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Even Major Brands May Struggle to Save America’s Most Iconic Gaming Events | Games

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eSince my journey began in 1988, the annual Game Developer Conference (GDC) has taken place in California each year. It started modestly as a cozy gathering in the living room of Atari designer Chris Roford, hosting just 27 attendees. By the mid-90s, the event outgrew Chris’ home and expanded to over 4,000 participants. In 2005, it found a permanent venue at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Nowadays, nearly 30,000 game development professionals attend annually. The GDC Vault online is a valuable resource, offering insights into the history of game development and practical tips across gaming disciplines.

However, GDC has faced challenges in recent years. Rising costs have become a significant barrier for developers, with conference passes exceeding $1,500, and expenses for travel and accommodation in one of the world’s most expensive cities can quickly escalate to between $5,000 and $10,000—even for small hotel rooms.

Additionally, following Trump’s re-election, many members of the global video game development community have expressed reluctance to visit the United States. The atmosphere at the conference has been dampened by the loss of funding throughout the gaming industry, alongside the pressures brought on by AI developments and ongoing layoffs. If securing funding for games is challenging, why should professionals spend thousands on travel for meetings with thousands?

As Jon Ingold, founder of UK Studio Inkle, remarks, “GDC, as an industry networking event, currently lacks financial viability and job opportunities. The United States feels like an inhospitable environment.”

This may be a reason behind the event’s recent rebranding. It was announced on Monday that the Game Developers Conference will now be known as the Festival of Gaming: GDC, promising a “week of opportunity” linked to a comprehensive B2B game ecosystem in a vision presentation. The key takeaway appears to be that obtaining a pass will be more accessible, with events being hosted not only at the Moscone Center but also across the city.

Calling California… Within GDC: Game Festival.

Unfortunately, this rebranding has not addressed long-standing worries among developers—that the conference is not accessible enough, and that San Francisco (or the U.S. at large) is an unsuitable venue for global gaming events. “Despite clear evidence from the COVID era that GDC could have integrated digital access, the exorbitant ticket prices reflect [organizer] Informa’s focus on profits rather than accessibility,” says independent game developer Rami Ismail, who has advocated for the global developer community on GDC’s issues.

Even when a visa is obtained, safety concerns regarding firearms, crime, and healthcare expenses linger. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s right-leaning populism has rendered the U.S. unwelcoming for many.

This concern is valid. Visitors to the U.S. face risks of deportation and even detention since Trump’s reelection. Many choose to carry burner phones and clean their social media profiles, with numerous European developers and journalists, myself included, feeling hesitant about traveling to the U.S. under the current administration. For individuals coming from Arabic or South American countries, these fears are intensified.

A consensus seems to be forming within the global game development workforce: the U.S. no longer serves as a crucial industry hub. While San Francisco remains home to top companies and studios, many feel the city has lost its creative spirit, hollowed out by the relentless pursuit of Silicon Valley’s interests.

There are viable alternatives. Canadian tax incentives make it an attractive destination for game development, and the current government is welcoming to foreigners. From Brighton in the UK to Game Connect in Australia, various regions host local developer gatherings. Events like Gamescom in Cologne, along with an increasing number of developer-centric events around the world, underscore this shifting landscape. While the GDC organizers cannot control U.S. policy, maintaining relevance as a professional game nexus will require more than a rebrand.

What to Play

Unpleasant and funny… consumes me. Photo: Jenny Jiao Hsia

The video game landscape continues to expand with exciting choices. Hades II, a visually stunning and challenging action game developed by Supergiant, is eagerly anticipated. Meanwhile, the horror reboot Silent Hill F has garnered positive feedback from many critics.

I am currently immersed in Consuming Me, an entertaining and occasionally uncomfortable game by developer Jenny Jiao Hsia about navigating high school amidst the pervasive diet culture of the 2000s. It features a quirky mini-game where players must focus on class and manage walking their dog while dealing with awkward conversations about weight with their parents.

This topic can be triggering for many, as it evokes painful memories of the 2000s’ beauty standards for women. If you’ve ever wrestled with disordered eating (or know someone who has), finding enjoyment might be challenging. However, the game addresses sensitive issues with humor, empathy, and plenty of satirical jabs, making the discomfort worth exploring.

Available on: PC
Estimated playtime: 5 hours

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What to Read

Stardew Valley-style sim… Palpharm from Palworld. Photo: PocketPair

  • The developers behind last year’s hit, Palworld, are currently entangled in legal disputes with Pokémon companies over similarities to their creature-collecting games. They’ve announced a new game: Palpharm, which fuses adorable creatures with Stardew Valley-like gameplay.

  • I’ve thoroughly enjoyed video game memoirs from TV comedy writer Mike Drucker. His latest release, Good Game, No Rematches, is now available in the UK. It offers a fascinating perspective on growing up with Nintendo across the Atlantic during the NES era, detailing how a young gamer turned into a game writer.

  • For years, our game correspondent Keith Stuart has tackled the question: Why do some people choose to invert the controls? His 2020 article on the subject prompted scientists to delve into the matter, and they have finally determined that it relates to how our brains perceive 3D space.

Question Block

Words of wisdom…The Legend of Zelda. Photo: Nintendo

Following up on last week’s discussion about video game dialogue, reader William asks:

“I believe there are quotes from various video games that serve as life advice. Two of my favorite quotes are: ‘When the time comes, just act’ (Wolf O’Donnell, Star Fox Assault) and ‘Anyone who is stubborn enough can survive. Anger is an anesthetic hell’ (Zaeed Massani, Mass Effect 2). What video game wisdom resonates with you?”

This may be a contentious viewpoint, but I often find that video game quotes are profound by coincidence. The most memorable lines frequently emerge from translation quirks and voice acting inconsistencies (“I used to be an adventurer…but I took an arrow in the knee,” “Your bass is all ours,” “Jill, Master of Rocking”). They stick with us not necessarily for their deep meaning, but for their absurdity.

That said, the phrase “It’s dangerous to go alone” from the original Legend of Zelda somehow strikes me as genuinely supportive, while “The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world” also comes to mind.

I invite readers to share: Are there any video game quotes that genuinely carry significance for you?

If you have a lingering question or want to include your favorite game quotes in the newsletter, please reply to this or email us at buttons@theguardian.com.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Denisovan DNA Might Have Aided Ancient Survival in the Americas

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Thousands of years ago, ancient Homo sapiens embarked on a perilous journey, traversing the icy expanses of the Bering Straits into the uncharted territories of the Americas. Recent research indicates that these migrants may have brought with them an extraordinary gift – MUC19 genes inherited from Denisovans, which could have played a pivotal role in helping humans adapt to the challenges of their new environments.

The concept of artist Peng Denisovan walking under the bright sun during the Pleistocene of Taiwan. Image credit: Cheng-Han Sun.

The modern human genome harbors a few archaic variants that are the remnants of past interbreeding events with Neanderthals and Denisovans.

While many of these variants are neutral, certain archaic mutations found in modern humans are believed to be targets of positive natural selection, possibly essential for human adaptation as they expanded into new lands.

The populations in the Americas encountered diverse environments, creating numerous opportunities for natural selection to favor archaic variations in these new settings.

This new research, spearheaded by a team from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Brown University, focused on a gene known as MUC19, which aids in the production of proteins that form saliva and mucosal barriers in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.

The researchers found that a Denisovan variant of MUC19 exists in the DNA of modern Latin Americans with Indigenous American ancestry, as well as in individuals excavated from archaeological sites across North and South America.

The prevalence of this gene in modern human populations suggests it was under significant natural selection, indicating that it conferred survival or reproductive advantages to those who carried it.

Although the specific benefits remain unclear, given the gene’s involvement in immune processes, it may have provided an enhanced defense against pathogens encountered by early settlers in the Americas.

“From an evolutionary perspective, this discovery illustrates how ancient interbreeding can produce effects that persist today,” stated Professor Emilia Fuerta Sanchez of Brown University.

“Biologically, it identifies genes that seem to be adaptable, though their precise functions are yet to be elucidated.”

“We hope this will spur further research into the actual roles of this gene.”

Limited information exists about Denisovans, who inhabited Asia between 300,000 and 30,000 years ago, with our knowledge primarily derived from small fossils found in Denisova Cave, two jawbones discovered in Tibet and Taiwan, and an almost complete skull unearthed in China this year.

Fossils from Siberian fingers contained ancient DNA, facilitating the search for genetic similarities between Denisovans and modern humans.

Previous studies have indicated that the Denisovan-derived gene EPAS1 may have contributed to the remarkable adaptations of Sherpas and other Tibetans.

In the current study, researchers compared Denisovan DNA with the most recent genomes obtained from the 1,000 Genomes Project, a global study on genetic variations.

They found that Denisovan-derived MUC19 variants are prevalent among Latino populations with Indigenous American ancestry.

The researchers also investigated DNA from 23 individuals excavated from archaeological sites in Alaska, California, Mexico, and other parts of the Americas, finding that Denisovan-derived variants were also common in these ancient peoples.

The authors conducted several independent statistical tests demonstrating that Denisovan MUC19 genetic mutations have reached unusually high frequencies in both ancient indigenous populations and present-day indigenous peoples, indicating genes that are situated on long stretches of archaic DNA.

They also revealed that the gene likely crossed over from Denisovans to another archaic population.

“These findings reveal that past interbreeding has introduced new and potentially advantageous genetic variations into human lineages,” Professor Fuerta Sanchez remarked.

“New genetic variations typically arise through slow evolutionary processes.”

“However, these interbreeding events were a sudden means of introducing a plethora of new variations.”

“In this instance, the novel genetic reservoir seems to have aided modern humans migrating to the Americas and may have bolstered their immune systems.”

“Clearly, this gene was advantageous for these populations.”

“We hope that recognizing the significance of these genes will inspire new investigations into their functions to uncover fresh biological mechanisms, particularly relating to coding genetic variants that modify protein sequences.”

Study published in the journal Science.

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Fernando A. Villania et al. 2025 MUC19 Genes: The evolutionary history of recurrent variants and natural selection. Science 389 (6762); doi:10.1126/science.adl0882

Source: www.sci.news

Arizona’s Unique Bone Bed Uncovers North America’s Earliest Known Pterosaurs

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Paleontologists have uncovered the fossilized jawbone of a newly identified pterosaur species, along with a multitude of fossils, including one of the world’s oldest turtles, in a secluded bone bed located within Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, USA.

Artist Reconstruction of Eotephradactylus chintireae, along with other animals and plants preserved in the bone beds of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, USA. Image credit: Brian Eng.

The newly discovered pterosaur species, Eotephradactylus chintireae, existed in what is now Arizona during the late Triassic period, approximately 209 million years ago.

“The winged reptile was small enough to comfortably perch on a person’s shoulder,” stated Dr. Ben Krigman from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this discovery was that the teeth remained intact in the bones, making the identification of these animals significantly easier,” added Suzanne McIntier, a volunteer preparer who dedicated 18 years at Fossil Lab at the National Museum of Natural History.

“The teeth-filled jaws provided crucial insights into the lifestyle of the earliest pterosaurs.”

“The worn tips of the teeth suggest a high likelihood that they consumed armored fish and other prey,” she explained.

Eotephradactylus chintireae coexisted with large amphibians, armored crocodile ancestors, frogs, and turtles.

In addition to this flying reptile, paleontologists have found over 1,200 individual fossils, which include bones, teeth, fish scales, and coprolites.

“This collection represents 16 different vertebrate groups that previously inhabited diverse ecosystems,” they noted.

“The braided rivers in this region were teeming with fish, such as freshwater sharks, coelacanths, and ancient amphibians.

The surrounding environment was also home to some of the formidable reptiles that evolved during the early Triassic, including giant alligator-like armored herbivores and predatory creatures.”

The newly identified bone bed is part of the Upper Sinru Formation in Petrified Forest National Park.

“This area of northeastern Arizona was situated in the heart of Pangaea on the supercontinent, positioned just above the equator 209 million years ago,” the researchers added.

“The semi-arid landscape was interspersed with small river channels, which were prone to seasonal flooding. These floods deposited sediment and volcanic ash into the channels.”

“One of these floods might have buried creatures that remain in the bone beds. The site is rich in small fossils, making it impossible to excavate all of them in the field.”

The research team believes the new site will help bridge gaps in the fossil record prior to the final extinction event (ETE).

“About 1.5 million years ago, volcanic eruptions linked to the fragmentation of Pangaea drastically altered the world’s climate and led to the extinction of approximately 75% of Earth’s species,” the scientists commented.

“This opened the door for new groups, such as dinosaurs, to emerge and thrive in ecosystems globally.”

“Due to the lack of fossil outcrops from just before the ETE, it is challenging to find direct evidence of this transition on land.”

“This site captures the shift toward a more modern terrestrial vertebrate community, marking the beginning of the flourishing of groups following the Mesozoic era, alongside these older species that survived into the Triassic period.”

“Such fossil beds provide evidence that all these animals coexisted.”

The team’s study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Ben T. Krigman et al. 2025. The extraordinary bone bed uncovers a vertebrate community with pterygoids and turtles in the equatorial Pangaea prior to terminal extinction. PNAS 122 (29): E2505513122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2505513122

Source: www.sci.news

America’s Fascination and Fear of Anomaly Detection: From UFOs to Drones

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a While there has been widespread panic over drones and other unknown low-flying objects in New Jersey in recent days, many other parts of the country are still concerned about the very American nature of the skies, which has been resurgent in modern times. A mysterious person is happily captured by a UFO.

At the newly opened National UFO Historical Records Center – A cluster of beige buildings on the grounds of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico – Literally dozens of files detailing the unexplained flying object and the terror of those around it. It fills the cabinet.

For director David Marler, this first-of-its-kind public archive of UFO historical records is the culmination of a lifelong interest and investigation into UFOs, or UAPs, as the military now prefers to designate them, or unidentified anomalous phenomena.

It came at the perfect time. In recent years, Congressional and Senate hearings have brought the topic, which often rises and falls in public attention during times of national or political unrest, back into the spotlight.

Images taken last week showed what appeared to be several drones over New Jersey. Composite: TMX over AP

Mahler's collection of UFO books, magazines, magazines, newspapers, microfilms, audio recordings, and case files from the past 75 years is impressive, as well as files from early U.S. Air Force research (Project Sign, Project Grudge, and Project Blue Book). Included. by the National Commission on the Study of Aeronautical Phenomena, the Institute for the Study of Aeronautical Phenomena (formerly based in Alamogordo, three and a half hours away), and the UFO Research Committee of the United States. Akron, Ohio.

A September 13, 1959 military report details an object rotating seven times, marking four military radar stations in New Mexico traveling much faster than the Convair 106, the fastest fighter plane of the time. tracked by.

“The Air Force was interested in national defense in the same way it is today, not from a quote-unquote 'alien perspective,'” Mahler says. “For practical reasons, especially because qualified military and civilian pilots report these things.”

At a Congressional hearing last monthwitnesses claimed that the government was sitting on a trove of information about the UAP dating back decades. Two former Navy pilots said they witnessed first-hand unexplained objects that regularly violate U.S. airspace.

Retired Major David Gruesch, a former member of the Pentagon's UAP Task Force, said the U.S. government has been running a secret program for years to reverse engineer inhuman material taken from crash sites.

However, the United States Old Main Anomaly Resolution Officeor AARO, founded in 2022, said there is no single explanation that addresses the majority of UAP reports, namely “anomalous detections,” and that no evidence of extraterrestrial technology has been found.

David Gruesch stands at the Capitol building in Washington, DC, on July 26, 2023. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

AARO Director John Koslosky at Senate hearing said “Reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, especially near national security locations, must be treated seriously by the U.S. government and investigated with scientific rigor.”

Marler, who has been following the issue relentlessly since he went looking for UFOs with his father when sightings were on the rise in Missouri, says he is neutral on the phenomenon.

“One has to be skeptical, look at the evidence objectively, and suspend conclusions and beliefs,” he says. “What I believe doesn't really matter unless there's data to support it.”

Earlier this year, the New York software company released Enigma, an app that collects sightings by uploading videos and photos with descriptions…

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk may not be America’s new king, but he could be the new Thomas Cromwell.

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PThis is essentially what transpired at Mar-a-Lago on election night, when it became evident that Trump had emerged victorious. The scene was chaotic. Mr. Trump is a man of expansion. He is encircled by the members of a formidable clan and another individual. In his victory speech, the president-elect commended his campaign team, his running mate, and his family, each receiving brief praises.

But “AN Other” was allocated a full four minutes. He is Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in history. President Trump has referred to him as a “super genius,” “a unique individual,” and a “star.” Musk jetted straight from Texas on the Gulf Stream to revel in the adulation of his new master. He also invested hundreds of millions of dollars and a month’s worth of time to be present. Now, his moment has arrived.

Let that sink in. More on this later.

Now, consider what Musk’s counterparts in Silicon Valley were contemplating as they sat, pondering and composing sly congratulatory notes to Donald. And trust me, their disdain was palpable. The atmosphere in the valley was rife with frustration. The tech titans had been strategizing for months on how to curry favor with Trump in case he emerged victorious. Then along came Musk, sidestepping them and making his way into the inner circle of the new administration. It must have been exasperating.

Reflecting on the recent events, it’s evident that the situation has worsened. Trump has appointed Musk and aspiring mogul Vivek Ramaswami to lead his “Government Efficiency Division” (dubbed “Doge” after Musk’s favored cryptocurrency, Dogecoin). The duo is tasked with a concerted effort to streamline regulations, bureaucracy, and spending across the federal government. “Together, these two outstanding Americans will lay the groundwork for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut back on excessive regulations, eliminate wasteful spending, and restructure our federal agencies,” proclaimed their new chief.

Perhaps he will benefit from Musk’s assertion that he could slash at least $2 trillion from the $6.8 trillion government budget and Ramaswamy’s pledge to abolish the FBI, the Department of Education, and the nuclear regulatory agency during his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination. It appears he was impressed by their proposals.

While this new entity is labeled a “department,” it does not function as a typical government agency. If it did, Mr. Musk would face a slew of conflicts of interest that could pose legal challenges if he starts curtailing regulators with whom he currently clashes. These include the Federal Aviation Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and Federal Trade Commission. Moreover, his various companies secured $3 billion in government contracts from 17 federal agencies last year. However, by operating “outside” the system, he would have more leeway to make cuts as he sees fit.

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In 2018, author Michael Lewis released The Fifth Risk, a notable book exploring the consequences of President Trump’s political appointments during his initial term, particularly related to three government agencies: the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce. According to Lewis, the book was born out of his curiosity about the lesser-known branches of government and their true nature, which he discovered mainly revolved around safeguarding people and societal safety.

If Mr. Musk’s track record is any indication, such safety concerns are unlikely to be assuaged. Following a court order in Delaware to proceed with the Twitter acquisition, he promptly laid off 6,500 employees, around 80% of his workforce by his own estimation. Among those terminated were individuals tasked with moderating content on the platform to maintain a certain level of “safety.” Their departure led to an open platform that attracted anti-wokeists, white supremacists, misogynists, conspiracy theorists, and other denizens of an alternative reality. Additionally, he tweaked the platform’s algorithms to prioritize his own posts for its 200 million users, effectively turning it into a broadcasting platform for airing political views and preferences.

By backing Trump, Musk appears to be employing an all-in strategy, reminiscent of his approach years ago when facing challenges in Tesla Model 3 production and claimed to have slept at the factory for weeks. He relocated to Pennsylvania for the final campaign month, actively engaging with supporters and enhancing the campaign’s visibility, particularly in rural areas.

In essence, he has positioned himself as indispensable to Trump, presenting a potential issue for his future. Narcissists are averse to being indebted to anyone, regardless of their assistance. Thomas Cromwell’s integral role in Henry VIII’s court in the 1530s, as depicted in Wolf Hall: Mirror and Light, illustrates that aligning with power may not always bode well. History may not replicate itself, but it might echo this time, as attributed to Mark Twain.

what i was reading

the narrow path from despair
Diane Coyle’s Beautiful and concise review of Sam Friedman’s book Enlightenment Economics Failed states: why nothing works and how to fix it.

Congratulations, boss
The Verge compilation All the disgustingly vile messages the tech giants sent to the incoming president.

Reason for continuing
Insightful discussion on 404 Media – Why the initiative remains crucial even under the Trump administration – Why honest journalism is needed now more than ever.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Genetic study uncovers ancient Easter Islander’s resilience and connections to pre-European contact in the Americas

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Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Its archaeological record, including megalithic statues, has captured the imagination of many. Two major controversies have emerged from extensive study of the island. First, its history is presented as a cautionary tale of overexploitation of resources leading to a large-scale population decline – the “ecocide” theory. Second, the possibility of a voyage across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas before European contact is still debated. To answer these questions, a team of scientists from the Globe Institute and elsewhere sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 15 Rapa Nui people who lived between 1670 and 1950.

Rapa Nui people. Image courtesy of © Santiago Caruso.

Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world.

It lies at the easternmost tip of the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of South America and over 1,900 km east of the nearest inhabited island.

Despite Rapa Nui's remote location, archaeological and genetic evidence indicates that Polynesians from the west had already arrived on the island around 1250 AD.

Over the next five centuries, Rapa Nui's inhabitants, the Rapanui, developed a culture characterized by iconic colossal stone statues (moai) and monumental stone platforms (ahu).

Due to Rapa Nui's isolation, Europeans did not reach the island until 1722 AD.

Over the years, European visitors have had a devastating impact on Rapa Nui, killing locals and introducing deadly pathogens the islanders had never encountered before.

Moreover, a third of the population was kidnapped by Peruvian slave raiders in the 1860s, and only a small proportion were repatriated following international condemnation of slavery.

A smallpox epidemic subsequently decimated Rapanui's population, down to an estimated 110 people.

“It is well known that Rapa Nui's environment was affected by human activities such as deforestation, but it was unknown whether and how these changes led to a dramatic population decline,” said Dr Anna Saffo Malaspinas, a researcher at the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.

The Tahitian warrior's shelter from Giulio Ferrario's Le Costume Ancien et Moderne, Milan, 1816-1827.

The authors studied the genomes of 15 ancient inhabitants who lived on the island over the past 500 years.

They found no evidence of a genetic bottleneck corresponding to the 17th century collapse.

The analysis suggests that the island was originally inhabited by a small number of people, but its population grew steadily until Peruvian slave raids in the 1860s forced a third of the island's population to relocate.

Furthermore, the analysis showed that, like modern-day Rapa Nui people, the ancient islanders also carried Native American DNA.

This mixing probably occurred sometime between 1250 and 1430 AD.

Taken together with archaeological evidence and oral history, the find suggests that Polynesians may have been crossing the Pacific long before Europeans arrived on Rapa Nui and long before Columbus reached the Americas.

“Our genetic analysis shows that there was a steady population growth from the 13th century until contact with Europeans in the 18th century,” said Dr Barbara Souza da Mota, a researcher at the University of Lausanne.

“This stability is extremely important because it directly contradicts the idea of ​​a dramatic pre-contact population decline.”

“We investigated how Native American DNA is distributed in the genetic background of Rapa Nui Polynesians,” said Dr Victor Moreno Mayar, a researcher at the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen.

“This distribution is consistent with contact occurring between the 13th and 15th centuries.”

“Our study doesn't tell us where this contact occurred, but it may mean that the ancestors of the Rapanui reached the Americas before Christopher Columbus,” Dr Malaspinas said.

of Survey results Published in a journal Nature.

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JV Moreno Mayal others2024. Ancient Rapanui genome reveals resilience and pre-European contact with the Americas. Nature 633, 389-397;doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07881-4

Source: www.sci.news

Tubi: America’s Top Free Streaming Service and the Magic of the Virtual Video Store

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TThere's a reason why many websites devote huge virtual pages to the question of whether and when a new movie is on Netflix. For many casual viewers, the biggest streaming sites are almost synonymous with streaming itself, with even big brands like Disney+, no longer HBO Max, Peacock, and Paramount+ essentially battling for second place. But at some point, you might have to admit that this is, at best, a battle for third place: last month, all of the aforementioned glitzy non-Netflix services lost out to Tubi in viewership numbers.


While premium streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video are experimenting with ad-supported versions to boost revenue (either by lowering the price of their ad-supported subscriptions, hoping that customers will pay more to avoid the ads, or by making revenue from the ads themselves), Tubi offers a rotating lineup of ad-supported movies and TV shows at an unbeatable price. It's a free service that doesn't even require you to sign in (I know this firsthand: I've been a regular Tubi user for years, but I've yet to create an actual account). Tubi combines the thrilling browsing experience of an old-school video store, the instant gratification of Netflix, and the old-school channel flipping of cable (when everyone embraced the built-in ad breaks that came with watching a movie). Apparently, viewers don't mind a little retro in their streaming experience. Tubi is still growing viewership and ad revenue; in the most recent quarter, the latter increased by 22% (the CEO says the service is growing viewership and ad revenue by 22%). There is no profit yetBut growth in such a competitive and fickle industry is still remarkable.

Even before those numbers were released, Tubi was no longer a timid upstart. The part of the media conglomerate that wasn't sold to Disney, Fox Corporation, which owns the various Fox-branded TV stations, acquired the service in 2020. But its basic approach seems to be much the same: offering viewers a wide range of ad-supported choices (even shows that might have been offered recently or at the same time on other, more premium streaming services) without pumping too much money into flagship originals aimed at subscribers. Tubi's original programming is indeed plentiful, but it also has a retro feel, more in keeping with what you'd expect from cable or direct-to-video exploitation movies of the '90s or early 2000s than, say, HBO. The company has begun experimenting with star-studded, high-profile originals, such as a new series starring TV mainstay Lauren Graham, but they're unlikely to outweigh the appeal of a virtual video store.

In fact, a secret weapon that sometimes goes unmentioned when describing Tubi's rise is the fact that it has a ton of movies older than 30 years ago, which is relatively uncommon for many paid streaming services. At the moment, Netflix has about two dozen movies from before 1990, which is up from the last few months thanks to a recent anniversary effort that promoted movies from 1974 and 1984 together. Max does a little better on average because it owns Turner Classic Movies, but it doesn't have the depth or variety of actual TCM (or a good streaming app that's exclusive to cable TV subscribers). For other services, it's easy to find what's on offer by searching for genres that are less common today, like westerns or musicals. For example, Peacock has one musical from before 1990. Tubi's choices in this department include the original West Side Story, Seven Brides, The Royal Wedding, The Pajama Game, The Jazz Singer, Fiddler on the Roof, Yentl, The Music Man, and High Society. Of course, it won't tell you everything you need to know about the genre, but it's a better start than what more expensive services offer.

That makes Tubi seem like an option for older people who want to complement their MeTV viewing and take a peek into the past. But the company says Tubi has the youngest average age of TV viewers, at 39. The “TV” moniker probably rules out TikTok and YouTube, which are attractive to the youngest media consumers, but Tubi CEO Anjali Sood said: Recent Interviews The company is eyeing a younger audience and sees itself competing with major alternatives to traditional movies and TV, rather than as a future version of cable channels with particularly rich content.

YouTube’s reach (and creators’ endless supply of attractive, algorithmically refined thumbnails) will likely be hard to beat, but for now at least, the two services are impressive contenders. While YouTube lets you rent movies and shows, the platform owes its explosive growth to its original content and creators, who aren’t always immersed in anything more than other YouTube videos and the fickle whims of the algorithms that serve them. This material can combine in many ways: sketch comedy, talk shows, reality TV, visual essays, animated shorts, and more, but much of it has its own parameters and genres, and to outsiders it often seems untethered from history. Tubi, on the other hand, can offer a surprisingly decent crash course in classic movies, if you’re willing to endure a few ad breaks (again, most of us who grew up on cable TV in the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s were). Even in months when a particular “classics” section is on the wane (or when a particular public domain title's transition is less than optimal), there's an eclecticism that stretches beyond the very recent past and can actually satisfy your curiosity on a tight budget. If streaming is rotting our brains and keeping us indoors, maybe streaming can offer at least a little breadth.

Maybe it's a middle-aged fantasy. The culture would return to a richer sense of history that actually makes entertainment from different eras more enjoyable to connect. But now the brand that streaming stands for is hostile to theatrical releases, funding writer-driven projects, and churning out shows that are increasingly removed from the craft of TV production. Netflix has inadvertently created a new, worse kind of monoculture, one where choice is scarce and binge-watching is encouraged, insatiable and unsatisfying. Imagine a future where you lounge on Tubi instead.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Avian Influenza Detected in Chickens at Texas Factory, America’s Largest Raw Egg Producer Reports

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The largest producer of raw eggs in the nation has announced a temporary halt in production at its Texas factory on Tuesday due to avian influenza. The virus has been found in chickens, and authorities have reported cases at a poultry facility in Michigan as well.

Calmaine Foods, headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, has euthanized about 1.6 million hens and 337,000 hens, or roughly 3.6% of its flock, after avian influenza cases were discovered at its Palmer facility in Texas. The company stated that it has been sanctioned in Texas County.

The plant is situated on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southwest of Amarillo and 370 miles (595 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. CalMaine reported that most of its eggs are sold in the Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

The statement from the company mentioned, “We are collaborating closely with federal, state, and local authorities, as well as key industry organizations, to minimize the risk of further outbreaks and manage the response effectively.”

“Calmaine Foods is taking steps to ensure production from other facilities to mitigate any disruptions for customers,” the statement added.

The company clarified that there is no identified risk of avian influenza associated with eggs currently in the market, and no recalls have been issued for eggs.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, properly processed and cooked eggs are safe for consumption. The department confirmed.

A day after the announcement by Cal-Maine, state health officials revealed that one person had been diagnosed with bird flu after potential exposure to an infected cow, but the risk to the public remains low. Federal health officials stated that the human case in Texas is the first documented instance globally of someone contracting this strain of bird flu from a mammal.

In Michigan, avian influenza was detected at a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, as reported by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Ionia County is approximately 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

The department confirmed the disease on Monday following laboratory tests, marking the fourth instance since 2022 that the illness was identified at a commercial site in Michigan.

Department spokesperson Jennifer Holton stated on Tuesday that state regulations prohibit the disclosure of poultry types at the facilities. The facility is under quarantine, but no disruptions to the state’s supply chain are anticipated, according to Holton.

Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas reported Federal agriculture officials subsequently confirmed the infection in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently acquired cattle from Texas. An Idaho dairy herd was also added to the list after federal agriculture officials confirmed the presence of avian influenza, according to a USDA press release on Tuesday.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Tracing the Sea Ice Highway: The Arrival of North America’s First Immigrants

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New findings suggest that early humans arrived in North America earlier than 13,000 years ago, likely taking advantage of the “sea ice highway” along the Pacific coast. This theory is supported by paleoclimate data, challenges traditional migration theories, and emphasizes the adaptability of early humans. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new study suggests that some early Americans may have traveled down the coast from Beringia 24,000 years ago on winter sea ice.

One of the hottest debates in archeology is when and how humans first arrived in North America. Archaeologists have traditionally argued that people walked through temporary ice-free passages between ice sheets an estimated 13,000 years ago.

New evidence casts doubt on traditional theory

But a growing number of archaeological and genetic discoveries, such as human footprints in New Mexico dating back some 23,000 years, suggest that humans were on the continent much earlier. These early Americans likely migrated from Beringia along the Pacific coastline. Beringia is a land bridge between Asia and North America that appeared during the last ice age maximum when ice sheets trapped large amounts of water and caused sea levels to drop.

Now, in a study presented at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting (AGU23) in San Francisco on Friday, December 15th, paleoclimate reconstructions of the Pacific Northwest show that sea ice has grown even further south than humans. This suggests that it may have been a means of transportation.

Coastal migration theory

The idea that early Americans may have traveled along the Pacific coast is not new. People may have been south of the giant ice sheet that once covered much of the continent by at least 16,000 years ago. Given that ice-free corridors would not open for thousands of years before these early arrivals, scientists proposed that people instead migrated along a “kelp highway.” Along this path, early Americans slowly made their way down to North America by ship. Abundant supplies found in coastal waters.

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of coastal settlements in western Canada dating back 14,000 years. But in 2020, researchers noted that freshwater from melting glaciers at the time may have created strong currents, making it difficult for people to travel along the coast.

Sea ice in Nunavut, Canada. Credit: Grid-Arendel CC-BY-NC-SA

An icy highway crossing a dangerous sea

To get a more complete picture of ocean conditions during key periods of human migration, Summer Pretorius and colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey examined climate proxies in marine sediments along the coast. Most of the data came from small fossilized plankton. Its abundance and chemistry help scientists reconstruct ocean temperatures, salinity, and sea ice cover.

Praetorius’ presentation is part of a session at AGU23 on the climate history and geology of Beringia and the North Pacific during the Pleistocene. This year, his week-long conference brought together 24,000 of his experts from all areas of earth and space sciences in San Francisco and 3,000 online participants.

Using climate models, Praetorius’ team found that at the height of the Last Glacial Maximum, about 20,000 years ago, ocean currents were more than twice as strong as they are today due to glacial winds and falling sea levels. Pretorius said it would have been very difficult to travel by boat in these conditions, although it was not impossible to row.

However, records show that much of the region had winter sea ice until about 15,000 years ago. As a cold-adapted people, “they may have been using the sea ice as a foothold instead of having to row against this terrible glacial current,” Pretorius said.

Sea ice as a migration path

People in the Arctic now travel along the sea ice on dog sleds and snowmobiles. Pretorius said early Americans may also have used the “sea ice highway” to travel and hunt marine mammals, slowly making their way into North America in the process. Climate data suggest that conditions along the coastal route may have been favorable for migration between 24,500 and 22,000 years ago and between 16,400 and 14,800 years ago, possibly due to the presence of winter sea ice.

Integration of old and new theories

It’s difficult to prove that people used sea ice for travel, given that most ruins are underwater, but the idea is that without land bridges or easy ocean travel, humans It provides a new framework for understanding how it arrived in North America.

And the Sea Ice Highway is not mutually exclusive with other human movements beyond it, Pretorius said. The researchers’ model shows that by 14,000 years ago, the Alaska Current had calmed down, making it easier for people to travel by boat along the coast.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” she said. “We are always amazed by the ingenuity of ancient humans.”

Source: scitechdaily.com