Tag Archives: Creative Commons

25Jul/23

Actors are really worried about the use of AI by movie studios – they may have a point

July 25, 2023FilmsAmazon, Applications of artificial intelligence, Artificial intelligence, Audio deepfake, Brian Cox, Computer graphics, Creative Commons, Deep learning, Deepfake, disney, Dominic Lees, Duncan Crabtree, Extra, Fran Drescher, Gal Gadot, Generative artificial intelligence, Hugh Jackman, Identity theft, Ireland, Liam Budd, London, Manchester, Mathilde Pavis, Netflix, Ryan Reynolds, SAG-AFTRA, SAG-AFTRA strike, Scarlett Johansson, Synthetic media, Tim Burton, United Kingdom, United Statesadmin

Dominic Lees, University of Reading

Film and television actors in the US came out on strike on July 14, causing Hollywood productions to shut down. The action has also had an impact on US films shooting in the UK: director Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2 has “paused” and the production of Deadpool 3, filming at Pinewood Studios with stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has been stood down.

The dispute is about remuneration for actors, very few of whom enjoy the high income of Hollywood stars. But an additional argument between the union, SAG-AFTRA, and film producers is about the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Actors are fearful of the impact of AI on their careers.

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20Jul/23

How having five friends boosts the adolescent brain – and educational performance<

July 20, 2023SocialAdolescence, Ann, Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Christelle Langley, Chun Shen, Cognition, Cognitive development, Cognitive neuroscience, Cognitive psychology, Cognitive science, Creative Commons, Friendship, Generation Z, Jianfeng Feng, Puberty, SHUTTERSTOCK, Social cognition, Social psychology, United Kingdomadmin

Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, University of Cambridge; Christelle Langley, University of Cambridge; Chun Shen, Fudan University, and Jianfeng Feng, Fudan University

As most parents of teenagers are acutely aware, there comes a time when children start prioritising their friends over their parents. While young children rely on their parents for social interactions and influences, there’s a notable switch during adolescence, where the influence from peers and friends becomes more important.

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18Jul/23

Penalties, passes, and a touch of politics: the Women’s World Cup is about to kick off

July 18, 2023FootballAmir Nasr Azadani, Auckland, Australia, Brisbane, China, Creative Commons, David Rowe, FIFA, Gianni Infantino, Harry Kane, Ireland, Mahsa Amini, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, OneLove, Qatar, Russia, Sam Kerr, Saudi Arabia, Sepp Blatter, Sydney, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zurichadmin

David Rowe, Western Sydney University

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off this Thursday night, the first football world cup hosted by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

New Zealand opens the tournament by taking on Norway in Auckland, while Australia’s Matildas will play Ireland in front of an anticipated 80,000 fans at a sold out Stadium Australia in Sydney.

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17Jul/23

Summer music festivals do more than entertain, they help us imagine possible futures

July 17, 2023MusicAjay Heble, Amy, Arts festival, Ben Finley, Campbellford, Canada, Coachella, Creative Commons, Davina Cooper, Doris Sommer, Eric Fillion, Festival, Guelph, Indio, Kingston, Music festival, Rock festival, Simon Frith, TORONTO, Utopia, Woodstockadmin

Eric Fillion, Queen’s University, Ontario and Ajay Heble, University of Guelph

Music festival season is finally here. And after multiple summers without large in-person gatherings and reduced capacities, many people are returning to their favourite music festivals to have a good time.

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11Jul/23

Treat culture: why indulging in small, affordable pleasures can help you cope with tough times

July 11, 2023Food and DrinkConsumption, Creative Commons, Emily, Emotions, Happiness, Jason Sit, Paris, Personal life, Philosophy of love, Pleasure, Positive mental attitude, SHUTTERSTOCK, United Kingdomadmin

Kokho Jason Sit, University of Portsmouth

Life today is stressful. Since the start of the pandemic, social media has been flooded with coping mechanisms and wellbeing trends to help people manage their emotions and worries about the state of the world. If you’ve tried therapy and “hot girl walks”, you may also have heard of the latest life hack: buying yourself a little treat.

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10Jul/23

China’s gallium and germanium controls: what they mean and what could happen next

July 10, 2023PoliticsBeijing, Canada, Chemical elements, China, Creative Commons, Gallium, Gavin D. J. Harper, Germanium, Germany, Integrated circuit, Japan, Light-emitting diode, Mark Agnor, Metalloids, Netherlands, Russia, Semiconductor, Semiconductor device, Semiconductor devices, Silicon–germanium, Solar cell, Transistor, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Statesadmin

Gavin D. J. Harper, University of Birmingham

From August, China is to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two critical elements for making semiconductor chips. With China dominating the supply of both elements, exporters will now need special licences to get them out of the country. The move has the potential to harm a range of western tech manufacturers that use these elements to make their products.

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07Jul/23

How holidaying in developing countries affects local inequality

July 7, 2023TravelAlex, Alexander Tziamalis, Barbados, Creative Commons, Distribution of wealth, Dominican Republic, Economic growth, Economic inequality, Effects of economic inequality, Egalitarianism, Gross domestic product, Income distribution, Income inequality in the United States, India, Poverty, Redistribution of income and wealth, Tanzania, Tourism, United Kingdom, United States, Yuan Wangadmin

A few years ago, one of us (Alex) went for a vacation to the Dominican Republic. The motivation was similar to millions of other tourists every year: escape the daily routine, enjoy the sun and beaches, and gather some strength to face another cold winter.

Unfortunately, a few things weren’t very conducive to a happy break. The staff at the mammoth hotel were making as little as US$1 (£0.79) for a 12-hour shift. Worse, most of them lived in a shanty town nearby. They had no sewers and no reliable electricity.

The hotel also exploited its power over local farmers to procure food exceedingly cheaply. Schools were overcrowded and many children dropped out to work in businesses like these hotels and farms, perpetuating the cycle.

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30Jun/23

I’m one of the UK’s official climate change advisers – our new report says the country is no longer a world leader

June 30, 2023EnvironmentCarbon neutrality, China, Climate change, Climate Change Committee, Climate change in the United Kingdom, Climate change policy, Creative Commons, Deben, Department of Energy and Climate Change, Glasgow, Greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey, Joe Dunckley, John Gummer, Kevin Shipp, Mission Zero: Independent Review of Net Zero, Piers Forster, SHUTTERSTOCK, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Statesadmin

Piers Forster, University of Leeds

The UK’s Climate Change Committee – the official independent advisory body of which I am interim chair – has spent the past three months poring over thousands of pages of government strategy documents to inform its latest annual progress report to parliament. And our confidence in the UK meeting its climate goals is now markedly less than it was in our previous assessment a year ago. Key opportunities have been missed.

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27Jun/23

How streaming platforms make you more likely to watch certain programmes – new research

June 27, 2023EntertainmentBarb, Creative Commons, disney, Internet broadcasting, ITV, ITVX, Mike van Esler, Neil Thurman, Netflix, New media, Streaming television, Three S, United Kingdom, Video on demand servicesadmin

Neil Thurman, City, University of London

With the vast array of options of what to watch online, have you ever wondered why you picked that new comedy or that old documentary? Would you have chosen to watch them if they were on terrestrial TV? How much were you nudged to choose them by subtle prompts from the online streaming platforms?

Last year, when a new British streaming TV platform, ITVX, launched, it promised to be “led” by viewers who could “choose [from] thousands of hours of content.” Disney+ has made a similar promise: “Watch the way you want.”

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26Jun/23

Putin seriously weakened by Wagner Group mutiny – but it was a missed opportunity for Ukraine too

June 26, 2023Conflict and WarAleksey Dyumin, Alexander Lukashenko, Andrey Rudenko, Anti-Americanism, Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Russia, Beijing, Belarus, China, Creative Commons, Don, Georgiy Kasianov, Heroes of the Russian Federation, Jean Monnet, Kazakhstan, Lenin, Moscow, Mykhailo Podolyak, Oleksiy Danilov, Putin, Qin Gang, Recep Tayyip, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russia, Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian mercenaries, Russo-Ukrainian War, Sergei Shoigu, Sergey Shoigu, Sergey Surovikin, Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, Stefan Wolff, Tetyana Malyarenko, Turkey, Ukraine, Valery Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhinadmin

Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham and Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy

Blink and you could have missed it. Within 36 hours, the challenge mounted against the Kremlin by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary private military company the Wagner Group, was over. On Friday June 23 2023, Prigozhin ordered 25,000 of his troops on to a “march for justice”, which duly set out to confront the Russian president in Moscow. The following afternoon he called it off.

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Tag: Creative Commons