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Ursula Le Guin’s Son Explains Why Her Sci-Fi Classic “Forbidden” is His Favorite

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Ursula K. Le Guin in 2005

Dan Tuffs/Getty Images

When a newcomer to Lugin asks where to begin, I seldom suggest It Was Confiscated. I do not encourage strangers to plunge into the deep end of the pool. The narratives intricately navigate the complexities of the mind, not just in terms of intellect if you’re astute, but also in how we engage mentally while reading. (Things can get tricky, especially if the author is your mother.) Other Lugin works are more grounded in the psyche, making them a safer recommendation for beginners. However, if pressed for my favorite Lugin book, It Was Confiscated, published in 1974, is frequently my response.

The writing decade kicked off in the early 1960s, encapsulating the essence of Earth’s narratives. The Left Hand of Darkness sits alongside It Was Confiscated. A bibliographic account cannot adequately convey the exhilaration and exhaustion of that period. She authored novels while juggling family obligations, giving birth to her third child (me), coordinating everything (plus cats), and even spent a year in London. Ursula later confided that even with a supportive environment, one can underestimate the toll that writing a novel takes on one’s physical state. I haven’t ventured into novel writing myself, so I can only squarely reflect on her last decade and say, yes, I can envision it.

It’s certainly true that Ursula had a preference for the genre structures of the era. It Was Confiscated. Indeed, we have a rocket ship, but also cultural nuances within both Urla and Anar, from attire to social customs. Ursula’s lifelong intrigue with the natural sciences is evident in her depictions of Shebeck’s profession and the theories leading to the existing technologies. Her academic background enriched her portrayal of institutional pettiness. Above all, political philosophy and practicality emerge—a framework for radical collective reimagining and a nuanced utopia, as indicated in the full title of the book.

This framework has remarkably resonated over 50 years. I would like to acknowledge at least one generation in gratitude, alongside certain academic circles, recognizing The Left Hand of Darkness and It Was Confiscated as foundational texts in discussions on gender, anarchism, and anti-capitalism. I consider these works akin to my cousins. They are distinct yet consistently challenge my preconceptions. However, in my view, The Left Hand of Darkness addresses gender politics without being a purely “political” narrative. I can imagine myriad political systems serving as the backdrop for Geten. Indeed, Ursula remarked in a 1997 interview, “Politics is [The Left Hand of Darkness] is not thoroughly considered.” Conversely, political philosophies and systems are at the forefront. It Was Confiscated may be considered a superior work—The Left Hand excels in alternative important aspects. Yet for those who appreciate the blend of intelligence, ethics, poetic expression, and the merging of mind and heart, It Was Confiscated is hard to surpass.

For a generation whose reading may pivot on this duo of texts, the perception of the author’s legacy as an early radical thinker is enhanced by viewing her 2014 National Book Foundation speech video, with anti-capitalist themes crystallizing across both novels. I do not mind this view of my mother, nor did she—being labeled a radical thinker is preferable to being called “The Grande Dame of SFF” or any other gender and genre bias. Nonetheless, the idea of Ursula as an eternal radical oversimplifies her life’s intricacies and condenses her journey of reconciling early romantic capitalist ideals with an understanding of the intersection of art, ethics, justice, and politics. The period I’ve mentioned in Ursula’s life, from her early 30s to early 40s, profoundly shaped this reconciliation.

As a young child during that time, Ursula seldom discussed her work, leaving me to ponder the process of her artistic evolution. With her triumphs and a supportive partner, her life finally allowed for deep introspection and exploration. The roles of child, spouse, and mother transformed dramatically after her father’s passing. The U.S. engagement in the Vietnam War, which Ursula fervently opposed, crystallized her thoughts on pacifism and systemic inequality. Much had shifted in the world—and in Ursula—from The World of Locanon (1966) to It Was Confiscated as she became ready to delve into alternatives to ongoing cycles of human injustice and brutality.

The New Scientist Book Club is currently reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s It Was Confiscated. Sign up and read with us here.

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Is My Favorite Podcast’s New Video Format the Future of Vodcasts or Just a Passing Trend?

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In the afternoon, we gathered four people at Perich, a family-owned café on Besnard Green Road, London, which has been part of the East End for 125 years. The lively and renowned owners, British-Italian brothers Nevio and Anna, have been delighting patrons with fry-ups, soups, pasta, and jam rolly-polly since 8 am. Although the café is currently closed, Anna and Nevio are embarking on their second venture as hosts of a podcast series. The show features interviews exploring food and lifestyle, focusing on guests’ favorite meals. The discussions are fascinating, chaotic, and filled with surprises.

So far, they’ve welcomed the likes of actor Ray Winstone, Dexis’ Kevin Rowland, rapper Haku Baker, and 86-year-old YouTuber Marge Keefe, also known as Grime Gran. Today’s guests include TikTok star John Fisher, aka Big John, and his son, boxer Johnny Fisher. When I mention to Anna that she must be exhausted, she laughs and replies, “Tell me about it. Actually, tell him!” Their long-time producer, George Sexton Kerr, notes that he has been busy rearranging the Formica table for the film crew.

You might wonder why a film crew is involved. Podcasts are typically for the ears, not the eyes, right? However, recent trends have changed the way podcasts are consumed, with many shows now incorporating video. In February, YouTube reported that 1 billion users watch podcast content monthly, positioning the platform ahead of Spotify (which noted 100 million podcast listeners in 2023) and Apple in the podcasting space. With leading podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience and The Mel Robbins Podcast, it’s no surprise that Spotify is working hard to catch up.

This year, the BBC launched visual adaptations of shows such as The Traitors: Uncloaked and Uncanny: Mortem in both video and audio formats. Business Insider reports that Netflix is also preparing to embrace visualized podcasts. To reflect this evolution, the British Podcast Awards introduced a new Visual Innovation Award to honor “Outstanding Visual Podcasts.” This indicates that whether one likes it or not, visualized podcasts, often referred to as “board casts,” are on the rise.

Conversations with both listeners and creators about this new audiovisual landscape reveal differing opinions. Dedicated audio enthusiasts reasonably question the need to watch a podcast when their TV watchlist is already overwhelming. Conversely, others delight in seeing familiar hosts in person. Independent audio producers, seeking anonymity, express concerns about YouTube’s dominance in the industry and worry that audio content might become “Crap Telly.”

It’s important to note that visualized podcasts aren’t necessarily competing with mainstream television. Just as celebrity interviewer Amelia Dimoldenberg, host of YouTube’s Chicken Shop Date, can coexist alongside BBC’s Graham Norton, visualized podcasts can exist beside high-quality television programming. Nonetheless, as a podcast enthusiast and critic, I admit I have my doubts. For me, the beauty of podcasts lies in the intimate experience of voice and soundscapes directly engaging my imagination. I often listen while multitasking, whether cooking or walking my dog. I don’t need yet another screen-based distraction.

That said, I’m excited about podcasts where the visuals serve a distinct purpose, such as the series launched by CAFF last year. Producer Sexton Kerr, who took two years to craft the series with Anna and Nevio, envisioned it as a comprehensive audiovisual experience. “I always wanted it to be multifaceted; it’s about food and this wonderful dynamic between Anna and Nevio. But it’s also about the beauty of sharing a conversation over tea.”

In the early episodes, Nevio admits, “There were moments of chaos because Anna and I were figuring it out, but mostly because George was guiding us,” [in both audio and visual formats].

When my producer friend discusses the pod, “Crunch Terry,” they refer to interview podcasts as ideal for visual mediums. Productions like Davina McCall’s Begin, Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud, and Call Her Daddy illustrate how hosts and interviewees can thrive in visually engaging settings, complete with stylish decor and ambient lighting.

However, many productions fall short, either restricting camera angles to sound booths or presenting awkward Zoom calls. A prime example is The Rest Is Politics, a chart-topping series hosted by Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell. Since the hosts rarely appear together, viewers see them on split screens, each illuminated from their respective homes. YouTube executive Pedlopina recently stated that the show “feels like high school” due to its lack of production quality, noting that “viewers will ultimately determine the production value they are willing to accept.”

Matt Deegan, partner at Podcast Discovery, a marketing firm for podcasts, remarked, “For some viewers, they may not frequently consume podcasts and instead watch shows. There is a younger audience that navigates YouTube without engaging with audio podcasts.”

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Regardless of production quality, the video format is easily shareable on social media, enhancing the show’s visibility. Deegan states, “Repetitive exposure to engaging, informative, or entertaining content makes it much more likely for someone to engage with the podcast app.” Sexton Kerr adds, “We’ve been steadily posting clips on Instagram and TikTok, amassing over 400,000 views on some. We couldn’t afford such advertising.”

For interview podcasts, the advantages of video content are clear and straightforward. Transforming a narrative podcast into an appealing visual format is a more considerable challenge, but podcasters are starting to explore this. George Mpanga (aka poet George) and Bembrick, creator of Have You Heard of George’s Podcast?, a Peabody Award-winning series on race, history, and culture, are currently reworking their audio episodes for a video audience.

“You have to go where the audience is,” explains Bembrick. “Even if your primary focus is audio, it would be unwise to exclude platforms like YouTube. If you venture there, you increase your chances of resonating with that content. We feel ready to experiment, and we’re curious about how it will turn out. I don’t believe we’ve reached the final form yet.”

Does all of this spell doom for audio? While some industry insiders worry that the rise of video podcasts may sideline indie podcasters in an increasingly competitive market, Bembrick is optimistic that it will create space for productions that truly prioritize audio.

Back at Perich, Nevio brings two jam tarts on giant plates to our table, and Sexton Kerr remarks that everything is interwoven. “It’s like the video of that song killed the radio star. But we still have radio stars. I still have podcasts I cherish listening to, so I believe there’s room for both.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientifically Determining Which Child Is Most Likely to Be the Favorite of Their Parents

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Have you ever glanced around the dinner table and pondered about your parents’ favorite among your siblings? If you’re the youngest, you might want to look away.

A recent meta-analysis published in the Psychology Bulletin reveals that eldest daughters tend to receive preferential treatment from their parents.

Researchers examined 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and 14 databases, involving 19,469 participants, to explore how birth order, gender, temperament, and personality traits impact parental favoritism. The study showed that both mothers and fathers more often favored their daughters as compared to sons.

In terms of birth order, older siblings tended to receive more autonomy, which was viewed as preferential treatment. This favoritism was also evident in the amount of money spent on children and the level of control exerted by parents.

Children who exhibited responsible and organized traits were also more likely to be favored by their parents, indicating that parents may find them easier to manage and respond positively to.

Both mothers and fathers were more likely to favor their daughters over their sons. – Photo credit: Getty

“Parental differential treatment can have long-lasting effects on children,” stated lead author Dr. Alexander Jensen, an Associate Professor at Brigham Young University, USA.

“This study sheds light on which children are more susceptible to the impacts of favoritism, whether positive or negative.”

Jensen and his team also discovered that siblings receiving less favorable treatment often had poorer mental health and strained family relationships.

“It’s worth noting that this study is correlational and doesn’t explain why parents favor certain children,” Jensen added. “However, it does highlight areas where parents may need to be more mindful of their interactions with their children.”

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Ultimate Guide to Purchasing Your Loved Ones’ Favorite Christmas Gifts

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Plan Ahead

When it comes to buying something you love, planning ahead is key. Take the time to carefully consider and prepare before making a purchase, especially when buying something second-hand. Monica Marriott Mills, a TikTok user who shares insights on vintage clothing styles, suggests starting by creating a detailed list for each person you need to buy gifts for.

“I create a profile for each person, noting their preferences, favorite colors, and any items they have mentioned wanting, like a photo frame for their wedding anniversary,” she explains. “By jotting down this information on your phone, you can stay focused while shopping at thrift stores or antique shops.”

Marriott Mills, like many others her age, buys 50% of her Christmas presents second-hand. According to a report from the resale app Vinted, more than half of people under 45 buy used items at least once a month, compared to 43% of all consumers.

If you’re short on time, online second-hand marketplaces like eBay, Vinted, and Vestiaire Collective are convenient options to explore. You can browse and shop from the comfort of your own home.

Shopping for second-hand items can potentially allow you to purchase gifts that may have been out of reach if bought new. For example, a beginner in sewing might appreciate a sewing machine. While John Lewis sewing machines start from £135 when new, you can find similar working models on eBay starting at just £10 through bidding or £45.99 for an instant purchase, complete with a box.

Please Wake Up Early

Shoppers at the Red Brick Market in Liverpool, England. Keep an eye out for bargains in charity shops and markets. Photo: Chris Hellier/Alamy

If you know someone is selling household items or electronics, consider checking charity shops, flea markets, antique stores, car boot sales, and online marketplaces for hidden gems.

Marriott Mills suggests researching the delivery schedules of used furniture stores as a strategy to score great deals. “The second-hand furniture store from British Heart Foundation in my area opens on Tuesdays, so I try to visit on that day,” she shares.

“Being one of the first shoppers can be advantageous, but consider going early on Saturdays or during your lunch break.” If you can’t shop in person, many of these stores have online platforms as well.

Also Look for Children’s Gifts

eBay, Vinted, and Facebook Marketplace are excellent sources for finding gently used toys that make perfect gifts for children. Some items are even new and still in their packaging.

For example, LOL dolls typically cost around £25 each when new, but you can find bundles of dolls in good condition on eBay for as low as £4. If you’re looking for larger items like playhouses or kitchens, check out Facebook Marketplace where prices range from £10 for brand new items that normally cost between £60 and £200.

However, be mindful of the seller’s location when purchasing larger items, as they may only be available for local pickup. Shipping costs could offset any savings you make.

Designer Goods Search Filter

“You’ll find a plethora of designer items on Vinted and Depop,” Marriott Mills suggests. “Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if a gift is brand new or gently used.”

You can refine your search by specifying “New with Tags” in the search bar to find brand new items. For instance, Ralph Lauren beanies typically cost between £80 and £110 when new, but you can snag one in like-new condition on Vinted for as low as £25.

Check for Safety

When purchasing a used toy, it’s important to check for loose parts or signs of damage. Photo: PhotoAlto/Alamy

For electronics and lighting products, try to test them out before purchasing to ensure they are safe and functional. Luke Osborne, Deputy Technical Director at Electrical Safety First, recommends performing checks like verifying the presence of a genuine safety certification label on the product.

“Start by confirming if the product has been recalled. Use resources like Electrical Safety First’s product checker or the OPSS product recall and alert page,” he advises.

“Also, check if the product comes with a 3-pin UK plug containing a fuse. Foreign plugs and adapters may not offer the same level of protection as a 3-pin plug,” he adds.

When buying a used toy, inspect for loose or damaged parts, wear and tear, and signs of damage. While many charity shops sell battery-operated and electric toys, they may not always be tested for safety. Watch out for obvious signs of damage, such as battery leakage, that could pose a safety hazard. If you’re satisfied with the item, check the return policy before making a purchase and test it out once you get home. Keep your receipt handy, as returns are typically allowed within 28 days.

Shopping online from platforms like Vinted or eBay requires sellers to disclose the working condition of the toy. If the item arrives and doesn’t function as described, buyers are usually protected by a warranty that offers a refund.

Parents can refer to a used toy buying guide to ensure the safety of toys, as some older toys may contain traces of harmful chemicals like chromium, selenium, and lead. Look out for recalled toys, which can often be identified through a quick online search. Safety and quality marks like the Lion Mark and CE Mark indicate compliance with safety standards.

It’s crucial to sanitize toys before gifting them. Soft toys can be washed in the washing machine, while plastic and wooden toys can be cleaned with soap and water.

Beware of Scams

Shopping online comes with risks of potential scams, but there are precautions you can take to avoid falling victim. “Before making a purchase, always check reviews,” recommends Marriott Mills. Be cautious if a seller has few reviews or if the reviews are negative. Positive reviews can provide assurance of a legitimate transaction. For designer items, consider using authentication websites like Legit Grail.

Look out for sellers who include the original receipt with the item, as this can help verify authenticity. Familiarize yourself with hallmarks and engravings to authenticate jewelry or tableware. “I gave my mom a silver bracelet stamped with 925. I knew it was genuine,” says Marriott Mills. “Don’t hesitate to double-check. You can even Google it right there in the store or at an antique shop.” Depop, eBay, and Vinted offer buyer protection guarantees, ensuring a refund if the item significantly differs from the description.

Present Them Well

Cardboard gift boxes make any gift look great. Photo: Purestock/Alamy

While many second-hand gifts may not come in their original packaging, you can present them beautifully with some extra care and thoughtful wrapping. Cardboard gift boxes are a versatile option to elevate the presentation of your gifts. Additionally, consider repurposing items you have at home, such as a shoebox for a makeshift basket or an old perfume box for stocking stuffers.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Is AI going to disrupt your favorite TV shows?

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Justine Bateman won’t name names, but a TV showrunner friend once came to her with a dilemma: Their team was well into shooting the second season of their show, and a network executive had an idea: A character in the pilot wasn’t going over well with viewers, so they wanted to replace him with a different character, using a bit of AI. The showrunner, and actor-director Bateman, were understandably furious. “When you change the beginning of something, you change the creative trajectory,” Bateman says. “It takes away what was set up in the pilot, and it doesn’t make sense, so people are going to be shocked when they see episodes three or four.” Using AI may have seemed like an easy solution for executives, but it was disastrous for the showrunners.

But AI is increasingly becoming a part of the TV industry, with potentially huge costs for the industry. WGA and SAG-Aftra made a big fuss about AI potentially taking jobs during last year’s Hollywood walkouts, but Recent Reports According to CVL Economics, 203,800 entertainment jobs in the US are likely to be “disrupted” by AI by 2026, making the technology a terrifying game changer for television and the entertainment industry as a whole.

While the use of AI is still considered something of a landmine in Hollywood, with most carefully avoiding public skepticism and the (rightful) perception that they’re replacing humans with computers, that doesn’t mean AI is already ubiquitous. “A lot of what people are calling ‘AI’ has been around for the last decade,” says Emily St. James, a TV writer, podcaster, and cultural critic. Disney+ is Speaker He transformed the hoarse voice of Mark Hamill, who was 68 years old at the time, into the voice of 20-year-old Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian.

The B.B.C. Amazon-MGM Studios has admitted to using AI to create marketing materials (including some bizarrely inaccurate ones) for shows like Doctor Who and Fallout. AI image of Los AngelesAnd Banijay, the global conglomerate behind more than 200 reality TV shows, including Deal or No Deal and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Just released AI Creative Fund Create a new program. Already released Fake Showis an Italian series in which celebrities improvise comedy scenes generated by AI.

“AI doesn’t do quality work, AI just does a good enough job”… Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Photo: Landmark Media/AlamyThat doesn’t mean AI can produce entire shows, though. Not yet. “There’s still a big gap between machine learning simplifying technical processes in ways humans can’t and ‘dominating TV,'” St. James says. “Maybe I’m whistling past my grave, but I haven’t seen anything quite as convincing as the hype yet.”

Others agree, with creative director Lauren Fisher saying, “From what I’ve seen, all the pure ‘let’s have an AI do it all’ stuff is awful, but it’s novelty so I just admire it.” TV producer Benjamin Field adds, “AI can’t make quality stuff, it can only be good enough.” One showrunner quips anonymously, “AI will never replace good stuff, for the same reason that sex robots will never replace the real thing.”

“I think AI can do the mundane work,” says Guy Branum, a writer and producer who has worked on shows like Hacks, The Other Two, and The Mindy Project. “I was once tasked with writing the VMAs bios, which basically consisted of copying old bios and updating them to include current talent. ChatGPT could do that with the right oversight, but all it can really do is steal from existing work and summarize it in the most formulaic way.” But if a show has an established blueprint, like Big Brother, for example, then it’s a lot harder to write. Or for a show like “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” it may not be a question of “if” we’ll get to see AI-generated challenges and scripts, but rather “when.”

It’s more a question of “when” than “if,” but formulaic shows like Ru Paul’s Drag Race could soon be subject to AI material. Photo: Gerard Gethings and Greg BaileyBeing so reflective, most experts say AI probably won’t write great comedy, or at least topical satire like we see in shows like “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.” Still, there are plenty of TV shows that aren’t sharp or timely, from Netflix dating shows to Hallmark Christmas movies, all of which could conceivably be influenced by AI material. Of course, more channels and streaming services mean more content, and it all has to be written by someone or something.

“In the next six to 12 months, you’re going to see FAST (free ad-supported TV) or social media channels develop AI content,” Field says. “It’s probably going to be made by minimal creators and there’s no real money being spent on it, but it’s going to be out there somewhere. It might do some funny stuff, but it’s not going to change the world. It’s just going to be cheaper and less good.”

But that doesn’t mean creators are grudgingly embracing the technology. Field himself Co-founded the company They’re dedicated to creating “ethical, policy-based” synthetic media. “We’re in a terrible situation where budgets are being cut and AI has the ability to create content cheaper and faster,” Field said. “I don’t necessarily see it as something that’s going to force us into a corner and take away all our jobs, but I do think that as an industry we need to do better and work towards the future in a more sustainable way. Let’s take all the tools that are available to us and use them to create something new.”

Other creators are trying to thwart the rise of AI. Voice Actors Guild of America Nava has taken an active stance against the mistreatment of the group by overzealous executives and producers, and they’re not only working to change the voice-over industry, but lobbying the U.S. Congress for legal protections. Anti-Counterfeiting Law And that AI Fraud Prevention ActBoth are currently in the legislative process.

Television shows that are neither crisp nor timely are perfect for AI processing… Love is Blind. Photo: NetflixUnder copyright law, unlike a person’s name, portrait, or likeness, Currently not covered A person’s voice is a “voiceprint” of just three seconds. Credible copy using AI(In 2020, it would have taken roughly six hours of audio to achieve the same results.) This has resulted in some high-profile upsets. Scarlett Johansson was “infuriated” after learning that ChatGPT had used a voice that was “eerily similar to mine, so similar that close friends and the press couldn’t tell the difference” without her consent. Amazing deepfakesSome of them used fake voiceovers of President Biden to discourage people from voting in state primaries.

In the entertainment world, these cheap and easy voiceprints have made it much faster to get a busy actor to re-record a few lines, but also allowed companies to create large volumes of dialogue using an actor’s existing work. Veteran BAFTA-winning voice actor Cissy Jones says that a few years ago she found her voice in multiple productions on multiple websites, despite never having contributed to a single project. Fans of her show, The Owl House, were editing videos using her voice, saying lines she never recorded, which “quickly became quite pornographic,” she says.

“This was done without my consent and of course with no control over how it was used and no compensation whatsoever,” Jones said, adding that even though he’s an adult, he would be particularly troubled if such AI creations used the voices of child actors. “You can imagine that this is happening soon.” Jones’ voice was fed into an AI engine, and Jones said he had heard the sound engineer was asked to do so by the client to save money on script changes. They want voice actors to be able to decide whether they want a digital replica of their voice, and whether they have control and compensation every time their voice is used. To this end, the group Etoboxit has its own database of actors’ voiceprints, all of which are available for creators to use.

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After newsletter promotionThough fan edits using Jones’ voice aren’t allowed, some are optimistic that AI might create alternate-universe versions of fan-favorite shows. While the idea of studios being able to churn out new episodes of “I Love Lucy” or “The Brady Bunch” may seem odd from an artistic standpoint, some are hopeful that animated series like “The Simpsons” and “South Park” will see the value (and revenue potential) in letting fans make their own “episodes.”

“Maybe you’ll say, ‘Please put me in that episode. I want to be friends with the main character’… You could be on The Simpsons in no time.” Edward Saatchi, CEO Fable Simulationhis company says. Showrunner The company wants to put TV production in the hands of viewers. “Maybe you’re at home and you finish watching a particular season of a TV show,” he said. “You click to watch the next episode and you say, ‘I want to be in that episode. I want to be friends with the main character,’ or, ‘I want it to be roughly like this.’ We want to make it easier for you to tell original stories and make a TV show about your life.”

The showrunners also produce their own original programming, including: Deguchi Valleyis a satirical animated series that “stars” Silicon Valley billionaires. It has already released two episodes and is calling on its 1,000 users (7,500 on a waiting list) to create more. Users can enter prompts of 10-15 words to create full-scale scenes that run from 2 to 16 minutes. A jury of filmmakers and creators will be selected to choose the 20 best episodes, and Saatchi said the episode creators will receive a cash prize and a cut of stream revenue.

“We want to create something that will stand the test of time,” Saatchi said. “It has to be plausible that you’d love to sit down with your friends and watch that episode of Exit Valley. It has to be believable that it’s actually cool, not just because it was made by an AI.”

So-called amateur creators also dominate other markets with 295 million subscribers. Netflix Being watched around the world Mr. BeastCheck out our YouTube channel every week. The most popular stars Presenting the latest work Unconventional In fact, YouTube is already the most popular streaming service on TV, accounting for roughly 10% of U.S. connected TV viewership, more than any other service, an estimated 4.95 billion active users World wide.

“Traditional TV is already being disrupted,” says cultural critic and media expert Doug Shapiro. “For years, the argument has been that YouTube isn’t competitive and isn’t professionally producing content. But that 10% doesn’t even reflect mobile or PC viewing; it’s the percentage of people turning on the TV in their living room and watching YouTube. Disruption from below is already happening. The real question now with AI is whether these tools will add fuel to the fire and drive the tens of millions of creators who are already making their own content even further up the quality and performance curve, increasingly competing with Hollywood for people’s time.”

“To use a Game of Thrones analogy, Netflix vs. Disney is like House Targaryen vs. House Lannister, except there’s an army of the dead at the wall: tens of millions of individual creators,” Shapiro added.

As professionally produced content becomes interchangeable with consumer and AI-produced content, this sea change could have far-reaching effects on Hollywood beyond the loss of 200,000 jobs. If DIY AI TV becomes widespread, it could turn the entire concept of television upside down, upending art and fame as we know it. Or, as Saatchi puts it, if AI continues to make its way into TV, “you won’t get your 15 minutes of fame. You’ll get seven seasons and a syndication deal.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Benefits of Having Favorite Things for Your Brain’s Efficiency

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Favoritism stems from our individual preferences for colors, tastes, faces, places, and more, which are influenced by our evolutionary history. For instance, we tend to prefer lighter shades associated with positive things like the sky, while disliking darker shades associated with negativity.

Our preferences are also shaped by environmental factors, such as geographic environments that offer a balanced mix of habitat, resources, and views that promote survival. Additionally, we find symmetrical faces more attractive, possibly due to the genetic indicator of health they represent.

Cultural influences and personal experiences further mold our preferences. From childhood, we are asked to name our favorite things, combining inherent evolutionary preferences with sentimental attachments to shape our choices.

Our brains use these favorites as shortcuts to navigate the overwhelming number of choices in the world, making decisions easier for things like dinner reservations, vacations, or entertainment options. While convenient, relying on favorites can limit openness and spontaneity.

In relationships, favoritism can lead to inequality and division, as seen with parents favoring certain children or bosses showing preference to specific employees.

This article addresses the question of why we choose favorites, originally posed by Heath Bowen via email.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com