Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube Well folks, we're back with another look at some of the best best games that we (that is, our video team) played in 2024.This time, it's Zion's turn to reveal the goods, and what a selection of games. There are some truly excellent titles here; a couple of smaller, more niche curios (one for my fellow horror fans, too!), but all of them are well worth recommending.Tomorrow, we'll be back for the final time to check out the lovely Alex's picks, and we're confident that those, too, shall be absolute bangers. So please come back and join us for that, and be sure to let us know what your top five games of the year are, if you haven't already! But what are yours?"A unicorn is worth more than riches"See AlsoShare:03 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesToby Fox Shares Another Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3, 4 & 5"Progress has still been steady"46 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher'Switch 2' Is Projected To Be The "Clear Winner" In The Next Console GenerationWhile either Sony or Microsoft will "struggle mightily"

MITHRIDATE Boutique | Vincent WuThe MITHRIDATE Boutique in Guangzhou, China, exemplifies a bold fusion of fashion and architecture. Designed by SLT Design, this retail space transforms shopping into an immersive theatrical experience. Aligning with MITHRIDATEs philosophy of Fashion for Art, the boutique becomes a sanctuary for self-expression, championing authentic style freedom. Through intricate spatial storytelling, SLT Design creates an environment that seamlessly blends reality and illusion, inviting visitors to discover their inner sphere.MITHRIDATE Boutique Technical InformationArchitects: SLT DesignLocation: No. 417, Linjiang Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, ChinaArea: 159 m2 | 1,710 Sq. Ft.Completion Year: 2024Photographs: Vincent Wu, Free Will PhotographySLT design, resonating with MITHRIDATEs vision of discovering a clear self, has crafted a captivating space inspired by the idea of the Sphere. This environment seamlessly merges reality and illusion, capturing the brands essence and atmosphere. SLT Design ArchitectsMITHRIDATE Boutique PhotographsFacade | Free Will PhotographyInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Free Will PhotographyInterior | Vincent WuInterior | Free Will PhotographyMITHRIDATE Boutique Spatial Narrative: A Theatrical JourneySituated along Linjiang Avenue on the Pearl Rivers north bank, the boutiques facade and interiors offer a harmonious dialogue between its urban context and the brands avant-garde identity. The design team completed the 159-square-meter space in November 2024. MITHRIDATE Boutiques facade acts as an urban proscenium, framing the space as a stage within the bustling cityscape. The light grey linear stonework evokes the elegance of theater curtains, offering a glimpse of the immersive world within. Upon entry, visitors step across the metaphorical fourth wall, transitioning from observer to participant in a realm where reality and illusion blur.The boutiques interiors unfold as a carefully choreographed sequence of scenes. A muted sand palette forms the backdrop, reminiscent of time-worn theater woodwork, while midnight blue accents punctuate the space with dramatic flair. Flocked metallic wave panels add texture and intrigue, echoing the allure of partially drawn curtains. Mirrors strategically placed throughout the boutique extend and distort perspectives, reinforcing the theme of spatial transformation. This design invites visitors to embark on a journey of self-discovery through the lens of theatrical performance.The Design Grammar: Elements of PerformanceAt the heart of the boutique lies the elevating platform motif, a recurring element that embodies the theatrical ethos. Reinterpreted in various forms, this concept manifests as display pedestals, resting seats, and cashier counters, unifying the space through a cohesive visual language. The semicircular display area, guided by a ceiling track, integrates curved fixtures that evoke theater steps, reinforcing the stage-like ambiance.The material palette underscores this narrative. Blue-toned marble, meticulously arranged, recalls classic theater flooring, while sleek, mirrored metal elements enhance the boutiques avant-garde aesthetic. Contrasting texturesdeep blue curtains delineating zones and sandstone-colored drapes softening nichescreate a dynamic interplay of forms and materials. Lighting, props, and flooring converge to establish a powerful central showcase where MITHRIDATEs intricate prints and innovative techniques come to life.Fluidity defines the boutiques functionality. A ceiling track system, mobile mirrored cabinets, and versatile hanging rods allow for adaptable displays that seamlessly transition between everyday and formal wear. This flexibility ensures the space remains as dynamic as a theatrical performance, catering to diverse needs while maintaining a coherent design language.The Inner Sphere: A Reflection on DesignThe boutique culminates in an intimate area shrouded by deep blue curtains, symbolizing the inner sphere of self-discovery. Circular light films highlight key zones, while inlaid marble flooring anchors the space in sophistication. Adjustable metal panels and curved rods suspended from the circular ceiling track create a flexible layout, transforming the area from open to enclosed. This adaptability reinforces the boutiques theatrical essence, where spaces shift and evolve, mirroring the fluidity of performance.Strategically positioned as a behind-the-scenes experience, the VIP area offers exclusive clientele a retreat for reflection and exploration. The design balances exclusivity with accessibility, ensuring that every visitor feels part of the narrative. SLT Designs meticulous attention to detailfrom rhythmic spatial sequences to material contrastsguides customers through a journey that is as emotional as it is aesthetic.MITHRIDATE Boutique Image Gallery Vincent Wu Free Will Photography Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Free Will Photography Free Will Photography Vincent Wu Free Will Photography Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Free Will Photography Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Vincent Wu Free Will Photography Free Will Photography Vincent Wu SLT DesignAbout SLT DesignSLT Design is a multidisciplinary design studio known for its innovative approach to blending architecture, interior design, and artistic expression. Led by Chen Ling and supported by a talented team, including Shanshan Jiang, Yifei Ouyang, Haomin Gu, and Yuelin Ma, SLT Designs work emphasizes storytelling and spatial narratives. With a philosophy of creating immersive and transformative environments, the studio has garnered acclaim for projects that resonate with its clients ethos. Their design for the MITHRIDATE Boutique showcases their expertise in fusing theatrical inspiration with avant-garde functionality, setting a new benchmark in contemporary retail design.Notes & Additional CreditsDesign Team: Chen Ling, Shanshan Jiang, Yifei Ouyang, Haomin Gu, Yuelin MaClient: MITHRIDATE

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BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 30: Anti-vaccine activists hold signs in front of the Massachusetts State House ... [+] during a protest against Governor Charlie Baker's mandate that all Massachusetts school students enrolled in child care, pre-school, K-12, and post-secondary institutions must receive the flu vaccine this year on August 30, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)Getty ImagesMany less Americans view childhood vaccines as important now compared to previous years, according to a recent Gallup poll.According to the poll, 69% of respondents view childhood vaccines as extremely or very important, down from 94% in 2001. In other words, in the last two decades, there has been a dramatic shift in the perception of vaccines in the United States, with more Americans reluctant to get the vaccines themselves or for their children.Vaccine hesitancy has even found its way into the Louisiana Department of Health, where public health workers are no longer allowed to promote certain vaccines to the public; such as the COVID-19, flu and mpox shots.Why is this occurring and why is it important? The answer is not straightforward but is likely a combination of factors related to the intertwined relationship between healthcare and politics.Vaccine hesitancy has always existed to some extent in society, but vaccines have traditionally been lauded as a major breakthrough in science that have prevented millions of diseases. Take Measles, for example, which was declared eradicated by the US in 2000. Because of international travel and a growing number of parents opting out of vaccinating their children against Measles, there are now nearly 300 cases of the disease in America this year alone, mostly in those unvaccinated. This number should be zero or close to it if herd immunity existed, which refers to the protection conferred onto a community against a contagious disease when a certain percentage of the population becomes immune. For Measles, herd immunity occurs when 95% of the population is vaccinated.Vaccine hesitancy reached unprecedented levels recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, where vaccines became a highly polarized topic. Conservative leaders framed vaccine mandates as an overreach of government power, threatening personal freedoms and bodily autonomy, while more liberal and progressive leaders perceived vaccines as a collective opportunity to promote public health. This lead many Americans to question the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, and ultimately led to a stark divide between Republicans and Democrats on this issue.MORE FOR YOUIt is of no surprise that Republicans and Republican-Leaning Independents were much less likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine or view it positively compared to Democrats and Democrat-Leaning Independents. In fact, according to the aforementioned Gallup poll, 26% of Republican and Republican-Leaning Independents believe it is extremely important to get their children vaccinated, compared to 63% of Democrats or Democrat-Leaning Independents. The two groups now differ by 37 percentage points, but only differed by 4 percentage points in 2001.Politicization has also been compounded by broad misinformation about vaccines. As an example, the false claim that the MMR vaccine that targets Measles was associated with the development of autism was spread and often amplified through social media. Although there is no scientific evidence to support a real association between autism and vaccine uptake, this claim gained traction among some Americans, leading to a decline in vaccine trust.Misinformation campaigns, coupled with inconsistent messaging from political leaders, have led many to question the motives behind vaccine promotion. For this reason, some Americans believed that vaccines were being recommended for political rather than scientific reasons, particularly because of the speed at which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed.The rise in vaccine hesitancy presents a real problem for science and public health at large. When scientific tools like vaccines become entangled in political and ideological battles, it undermines public confidence and hampers broad-scale efforts to control diseases. This is precisely the case with Measles, with cases reported in 30 states and Washington D.C. already this year. Remember, this disease was eradicated and if children were up-to-date on vaccinations, there likely would be zero outbreaks across America.Addressing these challenges will require a concerted effort among government officials, public health leaders, healthcare personnel, teachers and parents. Transparent and clear messaging, bolstering educational programs, enhanced research initiatives and improved digital and media literacy can all help in restoring trust in vaccine campaigns.Our health and the future of our children depend upon it.

Legislation slowly wending its way through state capitals and in Washington could mean increased ... [+] payments to drugstore chains like CVS Health, Walgreens and independent pharmacies across the country. In this photo is a sign outside a Walgreens store in San Pablo, California, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg 2024 Bloomberg Finance LPLegislation slowly wending its way through states and in Washington could mean increased payments to drugstore chains like CVS Health, Walgreens, Walmart and independent pharmacies across the country.Though pharmacies didnt get what they wanted last week from Congress in a year-end spending package, the door has been opened wider to legislation to benefit pharmacies while regulating pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, even with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress and the White House in 2025.PBM reform is supported by majorities in both parties, by outgoing President Biden, and by incoming President-elect Trump, said B. Douglas Hoey, the chief executive of the National Community Pharmacists Association after Congress late last week passed a new short-term spending package that did not include PBM reform. It may be the only issue in Washington that they agree on. Every day they delay reform, another small pharmacy will close, or be pushed closer to edge, because of the business practices of big health insurers and their PBM henchmen.Pharmacies are closing across the country in recent years, which their owners blame in part on a reimbursement squeeze from the PBMs that pay them. PBMs, which are considered middlemen between drug companies and consumers when it comes to purchasing medicines, administer drug benefits for employers and government health insurance including Medicaid coverage for poor Americans and Medicare benefits for seniors. In these roles, PBMs decide what pharmacists and pharmacies are paid to dispense prescription medications.Forbes2024 Forbes Healthcare Summit | The Future Of PharmacyMORE FOR YOUBut PBMs have come under fire in recent years as the public, taxpayers and Congress question whether they are passing along as much savings as they should to health plan enrollees. And this increased scrutiny has already led to an increasing number of state legislatures and increasing payments to pharmacies.Executives at PBMs acknowledge that change is coming.We're seeing the regulatory framework change intensely, Jason Borschow, chief executive of Abarca, an independent pharmacy benefit manager, told healthcare executives at the Forbes Healthcare Summit in New York earlier this month. It's already happening in Medicaid, Medicare is on the way and obviously in a free market, kind of that commercial space. The individual market space is probably the last one to be regulated, but our expectation is the regulations will happen and PBM business practices are going to be regulated by the federal in addition to state governments.Among the areas where Democrats and Republicans in Congress have reached common ground include provisions that would require PBMs to reimburse pharmacies at (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) plus the states fee for service dispensing fee for all Medicaid managed care programs in all 50 states, the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents more than, has said. It would eliminate spread pricing and pay PBMs a flat administrative fee in all Medicaid managed care programs. The provision will save taxpayers approximately $1 billion over the next 10 years.Because CVS also owns a PBM, Caremark, its unclear how much potential reforms would financially hurt that business.But other regulations making progress in states would certainly benefit the thousands of pharmacists and retail pharmacies under CVS ownership as well as other pharmacies.As one example, dozens of states are passing legislation that expands the role of pharmacists to prescribe certain medicines. This so-called test to treat legislation bestows prescribing status on pharmacists.At the Forbes Healthcare Summit, Walgreens chief pharmacy officer Rick Gates, said pharmacists have already been testing for an array of illnesses including Covid-19 and then prescribing medications.You test positive for covid, and we can actually prescribe right then and get you on your medication when you're in the store, Gates said. Same thing comes for flu. It can be UTIs. It can be lots of other things. But that's just the precipice I think of where pharmacy can really play a bigger impact.

Home Aloneis an undeniable Christmas classic, but its also a pretty light, fun movie. Of course, just because it plays like a comedy doesnt mean that Joe Pesci, who played one half of the Wet Bandits who terrorize Macaulay Culkins Kevin while hes home alone, didnt take his job very seriously.Daniel Stern played Marv, the other half of those Wet Bandits, and in a recent interview withEntertainment Tonight, he recalled one scene in particular where Pesci actually bit Culkins figure as his character Harry was trying to be intimidating.Home Alone (1990) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic TrailersI totally forgot about that, Stern said. Joe is hes wonderful, I love him, hes a dear friend, but hes a scary dude, and he was carrying it all. Cause he was we were trying in the first movie to actually be scary to start with, and then you realize were idiots. But there was a fear factor that set up the drama of the thing.Recommended VideosWhile Pesci, who had already won an Oscar when he took on the role, apologized almost immediately for overcommitting to the scene.Yeah, I think he did bite it as he was biting his finger, and then he bit it like, Oh crap, I didnt really mean to,' Stern explained. Joe was like, Ahh, sorry I did that. But only time you might see Pesci break.Please enable Javascript to view this contentCulkin was the first to revisit this incident, saying in a Q&A at the Rosemont Theater that he still bears a scar from the incident.I have a scar, Culkin said. I saw his face and Ive never, ever seen Joe Pesci actually scared because hes like, I just bit a kid!'

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow to download your reading data from GoodreadsMaking sure your data is correctImporting your Goodreads books into StoryGraphGoodreads has been the only game in town for Android and iOS book-tracking for a long time now, and like most monopolies, it has grown old and fat. Acquired by Amazon in 2013, avid book readers have had lots to complain about in recent years, with the service languishing unloved, with no serious updates and an aging interface. It's been due some serious competition for a long time, and lo and behold, some has arrived. StoryGraph is a book-tracking app that offers everything you'll find on Goodreads but with an algorithm that lets you know about what you might love, and adds features any bibliophile will know are essential like a Did Not Finish list.Recommended VideosDifficultyModerateDuration15 minutesBut if you're anything like us, the last thing you want to do is abandon years and years of book-reading data from Goodreads. While a clean start is nice, it's better to have the choice, and if you've been reading a significant number of books every year, then you probably won't want to lose all that, especially when it can be used to pinpoint your next read. Thankfully, you don't have to abandon all those books, because there's an easy way to transfer your data from Goodreads to StoryGraph. Here's how to do it.Mark Jansen / Digital TrendsYou'll need a computer to complete these steps, as it's not the easiest to complete from a smartphone.Step 1: Start by signing up for StoryGraph, if you haven't already.Step 2: Now, you'll need to go to the Import Goodreads section.Mark Jansen / Digital TrendsRelatedStep 3: Scroll down until you find the Export my Goodreads library button.Step 4: This will take you to the Import/export section on Goodreads. Select Export library to download your data. This may take some time, depending on how large your library is.Mark Jansen / Digital TrendsStep 5: Select the Your export from [date of export] - [time of export] link to download the .csv file.Now, you can just import this straight into StoryGraph, and if you're impatient, you can skip straight to the next section to do just that.However, keep in mind StoryGraph's warning: Some elements of your Goodreads data may be incorrect, as the "Date Read" column can be incorrect. If that's a problem you want to fix, well, we're with you and we're going to be fixing it right now.Step 1: Find your downloaded .csv file and import it into the spreadsheet program of your choice. You can use Excel or anything that you're familiar with. We're using Google Sheets because it's free for everyone to use.Step 2: Check the Date read column and make sure the date format matches the Date added column next to it.Mark Jansen / Digital TrendsStep 3: If it doesn't match, select the entire Date read column by selecting the top of it. Then head to Format > Number and select Date.Step 4: Next, any books you added to Read without adding them to Currently reading in the Goodreads app will have Date read data missing. You can add this if you want to by copying over the data from the Date added column.Step 5: When you're done, save the file by going to File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv).Mark Jansen / Digital TrendsHere we go; it's showtime. Here's how to take that data and import it into StoryGraph.Step 1: Head back to the StoryGraph import section.Mark Jansen / Digital TrendsStep 2: Select the Browse button, choose the .csv, and select Open. Then, select Import my Goodreads library.Step 3: If you have any custom shelves in your Goodreads library, then the importer will ask you to assign any of those shelves to its categories, if they fit. Just use the drop-down boxes to highlight if any of your custom shelves fit their criteria.Editors Recommendations

Make sure the battery isnt low and turn on Lost Modeeven if the luggage isnt lostfor more frequent alerts.

oh, dear Human versus autonomous car race ends before it begins A2RL admits that this is a hard problem, and that's refreshing. Roberto Baldwin Dec 22, 2024 7:05 am | 14 A2RL chose the Super Formula chassis to install its autonomous driving tech. Recently, an A2RL car went to Suzuka in Japan to try and race against a human-driven version. Credit: Roberto Baldwin A2RL chose the Super Formula chassis to install its autonomous driving tech. Recently, an A2RL car went to Suzuka in Japan to try and race against a human-driven version. Credit: Roberto Baldwin Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreA2RL provided flights from San Francisco to Tokyo and accommodation so Ars could attend its race. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.TOKYORacing is hard. It's hard on the teams, it's hard on the owner's bank account, it's hard on the cars, and it's especially hard on the drivers. Driving at the edge for a few hours in a vehicle cockpit that's only slightly wider than your frame can take a toll.The A2RL (Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League) removes one of those elements from its vehicles but, in doing so, creates a whole new list of complexities. Say goodbye to the human driver and hello to 95 kilograms of computers and a whole suite of sensors. That setup was poised to be part of a demonstration "race" against former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat at Suzuka Circuit in Japan during the Super Formula season finale.But again, racing is hard, and replacing humans doesn't change that. The people who run and participate in A2RL are aware of this, and while many organizations have made it a sport of overselling AI, A2RL is up-front about the limitations of the current state of the technology. One example of the technology's current shortcomings: The vehicles can't swerve back and forth to warm up the tires. The A2RL team and former F1 racer Daniil Kvyat (center) smile for the media at Suzuka. Credit: Roberto Baldwin Giovanni Pau, Team Principal of TII Racing, stated during a press briefing regarding the AI system built for racing, "We don't have human intuition. So basically, that is one of the main challenges to drive this type of car. It's impossible today to do a correct grip estimation. A thing my friend Daniil (Kvyat) can do in a nanosecond."Technology Innovation Institute (TII) develops the hardware and software stack for all the vehicles. Hardware-wise, the eight teams receive the same technology. When it comes to software, the teams need to build out their own system on TII's software stack to get the vehicles to navigate the tracks.Not quite learning but not quite not learningIn April, four teams raced on the track in Abu Dhabi. As we've noted before, how the vehicles navigate the tracks and world around them isn't actually AI. It's programmed responses to an environment; these vehicles are not learning on their own. Frankly, most of what is called "AI" in the real world is also not AI.Vehicles driven by the systems still need years of research to come close to the effectiveness of a human beyond the wheel. Kvyat has been working with A2RL since the beginning. In that time, the former F1 driver has been helping engineers understand how to bring the vehicle closer to their limit.The speed continues to increase as the development progresses. Initially, the vehicles were three to five minutes slower than Kvyat around a lap; now, they are about eight seconds behind. That's a lifetime in a real human-to-human race, but an impressive amount of development for vehicles with 90 kg of computer hardware crammed into the cockpit of a super formula car. Credit: Roberto Baldwin Currently, the vehicles are capable of recreating 9095 percent of the speed of a human driver, according to Pau. Those capabilities are reduced when a human driver is also on the track, particularly for safety reasons. When asked by Ars what his biggest concern was being on the track with a vehicle that doesn't have a human behind the wheel, Kvyat said he has to "try to follow the car first to see what line it chooses and to understand where it is safe to race it. Some places here [at Suzuka] are quite narrowon the contrary from the Abu Dhabi trackand there are a lot of long corners. So I really need to be alert and give respect and space to the AI car," Kvyat said.Kvyat also noted that the AI car is traveling at a more respectable speed, so he really needs to know what's going on.The predictability of a human driver both on a track and in the real world is one of the issues surrounding AI. As we drive, walk, or bike around a city, we rely on eye contact from drivers, and there are certain behavioral expectations. It's the behavioral outliers that cause issues. Examples include things like running a stop sign, weaving into a lane already occupied by another vehicle, or stopping in the middle of the road for no discernible reason. On the track, an autonomous vehicle might choose to deviate from the racing line around a corner because of a signal input that a human driver would ignore or fold into their driving based on their real-world experience. The context of the rest of a lived life is just as important as what's learned on the track. Life and racing are hard and chaotic.The raceOn the Saturday of the race weekend, a demonstration of two A2RL vehicles raced around the circuit. The vehicles were moving quickly down the straight. The corners, though? We were told that they were still a bit tricky for the vehicles to navigate.Down in the pits, the team watched a bank of monitors. Sensor data came in from the vehicleszeros and ones representing the track translated into a sea of graphs. To help parse the data quickly, the system shows a green flag when everything is going well and red flags when the values are out of whack with what's supposed to happen. In addition to how the vehicle is moving, information about fuel consumption, brake wear, and tire temperature is shared with the team. Former F1 driver Kvyat was drafted in to compete against the AI. Roberto Baldwin Former F1 driver Kvyat was drafted in to compete against the AI. Roberto Baldwin The A2RL team at their battle station. Roberto Baldwin The A2RL team at their battle station. Roberto Baldwin Former F1 driver Kvyat was drafted in to compete against the AI. Roberto Baldwin The A2RL team at their battle station. Roberto Baldwin All of this data lets the team know how hard it is pushing the vehicle. If everything looks good, the team can push the vehicle to go a little quicker, to push a little harder for a better lap time. Humans elsewhere in the pits will soon tell their human drivers the same thing. Push harder, be quicker; the car can handle it. The data coming in predicts what will happen in the next few seconds.Hopefully.The individual teams will try to find the optimal line, just like the human team, but it doesn't always follow what humans have done before on a track. They work to create an optimal line for the autonomous car instead of just copying what humans are doing.This team has been at Suzuka for weeks ahead of this race. The HD map they bought from a third party was off by meters. In that time the team had to remap the track for the vehicles and teach them how to drive on a circuit that's narrower than the track at Abu Dhabi.The car is outfitted with Sony 4K cameras, radars, lidar, high-definition GPS, and other sensors. The electric steering can handle up to five Gs. The hydraulic brakes on each wheel could be triggered individually, but currently, they are not, according to Pau. However, Pau did note that enabling this function would open up new possibilities, especially in cornering. On the grid at Suzuka. Credit: Roberto Baldwin Pau took a moment while walking us around the vehicle to point to the laser that measures the external temperature of the tire. That, along with the ability to track the tire's pressure, are key to ensuring the vehicle stays on the track.The next morning, the main event was gearing up. Man versus machine. A modern-day John Henry tale without the drama of the song about a steel-driving man. We all knew Kvyat would win. A2RL was very up-front that the system is not nearly as quick as a human. At least not yet. But it had decided to bring the race to Japan, a country known to be on the cutting edge of technology. The "race" was to be held ahead of the season finale of the Super Formula season.It was cooler that morning than the previous day. The cars were pushed out to the grid. Kvyat was stationed behind the driverless vehicle. The time between leaving the pits and the race starting felt longer than the day before. The tires were cooling off.The A2RL vehicle took off approximately 22 seconds ahead of Kvyat, but the race ended before the practice lap was completed. Cameras missed the event, but the A2RL car lost traction and ended up tail-first into a wall. A rather anti-climatic end to weeks of work by the team. In the pits, people gathered around the monitors trying to determine exactly what went wrong.Khurram Hassan, commercial director of A2RL, told Ars that the cold tires on the cold track caused a loss of traction. A press release sent out later in the day noted that one of the rear tires suddenly lost pressure, causing the vehicle to lose traction and slide into the wall. The cameras missed the spin, but caught the aftermath. Roberto Baldwin The cameras missed the spin, but caught the aftermath. Roberto Baldwin The telemetry tells it all. Roberto Baldwin The telemetry tells it all. Roberto Baldwin No one wants to see their car come back to the garage like this. Roberto Baldwin No one wants to see their car come back to the garage like this. Roberto Baldwin The telemetry tells it all. Roberto Baldwin No one wants to see their car come back to the garage like this. Roberto Baldwin Hassan reminded us that the vehicle does not know how to swerve back and forth yet to warm up its tires. But more importantly, he said that the gap between simulation and the real world is very real. "You could do things on a computer screen, but this is so important. Because you have to be on the track," Hassan said.The reality is that reality is chaos and always changing. When a company notes that it's doing millions of miles of simulated testing, it's vital to remember that a computer-generated world does not equal the one we inhabit.Reality and intelligenceA2RL doesn't want to replace human-to-human racing. It understands the emotional attachment humans have to watching other humans compete. It also realizes that as these vehicles improve, what the teams learn will not be directly pulled from the track and put on self-driving cars. But by pushing these vehicles to the limit and letting AI determine the best course of action to keep from slamming into a wall or other vehicle, that information could be used in the future as a safety feature in vehiclesa way to keep a collision from happening used in conjunction with other safety features.The day before the human versus AI race, Super Formula had its penultimate race of the season. During that race, two cars left the pits only to have one of their rear wheels come off. Also, another two cars collided with each another. Racing is hard, and accidents happen.For A2RL, failure is always an option. It may break the hearts of everyone in the pits that have prepped for weeks for an event, but it's important to remember that it's a controlled environment. A2RL seems to understand and talks about the complications of aiming for an AI-powered vehicle. It would be nice if those companies testing on our streets did the same. 14 Comments

Shelby Vanhoy has been personalizing her North Carolina home since December 2023.She recently decided to break up her open-concept living space with a glass wall.Vanhoy said the space is more functional and calming thanks to the change.Shelby Vanhoy has been in home decor mode for nearly a year now.Vanhoy, 34, lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, 2-year-old son, and two dogs. They relocated from New York City to North Carolina in December 2023 to be closer to family."My parents are here, and it just makes our life a lot easier," she said of the change.Vanhoy and her husband became homeowners when they moved back. Since then, Vanhoy, a full-time content creator who runs the blogPretty in the Pines, has been customizing their four-bedroom home, built in 1988. Shelby Vanhoy at her home. Shelby Vanhoy/Pretty In The Pines She told Business Insider her style leans traditional with a twist."Some people say it's 'grand-millennial' with all the mixing of patterns and prints and kind of like grandma vibes," Vanhoy said of her decor style. "I love tying in antiques and vintage furniture and lights to make our house feel older than it actually is."Vanhoy also said it's important for her home to function for her family which is how she decided to enclose her open-concept living space.Open-concept living didn't work for their homeThe main floor of Vanhoy's home featured anopen-concept spacewith a kitchen, dining area, and living room, which she wasn't excited about."When we bought the house, it was just something that wasn't my first choice," she said. The space was open concept. Shelby Vanhoy After they moved into the house, Vanhoy found the open area didn't work for her family."It felt very overstimulating," she said. "I would be in the kitchen cooking things, and then the TV room was right beside the kitchen and the whole downstairs. You could just see everything.""Even decorating it, it felt like everything had to kind of go together because you're looking at everything all at once," she added.Vanhoy also works from home and doesn't have a designated office space yet."I would be working in the dining room, which was connected to the kitchen and the living room, so everything just felt like you were doing so much at one time," she said. "It just didn't feel very calming when you were on that floor."Vanhoy decided she wanted to separate the living room to section off the space.A transparent solutionRather than fully enclosing the living room, Vanhoy decided to add a partial glass wall to her space. The French doors served as inspiration. Shelby Vanhoy "Our living room is, natural-light-wise, a little dark," Vanhoy told BI. "I did want to add some sort of wall to enclose it a bit, but I didn't want to lose any of the natural light."The living room also featured glass French doors that Vanhoy loved, so she took inspiration from them."We decided to make it glass and make it look kind of like a window while also making it feel like its own separate room," Vanhoy said. An archway sat in the middle of the wall. Shelby Vanhoy The wall features an archway in the middle, and the sides are enclosed with walls covered in windows.Vanhoy hired professionals to complete the project, who added wood beams for support and moved a few outlets to make the wall work. The project cost under $6,000. @prettyinthepines anddd another project currently in progress... a window wall to help divide our super open floor layout #windowwall #transomwindow #livingroom #openconceptliving original sound - Shelby The space is more functionalVanhoy said the glass offers the best of both worlds, as it sections off the space without making it impossible for her to see into the living room."The best part about it is that it created other little functions, and it made the whole downstairs feel a lot more functional," Vanhoy said, adding that the design also brought character to the space. The breakfast nook. Shelby Vanhoy "I made a breakfast nook on one side of the wall, so that added a whole other function that we didn't have," she said. "And then we have a little kids' craft table on another side of the wall."The glass wall isn't complete, as Vanhoy intends to add more ornate molding to the windows for a personal touch.But it's already changed the way Vanhoy feels about the space. The space creates more functions for the home. Shelby Vanhoy "I do like seeing through because that room also has a nice fireplace, and I like seeing the fire on," she said. "But at the same time, it just feels totally separated, and light shines through.""The one downside, I guess, is it's just more windows to clean," she added.