The European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus), is a species of bark beetle in the true weevil family, Curculionidae. It is found in Europe and Asia Minor and east to China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea. Bark beetles are so named because they reproduce in the inner bark, living and dead phloem tissues, of trees. Their preferred trees in which to reside include spruces, firs, pines and larches. The species has the ability to spread quickly over large areas and some scientists hypothesize that long-distance movements originating from the Iberian Peninsula may have contributed to its invasion of northern Norway spruce forests. This female European spruce bark beetle was photographed in Naninne in the province of Namur, Belgium.Photograph credit: Ivar LeidusRecently featured: PyromorphiteJohn TarletonDalmatian pelicanArchiveMore featured pictures

November 10Caroll Spinney with his Oscar the Grouch puppet1599 At the culmination of a Swedish civil war, supporters of the deposed King SigismundIII Vasa were publicly executed in the bo Bloodbath.1969 The children's television series Sesame Street (puppeteer pictured) premiered in the United States.1972 Three men hijacked Southern Airways Flight49 and threatened to crash it into Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the U.S. state of Tennessee.2006 Nadarajah Raviraj, a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician and human rights lawyer, was assassinated in Colombo.2009 A skirmish occurred between South Korean and North Korean naval ships off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.Afzal Khan (d.1659)Scipione Piattoli (b.1749)Andrs Manuel del Ro (b.1764)Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu (b.1887)More anniversaries: November 9November 10November 11ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

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Reimagining Classic Skateboard Graphics With #MaxonOne | Barton Damer and AlreadyBeenChewed.tv pay homage to skateboard culture icons with Re:IMAGINE at Beeple Studios. https://maxonvfx.com/4ejW4Dy

Forty-Three Monkeys Are on the Loose in South Carolina After Escaping a Research Facility When a Door Was Left UnsecuredOnce the first primate made a break, the 42 others followed suit in a simple case of monkey-see, monkey-doOlatunji Osho-WilliamsStaff ContributorNovember 8, 2024 Officials are trying to recapture more than 40 monkeys that escaped from a research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina. Yemassee Police Department via FacebookA troop of 43 monkeys is on the lam in South Carolinas lowcountry after escaping from a research facility on Wednesday night.The primates made a break for it when anIts really like follow-the-leader. You see one go and the others go, Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, tells Stephen Smith of CBS News. It was a group of 50, and seven stayed behind, and 43 bolted out the door.Unlike the mighty chimpanzee Caesar, who escapes from captivity in the Planet of the ApesWere not talking about Caesar, Matthew Garnes, Yemassee town administrator, tells Michael DeWitt ofBluffton Today. But if you spot any primates, don't approach or try to interact with them or feed them, call 911.Police working with Alpha Genesis have set up thermal imaging cameras and traps to re-capture the primates, telling the public in a statement on Thursday that they have eyes on the monkeys, and officials "are working to entice them with food."A Friday afternoon update to the statement, posted by the Yemassee Police Department on Facebook, says the simians are playfully exploring the perimeter fence in the wooded area surrounding the facility, cooing to their primate pals in captivity. This behavior suggests the escapees are calm, which is a positive indication, per the police department.Still, the monkeys goofy antics are making it tough for officials to recapture them. Theyre jumping down and taking the food and then jumping back up on the fence and the tree line, Westergaard tells CBS News. Theyre watching us the same way were watching them. Its kind of like a playground situation here.Officials note the escaped monkeys do not pose a public health riskthey had not been used for testing due to their age, which also makes them too young to carry diseases.Alpha Genesis, which first opened in 2003, breeds monkeys for research at government, university and industry facilities, often for medical purposes. Rhesus macaques physiological closeness to humans has long made them subjects of choice for human and animal health researchers, writes the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.Between two sites in South Carolinas Beaufort and Hampton counties, Alpha Genesis houses approximately 5,000 monkeys, including marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African Greens and several New World species, reportsBluffton Today.But this isnt the first time monkeys have broken free in Yemassee.In 2014, 26 monkeys escaped from the Alpha Genesis facility and were recaptured within 48 hours. Just two years later, 19 escaped and were returned within six hours. These escapes and other issuesincluding a group of monkeys killing another after it was put with the wrong social groupsparked a $12,600 fine on Alpha Genesis from the United States Department of Agriculture in 2018.Alpha Genesis won a federal contract in 2023 to run a colony of 3,500 monkeys on Morgan Island off the coast of South Carolina, which locals call Monkey Island.The primates on Morgan Island were introduced in the 1970s for biomedical research in local laboratories. Passing boaters can often spot monkeys lounging on the shore and scampering up the islands pines, as Tony Bartelme and Shamira McCray of South Carolinas Post & Courier wrote last year.The escaped monkeys used to live on Morgan Island but were transferred to the Yemassee facility to acclimate to humans, reports CBS News.Westergaard tells the publication that recovering the fugitive primates will be a long process. In the meantime, local police advised residents in the area to keep their doors and windows secured to prevent the animals from entering homes.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Medicine, Monkeys, Primates, Trending Today

Chimpanzees Could Never Randomly Type the Complete Works of Shakespeare, Study FindsWhile testing the infinite monkey theorem, mathematicians found that the odds of a chimpanzee typing even a short phrase like I chimp, therefore I am before the death of the universe are 1 in 10 million billion billion The universe will die before chimpanzees have a chance to type the complete works of Shakespeare, researchers found. Found Image Holdings / Corbis via Getty ImagesCould a chimpanzee ever randomly type the complete works of Shakespeare? According to a pair of researchers in Australia, the answer is no.Mathematicians Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta set out to test the infinite monkey theorem, a famous thought experiment that suggests that an unlikely event can occur, given an infinite amount of time and resources, because of random chance.More specifically, the theorem states that if one monkey had an infinite amount of time with a keyboard (or if there were an infinite number of monkeys), they would eventually type any given textincluding Shakespeares works.Mathematically, the theorem is correct. But, practically, its misleading given the constraints of our finite universe, the researchers conclude in a new study published in the journalFranklin Open.Yes, it is true that given infinite resources, any text of any length would inevitably be produced eventually, Woodcock tellsCNNs Amarachi Orie. While true, this also has no relevance to our own universe, as reaching infinity in resources is not something [that] can ever happen.The theorems origins are somewhat mysterious, but its usually attributed to French mathematician mile Borel or English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley. The concept may even have roots in AristotlesMetaphysics.But Woodcock and Fallettaboth from Australias University of Technology Sydneywanted to put the theorem to the test. To do that, they ran a series of calculations using realistic but generous figures.For example, they assumed that the worlds current population of chimpanzeesaround 200,000would remain constant for the duration of the universe. They also factored in the heat death of the universe, which they assumed would take place in around a googol of years (a large figure written as the number 1, followed by 100 zeros).They decided to focus on chimpanzees, which they assumed could type one key per second on a keyboard with 30 keys. They also used the animals average lifespan of around 30 years.Even if all the chimpanzees in the world typed for the entire lifespan of the universe, they would almost certainly never reproduce Shakespeares complete works, according to the researchers calculations.Beyond that, a single chimpanzee has just a 5 percent chance of randomly typing the word bananas within its lifetime, they found. The odds of a chimpanzee typing a short phrase like I chimp, therefore I am are 1 in 10 million billion billion.Put together, all of Shakespeares sonnets, plays and poems add up to nearly 885,000 wordsand not one of them is bananas.We did the [math] from one monkey to the scale of infinity monkeys and we can say categorically its not going to happen, Woodcock tellsNew Scientists James Woodford. If every atom in the universe was a universe in itself, it still wouldnt happen.Even when the researchers played with the variablessuch as by increasing the number of chimps, or boosting their typing speedthey determined that chimpanzee labor will never be a viable tool for developing written works of anything beyond the trivial, they write in the paper.Though the researchers calculations are sound, other mathematicians questioned the need for such a study in the first place.The theorem certainly didnt need debunking, saysMartin Hairer, a mathematician at Imperial College London who was not involved with the research, toNBC News David Hodari. Its something everyone has known forever. The universe could die and be reborn millions and millions of times and it still wouldnt happen.This isnt the first time mathematicians have tried to test the infinite monkey theorem. About two decades ago, researchers in Englandgave a computer to six Sulawesi crested macaques living in captivity at a zoo. After nearly two months, the animals produced just five pages of textand they had mostly typed the letter s.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Arts, Literature, Mathematics, Monkeys, New Research, universe, William Shakespeare

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Quantifying the impact of creator programsGamesight's Nikolas Racelis-Russell explains how to capitalise on a creator program and what the value in having one isImage credit: Adobe Academy by Nikolas Racelis-Russell Contributor Published on Nov. 8, 2024 Over the past 15 years, influencer marketing has evolved from a novel approach to an essential component of any modern activation related to a game's launch or significant content update.Most developers and publishers view the concept as a uniquely powerful tool in their arsenal for reaching new players, but determining the tangible potential an activation can provide is often nebulous. Sales may spike when a content creator's gameplay goes viral, but how can teams better understand the overall impact investing in an influencer activation can provide?Using live service titles as an example, an annual $20 million valuation in Earned Media Value is on the line for teams who strategically leverage a creator program to support their launch(es) that is, an ongoing campaign that fosters long-term partnerships with a creator extending beyond a single activation or title.The data and recommendations below are informed by the 1.2 billion points of data our analysts compile on a daily basis from a database spanning just under 130 million influencers, as well as strategies we've utilized through years of designing and evaluating performance marketing campaigns (in other words, activations which are trackable in real-time and designed to accomplish specific goals like retention, conversion, etc.).No campaign strategy or estimated trajectory of impact can be universally applicable for every game, but these findings clearly demonstrate how a well-deployed activation can change the landscape for a title or even a portfolio.Contextualizing the dataCreator programs are a relatively new concept compared to the longer-running precedent of negotiating sponsored content for an individual game. They often provide their members with more than just game keys, incentivizing creators to invest in a non-transactional relationship with a studio or publisher for their own benefit beyond paid activations.For the $20 million valuation in annual EMV we estimate creator programs can provide live service games, we'll explore an example charting the potential for an individual title. This dataset was modeled based on a combination of 500 potential creator program targets for live service games on Twitch, as well as anonymized retention data across multiple creator program members.Earned Media Value (EMV) represents the estimated value of content generated by creators through streams, videos, and social media posts. For this analysis, Gamesight concentrated on Twitch creators and utilized aggregated streamer behavior related to live-service titles.This approach involved modeling streamer behavior based on average monthly streaming durations, shifts in viewership, and seasonal trends. The cost per viewer hour metric applied in this analysis was derived from historical influencer rates, adjusted to a more conservative scale to reflect the nature of these unpaid activities. Typically, the Earned Media Value for a livestream is calculated using the following formula: EMV = Viewer Hours * CPVH (Cost Per View Hour).Measuring the impactA creator program's impact is measurable on a genre-by-genre basis and thus can be contrasted with a given game's potential for organic, non-paid engagement to better realize the true reach a creator program is providing. Our data as charted below outlines what a team could anticipate to gain for their particular title, broadly speaking.Our findings demonstrate that creator program members stream 80% more content on average from the relevant game(s) after joining a program. This is remarkable value in a space where content creators are often planning the amount of time they will spend with a game on a contractual, minute-by-minute level. To that point, our data finds that creator programs have a 14% higher content retention rate than non-program creators. This is particularly beneficial for titles that notice a decline in influencer content mid-update cycle.For creator programs to offset the natural monetary incentive for influencers to spend their time on content they'll be paid for, this level of retention is hugely beneficial for budgets and relationship building alike.An added bonus of creator programs is what we call cross-title pollination, defined as when a creator program participant plays more than one title from the portfolio a program is creating. Members of a creator program have a 70% cross pollination rate compared to creators outside of the program's 12% rate.How a creator program's value comparesBeyond the potential impact on a campaign, it's important to understand the ideal use case for creator programs. As a strategy, they are remarkably effective for supporting games in the lulls between a title's milestone updates and activations; they're particularly suited for boosting the tail ends of a game update.Creator program members are inherently more likely to stick around and continue creating content due to their own investments into the game's community. As a member of a program, creators grow their audience forming organic connections with a game's existing fanbase. This spurs content driven by authentic passion and resonates with viewers as an organic interest in the title, often resulting in more captivating entertainment than what's typically found in purely transactionally focused sponsored streams or videos. Tools and strategies for successLike every aspect of influencer marketing, creator programs are most successful when they're used in a strategic, goal-oriented manner. Prioritizing partners purely based on the views their content gets can be costly and especially shortsighted, depending on a campaign's intended purpose. Here are some strategies that help shape communities that benefit fans, creators and the teams behind a title alike:Identify the creators most suited for your titleConsider: who are the key creators that you are seeing create content on launch? It's important to invest in these creators as your game is just starting. Just because they're making content now, doesn't mean they'll care in a few months. These relationships will pay dividends. Remember: Total views is not the only thing to consider. Does a smaller creator reach a unique audience? Do they have better retention than a bigger name?Foster non-transactional relationshipsThis concept is key to making creators care (even if they aren't necessarily getting paid!).Consider providing members access to beta knowledge, building direct lines to developers for feedback, and other ways you can start a long-term dialogue. Integrating creators into the actual development cycle is a mutually beneficial goal.A healthy creator community is indicative of a healthy game.Establish when to launch a creator programSecure the bandwidth to actually manage and communicate with creators avoid making them feel like they aren't being heard. Overcommitting before you can scale resources with your program's size can be detrimental. You don't want your program to feel like an empty Discord server.Curate a community suited for your game's format (live service vs. single player). The difference in content lifecycles between these formats significantly influences strategy.Be mindful of the key do's and don'ts specific to launching a creator programDO:Find and prioritize ways to build trust & transparency.Support creators in their own events & initiatives.DON'T:Assume that because a creator does something for free, that they should always do it for free.Creator programs must be more than an afterthought for their full potential to be realized but data like the set in this analysis exemplify a clear and tangible return on investment at hand for teams willing to dedicate the necessary resources. Initiatives like creator programs can substantially extend a title's longevity while bolstering engagement with a portfolio, so long as the time is taken to grow meaningful partnerships, ultimately sustaining a community of creators that can stay engaged and drive genuine passion for and from a game's community for years to come.Nikolas Racelis-Russell is as a data analyst at analytical marketing partner Gamesight. In his role, he partners with game developers and publishers across hundreds of titles, leveraging data to identify optimal influencers for their marketing campaigns and creator programs.