html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" The Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University has officially opened its doors, inviting visitors into a one-of-a-kind experience that bridges Earth's prehistoric past with the urgent environmental challenges of today. Designed collaboratively by Ennead Architects (Design Architect), KSS Architects (Executive Architect), and G&A (Experience Design), the 44,000 Sq-ft (~4085 Sq mt) museum is both a scientific gateway and a sustainable architectural landmark nestled into a 65-acre (~43560 Sq ft) fossil quarry in Southern New Jersey.Situated atop a site of rare geological importance, the museum sits at the very place where sedimentary layers preserve evidence of the asteroid impact that triggered the mass extinction of the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago. This active quarry, where visitors of all ages are invited to dig for real fossils alongside scientists, becomes the foundation for a larger narrative: one of planetary reckoning, discovery, and future-facing action.Evening exterior looking over dig siteImage Credit © Jeff Goldberg / EstoEnnead’s architectural vision began with a single question; How can design embody both the weight of extinction and the hope rooted in scientific inquiry?.The resulting building does not stand as a monument, but as an instrument; one that frames the visitor's encounter with deep time and invites a conversation about the Earth’s future. Drawing inspiration from the idea of a camera obscura, the museum is composed as a constellation of timber-clad pavilions, each anchored by an aperture that acts as a lens. These openings connect interior and exterior, exhibition and excavation, past and future.Cretaceous gallery.Image Credit © Jeff Goldberg / EstoInside, the museum experience designed by G&A which is immersive and participatory. Visitors traverse from land to sea in richly imagined Cretaceous galleries, dig for fossils in the adjacent quarry, and explore hands-on exhibits that animate scientific discovery. RFID-based scavenger hunts, a virtual reality chamber, and an array of full-scale prehistoric reconstructions guide guests through a sequence of wonder, reflection, and call to action. A promontory overlook and nature trails thread indoor and outdoor experiences together, reinforcing the idea that science is not passive it’s lived, touched, and unearthed.Main EntryImage Credit © Jeff Goldberg / EstoThe museum offers a dynamic and immersive experience, thoughtfully curated to engage visitors of all ages. From full-scale reconstructions of extinct species to hands-on exhibits, every element is designed to bring the prehistoric world vividly to life. A virtual reality chamber transports guests to the age of dinosaurs, while live animal attractions create a bridge between past and present biodiversity. Visitors can also explore a state-of-the-art collections and conservation facility, attend screenings and events in a 138-seat theater, or simply unwind in community gathering spaces that maintain a strong connection to the natural world.Covered porch and promontory overlooking dig siteImage Credit © Aislinn Weidele / EnneadA cafe with an outdoor veranda provides a serene overlook of the adjacent quarry, inviting moments of reflection and pause. This quiet interlude complements the museum’s broader mission—encouraging deeper consideration of Earth’s ancient past and the ongoing story of our planet.Lower level stair to lobbyImage Credit © Jeff Goldberg / EstoBeyond its captivating displays, the museum is designed to inspire action. Interactive kiosks distributed throughout the space highlight urgent issues around climate change and biodiversity, prompting guests to engage meaningfully with the environmental challenges of today. The goal is not just to educate, but to empower—ensuring that each visitor departs with a renewed sense of stewardship for the planet.Thomas Wong, Design Partner at Ennead Architects, reflects on the deeper vision behind the project: “The Edelman Fossil Park & Museum is ultimately a place of perspective—a place where science and architecture converge to place humanity in the context of our planet’s history, to frame not just what has come before, but what might come next. In bearing witness to an extinction event from Earth’s deep past, we are reminded of the fragility of life and the power of human agency.”More than a place of learning, the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum is a platform for planetary stewardship. Designed to be one of the largest public net zero carbon emissions buildings in New Jersey, the architecture integrates a range of sustainable strategies: geothermal wells, an all-electric mechanical system, carbon-sequestering heavy timber construction, bird-safe glazing, and restored ecological landscapes. It’s a regenerative ethic made tangible, one that mirrors the museum’s mission to empower communities to act on climate and biodiversity.Main Lobby and covered porchImage Credit © Jeff Goldberg / EstoAs a cultural and environmental landmark, the project underscores the belief that understanding the past is essential to shaping the future. In the shadow of Earth’s fifth mass extinction, the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum attempts to offer perspective, agency, and hope. Through the seamless collaboration between Ennead, KSS, and G&A, this transformative institution is now open not just as a museum, but as a movement.Project factsYear: 2025Location: Mantua, New JerseySize: 44,000 GSFProgram: Lobby, Auditorium, Exhibit Galleries, Theatre, Research Workshop, VR Chamber, Café & Gift Shop, Administrative Offices, Active Fossil Dig in Quarry, Outdoor TrailsDesign Team: Ennead Architects / Thomas Wong, Don Weinreich, Marissa Sweig Trigger, Julia Chapman, Ursula Trost, Kailey Baker, Luccas Dias, Darla Elsbernd, Bettine Gachstetter, Masha Konopleva, Eliza Montgomery, Stine PedersenArchitect of Record: KSS ArchitectsExperience Design: G&ALandscape Architect: SEED Design / Yaki MiodovnikEngineer & Sustainability Consultant: BuroHappold EngineeringThe top image in the article: Dusk exterior, looking across the pond. Image credit © Jeff Goldberg / Esto.Images © Jeff Goldberg / Esto, Aislinn Weidele / Ennead Architects.> viaEnnead Architects

It's not the time to make panic purchases, but it could be a good time to save.

OpinionApril 21, 20254 min readKeeping Kids Interested in Science Is a Matter of LanguageAs children get older, their understanding of science and being a scientist changes. The words adults use are a critical part of keeping them engaged in discoveryBy Ryan F. Lei MashaStarus/Getty ImagesOne of the most fun parts of being a parent has to be watching children discover the world around them. After all, children are endlessly curious, and part of the fun is seeing the wonder on children’s faces as they discover even simple objects and ideas.“What’s that in your hand? Is it—a ball? Do you think it will roll down this hill?” you might say to your toddler, then enjoy the shouts of delight as they explore just that.This is science in action—making an observation, testing an idea, seeing what happens and then asking the next question.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Yet over time parents can find that their child might be less interested in exploring the world around them, and less likely to explore the underlying “why.” That is, kids seem less interested in science. Why does this happen?Of course, there are a number of different factors at play, but in the research my colleagues and I have done, what might surprise some folks is that this loss of interest may partly come from subtle language cues children hear. And the language cues don’t come from just parents; they can also come via media they consume or in school that treats science as an identity rather than a process. All kids can do science, but over time, they begin to think of being ascientist as something only reserved for certain kinds of kids.Here’s what we’ve learned, and here are some steps you can take to keep the curiosity alive and the science flowing.The typical language that many adults use with children might be to say, “Let’s be scientists today!” (to promote curiosity) or “You’re such a good scientist!” (to praise their child). But this kind of language that focuses on science as an identity, rather than a set of activities and actions that people do, can be demotivating. For example, girls (but not boys) as young as four persisted longer when cued to participate in science activities by saying, “Let’s do science” rather than “Let’s be scientists.”The idea here is that when thinking of a scientist, children might be calling to mind a (white) man. So if they don’t fit those identities, they might disengage from an activity designed “for scientists.” Relatedly, children might believe that being a scientist requires special intellectual abilities—ones they believe that certain groups like (white) men have, but not others.These stereotypical beliefs that science is reserved for only certain kinds of people emerges surprisingly early. By first grade, girls say they are less interested in computer science and engineering. Perhaps more on the nose, when asked to draw what a scientist looks like, children tend to draw men, though this has improved over time. Such stereotyping has a cumulative effect, such that by high school, girls who are at the 80th percentile of science ability (an index of standardized test scores and high school STEM GPAs) are equally likely to major in certain STEM majors as boys in the lowest percentile.The good news is that these subtle linguistic cues can also be harnessed to promote engagement with science in surprisingly potent ways. Cuing science as actions that we do, for example, seems to protect children’s interest and motivation to engage with science over time. Even outside of more controlled lab settings, students whose teachers use more action-focused language (e.g., let’s do science) persisted longer in a novel science game compared to students whose teachers used more identity-focused language.So now you are perhaps thinking, “Great, I will just focus on doing science and the actions that make up the scientific process!” And certainly that is likely to be effective even as children transition from childhood to adolescence and into early adulthood. But it’s also true that, around adolescence, your kids are actively trying on and ultimately forming different identities for themselves. So while identity-focused language about science might be demotivating for young children, identity-focused language may help teens stay interested in science. For example, cueing a future identity (e.g., scientist, doctor) that is based on science motivated middle schoolers to do more homework, and was associated with higher grades. That might be because if teens think of themselves as scientists, then they are willing to do what it takes to be whom they want to become.Ultimately parents want their children to enjoy learning, exploring and figuring things out for themselves. Those activities also just happen to be critical pieces of the scientific process. Emphasizing these actions when children are younger might help them persist in hard tasks or lessons. But as children get older, gain experience in these activities and start forming ideas of whom they want to become, emphasizing future identities that are science-dependent might also be helpful in maintaining an interest in science.How these two versions of subtle language cues might work together (or not) is yet to be tested, but perhaps this is some science to be done by your future scientist.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Hands-on with Switch 2: the Digital Foundry experience Future-looking hardware, impressive Nintendo games, solid third party support - this looks like a winner. Feature by Thomas Morgan Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry Additional contributions by Richard Leadbetter Published on April 21, 2025 This one's a touch delayed - we didn't attend either the New York or Paris reveal events - but Nintendo arrived in London on April 11 to showcase Switch 2 and Digital Foundry was invited. And by and large, we like what we see. Yes, there's a certain degree of continuity and familiarity moving from the original Switch to its successor, but from our perspective, the hardware hits the spot: bigger, brighter, better. And as for the games, well, it's early days of course, so there is an expected quality divide between first and third-party efforts, but Mario Kart World? That looks like a system seller, right there. Going into the experience, perhaps the biggest question mark for us concerned the size and heft of Switch 2 - and equally as important, the quality of the LCD panel. On the former point, comparisons against Steam Deck may reveal a similarly large device, but the fact that the new machine is essentially as thin as the old one gives it a far less cumbersome feel in the hand. It may sound obvious, but it just feels like a larger Switch, while the bigger display feels like a big upgrade over the original model - and especially useful for those of us of a certain age with long-sighted issues! We don't see much evidence of a mini-LED display with individual dimming zones, so the odds are that we're looking at an edge-lit LCD - far from OLED quality. That said, the screen is honestly beautiful, and while it struggles to match the contrast of the Switch OLED, it's very bright and vibrant. Viewing angles are also excellent at even the extremes. For HDR content, such as Cyberpunk's dark areas with vibrant neon signs, HDR is noticeable - but for those hoping for an experience akin to the Steam Deck OLED, Switch 2 does fall short. Also, it was unclear which games shown were benefitting from the VRR technology in the display - for certain titles that struggled, not even VRR with low frame-rate compensation can smooth out the experience. An occasion as important as experiencing Switch 2 for the first time deserves a DF Direct Special, so here it is.Watch on YouTube We did take a look at doing a screen comparison, packing OG and OLED Switches with Zelda: Breath of the Wild installed. Unfortunately, the nature of Nintendo's filming guidelines and conditions on site made a proper filmed comparison challenging. What we saw from the front-on view of all three was pretty clear-cut: Switch 2 is a huge leap in quality as an LCD panel compared to the original Switch's LCD, but can't come close to the Switch OLED model. Still, our overall takeaway from the event is that the screen quality is not an issue – Nintendo has picked a high quality panel, and we might get that OLED model some three to four years down the line. With regards to the new Joy Cons, the larger analogue sticks and buttons make an immediate improvement to the feel of the machine. The grip on the console is also better. Even though the depth of the machine is the same as the original Switch,the larger size of the Joy Cons means there's a wider distribution of the analogue sticks and buttons within that space, and more room for your hand to rest. The magnetic attachments are stubbornly firm too, and it creates a more reassuring attachment to the main device, without the millimetre gap that causes a slight wiggle on the original Switch's Joy Con attachment. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Mario Kart World: an inevitably stunning system seller We've already pored over pretty much every piece of footage there is for Mario Kart World but the technical basics are confirmed - we are looking at a native 1440p based on our tests in docked mode, with effective anti-aliasing. It does feel as if the visuals are delivering a two generation leap, given we haven't had a new Mario Kart since the Wii U version in 2014 essentially. Material quality on the road, the tarmac and the gravel, all have much higher resolution texture assets than MK8 ever provided - and it's certainly a huge leap over the new DLC tracks added to MK8. Model quality and animations are significantly higher too, with a style much closer to the recent Mario movie. Shadows are much more dynamic, with softer diffuse shadows falling on the track when they stem from tall trees. In performance terms, everything we played rolled out at a locked 60 frames per second. However, gameplay in our demo is significantly slower in pace to the top-end Mario Kart 8 experience, due to the demo being limited to the 100cc mode. Perhaps the slower speed is for the best in the demo, to make sure players acquaint themselves with the new wall jump and rail grinding mechanics – and not overwhelm play given the 24 racers. The demo didn't feature any access to the open world, so there was certainly a degree of familiarity in play but the huge increase in racers - up to 24 - immediately creates more moment-to-moment chaos coming from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's simpler 12 racer limit. This description may seem a little dry, because Nintendo delivers joy in spades with this game. It looks beautiful, it's super-smooth and it oozes character in every moment. Yes, it's expensive to buy - but perhaps the majority of its early adopters will be getting the bundle pack. You can count us among this number. Mario Kart World - Oliver Mackenzie dissects the reveal and Treehouse footage to deliver this breakdown of the game's new technology.Watch on YouTube Metroid Prime 4: Beyond played at 120fps This was an interesting experience to say the least as Nintendo set up Metroid Prime 4 exclusively in 120Hz performance mode, running only in docked view, meaning we are running at 1080p output resolution. Not only have we played the game at 120fps, we have some direct feed capture of this mode too, courtesy of Nintendo itself. In both cases, the evidence does suggest that the game is indeed running locked. It's fair to point out that this is very much a mildly tweaked version of the Switch 1 experience, with higher quality textures - with Switch 2 horsepower directed to higher resolution and frame-rate. There is aliasing in this 1080p120 mode, and we'd expect most people to opt for 4K60 instead in living room conditions. But this wasn't living room conditions: table-top Switch 2 mouse controls was also part of the experience. It's a great idea for this game to use mouse controls but in practice there are a few notes. Firstly, even though you have the high precision of PC mouse controls here, there is still a lock-on ability on the left Joy Con trigger to target an enemy. It makes sense for the traditional analogue control scheme - and goes back to the original Metroid Prime games - but when you have mouse pointer controls it's not necessary. Secondly, the ergonomics of the mouse controls are not what we'd expected. For any shooting segments you keep that right Joy Con faced sideways down on a table with your index and middle fingers wrapped around the top for the two firing modes. However, the face buttons on the side of the Joy Con still serve a purpose - transforming into the morph ball, requiring some finger gymnastics. You can either keep that position and learn to use your thumb while tilting that Joy Con at an odd angle, or as we did, return to a traditional controller grip, raising the Joy Con from the table, when I'm not shooting enemies (ie. for the morph ball marble madness segments). The final point I wanted to add is that we noticed a slight degree of mouse lag. Maybe it's the TV settings on site, but it did creep into the accuracy of aiming compared to a regular PC mouse. There are mouse sensitivity settings though, which is certainly useful. Metroid Prime 4 isn't the only Switch 2 Edition game - in this video, Oliver stacks up footage from both Metroid and Zelda against Switch 1.Watch on YouTube Donkey Kong Bananza: ambitious but the jury's still out Nintendo's keeping quiet on who is actually developing this title, but we love the ambition on display here. Volition's geo-mod technology lives on in this 'Red Faction Gorilla' where the amount of distraction wrought by Donkey Kong punching his way around and through the world creates a very different and perhaps sometimes a little overwhelming 3D platforming experience. This one runs at native 1080p according to the initial reveal - and based on hands-on tests, aliasing is very hard to catch. The coverage is impressive to the point where you do start to think about image reconstruction technology and maybe even DLSS. Players of this demo start at the mines of Ingot isle, punching and smashing through the scenery until reaching daylight. Once you get to the peak, a giant meteor suddenly crashes into the top of the city. The demo then cuts to a more open area where you're free to tackle objectives as you see fit in a sandbox environment. You're allowed to use rocks as shields, ride on them down hills, and use them as projectiles against enemies - so it's well integrated as a mechanic. I'm not 100% convinced this physics destruction focus translates to a more enjoyable game, but it is a fun twist. One highlight is Donkey Kong's design. It's a richly detailed, expressive model, complete with a head torch that lights up the environment ahead. His model is also covered in feather-like hair cards. They have this almost plastic-like, glossy material that harkens back to the Donkey Kong Country aesthetic, and each card animates separately, lighting up logically based on the surrounding lighting. Terrain deformation technology in Donkey Kong Bananza is similar to Red Faction's old 'geo-mod' tech, which can only mean one thing - an awful 'Red Faction Gorilla' pun.Watch on YouTube Bananza targets 60 frames per second, but it's not quite consistent - especially on the map view, where performance ping-pongs rapidly between 30fps and 60fps: classic double-buffer v-sync. Also the photo mode view appears to drop to 30fps more frequently than main gameplay, which suggests it's using a higher resolution, or settings, than the regular gameplay. Also, there seem to be different frame-rates in gameplay. The target is 60fps, but there are noticeable drops. Not only that, but some physics-based interactions – like any time DK punches a fence or barrel to the distance – may see animation update at closer to 30fps, while the foreground gameplay updates at 60 as usual. It looks like some physics-based logic runs with a frame rate cap, creating a disconnect between the camera movement – which runs at 60 – and the objects within the frame. The physics based destruction is interesting. Donkey Kong Banaza is almost proud of how many particles it's throwing around, often filling the screen. The chunks you pick up from the ground almost snap off and within a single frame the geometry and attached collision mesh disappears underneath you, meaning you fall into the hole you create. There are limits to how far – or wide – you can dig on the x, y or z axis – but the design language of where and when it's possible to smash geometry is clear. Also, going frame by frame, the transforming of the environment is hidden by a huge burst of particles – for debris, dirt, or sparks – around Donkey Kong. It's like a magic trick. There's the sense that this needs a little more time - the performance drops and occasionally odd camera movement is at odds with the first-party polish Nintendo is renowned for. Our hands-on impressions of Cyberpunk 2077 in its unfinished form on Switch 2 as seen at the London event. CD Projekt RED has now confirmed DLSS upscaling support.Watch on YouTube Let's talk third party Switch 2 games There's a definite divide between first-party games built by world-leading developers targeting the hardware specifically and third-party games from all comers, porting titles originally made for the cross-gen eighth and ninth gen console eras. We've already talked in depth about Cyberpunk 2077 and since discovered that DLSS is in play - but our opinions of third-party ports haven't really shifted since assessing their showing at the Nintendo Direct. However, we were very eager to see Street Fighter 6 on Switch, available only in docked mode at the London event. This is our first taste of an RE Engine Capcom title, which is exciting given the number of games I'm hoping to see on Switch 2 down the line. In this case, Switch 2's optimisation is a success where it matters - in holding a stable 60fps – but it does take a few trade-offs visually to get there. It renders at 1080p based on Direct footage (much like PS4 and Series S versions) and with a similar drop in shadow quality as those versions too. As a result there's some slight flicker/dithering to environmental shadows, and ambient shade around hair. Textures may be higher than Series S – based on online murmuring – but this is something we'll have to report back on with direct capture from Switch 2. In terms of graphics selections, it falls closer to PS4 than Series S (ie a mixture of low/medium settings based on the PC version). Screen-space reflections are removed outright here, much like the base PS4/Xbox One versions (which use cube mapped textures in the Genbu Temple lake). It's not a huge loss given how distracting RE Engine's SSR can be, but a surprise given even PS4 Pro/One X have SSR – and also Series S. It's missing certain dynamic elements in the stage too, like the interactive cherry blossom petals on the floor, present on PS5/Series X/S. Still, I will stress, for the power on tap in Switch 2 it still looks great, just accepting it is equivalent to PS4 visuals. Looking at first generation third-party ports, Switch 2 docked presents in a similar manner to the PlayStation 4 experience.Watch on YouTube Moving on to Hogwarts Legacy - a proper current-gen showcase in its launch iterations on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, the Switch 2 version was presented only as a docked experience. It's a rather stripped down take on the game visually, but it runs well most of the time at 30fps. Even while flying at speed on a broom, you get the huge draw distances of the regions around Hogwarts, with only some shadow pop-in across the trees. It is functionally 30fps in what should be the most taxing aspect of the game. The demo takes us from the outskirts of Hogwarts into a colosseum-like fighting pit where we take on a boss. Runs at a 30fps cap, though a side-on view of the pit drops us visibly into the 20s at one specific point here. The res metrics in the Direct suggest 720p typical resolution with some variant of TAA upscaling (possibly even DLSS) though whether that's true of this build is unclear. AA resolves most of the jagged edges nicely, but it does look somewhat blurry compared to the other versions while textures look pared back too. Also, there are no graphics toggles in this demo build (motion blur and depth of field options apart) so Avalanche is at least committing to a single way to play in docked mode – rather than offering a multitude of options. That seems to be paying off but it'll be interesting to see if consistent performance extends throughout the game based on known trouble spots in other versions, such as Hogsmeade. Yakuza 0? This was located in the over-18s segregated booth alongside Cyberpunk 2077. On basic inspection, it looked like a visual match for the PS4 version and in both cutscenes and gameplay operates at 1080p 60fps - a Sega trailer for the Switch 2 version emerged with 4K cutscenes, but on site, it was clear that all content rendered at the lower resolution. At this point, we were reaching the end of our allotted four hours and we really could have done with another four hours - we missed a fair amount of games. Our time was also cut short a little by having to re-visit the Cyberpunk 2077 booth - we'd identified that the screens at the pods were running in showroom mode (motion smoothing on, maximum brightness, artificial sharpening) but thankfully a friendly Nintendo of Europe staffer worked to get them back to the proper calibrated setting. And after replaying that, it was time to go. Switch 2's display presents as an HDR-capable edge-lit LCD - it's bright and punchy, but on site, it lacked the contrast of the Switch 1 OLED.Watch on YouTube Switch 2: a worthy successor? Early signs are promising There's a strong argument that of all the console platform holders, Nintendo has managed to maintain a certain 'magic' across the generations: its own way of doing things, original hardware designs, a focus on joyous gaming over cutting-edge specs and a continuous delivery of high quality games separate and distinct from anything Sony and Microsoft have to offer. The original Switch was so successful because it still did all of these things, while at the same time delivering a console that was also more open and accessible to third party developers. The big takeaway from the event is simple: Switch 2 is a continuation of the Switch 1 formula - and while many may have been hoping for some kind of brand-new, game-changing innovation, the fact is that the offering is still sufficiently different enough from the competition to make it a winner - it stands alone in what it does. Meanwhile, the collaboration with Nvidia continues to yield dividends: Nintendo has a hardware partner capable of delivering hardware with cutting-edge features - and I get the sense that we're only just beginning to see what the T239 processor is capable of. The third party games in particular may be showing the limitations of the design from a basic rasterisation perspective, but the hardware is capable of more - and the building blocks are in place for a new generation of 'impossible ports'. The hardware may not be state of the art, but it doesn't need to be - just like its predecessor, Switch 2 will thrive or fail based on the quality of its software. Mario Kart World sees normal resumption of duty from the platform holder, while Donkey Kong Bananza still has something to prove. Bearing in mind how long Switch 2 has been in development (T239 first leaked in 2021, Nvidia demoed DLSS around 2020/2021), we can only imagine that there's plenty more in Nintendo's studios that's quite far along in development that hasn't been announced yet. Meanwhile, the Metroid Prime 4 and Legend of Zelda Switch 2 Editions indicate another potential route forward for Nintendo in fleshing out the first party line-up: library titles spruced up for the new generation can sell through to new owners, while inexpensive upgrade costs for existing Switch owners could prove irresistible. We're optimistic about Switch 2 - but four hours with very limited time to see a lot of stuff means we still have a lot of questions about the machine. After a Nintendo Direct that was heavy on docked footage, we went into this experience hoping to see more from the handheld experience. The likes of Zelda and Mario Kart World delivered as expected, while Cyberpunk 2077 clearly ran in a more challenged state than the docked (work-in-progress, remember) code. We'd have liked to have seen more in that regard, but based on this showing, we're really looking forward to the review period.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Marvel Rivals Season 2, based on the Hellfire Gala, has grown in popularity with its X-Men-focused content. The season added Emma Frost as a Vanguard with telepathic and diamond-form skills, as well as a new Krakoa map that immerses players in mutant lore. NetEase’s hero shooter now has 38 characters, with the Season 2 cinematic teaser teasing Ultron’s mid-season appearance as a Strategist. However, the community is more excited about subtler hints on the Cerebro File event website, where Jean Grey and Elixir’s names appear in fine text under Black Panther’s section, fuelling anticipation about their Season 3 debut. Jean Grey, an Omega-level mutant, is said to be a Duelist who uses her telekinesis and Phoenix Force to launch devastating strikes, according to datamined leaks that include powers like Psychic Block and resurrection. Although fans are excited to see what Elixir, a lesser-known X-Men healer with biokinetic abilities, will bring. Here’s everything we know about him. Every Marvel Rivals Elixir speculated role and abilities As Marvel Rivals Season 2 teases the arrival of Elixir, Joshua Foley, an Omega-level mutant from the X-Men, speculation regarding his role and abilities rises. Given his comic book biokinetic abilities, Elixir is likely to join as a Strategist, focusing on support through healing and biological manipulation, which could reshape the team-ups in the 6v6 hero shooter. Elixir is speculated to be a Strategist upon release. Image by Shimorin. His capacity to heal, revive, and damage at the cellular level implies a diverse kit that might compete with top Strategists such as Adam Warlock or Luna Snow, with a unique take on offensive support. Fans believe he will be a high-impact healer with nerfed offensive abilities to balance his lore-based potential for instant kills. Here’s a speculated ability set that could arrive on his release in Rivals: Normal Attack: Biokinetic Pulse – Fires short-range energy bursts that heal allies or damage enemies, similar to Loki’s Mystical Missile, with moderate output. Ability 1: Cellular Mend – Targets an ally to rapidly heal wounds or cleanse debuffs, like Mantis’ Life Orbs, with a cooldown to prevent spam. Ability 2: Vitality Surge – Grants nearby allies a temporary health boost or damage resistance, akin to Groot’s Ironwood Wall effect, enhancing team pushes. Ultimate: Omega Restoration – Channels a wide-area effect to heal allies and revive one fallen teammate, similar to Adam Warlock’s Guardian Revival, but with a high charge cost. Passive: Life Sense – Detects low-health allies or enemies through walls, providing tactical awareness, comparable to The Punisher’s Warrior’s Gaze. Team-Up: Mutant Synergy – Boosts Jean Grey’s damage when Elixir heals her, reflecting their X-Men bond, like Hulk’s Gamma Overdrive. Elixir’s rumored kit positions him as a strategic cornerstone, combining powerful healing with situational offense, though NetEase may limit his comic-level capability for gameplay balance. If you’re looking for Jean Grey’s abilities that may arrive upon her release, check out the full speculated kit right here. Marvel Rivals Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter Related Topics Marvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

No matter what region of Germany you’re exploring, you’ll likely be able to find a castle. After all, estimates put the total number of German castles at 25,000. It’s an astonishing number, but they’re not all exactly like the fairy-tale castles many grew up seeing. Castles can be in a myriad of styles, sizes, and periods. Some are Gothic, some are Romanesque, some are in a Renaissance style. Some German castles have never had royal or noble occupants, others have been held by the same bloodline for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Whether as a visitor or simply by looking at photos, castles are a fascinating way to understand German history—both architectural and otherwise.Below we present a range of German castles; from the moated to the hilltop, these German castles are undoubtedly impressive.Photo: Getty Images1/19Eltz Castle (Wierschem, Germany)The Eltz Castle is commonly known as Burg Eltz, Burg being the translation for “castle” in German. The first written evidence of Eltz Castle is from 1157, making it nearly 900 years old. It’s been continuously occupied by the Eltz family, a noble line, ever since. This long lineage makes it one of the best preserved castles in Germany.Photo: Bluejay Photo/Getty Images2/19Neuschwanstein Castle (Schwangau, Germany)If Neuschwanstein looks like something straight out of a fairy tale, it’s with good reason. The castle was believed to have inspired the design of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland and Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World—often the most familiar castle designs to many Americans. Located in Schwangau, Neuschwanstein Castle was completed circa 1886.Photo: Laurie Noble/Getty Images3/19Hohenschwangau Castle (Schwangau, Germany)This castle is considered to be one of the best sights of Bavaria. Built by Bavarian King Maximilian II and completed in 1837, it was the royal family’s summer residence. After spending childhood vacations here, King Maximilan II’s son, King Ludwig II, later commissioned Neuschwanstein Castle. The neo-Gothic building’s striking yellow exterior stands out against the surrounding forest.Photo: Martin Ruegner/Getty Images4/19Hohenzollern Castle (Hohenzollern, Germany)Located on a mountain of the same name in Bisingen, Germany, Hohenzollern Castle is located on high ground like many other castles, given the wartime advantage this provides. The parcel of land has been home to a castle since the 11th century, though two previous ones were destroyed. The building that stands on the land today was completed in 1867, making it a relatively young castle.Photo: Torsten Asmus/Getty Images5/19Heidelberg Castle (Heidelberg, Germany)Millions of visitors travel to Heidelberg Castle each year, though it’s technically ruins, not a proper castle. Dating back to the early 12th century, it was a prominent Renaissance castle that has since been damaged by multiple fires. Visitors today can walk through the open air, red sandstone ruins, some of which are now covered by overgrown greenery.Photo: Getty Images6/19Wernigerode Castle (Wernigerode, Germany)Many castles were enlarged over time, and the piecemeal additions made to Wernigerode Castle are immediately visible. Located in a town of the same name, the oldest part of the structure dates back to the 12th century. Subsequent additions in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries brought Gothic and Renaissance details to the existing Romanesque architecture.Photo: Getty Images7/19Schwerin Castle (Schwerin, Germany)Located on an island in northern Germany, Schwerin Castle is considered a particularly important example of Europe’s historicist architecture. The 1857-built castle is unimaginably expansive, including 953 rooms total. Schwerin Castle and a collection of other residences in its town of the same name were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024.Photo: Bluejay Photo/Getty Images8/19Cochem Castle (Cochem, Germany)Referred to as the Reichsburg Cochem in German, this castle is generally called the Cochem Castle in the US. The castle was built in the 12th century, but King Louis XIV’s troops destroyed it in 1689 during the Nine Years’ War, leaving it in ruins. Nearly 200 years later, a business man from Berlin, Louis Ravené, rebuilt the castle as a personal residence, though in the neo-Gothic style. It is now open for guided tours for much of the year.Photo: Thomas-canon/Getty Images9/19Wartburg Castle (Eisenach, Germany)Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, the Wartburg Castle has been around since roughly 1067. With a number of additions throughout the centuries, the building presents a few different architectural styles spliced together, as is the case for many centuries old castles. Wartburg is a particularly historically important castle because it’s where Martin Luther hid from the Catholic church, during which time he translated the New Testament into German.Photo: Benedek/Getty Images10/19Charlottenburg Palace (Berlin, Germany)While technically a palace and not a castle (though the words are often used interchangeably) it would be shame to not mention Charlottenburg Palace, often considered Germany’s Versailles. With its gilded interiors and expansive gardens which were designed by Siméon Godeau, who studied under Versailles gardener André le Nôtre, the impressive property evokes the iconic French palace without being a direct replica.Photo: Getty Images11/19Schloss Fürstlich Drehna (Luckau, Germany)With its bright white exterior and red roof, the Fuürstlich Drehna castle in Luckau, Germany, may not be camouflaged into its surroundings, but it’s still plenty hard to access thanks to its moat. Originally built in the 16th century, it now functions as a hotel and restaurant.Photo: Vladislav Zolotov/Getty Images12/19Sanssouci (Potsdam, Germany)Translating directly to “carefree,” Sanssouci was built in 1747 as King Frederick the Great’s summer residence in Potsdam. Its striking butter yellow exterior presides over multiple levels of vineyard terraces. King Frederick was known for his love of dogs, and as such, canines are still allowed at the palace’s gardens to this day.Photo: Holger Leue/Getty Images13/19Reinhardsbrunn Castle (Friedrichroda, Germany)Often called Rapunzel Castle because of its tall spire, this Gothic castle located in Friedrichroda actually has an important English royal history. The property was Prince Albert’s summer home as a child and it’s one of the first places where he and Queen Victoria met. After falling into disrepair because of neglect, it is now being renovated by the government of Thuringia.Photo: eyewave/Getty Images14/19Glücksburg Castle (Glücksburg, Germany)Located close to the border with Denmark in a town of the same name, Glücksburg Castle dates back to the 1500s. The bright white Renaissance-style castle is now open as a museum. During a tour, guests can view the castle’s collection of Dutch tapestries and Flemish leather wall coverings, which feature vividly detailed scene paintings.Photo: Krzysztof Nahlik/Getty Images15/19Braunfels Castle (Braunfels, Germany)This castle has been in the same family for over 800 years. Built up and renovated over hundreds upon hundreds of years, the castle exhibits numerous architectural styles, though the Gothic Revival style is perhaps the most dominant. The castle is available for tours, during which visitors can explore the grounds and view a collection of mementos, including weaponry and coins.Photo: Getty Images16/19Bergedorf Castle (Hamburg, Germany)The only castle in the city of Hamburg, the red brick Bergedorf Castle dates back to the 13th century. Its eccentric triangular roof line is quite unlike most other castles. Once a medieval stronghold, the building has served as a museum dedicated to Hamburg life since 1953.Photo: fotolinchen/Getty Images17/19Schloss Moritzburg (Moritzburg, Germany)With its numerous red domes, Schloss Moritzburg is unmistakably baroque. The structure was first built in 1542 and converted to the baroque style in the 1700s by Augustus the Strong. The castle is on an artificial island with perfectly symmetrical grounds. Today, it’s open for tourist visits and large event bookings.Photo: adisa/Getty Images18/19Nuremberg Castle (Nürnberg, Germany)Dating back to the 1000s, Nuremberg Castle was originally an imperial castle in the Middle Ages. Parts of the castle and nearby fortified walls from this period still stand, along with additions made in the hundreds of years that followed. The castle was heavily damaged in World War II, but it has since been extensively reconstructed and renovated.Photo: Getty Images19/19Ahrensburg Castle (Ahrensburg, Germany)Another bright white structure, Ahrensburg Castle is a Renaissance-style palace located in northern Germany. Built in 1585 for the noble Rantzau family, it is now privately owned and open to tourists for most of the year. The interiors are preserved with 18th-century furniture and decor on the lower level and 19th-century decor upstairs, including Beidermeier furniture.

Gone are the days when “Global warming isn’t real” was the primary claim of those most vocally opposed to climate action. As more people experience the firsthand effects of climate-change-juiced-up heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires, and crop failures, a new kind of climate denial has emerged. Rather than outright deny the problem, today, the most popular online influencers focus on other false or misleading messages like “Climate solutions don’t work,” “Climate change has some benefits,” and pollution reduction policies are “tools for governments to control people.” These new forms of denial made up 70% of all such claims on YouTube in 2023, up from 35% in 2018, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate. A changing media diet  About one in five U.S. adults and 37% of adults under 30 say they regularly get news from social media influencers, according to Pew.  Of the 10 most popular online shows, eight have spread false or misleading information about climate change, a Yale Climate Connections analysis found. That analysis builds on recent work by Media Matters for America, a journalism watchdog organization, which found that right-leaning influencers now dominate digital media like podcasts and streams.  Much of the climate-related misinformation spread on these shows follows a revamped playbook of climate denial that focuses on denying the effectiveness of solutions and argues that climate change is beneficial. Influencers Jordan Peterson and Charlie Kirk also presented those concerned about climate change as adherents of a “pseudo-religion.”  For context, most people around the world, including the United States, are concerned about climate change. Our partners at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication have found that the majority of Americans believe climate change is happening, it’s bad, and action should be taken. New Denial messages make up the majority of claims on Jordan Peterson’s channel. Chart and analysis by the Center for Countering Digital Hate Nevertheless, many online personalities, including Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, and Russell Brand, have platformed Danish political scientist, author, and climate denier Bjørn Lomborg. Climate scientists have pleaded with Lomborg to stop misrepresenting and misinterpreting their science.  Several show hosts also claim that climate change is a hoax designed to control and oppress. Kirk said, “Climate change is the wrapper around Marxism. You have Marxism at its core and you have climate change on the exterior. Climate change activism, environmentalism, pseudo-paganism – we call it a Trojan horse.” ‘New denial’ is gaining momentum Like Kirk, some influencers lean into the idea that climate change is a conspiracy by governments to control their residents. That’s similar to conspiracy theorizing about efforts by governments to reduce illness and death from COVID-19, Tortoise Media, a British news website, noted recently. “Climate-sceptic narratives have merged with Covid-sceptic ones, and some of the personalities are the same,” the site reported.  The site’s analysis, titled “Hot Air,” looked at individual accounts on Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and news or blog sites that frequently spread climate misinformation. The analysis showed increases in climate denial across platforms, with the “control” narrative gaining steam. What “Hot Air” found  Climate skeptic posts grew by 43% on YouTube from 2021 to 2024. Climate skeptic posts grew by 82% on X (Twitter) from 2021 to 2024. Claims that climate change is an instrument of control now represent about 36% of climate-skeptic content on YouTube and 40% of climate-skeptic posts on X (Twitter). New denial talking points have also become common among members of the new Trump Administration. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox Business that “There’s pluses to global warming.” And EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said, “We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion.”  Big budgets play a role The Media Matters analysis of the most popular online shows found that about 60% of them were ideologically right-leaning. And those shows have an outsize influence: They have about five times the number of followers than the left-leaning shows. Large advertising budgets play a role in that popularity.  Major conservative players have massively invested in building and marketing their messages online. PragerU, a conservative media company that focuses on video content and champions new climate denial, spends about half its annual budget on marketing.  PragerU isn’t alone. As independent journalist Parker Molloy wrote in her newsletter, “The Kochs, the Mercers, the Thiels, the Murdochs, the Uihleins – these aren’t just wealthy families; they’re kingmakers who understand that investing in media is investing in political power. “Take The Daily Wire, cofounded by Ben Shapiro, whose online platforms boast a combined following of 25 million according to the Media Matters study. What began as a modest conservative website has expanded into a multimedia empire producing movies, children’s content, and multiple top-performing podcasts. This growth didn’t happen organically – it was bankrolled by Texas fracking billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks, who reportedly invested $4.7 million to get the company off the ground.”  These investments have not been matched by proponents of climate action and, for now, seem to be paying off. But it’s important to remember that despite a barrage of misinformation, the majority of Americans understand the reality of climate change, and they want action. Imagine how powerful the truth would be if its messengers were backed by the same amount of money. This story is part of The 89 Percent Project, an initiative of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now. More like this Republish this articleThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. We love it when others republish our articles. Most of our content – other than images – is available to republish for free under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Here’s what to do: Credit us by name. For example: “This article was originally published by Yale Climate Connections.” Our preferred style for bylines is AUTHOR NAME, Yale Climate Connections. Include a link to yaleclimateconnections.org. Don’t edit the stories other than small changes for editorial style. It is OK to change the headline as long as you don’t misrepresent the content. Check image sources carefully before republishing. Where noted in photo captions, images have been licensed from their original creators under Creative Commons or are in the public domain. In other cases, we paid to license the images from Getty or similar sources and they are not available for republication. Contact us with questions. Eight of the top 10 online shows are spreading climate misinformation  by YCC Staff, Yale Climate Connections April 21, 2025 1

Persistent Ds The next Battlefield will make it easy to tell which walls can be destroyed and which can be shot through - oh, and rubble will persist DICE is building the next Battlefield's destruction with several key goals intended to deliver satisfying oomph, and create gameplay opportunities . Image credit: EA News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on April 21, 2025 DICE has shared a new development update about its goals for the next Battlefield, and the feedback from players taking part in Battlefield Labs testing sessions. This latest post focuses almost entirely on destruction, and the studio’s ethos for how it’s going to work in the next game. The high-level goals with destruction haven’t changed much; it’s still designed to create new tactical and gameplay opportunities for players, and to allow different player actions to deliver a noticeable impact on the surrounding environment - with the potential to reshape it. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Though DICE’s destruction aspirations are pretty standard for a modern Battlefield, the developer wants to change how the mechanic is implemented, as well as how its quirks are communicated to players. A key goal this time around is for players to be able to easily identify which walls can be destroyed (and which cannot), as well as which parts of the environment can be affected by different tools/gameplay styles. As revealed in a new blog post, the developer is adding visual and audio language to make those aspects clear to players. This language should be consistent across the entire game, too. DICE gave the example of a random wall, which can take damage from smaller bullet impacts, explosions, as well as vehicles driving through it. The thinner the wall becomes, the more that will be reflected in the way it looks. Each “state” will create new gameplay opportunities. Holes big enough will allow bullets to pass from each side to the other, letting you hit enemies behind cover. Audio and visual VFX will play to let you know you can shoot through a wall, and whether your hits have landed. The rate at which walls and other destructible objects degrade varies depending on their surface type. Each time you chip away at something, it creates rubble and debris to match the level of inflicted damage. That debris will itself remain, creating dynamic cover that persists for the rest of the match. Battlefield Labs Early Pre-Alpha Destruction! 💣💥 byu/Dedzigs inBattlefield To see this content please enable targeting cookies. DICE also shared a brief demonstration of destruction from a pre-alpha build of the game. If you’ve been keeping up with the Battlefield Labs leaks, you’ll no doubt be familiar with that area of the map - as it’s the only one players got to play on. As Battlefield Labs continues, the developer is looking to gather feedback about the balance of environmental destructibility, and the gameplay impact caused by various forms of collateral damage that result from destruction. The developer is also looking to tweak the balance of destructible objects, how quickly they degrade, not to mention the overall impact on map flow when so much of the environment has been destroyed. It remains to be seen how successful DICE is going to be in reaching those goals with the final build. I can tell you, however, that - having been following the Battlefield franchise for nearly 20 years, that the Battlefield Labs leaks have me convinced that DICE is finally building on what came before and not starting from scratch with the next Battlefield.

Episode IX - The Misseds of Time As always, you'll need to send us your recommendations via the contact page and keep them under 100 words — you can get more details on how to submit below. Oh, and we won't be reviewing these games, but this is a chance for us to highlight them before the new console comes along. So, if you're burning to let us know what's slipped us by, then check out the guidelines to find out what to do; just make sure you go through them carefully if you want to see your entries included in the feature: Submission guidelines 100-word limit - Keep it brief! A history of the genre and deep-dive into every mechanic is unnecessary. Concentrate on what the game is about, what sets it apart from other games, and why you enjoyed it. One entry per game - Feel free to send your thoughts on multiple games, but there's no need to duplicate. Choose only games that we haven't reviewed on the site - To check if a Nintendo Life review exists, simply type the name of the game into the search box at the very top of the page (look for the magnifying glass icon in the top left corner) and click on the game page that appears. If there's no review, and it doesn't appear in a previous Reader Recommendations feature (which will also appear on the game page if it exists), you're good to go! How to send a recommendation Head to Nintendo Life's Contact page and select the subject "Switch eShop Hidden Gems" from the drop-down menu (it's already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted message into the appropriate box, hit send, and Bob's your uncle! If you've got any questions about the format, feel free to ask in the comments section below. And if you don't feel comfortable sending a full-blown recommendation, you can drop suggestions for games you'd like to see highlighted, too. Once again, we won't be reviewing these games, but with so many games coming to the eShop every week, we're eager to highlight the best of them, as always. We're looking forward to seeing what you recommend! See Also

Meta is using AI technology to search for kids who are lying about their age on Instagram in order to bypass safeguards, the company announced on Monday. When Meta finds an account that it suspects belongs to a teen, the platform will enroll them into a restricted Teen Account, even if the account lists an adult birthday. Teen Accounts, which launched on Instagram last year, enroll young users into an app experience with built-in protections. The safeguards are applied to teens automatically, and limit who can contact a teen on the app and restrict the type of content the account holder can view. Teens under the age of 16 need their parents’ permission to change any of these settings. Instagram has been using AI to determine age for quite some time, but now the social network confirms it’s using the technology to ensure that teens are accessing Instagram via a Teen Account rather than an adult one. The company told TechCrunch last year that it had planned to do this, and noted that some of the ways it would find accounts that belong to teens who entered a fake adult birthday is by detecting happy birthday posts and receiving reports from other users. Image Credits:Meta Instagram says that it’s taking steps to ensure that its technology is accurate and that it’s correctly placing teens into Teen Accounts. However, in case the company does make a mistake, it’s giving people the option to change their settings. “The digital world continues to evolve and we have to evolve with it,” the company wrote in its blog post. “That’s why it’s important that we work together with parents to make sure as many teens as possible have the protective settings that come with Teen Accounts.” Instagram also announced that it’s going to begin sending notifications to parents that include information about how they can discuss the importance of providing the correct age online with their teens. The platform notes that one of the most important ways parents can make sure their teens are in protected accounts is to check if their account lists their correct birthday. Today’s announcement comes two weeks after Meta introduced Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger. Meta says it has enrolled at least 54 million teens into Teen Accounts globally so far, and that 97% of teens ages 13-15 have remained in these protected accounts. Topics