Human civilization lives with the haunting understanding that life will one day end and the sci-fi genre has dutifully explored the survivability of this concept with a number of fan-favorite movies set after the looming end of society for whatever reason, be it natural disasters, man-made wars or Hollywood's fascination with zombie apocalypses. While fans have seen a number of legendary post-apocalyptic movies over the years, the last couple of decades have showcased some of the best "wasteland" movies in the genre as viewers continue to imagine their inevitable end and new beginnings that highlight the strength and adaptability of the human race.

The Final Fantasy series has been captivating audiences since 1987, amassing mainline entries now well into double figures. Given that so many games have been released over the decades, not to mention the vast number of spin-offs and crossovers, it's fair to say that the series has gathered a large roster of characters.

President Jimmy Carter spent four years in the Oval Office, but his legacy extends far beyond the White House. The former head of state died on Sunday, December 29, in his home in Plains, Ga., aged 100, after nearly two years in hospice care. In the decades since he left public office, Carter delivered a significant contribution to public health in the worlds poorest nations.Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981; in 1982, he established the Carter Center with his wife, Rosalynn, who died November 19, 2023 at age 96. The humanitarian organization advocated for setting international standards for human rights, strengthening global democracy by observing elections in 39 countries, and establishing village-based healthcare in poverty-stricken nations. Carter advocated for and built affordable housing for 30 years with Habitat for Humanity, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.Also integral to Carters humanitarian work was controlling and eradicating diseases afflicting masses of people in the global south. In particular, the Carter Center has helped to all but eradicate the excruciating Guinea worm disease, reducing the 3.6 million cases from the 1980s to just six today. Carter played a hands-on role, personally visiting remote villages to meet with both leaders and ordinary people alike, and launching a program of disease prevention and education that now extends far beyond Guinea worm.Trips to Nigeria and Ghana, where Carter saw various diseases decimating entire villages, would spur him to launch campaigns to end these neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), a group of 20 severe ailments that affect 1.2 billion of the most marginalized people, but which are ignored or unheard of in much of the West. Its unfortunate, because this affects the poorest of the poor, says Kelly Callahan, director of the Trachoma Control Program at the Carter Center.Former president Jimmy Carter visits the Central Equatorian Sudanese village of Lojura on February 11, 2010. [Photo: Petter Martell/AFP/Getty Images]Callahan, who has worked at the center for 25 years, says Carter wanted to tackle these diseases precisely because they were so neglected, and because many other problems stem from them. They debilitate people to the point where they cant work for weeks and months, causing further insecurity for the poorest families. He really saw these neglected tropical diseases as low-hanging fruit toward reducing the gap between the rich and the poor, Callahan says.The biggest priority on Carters list was Guinea worm disease, prevalent in 20 countries mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Known as dracunculiasis (Latin for little dragons), its caused by parasites in drinking water. Once ingested, water fleas release worm larvae inside the human body, which live and mate in the connective tissues of the abdomen. The female pregnant worm can grow up to three feet in length and be as wide as a strand of cooked spaghetti. When the female worm is ready to release the larvae (roughly one year after the initial infection), she moves just below the skin to give birth (usually to the leg or foot), forming a painful blister that eventually bursts, which can cause further bacterial infections.Guinea worm disease is highly transmissible. If an infected person enters wateroften to bathe their painful woundit triggers the worm to release millions more larvae into the water, ensuring the disease continues to proliferate.Farmer Nuru Ziblim teaches children how to filter their water with a special drinking device, when visiting the farms, so as to not ingest the guinea worm larvae, ca. 2008. [Photo: Louise Gubb/Corbis via Getty Images]He could not believe in the 1980s that people still had 3-foot-long worms coming out of them, Callahan says.Carters Guinea worm campaign centered around prevention and education, really the only route for a disease that still has no known cure, vaccine, or medication. The center worked to treat standing water with a larvicide and distribute water filters.Callahan first met Carter in Mali in West Africa in 1996 when she was a Peace Corps volunteer. She found Carters on-the-ground presence unusually refreshing, as he traveled to remote villages around Africa to see the diseases impact for himself. He wanted to set an example for others, that it is possible to roll your sleeves up, Callahan says. He needed to hold hands and bring people along with him.He harnessed his influence to negotiate a deal with chemical corporation DuPont to develop the water filters for free. And in 1995, he called a four-month cease-fire of the brutal civil war in Sudan to allow the distribution of enough filters for every citizen.The disease dissipated over the following decades, from 3.6 million cases globally in the 1980s to an all-time low of 13 as of January 2023. Through prevention alone, the center eliminated the disease in 17 countries.But to eradicate, it requires staying the course. (Elimination refers to curbing a diseases transmission within a specific area; eradication to wiping it out completely.) If [the center] took [its] foot off the pedal, this disease will come back, and it will come back with a vengeance, Callahan says. It takes two years from identifying zero cases in a country before they can certify it as free of the disease.The center is working toward eradication, and Callahan is optimistic that the 13 can become zeroan important part of continuing the legacy of the man who wanted to see the disease wiped out before his death. It is completely possible, she says. And not just possibleit is going to be eradicated.Part of honoring Carters legacy will be continuing that work on other diseases as well. The center works to control other NTDs including trachoma, the worlds leading cause of infectious blindness, on which Callahan focuses. Since the centers work on trachoma in 1998, cases have diminished from a billion to 125 million.If the Carter Center gets its way, Callahan says, well turn it into an elimination program, and then an eradication program.

EDC and stationery have more of an overlap than you think. EDC multitools help you deconstruct objects physically, stationery helps you do the same creatively on paper. Making notes as you fix a product go hand in hand. Creating an engineering schematic while reverse-engineering a gadget go hand in hand. One uses stationery, the other uses EDC so rather than separate them, Ideaspark decided to combine them with the Prule a fusion of a protractor, ruler, and a precision craft knife all in one incredibly sleek package.The Prule may function primarily as a stationery instrument, but it isnt designed like one. Machined from Grade 5 Titanium, the Prule outlasts any plastic or metal ruler youd have ever owned in your lifetime. Its well-designed, grippy, ruthlessly efficient, compact, and robust enough to last generations. Civilizations might come to an end but the Prule wont.Designer: IdeasparkClick Here to Buy Now: $69 $99 (30% off) Hurry, only 40 hours left!The Prule tries to achieve multiple things, and succeeds thanks to two things a good vision and great execution. Your stationery tool is effective when it needs to be, and just in case you need yourself an EDC blade, the magnetic Xacto knife pops right out, giving you something to cut with, whether its a delivery parcel, a piece of paper, a material for a craft project, or even food. Want your EDC to serve more of a purpose, a glass bead breaker on the top of the Prule lets you strike to shatter through reinforced glass, making the Prule perfect for regular or emergency scenarios.The choice of Gr5 titanium wasnt arbitrary. Known for its durability and lightweight properties, it ensures the Prule holds up under pressure without being cumbersome to carry. The magnetic fold, sleek and compact, transforms it into a pocket-sized powerhouse thats as easy to store as it is to deploy. It fits neatly into your workflow, whether youre a designer tracing lines, an architect marking dimensions, or a DIY enthusiast crafting your next project.Opening it reveals more than a simple measuring tool. The hinge serves as a precise protractor, locking smoothly into set positions for common angles. The click as it snaps into place feels deliberate, almost mechanical, and makes quick work of drawing or measuring angles. Paired with laser-etched scales in both metric and imperial, reading measurements becomes effortless. Every mark is crisp, visible even in dim light, thanks to the tritium slots built into the design.Using the Prule feels intuitive, but its design is anything but simple. The angled surface, for instance, aligns perfectly with your line of sight, making measurements more comfortable. The grip feels natural, the thickened edges adding stability during use. These arent afterthoughts; theyre deliberate choices made to ensure the tool fits seamlessly into your hand and your tasks, no matter how intricate.The knife might play a small part in the Prules working, but its pretty much the star of the show. Designed to slip right into the Prule when not in use, it stays sheathed to keep your hands protected from its sharp scalpel blade. The blade, made from surgical steel, can cut through everything from paper to soft materials like leather or plastics. Its the perfect craft knife there when you need it, gone when you dont.Plus, the fact that the Prule uses a scalpel blade makes it infinitely reusable. When the blade dulls or breaks, you dont need to sharpen it (as you would with most regular knives). Just ditch the old blade for a new one and youre good to go. Scalpel blades come cheap and in packs of 5 or 10. In the end, its a lot more sustainable to replace a blade than to ditch an entire knife because its dull or broken. Moreover, throw the blade away before you travel and the Prule is suddenly TSA friendly too!The name Prule, however, is a portmanteau of its two distinct features the protractor, and the ruler. With a folding design, the Prule either sits shut at 10cm in length (3.9 inches), or opens up to measure 20cm long or 7.8 inches. In the process of opening, the Prule reveals its function as a protractor. Etched markings on its pivot joint let you hit 15 increments with a fair amount of accuracy, making it perfect for measuring angles, making schematics, drawing perspective diagrams, etc. Whether youre an architect, designer, engineer, woodworker, or any sort of creative/craftsperson, this comes in fairly handy.Of course, the Prule comes with both imperial and metric markings, making it fairly universal. Its slim design makes it easy to measure depth too, simply by inserting it into objects like you would a depth rod on a set of calipers.From its foldable design to its versatility as a depth-measuring tool, the Prule adapts to its user. Its ceramic bead breaker adds a layer of emergency preparedness, while its customizable featureslike slots for luminous vials and optional engravingmake it uniquely yours. Whether clipped to a lanyard or carried loose, it becomes a constant companion, ready for anything from precision tasks to unplanned challenges.It isnt common to see EDC and stationery collide so perfectly, although it does feel like a match made in heaven with the Prule. Use it in a workshop, a classroom, a studio, outdoors, or even in an emergency. Having a ruler/scale, a knife, a protractor, and a glass breaker all in one tool feels like a motley crew of tools that can either serve their individual purposes well, or come together to form something thats greater than the sum of its parts. The Prule starts at a discounted $69, and ships globally with a set of 10 spare scalpel blades.Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $99 (30% off) Hurry, only 40 hours left!The post Meet Prule: The All-in-One Titanium EDC and Stationery Crossover thats a Game-Changer first appeared on Yanko Design.

Our Experts Written by David Carnoy Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to consider Budget Know how much you want to spend before you start researching, because the high end is frequently above $150. Noise-isolating or open design Knowing your earbuds aren't going to fly away when you're working out is important, but you also need to choose if you want to hear the world around you or not. Comfort Even if you're only wearing these headphones while working out, the right fit makes all the difference. Durability Normal headphones aren't made for all the sweat and movement work out headphones endure, so it's important to make sure you have something you know will last. Return policy Be careful where you buy from, so if you aren't happy with your purchase you can try something else. Table of Contents Back to selection

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How to solve today's Wordle.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLooking for Saturdays Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here:Pack it all up, folks. The year is basically over. How was your 2024? We have today and tomorrow and then its time to remember to write 2025 on everything. 2025 is a nice, memorable number at least. Then just another 25 years before the midcentury mark. If I survive that long, Ill be 68 when New Years 2050 rolls around. My oldest child will be 42. My youngest, 39. I dont expect to make it to 2075, unless modern medicine and science devises some miracle longevity technology. The fountain of youth. I suspect that would more a curse than a blessing, however.Will Wordle still be a thing in 2050? Its hard to picture such a different future. Then again, its hard to even remember the year 2000, the whole Y2K scare. That was back before the internet really took off, back before 9/11 and the way that event singularly changed the world.Anyways, a Wordle awaits. Lets solve it!How To Solve Todays WordleThe Hint: Gaze.The Clue: This Wordle ends in a vowel.Okay, spoilers below!...The Answer:Today's WordleScreenshot: Erik KainPlay Puzzles & Games on ForbesWordle AnalysisEvery day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here. A far, far easier Wordle today than yesterdays, which was so tricky for so many people that it started trending. Im not sure where LEANT came from, but it was a pretty good opener, leaving me with just 16 words. TRADE slashed that down to just 1, and it was easy enough to come up with STARE from there. Huzzah!Competitive Wordle ScoreI get 1 point for guessing in three and 0 for tying the Bot. Ill take a point!How To Play Competitive WordleGuessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your pointspositive or negative.You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!Todays Wordle EtymologyThe word "stare" comes from the Old English "starian", meaning "to gaze, look fixedly." This traces back to the Proto-Germanic "starn", which also means "to stare." The root ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European "*ster-", meaning "to be rigid or stiff," reflecting the sense of fixed, intense focus.Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when Im not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

Big budget games have nearly killed the gaming industry.gettyIt finally seems that people are waking up to the reality of unsustainably massive video game budgets, but its sadly a decade too late.In a new article in The New York Times, Rami Ismail explains how and why the focus on high-end graphics created an unsustainable budgetary arms race that has ravaged the games industry.Hes entirely correct, but this is something Ive been consistently writing about since 2015.The widespread and ongoing layoffs in gaming are also due to this runaway budget problem, but what is happening now was already set in motion a decade ago.Modern games have a 7-8 year production cycle, with many taking even longer than that. Thus, the decisions and investments made to make the games we see today were made nearly a decade ago.This is an issue because as gaming hardware improves in graphical potency, the requirements to fulfill that increase logarithmically. Forbes also has an excellent breakdown of this problem, courtesy of ex-Valve developer Stephen Theodore.So, the layoffs we are now seeing are a means for publishers to pay back the money layer, who are understandably livid that they didnt earn back on their prior investments.MORE FOR YOUAdmittedly, laying off development staff to pay investors that fund publishing is a bit like cutting off your legs while trying to escape from a rampaging lion, but most of the people in publishing management are rather dim-witted.Whats maddening about all of this is that this situation was entirely avoidable. There was never any need to spend crazy sums of money on game development; it was a choice people in publishing made to try to scale what is, in actuality, a hit-based business.This is also mainly why the Silicon Valley money layer are still somewhat baffled and bewildered by gaming. They are used to funding tech startups that scale to infinity and hopefully beyond. Gaming simply uses tech to facilitate a creative and cultural output, which is very much hit or miss in a business sense.That aside, the future of gaming is now in a precarious place. The mass layoffs have resulted in the loss of a great deal of institutional expertise and knowledge. While this loss wont be immediately noticeable, it will definitely cause issues in the next few years.Admittedly, if the money layer wises up and starts funding developers directly and having them self-publish, that could bring back many of the skilled people who have recently been lost. Not to mention cutting out the deadweight middlemen in publishing. However, I am not overly optimistic about that, as the money layer funded this big budget nonsense in the first place.Ideally, we need the mid-tier games back that fuelled the success of the PlayStation 2. This is something the Switch has begun to facilitate, but this really needs to be an industry-wide change.For now, I suppose I should take solace in the fact that the warnings Ive been giving over the last decade are finally beginning to sink in. Its just a huge shame it took this long for people to catch up.Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.

Meeting animals and increasing their friendship level is a vital part of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete's gameplay. If you manage to reach level 10 or 15 (depending on the animal), you'll be able to accept Special Requests. This will allow you to craft furniture that you wouldn't normally get via leveling. The Storefront is one such item in Pocket Camp Complete, but you'll need to befriend Avery before you can get it.