these games havent spent enough time reflecting on the problems that stem from our relationships with these technologies. Cyberpunk should be an inspection into and a commentary on the power structures that define our world and our places in it.

All this left me ready to stave off cyberpunk games for the foreseeable future until Citizen Sleeper, a recent entry to the genre inspired by table-top RPGs, caught my eye. More promising, Kotaku senior writer Ethan Gatch said it was one of his favorite games of the year so far. I was still wary, but I was ready to give it a go. Thinking I was alone in my tumultuous relationship with cyberpunk, I discovered that Citizen Sleepers sole developer and writer Gareth Damian Martin shares many of my concerns about the genres trajectory.

Beyond cyberpunks reduction to an aesthetic, Ive noticed the tendency to compare said games with other media. This often takes the form of what have become tired analogies on how a games theatrics harken to Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell. But whenever I ask myself what these modern cyberpunk games are actually saying, I cant find an answer. Theyre mere carbon copy shells of aesthetics without ghosts of their own. Something Martin looked to avoid in making Citizen Sleeper.

In Citizen Sleeper, you play as a copy of a cryogenically frozen person, called a sleeper, who must work to pay off their debts before being disposed of. A dice system within the game determines the condition of your body. Each day, you must decide whether to help others by building mutual aid or to use your money to pay for the drugs that keep you alive.

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And though Martin took inspiration from William Gibson, the American-Canadian author who penned works like Neuromancer and is credited as the progenitor of the cyberpunk genre, they took umbrage with the noir power fantasy and future-centric scope thats proliferated within the genre, even by Gibson himself, much as I have.

How you choose to go about your day in Citizen Sleeper is determined by the games tabletop RPG dice mechanicScreenshot: Fellow Traveler

I compare the cyberpunk-adjacent games guilty of this to the anime Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Unlike newer media that have salvaged pieces of its narrative as a template for their own stories, GitS SAC characterizes every corner of its disrupted world and the citizens within it. Japan is run amok with efficient and invasive technologies.

The thing that makes cyberpunk feel kind of stagnant is the way that it can feel that we are still drawing on those same structures that were concerns for Gibson [and] Ridley Scott in the 70s and 80s. Things like this abject fear of Japanese dominance and things like this that come through in certain texts. Were now working removed from those and those are not really our concern, Martin told me.

Citizen Sleeper, however, has an overwhelmingly positive review score on Steam at the time of publication, with players calling the game a gem that hit the sweet spot for them with its narrative gameplay. Martin said they didnt approach writing Citizen Sleeper looking to hit all the checkboxes of the cyberpunk genre. They looked at it simply as an intimate game that shows people coming together and put their own experiences as a nonbinary person whos worked gigs in a city without enough money to pay rent into the heart of that story.

I modeled the structures around things in our society now like constant pressure, exposure to risk, the feeling that luck is the only thing that is keeping you with a roof over your head, or waking up in the morning and not knowing exactly how much youre gonna have to give, Martin said.

After receiving feedback from players post-launch, Martin said they think players related to the structure in Citizen Sleeper because it allows them to place their own experiences into the framework of the game and explore how the larger structures surrounding and impacting their lives can be malicious, unintentional, or just background noise.

Although cyberpunk today is regarded as a warning on the horizon for the fate of humanity and what we should do to avoid it, Martin said writers of today shouldnt rehash the prose used in the onset of the genre or take stabs at answering what life will be like in the far-off future. Instead, they said, we should focus on the now.

For [cyberpunk] to be effective, I find that it needs to draw on something about now because I dont think that Gibson and [Bruce] Sterling were writing about the future. I think they were writing about the moment they were in, Martin said. We should continue to make cyberpunk work about the moment were in, not the moment that they were in or this awesome imagined future. I think cyberpunk is about now.

See the article here:
The Cyberpunk Genre Is Broken, And The Creator Of Citizen Sleeper Agrees - Kotaku

Tech has integrated into many peoples lives, so its important to be aware of what its taught us, positive or negative. Weve collected our thoughts about the lessons technology has given us, at least those who have access to it and use it every day.

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Now, if youve already taken care of your assignments, lets go through the lessons of the technology era.

The new era has provided many societies on our globe with the gift of convenience. Our laptops, mobile phones, tablets, and other portable devices serve to make our daily lives easier.

And whats more convenient than the Internet? The era has ushered convenience at our fingertips, and the interweb can be a powerful tool if used in all the right ways. However, the Internet can also be extremely distracting to those who arent so self-disciplined.

Whatever the case, were learning that the technologies that this millennium has brought influence people differently. We have to consider how we will use it in our daily lives and not succumb to addiction. The Internet is a tool.

This topic is not black-and-white, and we encourage our readers not to make extreme assumptions since its not easy to quantify certain things. However, its safe to say that learning with the Internet, especially for people who prefer online education, can be a more active process. In traditional school etiquette, before the ushering of modernity, students had to stay in class and listen to their professors.

With the Internet, people can learn on their own with prepared educational courses that are available at any given point for them. Many artists, music producers, animators, programmers, and other professionals have learned their craft through online courses. Its becoming the norm.

Our challenge right now is to encourage the youth and the general public to learn on their own. One sad thing is that traditional school has made the older generations reliant on a teacher to push them to study. We have to make sure the new generation enjoys learning and takes the initiative in getting new knowledge.

Becoming independent and using the Internet for research is a great way to boost ones motivation to study. However, its not such an easy task since people have to overcome distractions and find quality courses in the pool of contradictory information.

The Internet is vast, and even if we credit it for our progress, its the people who make it valuable. There are so many ways you can make money online nowadays, and this has given many people a chance to start anew. Here are just a few examples.

If you have the necessary skills and determination to make money online, your opportunities are limitless.

Even with the excitement of finding innovative ways to use technology in this era, we must not lose touch with our humanity. For our readers who havent watched Black Mirror, please do. Technology brings a lot of positive outcomes, but it also has a dark side that needs serious consideration.

Transhumanism and innovation might seem trendy and hip, but the excessive reliance on technology can ultimately prove to be the downfall of our society. We must balance the time and energy we spend focusing on our devices and our interactions with the outside world.

Too much of anything is never a good thing in the human experience, so we must be cautious about what we focus on. We cant heavily rely on our inventions to do everything for us. Yet, we cant be closed off to innovation and progressive thinking either. Its about balance in the end. Balance is the key to maintaining a healthy attitude to tech developments.

We encourage our readers to think about the ways they can use technology so that it positively impacts their daily lives. Be mindful so as not to succumb to destructive and addictive behaviors. There is a lot to learn and discover in the tech field, so keep expanding your horizons and improving your skills. Just remember to filter information and concentrate on the long-term benefits technology might bring.

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4 Lessons the Era of Technology Has Taught Us - Sprout Wired

uffe isolottos we walked the earth at venice art biennale 2022

At the Venice Art Biennale 2022, the Danish pavilion presents the haunting transhuman installation We Walked the Earth created by Uffe Isolotto and curated by Jacob Lillemose. Spread over the entire pavilion, the piece welcomes visitors into a hyperrealistic world where images of Danish pastoral farm life mix with bizarre sci-fi elements, weaving a world of uncertainty. We Walked the Earth showcases a drama of life and death that focuses on a family of three centaurs. Struggling to cope with the challenges of our current ever-changing reality, the centaurs embody a state of turmoil between despair and hope, reflecting the profound ambiguity of todays world.

Uffe Isolotto, We Walked the Earth, Pavilion of Denmark, Biennale Arte, 2022

image courtesy of Ugo Carmeni (also head image)

We Walked the Earth by Uffe Isolotto (see more here) transforms the pavilion into a farmhouse-like space paved with field stones, filled with piles of eelgrass and horse manure. Visitors to the Venice Art Biennale 2022 (see more here) are able to traverse the pavilion and discover images reminiscent of an idyllic Danish country lifestyle.

Nevertheless, on closer examination, it becomes apparent that all these seemingly familiar elements are, in fact, altered and distorted. The traditional Danish farming tools that lie around within the interior are, in reality, curious reinterpretations. Whats more, in one of the rooms hangs a mutated ham, and unfamiliar species of farm crops are scattered across the rooms, oozing a blue fluid.

Uffe Isolotto, We Walked the Earth, Pavilion of Denmark, Biennale Arte, 2022

image courtesy of Ugo Carmeni

Amid these peculiar surroundings, two hyperrealistic centaur sculptures emerge as the protagonists of the installation. Their unusual form serves as a testimony of the dramatic and demanding process they had to endure in order to adapt to the new conditions of our changing world. Their faces, bodies, and hands are noticeably larger than an average human, and their skin is covered in unusual markings. Meanwhile, the same blue fluid that seeps out of the farm crops seems to be sustaining the centaur creatures through tubes, leaving viewers to wonder whether it is a heating agent, a form of nutrition, or a drug.

A drama of life and death plays out across the two main rooms of the pavilion. In one room, the male centaur has taken his own life, and can be found hanging from a chain suspended from the ceiling. In the adjacent room, the female centaur is lying on the floor, giving birth to a baby centaur that seems to be of a different hybrid than its parents. Its human hands are transfigured towards something unrecognizable, holding a promise for the future and foreboding hard times, at the same time.

Uffe Isolotto, We Walked the Earth, Pavilion of Denmark, Biennale Arte, 2022

image designboom

There is a deep uncertainty in understanding what has happened to the centaurs and the world they live in. Is it a tragic or hopeful situation, or perhaps both? mentions Uffe Isolotto. Even though the centaurs may not be real, we feel their struggle.

The present time we live in is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable as we face a lot of challenging realities, whether ecological, political or existential. Theres much hope and despair in the air, and I want to make that a physical reality with this installation. the artist explains. We Walked the Earth also draws on experiences from my personal life that in a metaphorical sense resonate with more universal feelings and thoughts about life and death that I sense exist in the world today. he adds.

Uffe Isolotto, We Walked the Earth, Pavilion of Denmark, Biennale Arte, 2022

image designboom

Uffe Isolotto, We Walked the Earth, Pavilion of Denmark, Biennale Arte, 2022

image designboom

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danish pavilion unveils transhuman installation 'we walked the earth' at venice art biennale - Designboom

There is only onegeometric normal: perpendicular, at a right (90 degree angle).

If you are building a wall, check to be sure the wall is normal (straight) with a plumb line. Thats a string with a lead weight on it that always points to the center of the earth and is perpendicular to the surface. If the wall deviates to the right or to the left it is unstable. It is easily knocked down and will bring down whatever is attached to it.

The most famous abnormal building is theLeaning Tower of Pisa. Built on an unstable foundation, it began to lean very early, and huge expense has been incurred through the centuries to keep it from falling over. At present, 800 tons of lead bricks on one side of the building serve as a counterweight. We can keep piling on lead bricks, but the building will fall apart someday because of the abnormal stresses on the masonry.

The tower is a great tourist attraction, but not useful as a buildingyou cant put furniture on the slanting floors.

Something as abnormal as that tower can be sustained, but it requires constant application of force. Take away the lead bricks, and the natural law of gravity brings the structure down.

In society, norms may be based on how the majority of people behave. Some variation is normal. Customs and fashions change, but basic facts of biology and human nature will reassert themselves if outside pressures to conform to unnatural behavior are removedunless too much damage has been done.

It is not normal to wear a face mask and stay six feet away from other human beings. As soon as the pressure is removed, the students, even at a Woke university, are maskless and interacting normallytalking, laughing, hugging. Their natural immune systems are functioning normally.

It is not normal to stay locked indoors. Without police coercion, people will go out when they think it essential or safe.

It is not normal to worry constantly about a virus that in most people is no worse than the flu. Once the daily case counts and death statistics stop, people may believe their eyes and ears telling them that most people are ok. Unless they have been turned into obsessive-compulsive germophobes.

It is not normal for people to bully or exclude or malign family members and friends who choose not to take a novel experimental injection. That takes constant propaganda portraying them as lifelong lepers. But once the mortar of human relations is weakened, will the masonry crumble?

It is not normal for public health officials to have dictatorial powers to wreck normal human activities, for years after an apparent emergency ends. It is not normal for officials, academics, medical societies, and doctors to suppressinformation about preventive measures(such as vitamin D and betadine or hydrogen peroxide mouthwash) or early out-patient treatment with repurposed drugs long approved as safe. It is not normal to deny care to unvaccinated patients. It is not normal to cover up adverse effects of new treatments. Censorship and extraordinary repression are required, at least until terrified people get used to their constrained lives and lose their will to resist.

The attempt to establish a new normal and smash the old goes far beyond the pandemic measures. It is a biologic fact that there are two sexes, and that one male and one female gamete (sperm and egg) are needed to make a new human being. It is normal for men and women to be attracted to each other and to long for a stable union. It is normal for parents, children, and biological relatives to love and be loyal to each other. Infidelity and betrayal are tragedies in world literature and common motives for murder.

But imperfect as these societal structures are, there is one normal and there are many abnormals. If not two natural sexes, there is a constantly multiplying number of humanly constructed genders. If not one man/one woman marriage, there are many variable relationships of atomized individuals.

If we throw away our plumb line, and try to normalize what is unprecedented or until recently thought deviant, what will happen to our structure? The experts think they can redo our psyches and even reengineer our DNA. We are being subjected to a massive, uncontrolled, nonconsented experiment. Past societies may have had dictatorship by a self-appointed health priesthood or pervasive homosexuality, transgenderism, and promiscuity. Where are they now?

If we let the experts prevail, will we have a brave new happy transhuman utopia? Or a pile of rubble?

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There Is No New Normal - Caffeinated Thoughts

Iconic director David Cronenberg made his name with a series of eye-popping body horror movies. The best are The Fly, Videodrome, and Dead Ringers, though he apparently abandoned the genre in 1999 with eXistenZ. Since then, hes put out several warped crime thrillers, but now hes returned to the icky stuff with Crimes of the Future. And, judging by this debut trailer, hes back in style.

The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, and La Seydoux for what appears to be a highly sexually charged glimpse into a future heavily influenced by the works of H.R. Giger. The synopsis indicates well see mankind exploring ways to adjust their biology and physiology at will known as Accelerated Evolution Syndrome.

Mortensen will play Saul Tensor, an artist whos decided to dive headlong into the transhuman world, resulting in him beginning to grow alien-looking organs on his body. Seydoux plays his partner Caprice, who aids Tensor in performances that involve him removing his new organs, though trouble is brewing from those who think humans should stay as God made them.

Crimes of the Future is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where itll be in contention for the coveted Palm dOr award. Cannes is notable for its intense audience reactions and habit of audience members dramatically leaving the theater to express their disgust with a movie. So, how does Cronenberg think this will go down? As per World of Reel, he said

I expect walk-outs, faintings and panic attacks.

Hell yeah. Bring it on.

Crimes of the Future opens in the U.S. this June.

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Watch: First Trailer for Body Horror movie 'Crimes of the Future' - We Got This Covered

NFTs are one of the most talked-about topics today when it comes to art, fashion and so much more. With industry leaders like Meta pushing for the metaverse and major brands releasing digital collections, the virtual space has become a huge platform for new and rising artists to showcase their work.

Hypebae China caught up with four female digital artists KARA RABBIT, Ruby Gloom, Hsunic-Ann and Helen, The Creator to chat about the future of all things web3. KARA RABBIT is an independent designer who creates pixelated rabbits for her NFT collection, while Ruby Gloom is the artist behind RUBY 9100M, a digital trans-human being that wears all sorts of hyperrealistic outfits. Hsunic-Ann is a Chinese illustrator creating the three-dimensional series Miss Button, and Helen, The Creator is the founder of Asian Girlz NFT.

Continue scrolling to read our conversation with KARA RABBIT, Ruby Gloom, Hsunic-Ann and Helen, The Creator on the future of NFTs, the metaverse and more.

RUBY 9100M, a trans-human being created by Ruby Gloom.

How would you describe your artistic style?

KARA RABBIT My style focuses on 8-bit graphics, as well as a flat, two-dimensional look and pop art aesthetic. The entire KARA RABBIT collection is pixelated, which allows the creation of complex images from the simplest elements, thus sparking imagination.

Pixel Rabbit was my first NFT collection, and the original goal was to create a rabbit that was super elemental, similar to the Elementalist Lux Skin on Riot Games League of Legends. I wanted my rabbit to be both cute and fun. The artwork itself gives a relaxing, calm feel, and I also hope that my rabbits can bring a sense of healing to people.

Helen, The Creator My NFT work combines the use of art with storytelling and utility. The Asian Girlz NFT characters are inspired by my love for 80s arcade and Nintendo video games. Each NFT character inspires viewers and buyers to imagine the interesting backstories and lives of our characters giving way to our storytelling platform.

Ruby Gloom Ruby 9100M is a character that could be seen as an extension of my identity, but also a door that separates the real world from the virtual space. When I first created her, I just wanted to create an identity that would live on social media. Having spent a lot of time on the internet, I felt like I was losing my sense of self. I decided to learn 3D art and found it was a great way for me to connect with myself, so I created Ruby 9100M to express my emotions.

Hsunic-Ann I like to combine all of my favorite figures and models to create my NFT work. I believe that there are so many more possibilities to explore in the NFT space, which is now so prominent in China. For example, many platforms are tapping into the metaverse.

What are your views on NFTs and digital work from an artists perspective?

KARA RABBIT Before I tapped into NFTs, my perception of digital art was more of CGI and illustration design in games.

Helen, The Creator Most of my artistic creations in the past were more traditional, such as physical paintings and sculptures. When I got into NFTs, I started experimenting more with digital tools and applications, such as computer-generated graphics, animation and 3D.

Ruby Gloom NFT is one of the things that builds value for digital art. In my opinion, most NFTs with high artistic value is created by a team or created with the participation of well-known artists. NFTs can also help spotlight the works of artists that are not as well-known.

Hsunic-Ann I agree with Ruby that NFT is bringing a new atmosphere to the digital art scene. Digital art is at the core of commercial art at the moment. Since we are in an age that is heavily driven by technology, there are so many artworks that are based on computers and electronic products. I am an animation major myself, and now animations are produced on computers rather than traditional paper and brushes.

Speaking of the wider impact of digital art, Helen, how did you first come up with the idea of presenting Asian women from different backgrounds in the form of NFTs?

Helen, The Creator I started Asian Girlz as an NFT project to bring together the power of blockchain technology and a community of supporters. We gave them the opportunity to help fund a project that empowers Asian women and to take part in building a culturally significant and powerful entertainment company. Each of our Asian Girlz NFT characters has different names, jobs, locations and backstories. Our Asian Girlz characters ask the viewer or buyer of the NFT to imagine them as real human beings with diverse and complex stories.

Throughout the pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes and assaults against Asian women have been on the rise at alarming rates. This NFT project comes at a very important time where art, technology and storytelling can help bridge what divides us and hopefully help the fight against racism.

How do you think being a female creator makes your work different? And how does it generate different social influences?

KARA RABBIT I believe the art that we create is not in the material world, but rather in the spiritual world. I hope my work has the power to cure. We are not just creating NFTs but spreading positive energy through them. We hope to continue to build a strong community in the metaverse where more people can participate and connect.

Helen, The Creator Thanks to web3, more women are starting to get involved in the male-dominated world of technology. Its really exciting to see more female-led NFT projects. I hope these initiatives will help girls gain the confidence to try new things in this space.

Ruby Gloom This space is mostly dominated by male creators and buyers. As a female artist, I believe in pushing for more projects with female-focused themes to encourage more participation from women all around the world.

Hsunic-Ann Miss Button, the IP that Im currently publishing on NFT platforms is more feminine in terms of creative elements and style compared to others that Ive created in the past. I didnt particularly create these visuals for female collectors, but I would be happy if it could attract more women to the world of NFTs.

The current digital space serves as a platform for women who are considered less mainstream in the field, allowing them to offer different and unique perspectives to the community. How do you see the future of female artists in NFT creation and digital art?

KARA RABBIT NFTs are an extension of the metaverse, which is in its early stages at the moment. We should be focusing not only on digital art but also on the development of technologies spanning VR, artificial intelligence, 5G and more. Id love to see more artists and tech experts get involved with building the future of the metaverse.

As a female artist, I hope that we can not only promote art in the virtual world but also raise awareness of social issues. We can use the digital space to help support those in need.

Helen, The Creator The NFT industry is really just starting to take off and is changing rapidly every day. We are starting to see so many different types of projects and I think this is exciting because female artists have an amazing opportunity to really be creative in this space and make a big impact and even start leading in this space.

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4 Female Digital Artists on the Future of NFTs and the Metaverse - HYPEBAE

Marcel the Shell is finally heading to the big screen.

After Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slates tiny video earned much acclaim over a decade ago, A24 has just released the trailer for the little guys full-blown feature film. Sporting miniature orange kicks and one googly eye (a trend for A24 this year), Marcel re-introduces himself in the mockumentary Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

Its pretty much common knowledge that it takes at least 20 shells to have a community, Marcel explains in the trailer. But poor Marcel lives alone with his grandmother, isolated from the rest of his shell family. My cousin fell asleep in a pocket, and thats why I dont like the saying Everything comes out in the wash.

Living like WALL-E, Marcel exists in tiny nooks and crannies with repurposed objects from an Airbnb. His hobbies include watching 60 Minutes and hanging with his pet lint, Alan, but thats not enough to keep the energetic little dude occupied. When a documentary filmmaker posts a video online, Marcel blows up, leading him on a new adventure: to find his long-lost family.

Other touching moments include: Marcel hopping around a keyboard to spell out how to find your family, chatting with Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes, and tiny little shell tears.

A24s golden girl Jenny Slate returns to voice the adorable creature, also co-writing a screenplay with Dean Fleischer Camp and Nick Paley. Fleischer Camp directs, also starring in the film as the documentarian. Alongside Slate and Fleischer Camp, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, and Isabella Rossellini are set to star.

The original Marcel the Shell with Shoes On was a stop-motion animation short film released in 2010 by Fleischer Camp and Slate. The short premiered theatrically at AFI Fest 2010, and went on to win Best Animated Short and earn two sequels, storybooks, and now, a full-length feature. All of the original shorts are still living on Fleischer Camps YouTube channel.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On had a critically-acclaimed debut at SXSW Film Festival last month, and will premiere theatrically on June 24.

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Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Returns in New Trailer - The Daily Beast

The seat belt sign is on, so buckle up for another rowdy season of The Flight Attendant. HBO Maxs mystery comedy has just dropped a full trailer for Season 2, and, once again, Cassie (Kaley Cuoco) is trying to tame her flighty ways. With a gig at the CIA, a new boyfriend, and her alcoholism under control, Cassies life will finally have some normalcy.

Psych! Cassie Bowdens life is anything but normal, and Season 2 is ready to lean into all the twists, chaos, and murder that made the first season so great. The flight attendant hasnt landed yet: Cassies still up in the clouds, tying her hair on top of her head in a high altitude bun and donning that sharp blue uniform. Once a flight attendant, always a flight attendant.

As she juggles two jobs, moving in with her beau, and the continued draw of alcohol, Cassie seems to be spiraling out of control all over again. But its not her fault, reallysomeones pretending to be Cassie (or rather, frame her, as Zosia Mamets Ani suggests), and the concept is unsettling her.

I have worked so hard to build this new life and I am holding onto it with everything that I have, Cassie says in the trailer, right before a massive explosion and a confrontation with her doppelgnger. If one Emmy-award nominated performance from Kaley Cuoco wasnt enough, Season 2 is upping its game: in the trailer, there are two of the actresses. Or three. Or four. Suffice to say, there are a lot of Kaley Cuocos.

Maybe Cassies mom can explain all these twins. Sharon Stone has joined the Season 2 cast as Cassies mother, making her debut in the trailer. Other newcomers include Mo McRae, Callie Hernandez, and JJ Soria, who will join the returning cast of Kaley Cuoco, Zosia Mamet, Griffin Matthews, Deniz Akdeniz, and Rosie Perez.

Steve Yockey developed the series, serving as executive producer alongside co-showrunner and executive producer Natalie Chaidez. Cuoco herself also serves as an EP on the project, which earned the star her first two Emmy nominations (one for acting, and one for producing) last year.

The Flight Attendant Season 2 will touch down on April 21, debuting two new episodes with a new episode every Thursday on HBO Max afterwards.

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'The Flight Attendant' Season 2 Trailer Introduces a Kaley Cuoco Multiverse - The Daily Beast

With gas prices in California even higher than predicted in Will Smiths 2007 zombie apocalypse I Am Legend, Democrats are poised for the electoral blowout of the century. Every poll favors Republicans, particularly on energy issues. And as Americans are suffering from the twin sins of Bidens inflation and out of control gas prices, the RNC is registering people to vote at gas stations.

Regardless, Democrats have doubled down on their belief that fossil fuels are haram. Even though so-called progressives terrible energy policies presaged Putins invasion of Ukraine, many refuse to admit the damage their policies have caused. We have to hope that an election will teach them what even a war has not.

Which is, anthropogenic climate change is a not an existential threat to the planet, but cult-like devotion to it is.

The human race can ill-afford a world where the U.S. fails to lead, and energy is no exception. Theres an incumbency upon our leaders to leverage Americas abundant natural resources to provide stability and security for as much of the planet as possible. We have the resources to be the worlds leading natural gas and oil producer probably just with oil from Alaska alone but the government must be a partner in this endeavor rather than a relentless villain.

Biden has blocked all new federal leasing, canceled the Keystone Pipeline and other energy projects, stopped development in Alaska, proposed punitive taxes against domestic energy companies, and lied about how companies dont need more federal leases because they have so many unused ones already. The administration would rather beg for help from OPEC, Venezuela, and Russia itself, strengthening their regimes, than budge on its carbon-free piety.

The Biden Administration and its (increasingly fewer) supporters must abandon its devotion to the false religion of climate change and do whats right.

When it comes to shortages at home and bolder adversaries abroad, the administration has instead paraded a litany of claims for why green initiatives are more important than cash-strapped Americans or Ukrainian refugees. But those problems are only likely to get worse, as all the Biden Administrations policies have killed the promise of future investment.

Transforming natural resources into easily dispensed fuel is expensive, long, difficult, and risky. Companies have to produce oil or gas on the land theyve leased from the government or return them within 10 years use it or lose it. Just determining if the underlying ground on leased land holds monetizable amounts of resources is arduous. Following that, the prospective company must make a huge down payment with a non-refundable bonus bid. Then, before the venture has yielded any revenue, the company must pay additional rent while wasting time and money to inure themselves against a plague of administrative and legal challenges.

Any argument about unused leases ignores these facts, sleight of hand for policies designed to sabotage one energy industry while enriching another one, or simply dogma from the climate cult.

And one of its high priestesses is Californias own Rep. Katie Porter who puts Orange County families first except when she doesnt.

As chair of the Natural Resources Oversight Subcommittee, Porter has long opposed rational domestic energy policy. It is one thing to insist on appropriate regulatory and environmental guardrails; it is another thing to treat an essential industry as monsters.

Porter authored legislation to provide an exorbitant decades-overdue update to raise royalties, rental rates, inspection fees, and penalties on companies that convert resources from public lands into the fuel Americans and our trade partners use every day. She insists its unfair, taxpayer welfare, that the U.S. hasnt raised the royalty rates energy companies pay for extraction, even though the fixed rate 12.5 percent means the government collects more money when gas is more expensive.

Porter was also a cosponsor of the disastrously misinformed Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which would impose fees on the carbon content of crude oil, natural gas, and coal. This kind of policy, if given the weight of law, would drive gas prices up even more, further embolden bad actors like Putin, and rob normal Americans to subsidize expensive, so-called green energy industries.

Sabotaging American oil has only made people buy oil from Russia or elsewhere. Ukrainian flags on social media and other virtue-signaling trivialities wont help anyone whos been hurt by the Democrats bad energy policy so far, but pivoting back to Trump-era energy abundance will stop a World War III apocalypse before it starts.

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Re-Open the Floodgates of American Energy to Prevent an Oil-pocalypse - California Globe