We all know that getting enoughquality restis essential for our health. Given the extensive research on sleep and its importance for our brains and bodies, it's easy to understand why we need to close our eyes and enter dreamland every night. What's not as easy to explain is why we dream. How do we interpret those dreams, especially if they're bizarre orterrifying?Dreamsare more common than you may think. On average, you have between one to six dreams a night, the strongest occurring during REM sleep. Nobody remembers all the dreams they have, but if you've ever woken from a particularly unsettling or offbeat dream, you may wonderwhyyou were having it in the first place.We interviewed three sleep experts to help you start dissecting what your dreams mean. Here's what we know about dreams, what they mean and why you have them. What are dreams?Simply put, "Dreams are thoughts, images, sensations and sometimes sounds that occur during sleep," Alan Kuras, a licensed clinical social worker at Westmed Medical Group, tells CNET.There's no definitive evidence about what dreams consist of, but it's generally accepted that dreams represent a collection of thoughts, struggles, emotions, events, people, places and symbols that are relevant to the dreamer in some way.The most vivid dreams typically occur during REM sleep, though you can dream during other stages of sleep.Why do I dream? Dreams may serve multiple purposes, including memory formation. Skynesher/Getty ImagesKuras says there are many theories about the function of dreams. "They appear to assist in memory formation, integration, problem-solving and consolidation of ideas both about ourselves and the world," he says, adding that neuroscientists have discovered that dreams help with information processing and mood regulation, too.While scientists know a great deal about what happens physiologically when people dream, there's still much to learn about what happens psychologically. For example, researchers know that people with post-traumatic stress disorder are likely to have nightmares. But people without PTSD have nightmares, too, so it can't be said that nightmares always accompany psychological conditions.One generally accepted concept is thatdreaming is a highly emotional processbecause the amygdala (an emotional center in your brain) is one of the areas most active during dreams,according to neuroimaging studies. Why can't I remember my dreams? If you're one of those people who "doesn't dream," you probably just forget them. Andrii Lysenko/Getty ImagesPart of this is biological, Kuras says, as neurotransmitters that form memories are less active during sleep. Dream forgetfulness also appears to be related to the level of electrical activity in the brain during dreams.Additionally, it could have something to do with the content of your dreams. Early psychoanalytic theory suggested that difficult or traumatic information in dreams is suppressed, and the dreamer is less likely to retrieve or analyze it.Dr. Meir Kryger, a sleep medicine doctor at Yale Medicine, tells CNET that most people remember their dreams when they're awakened in the middle of a dream or in the first few moments after a dream has ended. But the catch is that the memory only lasts for a short time. Unless you write it down or replay it in your head over and over, there's a good chance you'll forget the dream. It's more common to forget our dreams than it is to remember them, Kryger says.When you wake up also matters. Research has shown that people who wake up during REM sleep report more vivid, detailed dreams, whereas people who wake up during non-REM sleep report fewer dreams, no dreams or dreams of little significance.What does my dream mean? Dream meanings are mostly speculation, but what matters is how your dreams relate to your own life. Hiroshi Watanabe/Getty ImagesDifferent cultures throughout history have ascribed meaning and importance to dreams, though there's little scientific evidence that dreams have particular meanings attached to them, Kuras says. "No one has yet determined with exactitude what dreams or the images in dreams mean. That dreams are significant indicators of one's subconscious mind is a basic assumption in various cultures, but in different ways."Kryger says dreams are "mostly speculation in terms of specific meanings." He continues that there are two main trains of thought in the scientific community: One is that every part of a dream has a specific meaning, and the other is that dreams are entirely spontaneous and mean nothing. The first train of thought can be attributed to Sigmund Freud, who is recognized as the first person to assign definitive meanings to dreams -- like that dreaming about a king and a queen actually means you're dreaming about your mother and father, Kryger says.Although dream psychoanalysis may have only begun in the last century or two, people have studied dreams for far longer: Aristotle wrote about dreams as early as 325 B.C., according to Kryger.Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, a professional dream analyst, says the problem with arriving at proof across the board "is that dreams and their meanings are so very personal because they are based on the person's individual life experiences."Additionally, neuroscience tends to focus on the function of dreaming (like memory retention) rather than the "comparative analysis between the imagery in dreams and the content of the previous day, which is how I approach dream analysis," Loewenberg says.That said, certain dreams do have meanings attached to them, if for no reason other than holding significance for many people. Below, Kryger, Kuras and Loewenberg discuss the potential meanings of common dreams and symbols in dreams. What does it mean when you dream about water, wind or fire? Dreaming about water, wind or fire may offer some insight into your emotions. Maarten Wouters/The Image Bank/Getty ImagesThough there's no concrete evidence that the elements have particular meanings (it's mostly speculation, Kryger says), some associations seem common.Water is thought to symbolize emotions, Loewenberg says, and different types of water can mimic different emotions. For instance, muddy water can represent sadness, tidal waves can represent overwhelm and clear water can represent emotional clarity.Fire most often equates to anger or distress, Loewenberg says, while wind can represent imminent changes or changes that you're currently going through."As far as these being accepted meanings, all that truly matters is what fits for the dreamer," Loewenberg says. While many symbols have a general meaning that can fit most people and common situations, you have to account for your personal associations with symbols, she explains.What does it mean when you dream about death? It's actually very common to dream about death. PM Images/Getty ImagesKryger says it's very common to dream about death, particularly about the death of someone close to you emotionally. It's also common to interpret those types of dreams as communication from the dead, which isn't really a surprise: "Death has such a great impact on the living that it is often incorporated into dream content," he says.Loewenberg says dreaming about death can signify the end of something in real life, and that doesn't necessarily mean the end of a life."To dream of your own death isn't a premonition but rather a reflection of how you are coming to realize that life as you now know it is coming to an end," she says, adding that it's not unusual to dream about death during things like moving, the process of quitting smoking or making a career change.According to Kuras, "This all depends on what these images mean to the dreamer in the context of their life and challenges. Dream work is very much the exploration of feelings and meaning for the dreamer and is somehow related to the 'work' of managing life and its challenges."What does it mean when dreams are set at nighttime vs. daytime? Dreaming in dark settings, like this one, may indicate sadness or loneliness. Reinier Snijders/EyeEm/Getty ImagesLike the elements, there's no scientific proof that darkness and light have set meanings, but many dreamers associate each with a particular feeling, Loewenberg says. For example, dreams that take place in the dark can represent uncertainty in real life -- such as if you are "in the dark" about something going on and need more information to make a decision. Darkness has also been associated with sadness or loneliness.Dreams that take place in the daytime, on the other hand, may not mean anything for most people. But if you typically dream in dark settings and suddenly have dreams set in the daytime, it could signify that an issue was resolved or that you've come out of a period of sadness.Again, dream interpretation is almost entirely speculation, and what's important is how you relate your dreams to your own life.Why some dreams are common Dreaming about flying is pretty common. Tim Robberts/Getty ImagesHave you ever dreamt that you were falling and jerked awake? If you've ever discussed said dream with other people, there's a good chance someone else chimed in saying, "I've had that dream, too!" Dreaming of falling seems to be pretty common, and it's something called an archetype, Loewnberg says.An archetype, by definition, is "a very typical example of a certain person or thing" (Oxford); when applied to dreams, an archetype is something that signifies "patterns of the psyche."Other common dreams, which may or may not be archetypes depending on what's happening in your life at the time you have the dream, include:Showing up late for something importantBeing chased by someone or somethingFlyingDreams about sexual relations that shouldn't happen in real life (such as you or your partner engaging in relations with someone else)Encountering someone who has diedBeing lostBeing paralyzed or unable to speakBeing naked or embarrassed in front of a crowdLoewenberg says these dreams are so common because they're connected to common behaviors, actions, thoughts and fears. For example, many (if not most) people worry about arriving late for something important, such as a work presentation or a plane flight. Likewise, many people may worry about their partner having an affair, which can show up in dreams.Having dreams where you appear naked or embarrassed in front of a crowd is often related to social anxiety, Loewenberg says, or worrying about how others perceive you.How to interpret your dreams Some dreams are straight-up weird, and it's up to you to interpret them. Getty ImagesSince, as mentioned before, there's no solid body of evidence about the meanings of dreams, you have to interpret your dreams in ways that make sense to you."The determination of what dreams convey are particular to the person and current situation," Kuras says, "so what the person is experiencing, what challenges they are facing, and what psychological developments are occurring will inform meaning in each case."Dreaming is a thinking process, Loewnberg reiterates. "Our dreams, those strange little stories we experience every night while we sleep, are actually our subconscious thoughts," she says. "They are a continuation of our stream of consciousness from the day."But during sleep, instead of talking to yourself in words, you are talking to yourself in symbols, metaphors and emotions, Loewenberg says. The change in language happens because your brain works differently during REM sleep: Notably, the prefrontal cortex, or decision-making center of your brain, is less active or inactive, while the amygdala, the emotional center of your brain, is highly active.That's why dreams can be so frightening or frustrating and feature events that shouldn't or couldn't happen in real life."In a nutshell," Loewenberg says, "dreams are a conversation with the self about the self, but on a much deeper, subconscious level."Learn more to sleep well every night

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Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo LifeOver the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors as part of our Best of 2024 series. This article was originally published in August. Enjoy!The entirety of the trading card community that is, people who collect, buy, and sell the Pokmon Trading Card game, sports cards, Magic: The Gathering, Disney, or literally any trading card game you can think of has gradually become aware of what might be an existential threat to the entire concept of opening up a blind pack of trading cards.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kWatch on YouTube Over the past month or so, a series of events occurred across different corners of the trading card hobby which have snowballed into a panic, all stemming from one unlikely thing: CT scanners. Yes, computed tomography, like the kind of thing doctors typically use to see your insides, has now effectively been demonstrated on trading card packs and boxes to accurately show whats inside without needing to open them.Not only that, but in the aftershock of the news, a business named Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC has already come to market with an attempt to monetise CT scanning trading card boxes and packs, suggesting on its brand new website, If some people have access to this technology, you should too.First, A Loose Timeline of EventsBack on June 24th, 2024, Instagram user Dtaoooooo uploaded what they alleged was a video of a CT scan displaying a box of officially licensed basketball cards, posted with the following caption:Image: dtaooooooToday, paninis NBA copyright is about to expire, I hereby disclose a secret that is clear in the blind box industry, so that consumers can see how to unbox without damage through CT scanner technology, merchants are unscrupulous offline to find logomans speculative way without loss! #logoman @paniniamerica @psacard #logomancardThe X-ray displayed what skilled hobbyists would relatively easily be able to identify as a Logoman'' card floating inside of a sealed box. Thats an extremely rare, serialised type of trading card that features an NBA patch from a real players jersey, even the least valuable of these sell for hundreds, while the rarest sell for thousands.This Instagram claim raised plenty of eyebrows after it was circulated, but most of the conjecture uneasily concluded this was either fake, or hoped it was too impractical to be of much consequence.However, a few weeks later on July 16th, 2024, a YouTube channel called Ahron Wayne's Strange Brain posted an entirely unrelated vlog on the same topic titled Digitally Peeking Inside a Pack of Pokemon Cards. In this far more wholesome yet still astonishing video, Ahron Wayne details how his young career in science eventually led him to an eBay listing for a local pickup of two broken-down CT scanning machines, which in total cost him $1,500.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kAfter using his own technical expertise to fix the machines and initially using them for more typical endeavours, Wayne spends the video explaining an initial curiosity to test their limits before visually detailing his process of scanning 25-year-old vintage Pokmon packs. The result? The machine produced fuzzy yet unmistakable images of holographic hits from inside the packs packs which still remain unopened.This video was released in earnest, but the reactions from trading card streamers (if the Youtube videos accompanied by shocked-faced-thumbnails totalling in the dozens are any indication) were cataclysmic. And its not hard to imagine why.What This Means For Magic, Pokmon, and MoreImage: Alex Olney / Nintendo LifeIn short, nobody really knows what this means for the hobby for certain, but this is not entirely without precedent.Historically, within the Pokmon card game but also in others, re-sellers have been able to physically weigh vintage packs in order to identify packs with rarer holographic cards inside of them, with relatively repeatable consistency.But X-ray vision is an entirely new ballgame that would permanently alter the massive economy of vintage collectibles. Try to imagine the concept of scanned versus unscanned packs adding and subtracting value to sales listings, or how literally any sealed box of anything would fall suspect to having been pre-scanned for top hits.Yet just weeks ago, no one could fathom a use case where both industrial machinery and skilled machinist could be paired up for the explicit purpose of finding Charizards. But after someone showed they were able to do it shockingly effectively for a mere $1,500, an amount equal to many run-of-the-mill business expenses, many began to piece together not whether the technology to scan packs was possible or practical, but rather, how long this has already been going on for?The Company Who Wants To Scan Your CardsFinally, on June 26th, 2024, a company called Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC posted a blog post titled NOW YOU CAN PIKACHU CARDS WITHOUT OPENING THE BOX.This post came complete with high-resolution video and detailed imagery of their professional scanning machines scanning shrink-wrapped boxes of Pokmon cards, as well as scanning single cards sandwiched between other cards. From that, the company showed off how it was able to produce strikingly detailed scans of individual cards inside of unopened merchandise, as well as those blocked by other cards.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kIn response to the tidal wave of reaction within the card community, the company quickly pivoted to produce an e-commerce page, complete with pricing tiers for scanning services wherein you can physically mail unopened packs or boxes of cards in exchange for digital CT scans of your items.Nintendo Life reached out to Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC to ask more questions about how their business intends to operate, as well as their opinions on the CT scan phenomenon in general.[Editors Note: Nintendo Life has confirmed the subjects identity, but has granted their spokesperson anonymity on the basis of continued threats to their workers. While it is not our preference to publish anonymous comments, we ultimately felt it is still valuable to let readers discern the proposed overall viewpoints of the company for themselves.]Nintendo Life [Alan Lopez]: What does your company do, specifically? And what services do you sell?Industrial Inspection & Consulting is an engineering support company offering a variety of niche inspection services, including non-destructive testing for X-ray, CT Scanning, 3D Scanning, Reverse Engineering, Metrology, Dye Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Ultrasonics, and consulting and oversight.Your website postures Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC as a response to an unchecked trend of CT scanning trading card packs. Your website reads:First, we made public whats been happening in secret. Now we are bringing x-ray vision to the masses.If you havent heard, we are able to identify holographic cards inside unopened card packs. [...] If some people have access to this technology, you should too. Its whats fair and the next logical step. How do we know? Because of the explosion of interest weve received. Between calls from reporters, endless requests to scan packs and kits from collectors, investors, card stores, and auction houses, and a 28,000% spike in traffic to our website, the demand is clear. Thats why weve worked around the clock to develop a reliable method and affordable cost per pack for CT scanning. Pandoras box is open jump in.To your knowledge, what specifically has been happening in the trading card industry, and for how long? And how did you find out?There is ample evidence, with more being released at a fast pace, that this has been occurring in secret for a long time. From video-based evidence of people attempting it for years, to anecdotes in community comment sections about medical systems being used, its been happening likely as long as the technology has been available.We stumbled upon this [trend] by accident after producing a standard case study on our website. It went relatively viral due to other parties reactions who were working on [CT scanning trading cards] in secret, [and then] also releasing their findings.Images: Nintendo LifeSo do you believe CT scanning is a positive development for the world of collectibles? And why or why not?We believe CT scanning is an inevitable development.The technology is not going away, and people know what it can do. To argue if it is positive or negative does not matter because interested parties will find a way to use it regardless of public opinion.How prevalent do you think CT scanning is in the collectibles economy?We do not have data for this.Roughly how many CT companies/services for collectibles exist today? Or rather, what does the privatisation landscape of this technology look like right now?We are the only company offering CT scanning for collectibles to date.Do you know if there are any safety concerns with CT scanning items, not just for you, but specifically for anyone who might see this and attempt to do this on their own?We are certified non-destructive testing experts with years of experience handling our equipment and complex projects. We cannot speak to the safety of someone trying this on their own. That is dependent on their expertise and the equipment they use.As for safety to the general public, X-Rays are non-destructive to inorganic material and they pass harmlessly through objects like this without altering molecular structure. Once exposure is complete, there is no residual radioactivity or damage.It's clear that by monetising the issue, your solution appears to be regulation and normalization of the technology. However, one of the biggest challenges to an approach between a private third party and a person with unopened packs is trust; how does a third-party company instil trust in a potential customer that they would both a) receive an accurate assessment and b) actually get back the unopened item that they sent in? Some readers have expressed serious doubts that if their packs had valuable cards in them, that they would actually receive them back.Product safety is left up to the consumer. When the chain of custody is considered, as soon as that product leaves the user, they are no longer aware of their product. The product must be sealed in tamper-proof packaging. If it is not, the client is then using our services at their own risk with our reputation as collateral. There are endless and customisable product security solutions available online.And how accurate do you believe the scans to be? Is there a mathematical percentage?From an accuracy and repeatability standpoint, there is an uncertainty of about 9UM (micrometres) for these scans. From a practical, imaging standpoint, and our ability to witness card characteristics, that is entirely dependent on the type of card and the care the operator uses to evaluate the data.For example, a Pokmon reverse holographic card can be seen in a scan, but the only way to identify the particular card would be to read the moveset, or by other special markings. There is no character silhouette [in this instance]. Does this mean the scan is inaccurate? No, it means we captured the data available for that type of card. We offer no guarantees beyond what has been demonstrated on our website.[However], we have received endless requests for products we are unfamiliar with. We will offer our best effort to produce data for these products.Do you believe that this technology will ultimately become as standard as weighing packs?This technology will not replace weighing because weighing is cheap, fast, and able to be performed by anybody.An update that appeared on the website in early August Image: Industrial Inspecting + Consulting LLCSo then, exploring that barrier to entry, are all CT scan machines similarly effective, or is there variance in the technology? What is the current price point of owning and operating one of these machines?Not all systems are equal; there are low-cost-to-entry systems with results to match (higher noise, diminished resolution, slower processing.) Our systems cost high 6-7 figures each, but with results to match those figures.Finally, as of this interview, there has been no comment from the makers of these cards. But do you believe that there will be actions taken by Wizards of the Coast, Pokmon Int., Topps, etc, in response to you, or this phenomenon?We do not know if manufacturers will respond.This interview has been very lightly edited for clarity.Nintendo Life has also reached out to The Pokmon Company International, Topps, and Wizards of the Coast, but they did not respond for comment prior to publication. We will update this story if they provide any future comment. But they miss the grand prize"We have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform"See AlsoShare:05 Alan is a feature writer who has contributed to Kotaku, Nintendo Life and other prominent gaming sites. He has a background in psychology research, the science of creativity, and over 30 years of Nintendo gaming behind him. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPokmon TCG Pocket: Mew EX Deck GuideMew EX is here to keep the meta in checkFeature: How Can Switch 2 'Fix' The eShop? Devs Share Their Storefront Stories"It's feast or famine, really"Pokmon TCG Pocket: Celebi EX Deck GuideOh no, this Grass fairy is going to be a problem

Better Man is a 2024 bio-musical film co-written, produced and directed by Michael Gracey, based on the life of British pop singer Robbie Williams. We spoke with Michael to discuss the film, its complexity and challenges and how he approached this innovative and powerful independent film.In this epsiode we discus the Regent Street sequence, above is just the start of that sequence, and we have an even more detailed breakdown coming, later this week, when we will post our fxpodcast interview with Wt FXs VFX supervisor, Luke Millar and animation supervisor, Dave Clayton. Better Man is part of our VFX Bakeoff series in the lead up to the Oscar Nomination voting in January.

Arguably the most restrained and modestly detailed residence on Stimson Avenue in Providence is this residence, the George H. Dart House, a late-Queen Anne dwelling built in 1893. The original owner,George H. Dart (1845-1897)worked as thePresident of the Rhode Island Tool Company before his unexpected death in 1897. Four years prior to his death, Mr. Dart hired the local architectural firm ofStone, Carpenter & Willson, to design this single-family residence, which employs Shingle and Queen Anne detailing under a two-story gambrel roof with overhanging eaves sheltering recessed porches and bay windows.

Coaching is the new leadership.While leadership skills have dropped out of the top 20 soft skills on rsums, coaching is one way to help employees to feel empowered, valued and seen. A new Forbes council post points out how coaching is designed for the future of work - and its challenges. Working with thousands of coaching clients over the last decade, Ive discovered what can open up the leadership conversation inside of tough times. Perhaps even more importantly, what Ive learned from my own coaches has helped me to collaborate on nine books since the pandemic - transforming my relationship with productivity. When dealing with difficult team members and performance is lagging, here are 10 coaching questions that can change your results.Coaching is different than "command and control" leadership. gettyIn my book, Easier, I focus on the coaching conversation - sharing how difficult employees let unnecessary sensitivities and drama cloud their judgment. For troubled team members, conflict outstrips collaboration. Difficult employees are unable to internalize clear direction and implement it, because they are unable to get out of their own way (or their own head). Can you relate? To be clear, these challenges are human qualities that we all share - because sometimes we are the difficult employee! Harvard Business Review says that coaching can facilitate problem-solving and encourage employees development by asking questions and offering support and guidance rather than giving orders and making judgments. Is it time to move beyond command and control, and change the conversation?If empowerment, ownership and innovation matters to you, consider how these 10 questions can incorporate coaching into your productivity.What else could this mean? When someone is interpreting behavior or circumstances in a way that is not productive, asking for a new perspective is the first step towards new possibility. Another variation is, What else could this be?Whats good about this? Ever sat in a one-on-one that turns into a total b*tch session, where your team member uses the time to air out complaints and problems... instead of solutions? Reframe that conversation around discovery - and dont buy into the idea that the sky is falling. Every company has problems and challenges - seeing obstacles as opportunities is key. Dont dismiss a dilemma - reframe it.What are you making up, right now? When relationship issues surface, or dissatisfaction arises around work, human beings naturally create stories to process circumstances. How you frame the question is as important as the question itself: we all have interpretations of the world around us. The question is, are those interpretations useful....and real? Because coaching deals with what is-not what is made up inside our heads.What are you forgetting? Wyn Morgan is a former coach of mine, and he shared this powerful idea of a common forgetfulness that we all share - as well as question number 3. So many times, I forget that I am capable, resourceful, and resilient - my coach reminded me of those facts! Instead of finding fault, remind your team that they can rise to the challenge. In my experience, a situation is never tougher than it is in your mind. Dont forget that!How many other possibilities exist right now? The coaching conversation moves from limitation to possibility. Inside your company, what boundaries need to be pushed, what preconceptions need to be challenged, what policies need to be revised? Effective coaching points at possibility, not limitation.What does this look like, if we zoom out? See the big picture. What changes?What could make this easier? Hard is a habit, but it doesnt have to be. A new approach the same old problems, without the same nagging difficulties, is at the heart of this coaching question. As Nelson Mandela said, It seems impossible...until its done.Who would you be without your story? Borrowing from the powerful coaching work of Byron Katie: we all create stories around our experience - and underneath those stories, we find out whats really going on. Drop the story, and everything changes - if you are willing to see the possibilities.Who do you need to be in order to make this work? If you are doing the right things, when you are being an insensitive jerk, passive-aggressive imbecile or over-sharing idiot, guess what? Its not working. Coaches know that how you show up is what creates the world around you. Notice the coaching shift here: focus on how people are showing up (being) and you can make some important discoveries around what they are doing.What needs to be done? This question is last for a reason. Have you taken time to address the personal roadblocks and mental stories that are robbing your team member (and maybe even yourself) of what needs to be done? Coaching focuses on internal motivation, not just instruction and direction. Moving directly to what needs to be done, before you consider the human being inside the action, is command and control - not coaching. To be fair, sometimes people need to be told what to do. But is that a sustainable strategy? Empower people to get out of their own way and take initiative - and your world will get a lot easier.In The Great Game of Business, Jack Stack famously said, People will support what they help to create. Coaching offers an opportunity to co-create new results with your team members. The investment in coaching yields dividends in innovation - even for difficult employees. From time to time, we all tell ourselves stories that keep us stuck. We fall into a mind-trap where we believe that theres no way forward - or that theres only one way to win. The coach knows that possibilities always exist - and that the job is to find every way to win. From limitations to possibility: thats the promise inside the coaching conversation. Find new possibility in your leadership - and discover how coaching can help you to reshape the future of work.

AI is changing the way call centers operate, promising to make life easier for agents and customers. ... [+] (Photo by Richard Pohle/WPA Pool/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWorking in a call center is no walk in the park. Agents deal with a constant influx of calls, often from frustrated or distressed customers, while juggling the pressure to resolve issues quickly and empathetically. The emotional labor involved makes call center work one of the most demanding jobs in customer service.According to HubSpots 2024 Annual State of Customer Service Report, 82% of customers expect immediate problem resolution from customer service agents and 78% expect more personalization than ever before. These mounting expectations, combined with stringent performance targets, contribute to high burnout rates among call center agents.But this is where AI comes in. AI is changing the way call centers operate, promising to make life easier for agents and customers. HubSpots report revealed a staggering 92% of customer relationship management leaders say AI has improved their customer service response times and 71% plan to increase AI investment.But how exactly is AI transforming call centers and what does this mean for call center agent jobs and the future of the industry?How AI Is Used In Call Centers TodayCustomer requests may be similar, but each client is unique, with different backgrounds, personalities, and unspoken or unexpressed needs, explained Amir Liberman, founder and CEO of Emotion Logic the company dedicated to exploring the true nature of human emotions.MORE FOR YOUConsidering that call center agents take 50 to 100 calls a day, per a report by LiveAgent, it may be impossible to keep a tab on these differences and allow them to influence service delivery every time. But with AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, it may just be within reach.With AI systems driven by genuine emotion sensing capabilities, customer service can reach a new level where each client feels understood, the service is personalized and their needs are addressed in ways that resonate with them, Liberman told me.AIs ability to read and respond to emotions is another game-changing use case. Tools like Emotion Logic, for instance, offer insights into the true feelings behind words by leveraging AI and voice analysis. Given that 86% of customers will likely return if they establish a positive emotional connection with the contact center agent, according to NewVoiceMedia, theres no doubt how relevant this is.It can quickly discern whether a caller prefers logical, reason-based explanations or whether they are more emotionally driven, allowing call center agents and AI agents alike to adapt their approach accordingly. Understanding a clients true pain points, stressors, and moments of joy helps AI create a more tailored response script, serving clients better, Liberman said.Then theres call routing. Have you ever been held on the line for what felt like an eternity while your call was routed to yet another agent? I know I have, and no matter how valid the reason for the delay, I still got frustrated.Long wait times not only test a customers patience, but can also erode their trust in the service, impacting sales negatively. With AI, call routing becomes smarter and faster. These algorithms analyze the callers query, history and tone to route them to the most suitable agent instantly.Also, theres predictive analytics which AI is already famous for. By analyzing historical and real-time data to predict customer needs and behavior, call centers can anticipate issues before they arise or tailor solutions to individual preferences.What This Means For Call Center AgentsCall centers are often the frontline of customer experience. Theyre where customers come for solutions, and businesses must deliver quick, empathetic service, noted Erix Xiao, founder and CEO of sales automation company Laxis. Yet, as Xiao notes, the high volume of calls and repetitive nature of tasks can make it a challenging space to excel.As laborious as call center work may seem, though, its still one of the most essential business functions. Historically, roles in a companys contact center or mail room were seen as the best way to learn about the business from the bottom up and get a shot at climbing the corporate ladder.However, the rise of AI and automation poses a significant threat to this career path. Risk levels on platforms like Will Robots Take My Job rate call center agent or customer service representative roles at a high risk category of 61 - 80%, reflecting their vulnerability to being replaced by automation.But what of the human connection required for the work? Business leaders like Liberman believe this could also be handled by AI.If done right, and with the integration of proper emotion sensing capabilities like those that Emotion Logic offers, AI could handle 70-80% of customer service interactions within the next 2 - 3 years. AI will be more patient, empathetic, and responsive to customers needs and special requests, all at a fraction of the cost of human agents, Liberman explained.He added that the remaining 20 - 30% will be managed by highly trained human agents, primarily for high-value clients. These agents will be assisted by AI-based systems to ensure requests are addressed effectively, and customer satisfaction is genuinely achieved.Xiao also noted the power of AI in bringing efficiency, personalization, and intelligence to every customer interaction, highlighting how a national telecommunications provider that implemented Laxis AI in their call center with real-time transcription, smart call routing and sentiment analysis reduced call resolution times by 30% and boosted customer satisfaction scores by 25%.So, do these claims mean an end to the traditional contact center job? Not necessarily. I think of it more as an evolution than an extinction.As McKinsey noted in a report, live phone channels and a personal touch remain customer favourites, and as long as that continues to happen, call center agent jobs are safe. Companies only need to worry about upskilling their workforce to ensure agents can effectively collaborate with AI systems and maximize their potential.Ethical Concerns With AI Call CentersEthical concerns with implementing AI are usually the same across industries data privacy, AI bias, AI hallucinations and more. But in call centers, theres also the risk of emotional manipulation. These systems often depend on collecting sensitive data, such as voiceprints or emotional cues, to improve service delivery. However, the data collected could be misused, thus violating privacy laws like the Biometric Information Privacy Act, among others.Bias in AI call centers can manifest in various ways, especially in language and accent recognition where AI systems may struggle with recognizing and accurately processing diverse accents, dialects, or speech patterns.Recent studies by the Stanford Computational Policy Lab, for example, show that many leading speech recognition tools misunderstand Black speakers twice as often as white speakers. Libermans perspective, while recognizing these concerns, also calls for an implementation approach that emphasizes a balance between innovation and ethics.Why should I share my most intimate problems with a stranger who isnt my friend? Why should I rely on another human's goodwill for assistance? AI agents, unlike humans, are never tired, never rude, and have no ulterior motives just the aim to serve. In a few years, we might look back and find it strange that humans once managed such sensitive interactions. Of course, we need to implement AI incrementally and carefully, monitoring the effectiveness of these systems. But stopping progress here would be simply unreasonable.These ethical concerns arent slowing down anytime soon, and are certain to drive more regulatory changes in the industry. Its hard to know if AI will significantly displace call center agents, as many experts already predict. But the future could be one where AI-powered agents and human call center agents increasingly collaborate to serve customers better.

The world of high fashion and luxury has seen its fair share of opulent smartphones. The Porsche Edition BlackBerry phones were quite the envy assets not long ago, and so were the bespoke pieces from Vertu, TAG Heuer, Prada, and Dior.Caviar has been carrying the mantle in the modern age, making decadent versions of Apple and Samsung smartphones that use everything from alligator leather and python skin to diamond and meteorite fragments.Recommended VideosThe latest from the brand is a triple-folding Huawei Mate XTcovered in 24-carat gold. Caviar calls it Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design Gold Dragon, a fittingly lavish name for a device that costs $18,200 for the 1TB edition.CaviarIf, however, you are hunting for some bargain on your lavish smartphone indulgence, the 2156GB storage version will only pull $17, 340 from your wallet.Please enable Javascript to view this contentFor that sum, you get a phone covered from head to toe in 24K gold, the purest form of the yellow metal available for making jewelry and other ritzy endeavors. RelatedIts a shame that there are no crystals on this one, given the brands history.An exquisite texture of imperial swords crafted in Longquan is reproduced on the gold surface, defends Caviars sales pitch.Seems like history is the prized asset here. The patterns, claims the brand, are inspired by the Longquan swords of the Ming Dynasty while the dragon in the name signifies luck and property.CaviarThe Longquan sword is a cultural heritage in China, and its history is associated with master swordsmith, Ou Yezi, who traveled to the Longquan region roughly 2,500 years ago on imperial orders to make great weapons.As for the phone itself, its the worlds first commercially available triple-folding smartphone. The main display is a 6.4-inch unit, but you can unfold it to open a 7.9-inch canvas, and do it again to access a massive 10.2 inches of screen real estate.For those worried about the internals on a pure gold smartphone, there is little to be disappointed here. You get 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB storage, a triple camera setup headlined by a 50-megapixel sensor alongside a 5.5x periscope zoom snapper, and a 5,600 mAh battery that supports 50W wireless charging.CaviarThe phone, in its pristine state without all that gold craftsmanship, isnt pocket-friendly, either. It starts at roughly $2,740, and despite that, it has been in high demand in the sanction-battered brands home market.According to Reuters, some fans lined up outside the Huawei stores a day in advance to get the Huawei Mate XT when it first went on sale. Many were left fuming as the phone sold out, while some resellers are offering it for over seven times the retail price. Huawei is reportedly planning to launch it in the overseas market in the first quarter of 2025. In case that doesnt materialize, you can place your order for the Caviar trim, which also grants you a personal designer to help with custom engravings, bespoke design modifications, and packaging tweaks suited for royalty.Editors Recommendations

Just over three years ago, Disney+ announced Spider-Man: Freshman Year, the first Spider-Man animated series directly produced by Marvel Studios. The show was subsequently renamed Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and it veered away from the MCU connections it was supposedly going to have. Instead, this series will take place in an alternate timeline where Tony Stark/Iron Man was never Peter Parkers mentor. As seen in the first trailer below, its Norman Osborn the future Green Goblin who will guide Peters destiny in this incarnation.Della Duck being my favourite character for nearly 15 minutesIn a slight departure from previous Spider-Man variants, Peter is extremely dorky both in and out of costume. His traditional red and blue spider web costume doesnt exist yet, and Peters using a crude homemade outfit until Osborn gives him a high-tech costume that resembles the Anti-Venom costume from the comics.Recommended VideosAlthough this series wont take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are some crossover connections. Charlie Cox and Vincent DOnofrio will voice Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Kingpin respectively before their live-action return in Daredevil: Born Again next March. Some of the other Marvel characters slated to appear include Captain America, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Venom, and Amadeus Cho.Please enable Javascript to view this contentHudson Thames stars in the series as the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, with Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn, Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song as Nico Minoru, Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn, Kari Wahlgren as May Parker, Paul F. Tompkins as Bentley Wittman, and Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius.RelatedYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will premiere on Disney+ on January 29. A second season of the series is already in the works.Editors Recommendations

Earlier this year, Jason Reitmans film Saturday Night chronicled the story of what happened in the last hour and a half before the first episode of Saturday Night Live aired on NBC nearly five decades ago. There arent too many original cast members left who were there, but Chevy Chase is one of them. And when Chase saw the film, he didnt hold back when he shared his reaction with Reitman.Chevy comes in to watch the movie, and he is there with [his wife] Jayni, and they watch the film, recalled Reitman while appearing on David Spade and Dana Carveys Fly on the Wall podcast. And he comes up to me after, and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, Well, you should be embarrassed.'Recommended VideosIm trying to balance it because, in my head, I know, Alright, Im getting my own Chevy Chase moment thats 1,000 percent only for me right now,' added Reitman. And from a comedy point of view, thats really pure, and thats kind of cool. But also, I just spent like two years of my life recreating this moment and trying to capture Chevy perfectly, and also even in the ego, find the humanity and give him a moment to be loved Hes not talking about that stuff.Please enable Javascript to view this contentHowever, both Carvey and Spade thought that Chases response was very funny.RelatedYou couldnt even write it better, quipped Spade before Carvey noted that [Chase] knows thats funny, like thats the roughest thing you could say to a director in the moment, or right up there.Chase was the first SNL cast member to leave the series, and he largely focused on films in the decades that followed. The actor was also an original cast member on NBCs Community, but hes not expected to return for the movie. Some of Chases most recent roles include Zombie Town, The Christmas Letter, and the animated film Panda vs. Aliens.Editors Recommendations