An excerpt from befores & afters print magazine.In Jon M. Chus Wicked, the Wizards monkey guards were CG creatures created by ILM. Jon wanted a powerful-looking creature, outlines ILM animation supervisor David Shirk, so art exploration led us to combine elements primarily from larger apes like chimpanzees, baboons and orangutans, with a characteristic monkey tail. Rather than waddle upright on two legs, a more powerful quadruped walk was developed and was the principal locomotion along with a physical size that made them feel intimidating next to the human characters.Early ILM animation testing explored an orangutan-based walk, says Shirk. But the characteristic balancing on the sides of their feet was traded for a more grounded and much heavier soldier-like feeling. From our main hero monkey, we developed multiple variations to populate the army of monkeys featured heavily in the films third act.ILM concept art.On set, stand-in performers rehearsed and worked on-camera with the principal actors to aid with interaction, eyelines and framing. Shirk notes that any extreme stunt performance was left to animation. For acting beats, he says, particularly in the case of Chistery, who is captain of the monkey guards, the on-set team gave us a starting point for physical performance and placement but acting choices were left to post-production and grew organically from the edit as it developed.We used an unusual approach to arrive at the acting beats, continues Shirk, who notes that a proprietary Face Select toolset was used by ILM. In collaboration with the director, I worked with the animation team to create close-up live performances, delivering multiple options per shot that were used in editorial to define Chisterys acting performance, then used that as the template for animation. Final animation consisted of hero keyframed action.At one point, Elphaba reads from the sacred Grimmerie spellbook, resulting in the monkey guards transforming to sprout blue wings. There was a lot of talk about transformation because it was obviously something that was very painful, recalls visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. Jon directed the animators to do certain things in Zoom sessions, working with David. In fact, for one of the shots, Jon kept saying, I can see David Shirk right there!The transformation scenes were a bit of a tightrope, weighs in Shirk. The filmmakers wanted the effect to be visceral and scary but not excessively grotesque or too horrific. The on-set performers gave us a strong starting point for blocking, especially in defining how Chistery would travel through the space as he scuttled, rolled and writhed. As we had many monkeys to depict in this process, an exploratory mocap session was also invaluable to try out many types of actions quickly.We learned that playing up confusion, fear and bewilderment but being judicious in depicting pain in the crowd reactions helped to soften the edge, adds Shirk. It was a rule that carried over to any close-up facial performances throughout the scene. As always, for key beats involving emotional performance, delivering multiple vid-ref takes helped us to home in on what the filmmakers wanted from the characters.For the wings, ILM animated these to emerge from under costumes, bursting as they unfold, rather than showing them emerging directly from the body. Over 5,100 feathers per monkey had to be groomed. Shirk notes that staging was handled carefully so feathers grew and multiplied across bodies while never being shown emerging from skin.issue #26 WickedFor shots of the monkeys taking flight, ILM first collected reference. Eagles and owls were primary sources of flight and takeoff/landing inspiration, advises Shirk. A major obstacle was that rather than the wings growing from shoulders as they do with birds, ours grew from the middle of the back, creating an especially tricky challenge in making natural-looking flight movement. Many motion tests were produced to refine the look of their flight and even though our monkeys had full heavy limbs, and, eventually, cumbersome armor as well, the director wanted their entire body to feel engaged during flight, so limbs never hung or dragged. When in full flight, the legs are played lightly and have a strong secondary dynamic reminiscent of a tail while the arms have a sort of pump, staying engaged and feeling like the shoulders are helping to motivate the wing action.The post The making of Chistery and the monkey guards from Wicked appeared first on befores & afters.

Hugo and Ian discuss the film, the VFX, and Robbies eyebrows.This week on VFX Notes, a new entry in our season on the 2025 VFX Oscar Nominees. Hugo and Ian discuss Michael Graceys Better Man, the biopic where Robbie Williams is played by a CGI chimpanzee. We discuss the film, talk about the cinematography, the VFX, compositing, and simulations from Wt FX, the tech, and talk about some of our favorite sequences.You can help support VFX Notes at the dedicated Patreon, too.The post The Better Man VFX Notes show is here appeared first on befores & afters.

Currently, America is experiencing its worst flu season since 2009, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a matter of fact, the CDC says there are so many cases that this season is now classified as being high severity for all age groups. Thats the first time a flu season has acquired that designation since the 201718 season.Still, some states are faring better than others. Heres what you need to know about the current 202425 flu season and where outbreaks are the worst.16,000 dead from flu so farThe 202425 influenza season is having a significant impact on the health and well-being of Americans. According to the CDCs latest US Influenza Surveillance Report for the week ending February 8, 2025, the flu this season has accounted for:29 million illnesses370,000 hospitalizations16,000 deathsThe CDCs report also reveals that during the most recent week, 31.6% of people tested came back positive for influenza, and 50,382 people were hospitalized for the illness in the most recent week alone.The flu has historically been particularly dangerous to the elderly, but sadly, this season, the illness is also hitting infants and children hard. The CDC says that in the past week alone, there were 11 influenza-associated pediatric deaths, bringing the total number of pediatric deaths for the season to 68.Based on data available this week, this season is now classified as a high severity season overall and for all age groups (children, adults, older adults) for the first time since 20172018, the CDC says.What states are being hit hard the worst?While respiratory illnesses seem to be running roughshod across the country, some states have it worse than others. The CDCs Outpatient Respiratory Illness Activity Map classifies respiratory illness rates into five categories: very-high, high, moderate, low, and minimal.36 states and the District of Columbia are currently listed in the very-high category, including: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.Nine states are classified in the high category: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.Two states are classified in the moderate category: North Dakota and Utah.One state is classified in the low category: Alaska.And two states are classified in the minimal category: Hawaii and Montana.Screenshot via CDC: Week ending February 08, 2025How can I protect myself against the flu?Its impossible to fully protect yourself from the flu. However, the CDC says the best way you can protect yourself is by getting the flu vaccine.Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, especially people at higher risk, the agency notes.Other steps you can take to decrease your likelihood of getting the flu are to avoid those who are sick with the illness and to wash your hands. You can check out the CDCs full list of recommendations here.

A new app makes hiring security as simple as ordering an Uber.A viral TikTok with 11.2 million views reads, POV we just ordered bodyguards to pick us up from the airport. In the video, two influencers summon a pair of Protectorsprivate security in black SUVsto Newark Airport after flying in from Los Angeles for New York Fashion Week. Another clip follows: Everything we did with our bodyguards today. They get picked up from their hotel, stop for matcha, attend a runway show, and shopall accompanied by four bodyguards. @fuzzandfuzz uber could neverrrr #nyc #bodyguard #nycgirl #airportlife #uber Just A Girl No Doubt The videos are savvy marketing for Protector, a soon-to-launch app promising on-demand personal security for the general public. These ads are working bc I have never in my life pre-downloaded an app, one commenter wrote. Another added, As soon as this app is available, Im booking.Launching Tuesday in New York City and Los Angeles, Protector charges $200 per hour for a bodyguard and a driver, with prices climbing based on the clients needswhether extra guards, a full motorcade, or high-level security measures, according to the apps 25-year-old founder and CEO, Nick Sarath.Ultra high-profile individuals like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have dedicated full-time protection teams, but for most people, navigating security options is more challenging than it should be, Sarath told The New York Post this week.Clients can customize nearly every detail, from their Protectors attire (business formal, business casual, or tactical casual) to their ridechoosing between Cadillac Escalades and Chevy Suburbans. The Protectors themselves are elite professionals with backgrounds in Air Force Pararescue, SWAT, Navy SEAL teams, and Special Operations Forces. The bodyguards are selected based on their years of experience and specialized units in which theyve served, Sarath added. All are licensed to carry concealed weapons and remain armed on duty.Beats waiting around for a taxi.

"Ill see you in the ring, brother.

MacworldEver feel like your brains on overdrive trying to keep up with everything happening in meetings, lectures, or brainstorming sessions? My Notes AI is about to change things up. Designed exclusively for Apple devices, this app makes capturing, summarizing, and organizing your notes feel effortless, no matter how fast-paced things get.Lets start with unlimited transcriptions and summaries. Whether youre sitting in a class, hosting a Zoom meeting, or just recording ideas on the go, My Notes AI ensures you never miss a word. You can live record audio or upload files to get crystal-clear transcriptions that are ready to go. And when youre staring at pages of text, the apps lightning-fast summaries swoop in to distill everything into actionable insights in just seconds.If youre on a Mac, the app goes even further with seamless meeting recording. Forget complicated setups or awkward bots, My Notes AI captures audio from platforms like Teams, Google Meet, or any other app with zero fuss. Pair that with an intuitive organization system that lets you sort notes by topics, dates, or projects, and youll wonder how you ever lived without it.Need to share your notes or keep them handy? Exporting is as easy as a tap. Plus, with support across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, youre covered wherever inspiration strikes.Its only $39.99 to get a lifetime subscription to My Notes AI Pro.My Notes AI Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription AI Note Transcriber & Summarizer $39.99See DealStackSocial prices subject to change.

At the risk of offending a lot of geeks, British sci-fi TV is a pretty easy thing to be an expert in. If youre in your 30s or 40s, your parents probably remember when the subgenre started existing. Weve covered the high points of the genre on this very website, from the the 70s to the 80s to the 90s, and into the 21st century.A mainstream press that found it laughable, and a TV industry that loves nothing more than cancelling these shows just as theyre getting good, means that even within the few short decades British sci-fi TV has been around, there isnt that much of it to get through.It makes the gaps all the more painful. There are the Doctor Who episodes we can fill in with animated reconstructions and Target novelisations. Then there is The Quatermass Experiment. Where there are Doctor Who episodes whose recordings might be forever lost, most of The Quatermass Experiment was never recorded in the first place.It was created by Nigel Kneale, a well-regarded TV writer who was also the basis of the dad in his wife Judith Kerrs childrens classic, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The Quatermass Experiment was a six-part drama series filmed and broadcast live in 1953 for a budget of under 4,000. By the time the first episode was being broadcast (again, live) the script for the final episodes had not yet been written. An attempt was made to telerecord the first two episodes with an eye to selling them to Canada, but the results were so poor the project was abandoned.And yet, even today, if you scratch almost any British sci-fi TV show, you will find Quatermass beneath the paint.The Quatermass ExperienceThe two surviving episodes of The Quatermass Experiment make strange viewing today. This was a TV serial broadcast when Yuri Gagarins first crewed spaceflight was still science fiction. Its a simple story a three-man rocket is the first to be launched into orbit. Mission control loses track of it. When it returns, there is only one man on board, and he has come back changed.The live broadcast nature of the series means it is practically a stage play the most dramatic set piece is the house in Croydon the space rocket lands on a sight that would have still seemed familiar to an audience less than a decade out from the Blitz. The story is told through conversations between policemen pondering the case of the missing astronauts, between scientists pondering the scientific anomalies of the mission, and between journalists speculating about the veil of secrecy over the returned space mission.There are no special effects, but more than that, it feels like there is no language of sci-fi here, no familiar visual tropes to draw on, despite a few characters reflecting that the story seems like science fiction. The opening credits describe The Quatermass Experiment as a thriller, and that is how it comes across. In 1953, even the idea of Britain launching a manned space mission didnt seem that ridiculous. That wouldnt be the case until 1971, when Britain cancelled its space programme almost immediately after its first successful rocket launch Black Arrow, which like later Quatermasss rocket, was launched from Australia.The most surprising part of the story is Bernard Quatermass himself, however (played by Reginald Tate). For a character whose place in the sci-fi pantheon is obscured, hes extremely low-key. He is certainly no Doctor Who, no Sherlock Holmes, no eccentric genius. Hes a professional scientist who gets frustrated with bureaucracy and political agendas but is otherwise methodical and measured in everything he does.The Quatermass Xperiment, the 1955 Hammer Horror movie adaptation that survives today, is a very different beast. This is a 50s monster movie. The rocket crashes in a mighty explosion, and seen from a distance looks straight off the covers of the pulps. Quatermass himself is played by Brian Donlevy as a much more abrasive, egotistical, American version of the character, throwing his weight around for the sheer joy of it.As that movie was in cinemas, Quatermass II was already showing on the BBC, which suddenly had to compete for viewers with the 1955 launch of ITV. This series saw Quatermass investigating strange meteor showers that led him to uncover an alien invasion. It too quickly received a Hammer Horror adaptation.The original Quatermass trilogy, both the series and the Hammer Horror films, concluded with Quatermass and the Pit, when a construction site uncovers ancient remains that prove to be evidence that Martians attempted to genetically modify the human race in prehistory. The series ends with a warning directly to camera, Every war crisis, witch hunt, race riot, and purge is a reminder and a warning. We are the Martians. If we cannot control the [Martian] inheritance within us, this will be their second dead planet.That would be the last Quatermass on screen until 1979, when Kneale concluded the series on ITV with a story about youth counterculture and alien mind control that ended with Quatermass and his daughter nuking themselves to save the planet.Quatermass Who?Despite being groundbreaking TV, and a popular movie series still known today, Quatermass has still fallen into the shadow of its later successor, Doctor Who.But Quatermasss fingerprints are all over the series throughout its run. Doctor Who stories such as the Second Doctors The Web of Fear (which introduced UNIT), the Third Doctors The Ambassadors of Death and even the Tenth Doctors The Lazarus Experiment all share plot elements and ideas with Bernard Quatermasss adventures. The homages even verge on crossover, with The Quatermass Experiments fictional British space agency, the British Experimental Rocket Group, and someone who works there called Bernard, being mentioned in the Seventh Doctor story Remembrance of the Daleks. The agency itself appears in person in The Christmas Invasion. In The Planet of the Dead we even learn that Bernards are a unit of measurement used by scientists at, um, UNIT.In fact, the first time anyone refers to David Tennant as Doctor in a science fiction show isnt Doctor Who it was in the live broadcast remake of The Quatermass Experiment in 2005.But the Quatermass/Doctor Who connection goes deeper than that. If we look at the very earliest pitch documents for the Doctor Who, there is no mysterious time traveller, but a team of scientific troubleshooters in the near future. In short the person who wrote it had definitely seen the Quatermass serials.But Doctor Whos enduring love of Nigel Kneales work was destined to be unrequited. Kneale was reportedly no fan of the show, refused to write for it, and was equally scathing of other British TV sci-fi fare. Despite creating Quatermass, as well as the science-fiction ghost story The Stone Tape, and the reality-TV predicting satire, The Year of the Sex Olympics, Kneale was vocal in his contempt for sci-fi and its fans, a contempt which found its outlet in the sci-fi sitcom Kinvig.This is all intended to be a joke, a send up of the whole awful science fiction thing, he says in this interview from 2007. I never really saw myself as writing science fiction anyway.Beyond QuatermassKneale is far from the first or last serious writer to be taken with stories of aliens and speculative futures while trying to distance himself from the sci-fi label, but whatever his feelings about it, the echoes of his work are still rebounding around the genre today.If you take Doctor Who off British telly, every writer and producer in the country seems to immediately start trying to invent it, but Quatermass is still visible underneath that. The original Doctor Who pitch of a team of scientific troubleshooters, itself a direct take from Quatermass, is one that we have seen over and over again.Doomwatch, which Kneale also reportedly despised, was one of the earliest in 1970. It was a series that attempted to keep its scientific trappings within the bounds of plausibility, such as environmental threats, rogue viruses and subliminal advertising (with the occasional hyper-intelligent carnivorous rat for good measure). Bugs was one of the 90s many attempts to reinvent Doctor Who, but its premise of a team of troubleshooting hackers feels like Quatermasss British Rocket Group for a generation that had just learned what a modem was.As writer on the series, Colin Brake tells Den of Geek, While not a direct influence I have no doubt that Quatermass was lurking in our collective subconscious as we developed ideas for Bugs stories, especially for myself, Stephen Gallagher and Alex Stewart who were, and still are, huge fans of the original Prof.The short-lived The Eleventh Hour, starring Patrick Stewart, was possibly the closest to a full-on Quatermass reboot weve had yet, with Stewarts Dr Hood acting as a scientific consultant for the Home Office investigating various ripped-from-the-headlines sci-fi stories.The 2000s also saw super-science-team procedurals in the form of Ultraviolet (scientists versus vampires), Primeval (scientists versus dinosaurs), and of course, the genre coming full circle with Torchwood, a Doctor Who spin-off with a premise alarmingly close to Doctor Whos original pitch (admittedly, with a whole lot more sex, swearing and queer representation than originally envisaged).Even now, the first spin-off of Russell T Daviess re-rebooted incarnation of Doctor Who is The War Between the Land and the Sea, a miniseries that will see a hot-shot scientific team (UNIT again) fighting against the sea devils, a threat that might appear alien, but has actually been on Earth since primordial history.At the same time, weirdly, the real-life space programme feels much closer to where it was in Quatermasss day, with billionaires inventing flying into low Earth orbit again.Nigel Kneales dislike of science fiction can be frustrating for, well, frankly, anyone visiting a website with a name like this one. Kneale set the blueprint for British TV sci-fi for generations to come (and we have only touched upon the spread of his influence here, which stretches from mega franchises like Alien to lesser-known but brilliant more recent films such as Sputnik (which might as well be called Quatermass in the USSR).But Kneales refusal to acknowledge and take part in the tropes of the science fiction genre gives the original Quatermass serials an undeniably authentic feel, less in-keeping with monster movies and alien invasion flicks than a series of political thrillers about institutions dealing with phenomena they are simply ill-equipped to handle. As much as the codified tropes are fun to play, modern science fiction could stand to learn from writing that was not yet bound by them.Quatermass and Quatermass and the Pit are available to stream on ITVX Premium in the UK.The post Quatermass: The Show That Defined UK Sci-Fi TV appeared first on Den of Geek.

In a district of London set to see 33,000 new homes by 2036, ODonnell + Tuomeys brick and pantile Sadlers Wells East is a significant addition to the UKs national dance infrastructure, dropping a civic and cultural anchor in the form of a 550-seat theatre, six full-scale rehearsal studios, public realm community stages and two new schools of dance the Rose School of Choreography and Breakin Convention, a hip-hop academy.Dance is a form of human expression older than language, with an important role in ancient civilisations. Or, to put it in the words of American choreographer and dancer Martha Graham: dance is the hidden language of the soul. Given todays accelerating digitalisation and ever-more binary global politics, its perhaps not surprising that the nuance of dance is resonating again, with burgeoning dance cultures building new bridges between high and popular art, live performance and TikTok trends.Photography by Peter MolloyVisitors to the UKs new incubator of dance, which opens this month, are most likely to arrive from Stratford Station, now the sixth busiest station in the country. Rising to the pedestrian podium level established by the Olympics masterplan, punters will need to navigate Westfield shopping centres cacophony of brands before emerging at the public promenade of Exchange Square in front of Queen Elizabeth Park and super-scale remnants of the 2012 Olympics, including the mothership of main stadium and the extraterrestrial ArcelorMittal Orbit. In the distance, a megastructure of another era, the red brick towers of the former Bryant and May match factory rebuilt in 1910, partly in response to the seminal matchgirls strike of 1888 are a little reminder of the human capital behind the districts historic industrialisation and brickfields.AdvertisementPhotography by Peter MolloyIn contrast with the otherworldly parametrics of the Olympics structures, Sadlers Wells East is rooted, earthy and orthogonal. The building is part of Stratford Waterfront, a terrace of cultural and educational uses envisioned by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) in a 2015 brief for an international competition a contest won by a team consisting of ODonnell + Tuomey, Allies and Morrison and Girona-based Camps Felip Arquitecturia, with Buro Happold, LDA Design and Gardiner & Theobald. Now almost complete, the terrace sandwiches Allies and Morrisons London College of Fashion (2023) and forthcoming BBC Music Studios between the bookends of ODonnell + Tuomeys Sadlers Wells East and their V&A East Museum (set to open in Spring 2026). The wider project, East Bank, included public realm and pedestrian bridges, UCL East (2023) and V&A Storehouse (due in May).Photography by Peter MolloyWe wanted to create a building that looks as if it was cast, from clay, from the earth, in the Stratford Town tradition, says John Tuomey. Central to the desire for a monolithic architecture was a supplier who could make bricks and roof tiles of the same material a journey that took the architects to Venice and brickmakers Sant Anselmo. Back in Stratford, ODonnell + Tuomey has imported the warm, terracotta-hued Venetian bricks and pantiles (including many special makings) to deliver a chromatic punch thats not dissimilar to the visual impact Londons Board Schools once made on mean Victorian streets.The buildings site navigates an 8m drop from the pedestrian level of Exchange Square to the vehicular access of Carpenters Road. It was this ground condition, combined with a technical brief setting out precise dimensions for the stage, studios and backstage areas, that largely dictated the buildings organisation, which stacks two levels of tall studios above a box-in-a-box auditorium dropping from an L-shaped foyer at the level of the public realm. It was an unusual way to start a building, says Sheila ODonnell. And you might also be surprised by how much structure it takes to support featherweight dancers their movements create massive standing waves of reverberation.Photography by Peter MolloyAn entrance set in the buildings chamfered corner to Exchange Square calls out to theatregoers in virtuoso brickwork, emphatic in its stamp of blind emboss, rather like the urbanism of the Amsterdam School. In the dark, a neon sign declaring You are welcome assists latecomers, some of whom might just register a corbelled brick fly tower off to the right. This is part of the sheer cliff-face of Sadlers Wells Easts north-east elevation, evocative of shadowy side-walls of West End or Broadway theatres or, perhaps, say the architects, the juxtaposition of buildings in ancient Rome. With steps descending steeply to stage door and get-ins, this is clearly back-of-house territory. Look closely, however, and the volumes of the auditorium are carefully delineated in the recessed jointing of the soaring brick wall.Photography by Peter CookIn contrast, the buildings main south-west elevation embraces new public realm and Waterworks River (a channel cut in 1743) in human-scaled proportions. Here, the jagged saw-toothed roof speaks chattily of a once-industrial context as well as of the rhythm of dance, capturing the spirit of notation systems such as Rudolf van Labans 1920s Labanotation. A civic-minded, cantilevered concrete canopy which Tuomey likens to the eyebrows of the face provides this elevation with an expression of theatre-ness, while sheltering bays of steel-framed windows that tilt 90 to maximise the foyers inside-outside engagement. Above, clearly legible as part of the theatres frontage, are the two upper levels of studios, helping to communicate the conceptual journey from choreography to rehearsal to performance. To protect dancers from over-exposure, as well as glare, the glazed walls of first-floor studios are screened by deep stripes of brick-inset louvres, while the upper studios are top lit.AdvertisementODonnell + Tuomeys research into programmatic requirements involved visits to dance studios across Europe, including those of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (forget what you think you know about dance, she told them). What they noted in particular was that fluid architectural responses to the movement of dance, such as Trinity Laban in south-east London had often been rectiliniarised by their occupants. When a dancer takes off in a pirouette, they want to know where theyre going to land, explains ODonnell. That means fixed points of reference, preferably at right angles.Photography by Peter CookOn the day of my visit, the multiform theatre, developed with theatre consultants Charcoalblue, is set up in traditional end-on (or proscenium arch) format, with steeply raked rows of auditorium seating following a gentle curve to optimise sightlines. In fact, the seating is fully retractable, enabling black box or club stage performances, with dancers and audience at the same level. (This months opening show, Our Mighty Groove, from mass movement choreographer Vicky Obukan Asebe, will use both formats.)The proportions of the stage itself precisely replicate those of the Sadlers Wells theatre in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, so that shows can easily be transferred between venues. Viewed from the foyer, the auditorium box is expressed in a crust of internal brickwork, offset by the presence of a pair of giant hand-made tapestries from artist Eva Rothschild, created like the brickwork in episodic manner.This spring and into the future the hidden language of dance is set to spill out of the auditorium of Sadlers Wells East into its foyer and the built environment beyond to a series of public stages created so that dancers from school and community groups can have their moment, dancing like nobodys watching. Watch this space.Ellie Duffy is a writer on architecture and designPhotography by Peter MolloyProject dataLocationQueen Elizabeth Olympic Park, StratfordCompletion November 2024Gross internal floor area8,283m2ProcurementNEC 3 Managed Packaged SolutionConstruction costUndisclosedArchitect ODonnell + TuomeyClientLondon Legacy Development CorporationClient partnerSadlers WellsStructural engineerBuro HappoldM&E consultantBuro HappoldQuantity surveyorGardiner & TheobaldTheatre consultantCharcoalblueAcoustic consultantCharcoalblueFaade engineerBuro HappoldLandscape consultantLDAFire consultantBuro HappoldSustainability consultantBuro HappoldLighting consultantBuro HappoldFoyer feature lighting designerAideen MaloneAccess consultantBuro HappoldLondon Legacy Development Corporation construction managerMaceProject managerMaceCDM Principal designerPFBApproved building inspectorAISMain contractorN/ACAD software usedRevitSustainability dataPercentage of floor area with daylight factor >2%: Not assessedPercentage of floor area with daylight factor >5%: Not assessedOn-site energy generation: 6.3 kWh/m2/yr (2.1% of total annual energy use)Heating and hot water load: 85 kWh/m2/yearOperational energy: 297 kWh/m2/yearTotal energy load: 172 kWh/m2/year (electricity consumption)Carbon emissions (all): 34.7 kgCO2/m2 (as built)Annual mains water consumption: 1.60 m3/occupantAirtightness at 50Pa: 4 m3/hr/m2Overall thermal bridging heat transfer coefficient (Y-value): 0.033 W/m2KOverall area-weighted U-value: 0.34 W/m2kAnnual CO2 emissions: 34.7 kgCO2/m2Embodied carbon: 5,736 tCO2e (estimated, RIBA Stage 4)Whole-life carbon: Not assessedPredicted design life: 60 yearsEnergy performance certificate rating: B

Elon Musk's xAI announced its latest artificial intelligence flagship model, Grok 3, on Monday. The company also announced Grok 3 mini, a scaled-back version, plus the addition of DeepSearch, a new tool that the company calls a next-generation search engine. xAI has added new functionality for Grok 3 web and mobile apps and a subscription service specifically for Grok users, dubbed SuperGrok. "We're very excited to present Grok 3, which is, we think, an order of magnitude more capable than Grok 2 in a very short period of time," Musk said during xAI's livestream on X. Grok 3 was trained on 200,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, which is double that of Grok 2. The team said it took 92 days to expand its Memphis-based supercomputer, dubbed Colossus, to accommodate training for Grok 3. Musk said during the presentation that Grok 3 boasts 15 times more computer power than Grok 2, though in a previous X post, he said 10 times more. The model was trained on information rangingfrom user posts on X to court documents. Grok 3 faces stiff competition from OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, all of which have released new AI models already in 2025 or are planning to do so. Google Gemini 2.0 added useful functionality earlier in February, while OpenAI plans to unify all its AI models when GPT-5 launches sometime later in 2025. Meanwhile, Anthropic's next new AI model could be weeks away. How to try Grok 3 Grok 3 is rolling out to X Premium Plus members starting on Feb. 18, and they will have exclusive access for now, including access to DeepSearch. It's a small win for these users, as X recently increased the price of Premium Plus from $16 to $22. Eventually, xAI will launch SuperGrok, a subscription service specifically for Grok 3 that will include DeepSearch, higher image generation limits and access to Grok 3 mini features like Think. Prices were not shown during the presentation. Benchmark tests comparing Grok 3 and Grok 3 mini to the competition. xAI 'Scary smart' "Grok 3 has very powerful reasoning capabilities," Musk said during a Feb. 13 interview with CNBC. "In the tests that we've done thus far, Grok 3 is outperforming anything that's been released that we're aware of. At times, I think Grok 3 is kind of scary smart." Of course, there's no way to test Grok 3's capabilities yet. And the team mentioned that Grok may answer with what it believes is the truth -- there was otherwise no mention of Grok 2's penchant for outputting hallucinations or how often Grok 3 will do so. Grok 3 is shown conducting a DeepSearch about SpaceX's next Starship launch. xAI DeepSearch In addition to Grok 3, the xAI team announced DeepSearch, described as the first generation of Grok 3 agents that allow users to ask questions and receive answers. It's referred to in the livestream as a "next-generation search engine." OpenAI andGoogle have similar agent-based searches. Both are called Deep Research. DeepSearch shows users the individual steps Grok 3 goes through, from thinking about the question to research and then finally the answer. The demo took around a minute and included 15 X posts and 32 web pages as references. Another feature of DeepSearch is the ability to view Grok 3's reasoning. After asking one question about March Madness, the team used the feature to show how Grok 3 came to its conclusions. "Probably, I should look at team rankings, their performance during the regular season, any injuries or key player statuses, and maybe some historical data on how they perform in tournaments," Grok 3 revealed when asked. This follows Chinese AI companyDeepSeek -- which launched its platforms in January -- including the reasoning process while answering queries. Grok 3 conducting a DeepSearch about SpaceX's next Starship launch. xAI