South of Midnight was my personal highlight of the Xbox Developer Direct, and it's coming sooner than you might think.

In the military drama Les Armes, chaos and conflict are front and center, and Montreal-based studio Alchemy 24 has skillfully amplified every intense moment through seamless visual effects. Specializing in invisible VFX, Alchemy 24 enhances storytelling by blending work so naturally into the narrative that viewers are completely immersed in the world of the film.From subtle atmospheric enhancements to intricate combat sequences, Alchemy 24s visual effects add layers of depth and realism to the on-screen action. The studios meticulous attention to detail ensures that every explosion, background extension, and environmental effect contributes to the tension and emotional weight of the story.Their ability to create invisible VFX elevates Les Armes above its genre, setting up a visceral experience for the audience. Alchemy 24s contribution drives home why they are renowned for their ability to combine creativity and accuracy and confirms why they are at the top of their game.WATCH BREAKDOWNThe post Les Armes: VFX Breakdown by Alchemy 24 appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Incarcerated people in Colorado are exposed to climate-related extreme heat and cold, plus flooding and wildfires. Because theyre unable to escape these hazards, their health suffers and some die.I remember it being summer, and theres no way to get away from the sun. And I remember people just burning, said one formerly incarcerated person. My [cellmate] at the time, . . . he was out there all day. And he was so purple, and he had edema on his head so bad, you could put your thumb in his forehead and [the print] would just stay.Another person recounted how they would escape the heat by pouring water on the ground of their cells to form a shallow pool.Granted, it was only a quarter-inch, at the most, deep, they said. But you would just strip down to your boxers and just lay on the floor in the water.Exposure to extreme heat, and other hazards caused by climate change, are not unique to Colorados prisons and jails. A study that looked at deaths of incarcerated people between 2001 and 2019 in Texas found that of more than 3,000 deaths in that time period, or 13%, could be attributable to extreme heat.The intensity and frequency of climate disasters are increasing at the same time as 1.2 million people are incarcerated in the U.S.Incarcerated people lack the ability to evacuate or otherwise protect themselves from heat, cold, wildfire, or the effects of these disasters. This simple fact led us to investigate the vulnerability of incarcerated people to climate hazards in Colorado.We are a collective of scholars in architecture, environmental communication, geotechnical hazards engineering, geography, sociology, and structural engineering. We have spent the past four years scrutinizing the vulnerability of carceral facilitiesbuildings like prisons, jails, and detention facilitiesto climate hazards. During that time, we also looked at the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals. Our research has resulted in three papers, an exhibit at the University of Colorado Boulder, and two symposiums.We analyzed the exposure of 110 carceral facilities in Colorado to wildfire, flood, extreme temperatures, and landslides. We did so by mapping facility location and hazard exposure for single and multiple climate events, such as floods or the combination of fire and heat.We found that 75% of the facilities we studied had a moderate or high relative exposure to one or more of the hazards. These facilities house roughly 33,300 people, or 83% of people incarcerated in Colorado.Stories of incarcerated peopleIn our most recent study from 2022 to 2023, we held a series of interviews and focus groups with formerly incarcerated people in Colorado to understand how climate hazards had affected their daily lives in detention.We found that climate-related extreme temperatures, wildfires, and flood events affected the majority, about 65% of the 35 study participants. To check the validity of what we learned from this small sample, we compared the information we collected with other investigations and projects, and found they were aligned.The people we interviewed experienced prolonged exposure to temperatures upward of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and below freezing, poor air quality, and water contamination. We found that Black and Latino people were disproportionately exposed to these hazards, based on the location of the facilities where they were incarcerated.Their stories are harrowing.It was so cold at times in the winter that I would have every piece of clothing I had on, one participant said. I was also afraid to go to sleep at night because it felt like it was so cold that I would not wake up. In the morning, theres steel toilets, and so you would have ice in your toilet.Another participant described the smoke of a nearby wildfire.The smoke actually woke me up, and it was choking. I just couldnt breathe, and I was just coughing, coughing, the participant said. I asked if I could go, like, to medical, and they were just like, No, you cant go to medical at this time. Theres nothing we can do for you.As extreme temperatures become more common, we believe such stories are important to collect. They offer insights into experiences that may otherwise remain unheard and provide data for a more accurate quantification of the risks incarcerated people face. Our hope is that documentation of actual conditions will provide evidence that can be used for advocacy and reform.Compounding effectsWe discovered three common ways incarcerated people cope with their climate vulnerability: by trying to modify their environment, making commissary purchases, and lodging formal complaints.[W]hen its that hot, youre filling out that grievance, youre dehydrated because you cant go to the water fountain, everybodys mad, angry, pissed off, said one study participant. You have symptoms of heat exhaustion, your brain is not firing on all cylinders, and youre sitting there trying to do the right thing, trying to follow their procedures.This participant, and others, told us that if they made a mistake in their formal complaintseither by misspelling a word or using the wrong technical terminology for the problem at handtheir grievance could be dismissed.The study participants also talked about retaliation for grievances. If they were to file a lawsuit, according to an interviewee, prison staff members are going to make it the worst that it could possibly be. They feared inmate privileges could be taken away or, as one participant explained, people could be suddenly moved to another facility. That move could disrupt important connections with family, visitors, and their communities on the inside.Experiences such as these were corroborated by multiple participants. Prison officials did not respond to our requests for more information about their facilities or the exposure of incarcerated people to extreme weather.Lack of insight into prisonsTalking to formerly incarcerated people about their experiences made us eager to see the facilities we were studying ourselves to reliably assess risk, but it was almost impossible to get permission to get inside prisons or talk to the people inside.Our requests to see building floor plans or engineering drawings, which would have allowed us to analyze the exposure of facility staff and incarcerated people to hazards such as extreme temperatures or flooding, were denied. Corrections officials said our requests raised security concerns.Regardless of their function, jails and prisons must keep their occupants safe. We believe Colorados current carceral infrastructure does not provide humane spaces that protect against increasingly intense and frequent climate hazards. This produces unjust human suffering and hampers the ability of people who are incarcerated to stay healthy.Shawhin Roudbari is an associate professor of environmental design at the University of Colorado Boulder.Shideh Dashti is an associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Natalie Kerr and Jaime Kurtz are social psychologists and colleagues in the department of psychology at James Madison University. Kerrs work has been published in many academic journals, and she also writes forPsychology Today. Kurtz has also appeared in a variety of psychology journals, and previously authoredThe Happy Traveler,Positively Happy, and two Audible Original programs.Whats the big idea?Connecting socially has become increasingly complicated. Despite being more digitally connected than ever, our society is experiencing record-breaking loneliness. Many emerging cultural norms threaten to emotionally isolate us from one another. It is necessary for health and well-being that we practice the science-backed fundamentals of a meaningful social life.Below, coauthors Natalie and Jaime share five key insights from their new book,Our New Social Life: Science-Backed Strategies for Creating Meaningful Connection.(Listen to the audio versionread by Natalie and Jaimein the Next Big Idea App.)1. Social connection isnt a luxury.Do you wish you had more time to spend with friends? If so, youre not alone. Surveys suggest that Americans spend less time with friends than they used to (now averaging just three hours a week!), and about half of people wish they had more time with friends. This trend can be partly attributed to our busy schedules but may also reflect shifting priorities.We have a fundamental need for social connection. We live happier, healthier, andlongerlives when we have enough of it. Yet, in the modern world, we often view socializing as a luxury we can afford to live without. It can feel more like an indulgence than an essential need. When we feel pressed for time, happy hours, date nights, and brunches with friends are often the first things to go.This mindsetthat social connection is a luxury rather than an essential needcan create a barrier to social connection that we might not even be aware of. To overcome this barrier, we must remember that social connection is an essential health behavior (just as important as sleep, exercise, and good nutrition), and we need to prioritize it accordingly. Whether we consider ourselves introverts or extroverts, we must invest time, energy, and resources into relationships.2. The norms of modern life make it hard for us to connect.Social norms are the unwritten rules for normal or acceptable behavior in a given context. In the U.S., social norms include shaking hands when greeting someone, saying please and thank you, and giving people plenty of personal space. Its good to conform to these types of social norms because they help people know what to expect during social interactions. They also help us maintain good relationships with others.However, there are other social norms that we should consider breaking. Lets consider a relatively new norm: using our phones in social settings. In a recent survey, nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults admitted to using their phone during their most recent social interaction. You can see this play out at nearly any restaurant, wedding reception, or fraternity party.Nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults admitted to using their phone during their most recent social interaction.Have you had the experience of someone repeatedly looking at their phone while youre telling them something important? Oreven worsehave you had someone reply to someone elses text message while you were talking to them? It feels crummy. Research confirms this behavior can make us feel rejected and less connected to our social partners. This behavior is also linked to increased conflict and decreased satisfaction in couples.This is just one example of how social norms can make connection difficult. Other examples include the fact that were spending more time alone. More people are living alone and working remotely. Weve also adopted busyness as a way of life, filling our schedules to the point where theres little room left for spontaneous connection. Additionally, modern parenting has become so time- and energy-intensive that many of us sacrifice our social lives to support our kids activities.These patterns are starting to feel normal, and many of us feel pressure to conform. We might even go along with these norms without even realizing it. If we want to live more connected lives, we need to start questioning and resisting some of the norms that define our modern social world.3. Our assumptions about people are often wrong.Have you ever fretted over a social blunder you thought you committed, only to learn later that no one had noticed or cared? Have you ever felt rejected when a friend didnt return a text, only to discover they misplaced their phone? If youre like us, youve had the experience of misreading social cues. After all, making sense of other people is no easy task! We cant read minds, so we make inferences about others thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Decades of research demonstrate that our inferences are often wrong.For instance, we tend to underestimate how much others will appreciate our efforts to connect. This keeps us from striking up conversations with strangers who might eventually become friends, expressing gratitude to those weve never properly thanked, offering social support to friends in need, and performing random acts of kindness.Another example: have you ever replayed a conversation in your head, cringing at something you said? Its common for people to worry about the impression they made, but our fears are often overblown. Research shows that people tend to like us and enjoy our conversation more than we think they do. Researchers call this discrepancy theliking gap.Our faulty perceptions of other people can create a barrier to social connection. This barrier can be overcome by adopting a more positive outlook. Expect people to like you. Expect them to appreciate your gratitude, support, and kindness. Chances are, they truly will. In the rare instance that they dont, it probably had nothing to do with you.4. Opportunities for connection are right in front of us.Many people think making friends is mysterious or determined by a persons unique attributeslike a great sense of humor or good looks. These factorsdomatter, but research suggests that liking is also triggered by simple, mundane factorslike how often you cross paths or how much you have in common. Overlooking these simple factors can cause you to miss out on the opportunities for connection right in front of you.The mere exposure effect applies to foods, fragrances, songs on the radio, andyespeople.One of the most overlooked factors isproximity. In the words of social psychologist Elliott Aronson, the people who are geographically nearest to you are most likely to become dearest to you as well. Theres nothing mysterious about the power of proximity. The more you see someone, the more opportunities there are to smile at one another, say hello, strike up a conversation, and discover common interests. The power of proximity is due to a very basic psychological phenomenon known as themere exposure effect. In short, the more were exposed to something, the more we tend to like it. The mere exposure effect applies to foods, fragrances, songs on the radio, andyespeople.Put the mere exposure effect to work by just letting yourselfbe seen. Turn your camera on during Zoom meetings, comment on your friends social media posts, or go to the yoga studio instead of streaming a class in your living room. And try to be seenrepeatedly. You could try going to the gym at the same time each day or attending the 9:00 am church service every Sunday. This increases the chances of crossing paths with the same people. Over time, youll start recognizing others, and theyll begin to recognize you, which could lead to something more.This advice is especially helpful for shy or quiet people. You dont need to be the wittiest or most outgoing person in the roomyou might just need to show up!5. Opening up is risky, but worth it.How do you feel about deep conversations? The ones in which you admit your imperfections, share your true feelings or reveal your deepest longings. How do you feel about showing your true self in a friendship? Research suggests that many of us are reluctant to engage in these types of behaviors, but they are key to unlocking greater intimacy in relationships.Consider one study where participants engaged in shallow and deep conversations with strangers. In the shallow conversation, participants answered questions such as:How is your day going so far?In the deep conversation, participants disclosed more personal information by answering questions like:If you could undo one mistake you have made in life, what would it be, and why would you undo it?The results showed that participants expected to prefer the shallow conversation, but they actually preferred the deeper one. They felt closer to their deep conversation partner than their shallow conversation partner, and the deep conversations were a lot less awkward than participants thought they would be. When we play it safe, we might be missing out on opportunities for meaningful social connection.Natalie Kerr and Jaime KurtzThisarticleoriginally appeared inNext Big Idea Clubmagazine and is reprinted with permission.

For our latest lookbook, we've gathered eight interiors where bookshelves and bookcases were used to create elegant storage solutions, ranging from a study in Berlin to a pied--terre in Mayfair, London.Not everyone has the space for a library, but adding bookshelves to a home whether it's just for storing books or to also display artworks and sculptures is an easy way to help create cosy, creative interiors.The bookshelves in this lookbook range from simple, low shelves that run along the floor to tall floor-to-ceiling book walls.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens with splashes of blue, self-designed studio interiors and interiors with earthy finishes.Photo by Helen CathcartBelgravia townhouse, UK, by Child StudioA five-metre-tall, floor-to-ceiling bookcase made out of mahogany wood forms a striking backdrop in this home in Belgravia, London.Designed for an art collector and informed by late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's bookshelves in his Parisian studio, the roomy shelves hold a variety of art books and other titles.Find out more about the Belgravia townhouse Photo by Fabian MartinezMrida home, Mexico, by Marc PerrottaArchitect Marc Perrotta renovated this traditional home in Mrida, Mexico, which now has an office and dining room at the front.Here, a low wooden bookshelf curves around three walls and holds both books, paintings and photos. Its dark wood matches the dining room table and looks striking against the colourful tiled floor.Find out more about the Mrida home Photo by Joe FletcherClear Oak Residence, Australia, by Woods + DangaranThis renovation of amid-century modern house that once belonged to singer Bing Crosby's manager features teak wood, travertine stone and expansive glazing.The mid-century modern feel is underlined by the floating bookshelves that sit against wooden panelling in the living room and showcase books, sculptures and green plants.Find out more about Clear Oak Residence Photo by Seth CaplanDumbo loft renovation, US, by Crystal Sinclair DesignsBooks peep out from their shelves on the mezzanine floor of this flat in Dumbo, Brooklyn, which also features a bedroom behind a glass partition.The L-shaped mezzanine floor was designed to hold the client's book collection, which is displayed in a library that covers almost the entire wall. The mezzanine, which is accessed by a ladder, also has a cosy chair for relaxed reading sessions.Find out more about Dumbo loft renovation Photo by Robert RiegerBerlin apartment, Germany, by Gisbert PpplerInterior design studio Gisbert Pppler was given a lot of freedom to renovate this apartment in a glass pavilion on the roof of a 1930s residential building in the borough of Mitte, Berlin.In the study, dark teak walls are contrasted with pale, sage-green bookcases and a desk in the same hue. The practical shelving makes the space look both well-organised and stylish.Find out more about the Berlin apartment Photo by Salva LpezCasa Vasto, Spain, by MesuraA white low-slung bookshelf sits close to the floor in Casa Vasto, which local studio Mesura designed in Barcelona. The space, which also functions as an art gallery, is located in a former factory.The bookshelf is flanked by other low-lying furnishings, including a comfy sofa, which underline the height of the space and its unique sculptural ceiling.Find out more about Casa Vasto Photo by Felix Speller and Child StudioMayfair pied--terre, UK, by Child StudioChild Studio, which also designed the Belgravia townhouse in this article, had previously created a tall bookcase for this Mayfair home.The bookcase's ribbed dark wood is contrasted by veiny marble, which creates a luxurious patterned backdrop against the books and sculptures on display.Find out more about the Mayfair pied--terre Photo by Peter BennettsWest Bend House, Australia, by Brand New EcoIn the study of this Melbourne home, full-height timber bookshelves provide space for the family's books and are matched with a shelf in the same material displaying sculptures and toys.Local studio Brave New Eco used red bricks for the flooring, adding a tactile, rustic feel to the room.Find out more about West Bend House This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens with splashes of blue, self-designed studio interiors and interiors with earthy finishes.The post Eight homes with stylish shelves for book lovers appeared first on Dezeen.

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Gaming is a big part of the billionaires public persona. But other players are questioning whether he has the time or the skill to be as accomplished as he claims.

MacworldNormally when you plug in an external hard drive to your Macs USB port you will see it appear on the desktop. You can also see it in a Finder window in the left column under Locations (or Devices in older versions of macOS). If the drive is not showing up on your Mac chances are it has not been formatted correctly, has been corrupted, or is faulty. Alternatively, you may have set a password for the drive that you need to enter before it will connect.We show you how to work out whether the reason the external drive is not mounting on your Mac up is due to a problem with the drive itself, the cable or the port, and how to resolve the problem and access data on your drive.PROMOTIONEaseUS | Check and manage hard drives on MacWhy the hard drive is not showing up on your Mac? How to get it fixed quickly? No worries. EaseUS Partition Master for Mac comes in. To check and find hard drives both internal and external, it scans the devices, gives a clear overview, and diagnoses what happens to your disks. In addition to providing a clear result, it also prompts and guides you to take the next step, quickly solving your disk problem, like disk formatting, creating a boot disk, and converting the disk to be initialized. Now 25% OFF by using code: MACWORLD25.Free TrialBuy and Save 25%This article assumes you have an external drive that should connect to your Mac via the USB-A, USB-C, or a Thunderbolt port. If you have a NAS drive that connects over the network then you should read our article about connecting to a NAS drive.Why is your hard drive not showing up on Mac? Well start by trying to identify the reason why your hard drive isnt showing up on the Mac before explaining what you need to do to find the hard drive on your Mac. If you can identify the cause your should be able to fix the problem that is stopping your external drive from opening on your Mac.Damaged cable, port or insufficient powerThe first port of call is always to check that its plugged in, but we are sure you have done that. The problem might be with the cable.One of the main reasons why drives fail to mount is if the drive isnt receiving enough power. If the drive is powered via a USB-A cable you need to check that adequate power is being delivered to the drive. Very old Macs may require a USB power cable, a cable that splits into two USB connectors that need to both be plugged into your Mac, in order to deliver enough power to the drive. Similarly, make sure that the drive doesnt have an external power supply it should be using.On the subject of cables, make sure that its not at fault. Try using a different cable with the drive to see if that fixes the problem. Similarly, if you are using a USB port on a hub check thats not whats causing the problem.Also check that the port on your Mac isnt the problem. Try using a different port. Or if you only have one port, plug another device in and see if that works.The next step is to try plugging the drive into another Mac. If it also fails to mount there you will know that there is a problem with the drive while if it does mount then the problem is with your Mac.Problem preferencesHopefully, there is a really easy fix to get the hard drive to mount on your desktop. Try the following to make sure your Mac is set to show mounted drives on the desktop.Open the Finder.Click on Finder in the menu at the top of your screen.Click on Settings (Preferences in older macOS versions).Click on General.Make sure that there is a tick beside External disks.If it was already set up so that the external drive would appear on the desktop then continue to follow the steps below.Password protectionsYou can protect a drive with a password when you initially start using it, so check to see if the reason your drive isnt mounting is that a password request box has popped up and you didnt notice it.Sometimes the password popup takes a few minutes to appear as well, so it helps to be patient. FoundryThe drive is formatted for a PCIt is possible that the drive has been formatted using a file system that your Mac cannot read. Windows PCs use NTFS or ExFAT file formats. Mac computers before Sierra used the HFS+ file format.In High Sierra, Apple introduced a new file system called Apple File System (APFS). There is an old FAT32 format can be read by Window and Mac computers, but has limitation on what files can be stored.An easy way to find out if this is the problem would be to check on a PC. If the drive mounts on the PC its likely that you have discovered what the problem is: the drive is formatted for PCs and cant be read by your Mac. To make sure your drive can be read by Macs and PCs you need to format it using exFAT or the older FAT32. Well explain how to do that below.Its a corrupted or faulty driveIf none of the above were the reason why you couldnt see the external drive on your Mac, perhaps the drive is faulty. If it is, you can use Apples Disk Utility program to access the disk and potentially fix whatever is causing the issue. Well discuss how to do that below. Well also look at ways you can stop a drive failing in the future. How fix an external drive that wont show up on a MacIf none of the above solved your problem, it is likely the drive is either formatted incorrectly or damaged. Depending on the reason why you cant see the drive, here is what you need to do to get it working. How to reformat a drive so you can see it on a Mac Hopefully, the drive is fine, but the format is wrong. It is possible that the hard drive has been formatted using a different file system (i.e. on a Windows PC). In that case, if you need to access the data on the drive youll need to connect the drive to a Windows PC that does recognize it and copy the data before moving on to the next step because the process will involve reformatting the drive and deleting everything on i).To make sure your drive can be read by Macs and PCs you need to format it using exFAT or the older FAT32. If you want to format the drive to just be used on a Mac you can use the HFS+ or Apple File System (APFS) file formats.Having got the data of the drive via a PC you can reformat the drive so that you can add the data again. Heres how to reformat your drive so it can be read by a Mac or a PC.Open Disk Utility (as per the steps above).If you dont require the data on the hard drive, select the disk and click Erase.Before Disk Utility starts to erase the disk it will pick a format for you. You can change this if you click on the Formatting options. Choose your format, ExFAT if you want to make sure its compatible with PC and Mac, otherwise, Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is probably the best option.Click on Erase and wait for your Mac to erase and then reformat the drive.Give the drive a name.ScreenshotFoundryRead more: How to format a drive on a Mac. How to fix the faulty drive with Disk Utility If the various checks above suggest that the disk is faulty then you can use Apples Disk Utility program to access the disk and potentially fix whatever is causing the issue. Heres what to do:Find Disk Utility by opening Spotlight (cmd+Space-bar) and start typing Disk Utility, press enter to open the program.Look in the column on the left to see if the hard drive appears there.If you can see the hard drive in Disk Utility check underneath it for a volume. If it is there click on it and select Mount. If your Mac has already mounted the drive the option Unmount will be displayed instead. (If there is no volume listed your Mac is not able to access the drive. The Mount option will be greyed out.)Your options are First Aid, Erase, and Restore. First Aid will check the disk for errors and then repair the disk if necessary and this is the option to choose. Restore allows you to erase the contents of the drive and replace that with data from somewhere else. Erase deletes all the data stored on the drive. If you need the data on the drive do not choose Erase or Restore!Click the First Aid tab and select Run.If after running First Aid the Mac finds errors you could fix you may see the option to Repair Disk. If you do, go ahead and run the repairs.Best apps to recover data on a lost driveIf your Mac is unable to repair the disk if is likely that the drive is either formatted using a file system that the Mac cannot read, or it is well and truly broken. If its the latter we suggest you follow this tutorial about recovering data from a damaged disk. You may also want to consider one of the data recovery apps for Mac we recommend in our round-up of the Best data recovery apps for Macs.Our recommendations include Recoverit from Wondershare, Data Rescue from Prosoft and Stella Data Recovery for Mac. 1. Wondershare RecoveritRead our full Wondershare Recoverit review 2. Data RescueRead our full Data Rescue review 3. Stellar Data Recovery for MacRead our full Stellar Data Recovery for Mac review How to prevent issues with hard drives on a MacWe have final suggestion to make that is more of a guard against this error happening again.Make sure that your external drive doesnt become damaged in the future by always unmounting the disk properly after using it. Dont just unplug the USB cable. To unmount your drive you can right-click (control-click) on the icon on the Desktop or in the Finder and choose Eject. Drive issues can occur when the disk is removed without ejecting it properly.Decided there is no hope for your faulty hard drive? We have a round-up of some of the best weve seen here: The best Mac hard drives.

Broadway posters as seen in the summer or 2011, whenPhantom of the Operawas still running, more than two decades after it opened. Raymond Boyd / Getty ImagesWhen The Phantom of the Opera opened on January 26, 1988, there was no way to know that it would become the longest-running show in Broadway history.Created by English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who based his beloved musical on Gaston Lerouxs novel of the same name, Phantom is the story of a gifted soprano, Christine Daa. Following a successful performance at the Paris opera house, Christine confesses that shes been tutored by an Angel of Music, who turns out to be a mysterious phantom who lives inand perhaps cursesthe theater. From there, the storyline unfolds as a love triangle among the Phantom, Christine and Raoul, Christines childhood friend.Lloyd Webber made his Broadway debut with Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971, followed by popular musicals like Evita in 1979 and Cats in 1982. Less than two years after opening on Londons West End in October 1986, Phantom debuted in New York City at Manhattans Majestic Theatre. It starred English actor Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman, Lloyd Webbers then-wife, making her Broadway debut as Christine.The show became an instant hit. In its first year, it took home seven Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. By the early 90s, it was still playing to standing-room-only crowds and producing record-breaking box-office sales. For over three more decades, Phantom phans flocked to see this spectacle-based productionwhich included trap doors, a masked ball and an elegant one-ton chandelier that comes crashing down to the stage for the musicals first-act finalesome of them catching dozens of performances throughout its tenure.In 1989, Phantom launched its first national tour, putting on more than 3,000 performances as part of its touring circuit that lasted until 2010.But the Covid-19 pandemic spelled trouble for Broadways Phantom. In March 2020, Phantom temporarily closed, staying shuttered for 586 days before reopening on October 22, 2021. The shows audience never returned to its pre-pandemic attendance levels. Less than a year later, producers announced the productions record-breaking run would end in February 2023.But when patrons learned that the musical was leaving Manhattan, a surge in ticket sales led to a two-month extension. By the time the show closed on April 16, 2023, Phantom had played 13,981 Broadway performances.CNN called Phantom the most enduring relic of the 80s era of musicals built on spectacle, which also included mega-musicals like Miss Saigon and Cats. But the show is not without its controversy, especially in the era of the #MeToo movement. Its storyline focuses on the Phantoms dangerous obsession with his protge, Christine: one in which he sabotages her rival, threatens the life of her love interest and even kidnaps her.But the shows plotline has long been eclipsed by its sheer dazzlea spectacle that still fuels its popularity despite its Broadway demise. Its no exaggeration to say that Lloyd Webber and The Phantom of the Opera have changed the trajectory of musical theater, writes Sage Young in a post for uDiscoverMusic. The shows crossover impact introduced millions of new fans to the art form, and more than a few musicals that came afterward owe their sense of scale and spectacle to the international hit.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Broadway, COVID-19, Musical Theater, On This Day in History, Opera, Performing Arts

Author(s): Titouan Le Gourrierec Originally published on Towards AI. Example of the results obtainable after this tutorial (by author)IntroductionImage segmentation plays a key role in various fields, from identifying cells in biological research to analyzing regions in satellite imagery. However, traditional segmentation methods often require advanced programming skills or machine learning expertise making them inaccessible to many.Fortunately, tools like Ilastik and EasIlastik are changing the game. These open-source applications empower users to perform sophisticated image segmentation without writing a single line of code. With intuitive interfaces and interactive workflows, they allow even non-experts to achieve high-quality results quickly.In this article, well explore what makes Ilastik and EasIlastik so powerful, walk through how to use them, and show you how they can simplify your image segmentation tasks, no matter your level of experience.Ilastik: A powerful tool to segment imagesIlastik is a powerful, open-source tool designed to make complex image analysis tasks like segmentation and object classification accessible to non-experts. With no prior experience in machine learning required, it empowers users to create customized models by simply annotating images, making it perfect for anyone who needs to process visual data.It uses interactive machine learning, allowing users to annotate images directly, train models in real-time, and apply them without needing programming skills. From biological microscopy to industrial inspection, Ilastik is versatile and ideal for a wide range of applications.To download Ilastik, please visit Ilastik website and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.How to use it?Once youve downloaded Ilastik, launch the software and select Pixel Classification under the Segmentation Workflows section to get started.Ilastiks interface at launch (by author)1. Loading Images for Model TrainingTo begin, add the images needed for training the model:Click on the Add New button.Select Add separate images to upload your image files.How to load images for model training (by author)2. Feature SelectionNext, click on the 2. Feature Selection button in the left-hand menu. A popup will appear with a set of feature checkboxes.Select all the boxes. These features represent different image properties like edges, textures, and intensity patterns. Dont worry Ilastik will automatically determine which ones are most relevant based on the images you provide.Click OK, then proceed to 3. Training.Feature selection menu (by author)3. Annotating ImagesNow comes the interactive part:Add the labels you need for each class in your dataset.Use the pen tool to annotate regions on your images, assigning them to the appropriate labels.Examples of image annotations (by author)4. Refining the Model with Incremental LearningOnce youve made your initial annotations, click on the Suggest Features button. This allows Ilastik to select the most relevant features for your specific dataset.Heres where Ilastik shines: you can incrementally improve the models predictions.Review the segmentation results produced by your model.Annotate more areas or correct any inaccuracies to refine the predictions further.This iterative approach ensures that your model adapts to the complexity of your data.Incremental annotations to improve predictions (by author)5. Exporting Predictions and Saving the ModelOnce youre satisfied with the results:Click on 4. Prediction Export in the left menu.Open Choose Export Image Settings and adjust the Renormalize [min, max] parameter to reflect the number of classes in your dataset (e.g., 0 to the number of labels you created).Save the model as an .ilp file for future use.Settings for prediction export and model saving (by author)Using Your Trained Model with Python and EasIlastikOnce youve trained and saved your Ilastik model as a .ilp file, you can seamlessly integrate it into your Python workflow using the EasIlastik package. EasIlastik simplifies running your Ilastik model on large datasets without needing to open the Ilastik interface, making it ideal for batch processing and automation.1. Installing EasIlastikBefore using EasIlastik, youll need to install it. You can do this easily via pip:pip install EasIlastik2. Running Your Model with EasIlastikOnce youve installed the package, you can use it to apply your trained Ilastik model to new images. The process is simple and involves just a few lines of code:import EasIlastikEasIlastik.run_ilastik( input_path="path/to/input/folder", model_path="path/to/your/model.ilp", result_base_path="path/to/your/output/folder/")Example of segmentation results with EasIlastik (by author)Explanation of Parameters:input_path: This is the path to the image or folder containing the images you want to process. EasIlastik can handle a single image or multiple images in a folder.model_path: This is the path to your saved Ilastik model file (.ilp). Its the model you trained using the Ilastik interface, and now youre ready to apply it to new data.result_base_path: Specify the path where you want the processed results to be saved. EasIlastik will store the output files here.Why Use EasIlastik?Batch Processing: Easily process hundreds or thousands of images at once. This is especially useful for large datasets where manually running predictions in Ilastiks GUI would be too time-consuming.Automation: Integrating EasIlastik into your Python scripts allows you to automate your image segmentation pipeline, enabling seamless workflows for repeated tasks.Simplicity: Despite its power, EasIlastik is simple to use, requiring minimal code. This makes it accessible even to those with little to no programming experience.Flexibility: EasIlastik provides the flexibility to incorporate Ilastiks powerful segmentation capabilities into larger data processing pipelines, whether for research, industrial applications, or other fields.With just a few lines of code, you can easily process large batches of images using the model you trained in Ilastik, making EasIlastik a powerful tool for automating and scaling image segmentation tasks.ConclusionIlastik and EasIlastik offer a powerful, accessible solution for image segmentation, ideal for users with no prior AI knowledge. Their intuitive interfaces and interactive workflows allow users to easily tackle complex segmentation tasks. By eliminating the need for specialized coding or deep machine learning knowledge, these tools accelerate research, reduce human error, and enable efficient, high-quality image analysis.Whether for biological research, industrial applications, or other fields, Ilastik makes image segmentation easy. EasIlastik further simplifies the process by allowing seamless integration with Python for batch processing.Give Ilastik a try and unlock the full potential of your image data!Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AI