Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 an indie game that looks anything but (Kepler Interactive)A Japanese role-player made by French developers, that replaces anime sensibilities with Gothic fantasy, is one of the most interesting RPGs of the year.French indie developer Sandfall Interactive hasnt released a completed game yet, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks set to be a very impressive debut. Although its multiformat, you may recognise it from the recent Xbox focused Developer Direct and now weve played a roughly four hour long preview a period encompassing most of the start of the game and it seems the game plays just as good as it looks.Clair Obscur (French for chiaroscuro the difference between light and shade in a drawing or painting) instantly impresses with its lush visuals, with a dark fantasy version of the Belle poque period in French history, as previously seen in Lies Of P.Its also got an agreeably weird premise and is set in a nameless world, where a seemingly god-like creature called the Paintress plucks a number out of the air every year, and all the humans of that specific age simply disappear. The Paintress resides on another continent, so every year, military types set off on expeditions to sail to that continent, hunt down the Paintress, and eliminate her.Unfortunately, the Paintresss territory is full of dangerous enemies and many previous expeditions have failed. Expedition 33 already starts badly: the crossing is difficult and when the party finally achieves landfall a mysterious man, clearly older than any surviving humans across the sea, instantly wipes out most of the crew. Two survivors, Gustave and Lune, band together and begin to make inroads, into the mysterious land.Sandfall has created an incredible game world, which cleverly merges the gorgeous and the unsettling. Weird environmental touches abound and different areas have distinct visual identities. In one, for example, despite not being below the sea, you encounter glowing corals and transparent squid fly past you. It sounds gratuitously weird but somehow, it isnt. Clair Obscurs game world has an indefinable sort of logic to it and is a welcome alternative to the Tolkien-esque norm.At the same time, the visual style is starkly different to most Japanese role-players, with anime stylings replaced by crisp-looking, almost photorealistic imagery. Visually, the game is like nothing else, but in terms of the battle system the similarity to Japanese titles is very obvious.You constantly encounter groups of enemies and bosses and as well as gun and melee attacks, each of the characters in your party amasses a growing portfolio of magic style attacks, which channel different elements (and you soon find out which enemies are vulnerable to which elements). So far, so ordinary but Clair Obscur also works hard to bring a real-time element to the otherwise turn-based proceedings.For example, your magic attacks can be given added heft if you hit quick time event button presses at the right time after unleashing them, not unlike the Paper Mario series. But the key mechanic when battling is to avoid taking damage from incoming attacks, and that involves either dodging, parrying or jumping at the precise moment an attack is about to land. Thus, you must learn the timing of all the different enemies attacks and, at first, that means you will take more damage than you perhaps should.Clair Obscur has a full and deep levelling system, which allows you to improve attributes, level up weapons when you set up camp, and acquire new elemental skills. Theres a lot of satisfaction to be had from nailing a perfect parry, which triggers a hugely damaging counterattack, but dodging is a lot more forgiving, so you have to strategise carefully about which to rely on. The end result is some very thoughtful and relatively unique turn-based battles. The game really is very pretty (Kepler Interactive)As you traverse the world, you find more party members, as well as surprising pockets of friendly creatures. Theres a modicum of platforming and puzzle-solving to be done too you can climb up ropes and grapple to specific points, and the best loot is found in weird organic cages that have locks nearby which you must find and shoot.You have to look very carefully to find elements which betray Clair Obscur: Expedition 33s start-up indie origins. In some of the more exotic locations, your characters appear to skate over the surface somewhat, and picking up useful items from the environment triggers an annoyingly generic speech sample.More TrendingAt times, the rather overblown music can grate, too. But elements which you would expect to be substandard in an indie game including motion-captured cut scenes and dialogue prove to be anything but. Clair Obscurs overall production values are impressively high.After only four hours there are plenty of aspects to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that we cant yet assess, such as how the story will progress and how long the game might take to play through. But judging by the overall size of the game worlds map, it looks like it should offer a pretty meaty experience.And it has such a distinctive feel, mixing impressionistic fantasy with an underlying Gothic influence, that even if its storyline flounders there should still be plenty left to impress. Clair Obscur seems strange and unpredictable and that is very much a good thing and so, especially after this hands-on preview, we very much look forward to playing the full game.Formats: PC (previewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5Price: 44.99Publisher: Kepler InteractiveDeveloper: Sandfall InteractiveRelease Date: 24th April 2025Age Rating: 18 Combat is familiar but still unique (Kepler Interactive)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

At least 175 wildfires have been burning in the Carolinas since this past weekend, with one fire near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, burning about 1,600 acres and forcing residents to evacuate, according to CNN. Enormous wildfires are atypical for North and South Carolina, but dry and windy conditions, with gusts over 130 mph, explain why these fires are so difficult to fight. Thats not good enough for conspiracy theorists, of course. X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has been flooded in recent days with conspiracy theories insisting the fires were started by powerful tech figures like Mark Zuckerberg as part of some dastardly attempt to turn Myrtle Beach into a so-called smart city. And while thats an absurd claim, its becoming an extremely common one as climate change creates the ideal conditions for intense fires in very odd places. Right-wing influencer John Sabal, tweeting as The Patriot Voice, insisted that what was happening in Myrtle Beach was so unusual it must be something suspicious, even claiming that local news held clues about what was in store. WHEN is the last time you have EVER heard of Myrtle Beach having damn wildfires?!?!?! Sabal tweeted. They think we are STUPID. If you pay close enough attention, they ALWAYS tell you in advance what they are planning, like on this news broadcast. Sabal went on to insist the fires were started with directed energy weapons, another way of saying that these wildfires were probably started by some kind of space laser.The wildfires are being set off INTENTIONALLY by DEWs (Directed Energy Weapons) so they can easily burn down the area, where Blackrock can then come in and buy it all up cheap and rebuild it into a 15 minute smart city PRISON, Sabal continued. Sabal claimed this is EXACTLY what happened in other recent fires in Hawaii, Texas, and California, all places where conspiracy theorists have previously claimed space lasers were being used to create destruction. Then, Sabal pointed out this was happening even as Donald Trump was president and claimed that Zuckerberg might be behind it.It looks like this time, Mark Zuckerberg has his hands ALL over this one, VERY CONCERNING considering he was just at the Inauguration and now is looking at moving D.C. to be close to Trump, Sabal claimed. Zuckerberg has indeed been cozying up to Trump ever since the assassination attempt against the president last summer. The Meta CEO even donated money and showed up at Trumps inauguration. But everything else about what Sabal is saying isnt true. Sabal shared a video from TikTok about Metas plans to add new technology to Myrtle Beach. The local news clip from June 2023 talks about how technology was helping add 3D simulations for tourism promotion and how gunfire detection tech might make the city safer. Reasonably, people can debate whether these are good uses of taxpayer resources, but its not exactly evidence of some grand conspiracy to burn Myrtle Beach to the ground. Sabal was far from the only one spreading these conspiracy theories on social media. HustleBitch, a right-wing account you may recognize from previous debunkers, tweeted Sunday the same baseless conspiracy theories, making similar connections to fires in Lahaina and Maui, Hawaii.HustleBitch also shared the same video from WMBF in South Carolina as some kind of gotcha moment, as though trying to introduce some extremely tame tech upgrades to any city is evidence of anything more nefarious. Responses to HustleBitchs tweets insist the fires are also being caused by weather modification, something thats apparently easier to believe than pointing at climate change. And that seems to be the crux of the problem. Whenever something terrible is happening, people naturally look for ways to prevent it from happening again. That sometimes leads people to find causal connections that simply arent there. Theres no evidence that any Big Tech figures are intentionally starting wildfires to buy up land and start their own cities from scratch. There is, however, lots of evidence that the wealthiest guy in the world is currently dismantling the federal government and setting the U.S. economy on a path of destruction to line his own pockets. But believing a guy like Elon Musk could be doing everything he promised doesnt quite fit with their worldview. No, we need space lasers for some reason. Apparently, its more exciting that way.Musk doesnt need space lasers. But hes going to do a lot more damage than any space laser has ever done if hes allowed to continue.

The air floating up from Apples spaceship headquarters is starting to smell like fan-less laptop exhaust. In a post to X, Apple CEO Tim Cook tells fans there is something in the airand its probably the next MacBook Air. Sure, Cook doesnt give anything anyway, but unless something truly surprising happens we expect the MacBook Air M4 is on the horizon. The timing is right, considering Apple launched the M3 MacBook Air 13 and 15 last March. Recent reports from Bloombergs Mark Gurman hinted that wed see a MacBook Air reveal soon. In his latest newsletter, Gurman remarked Apple could launch the MacBook Air as early as this week. Apple may have more Airs in store. Gurman was first to note that Apple is winding down on iPad Air inventory, meaning we could have new iPad Airs with updated chips compared to last years 11- and 13-inch renditions with M2 silicon. Just dont assume well get the rumored iPhone 17 Air. Knowing Apples release schedule, that thin mobile device wont be around until later this year. We dont expect many major design changes for Apples next lightweight MacBook. Apple has kept the flat, squared MacBook aesthetic the same since the M2 MacBook Air. We have our money on Apple launching a 15- and 13-inch variant, just like last year. Recent benchmark leaks suggest Apple will keep the M4 chip the same across both MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, though likely with less graphical prowess on the shorter machine, like it was on the M3.Rumors also suggest we may see the MacBook Air support two displays as well as the display on the MacBook, if Apple upgrades ports to Thunderbolt 5 from Thunderbolt 4 on the M3 MacBook Air. Apples last big hardware drop, the iPhone 16e, came in the middle of the week with a similar teaser from Cook on DOGE captain Elon Musks favorite platform. Apple then announced its new, $600 iPhone six days later. The MacBook Air could get its reveal later this week, though we dont know if it will be as light and airy a launch as was Apples latest budget smartphone.

Overnight Shelter Lotte-Branz-Strasse / Hild und KSave this picture! Michael HeinrichArchitects: Hild und KAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:5000 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Michael Heinrich, Florian HolzherrManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: RUBNERMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Since 2013, the City of Munich has been operating a nationally unique overnight shelter for homeless men, women, and children, initially housed temporarily in a building of the former Bayern Barracks. With the completion of a new facility in Schwabing-Freimann offering 730 places, both the standards and range of services have been significantly enhanced. Those seeking shelter are no longer accommodated in rooms with eight to twelve people but rather in rooms with four beds. What's more, the facility's purpose has evolved from merely providing overnight accommodation to offering comprehensive support, including dedicated spaces for counseling, medical treatment, and a daytime gathering area.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!To minimize conflict within the facility, separate areas are provided for different groups as well as for the initial medical screening of asylum seekers. At the same time, a certain degree of openness between spaces is essential for smooth and flexible operation. The spatial layout, based on these functional requirements, draws typological inspiration from Theodor Fischer's historic "Ledigenheim". Individual "building fingers" are staggered and connected only at the corners. This comb-like floor plan introduces an additional, critical qualityparticularly given the uninviting location of the building amidst wholesale markets, warehouses, and parking areas: the inclusion of attractive courtyards that create additional, sheltered spaces for outdoor use. The underlying intention is to provide the overnight guests not only with emergency assistance in a moment of acute need, but also with a "temporary home".Save this picture!Save this picture!For reasons of cost and time efficiency, a modular construction approach was ideal for the project. Above a sturdy base made of precast concrete elements, the upper faade is constructed from prefabricated timber frame elements painted in a brick-red hue. The "border" beneath the parapet is inspired by indigenous building techniques. Here, intricately profiled wooden boards cover and protect the vulnerable end-grain, shielding the structure and its joints from weathering. In the new building, these decorative coverings conceal horizontal surfaces which would otherwise be at risk from moisture. Contrary to their functional role as "sacrificial boards", which, unlike the components behind them, can be easily replaced if they show signs of agingthese carefully crafted elements possess a distinctive aesthetic appeal.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The interior features materials such as wood, linoleum, polished screed, and ceramic tileschosen for their durability yet ability to create an inviting atmosphere. The color scheme enhances the welcoming feel and provides a sense of orientation. While renewable raw materials play an important role in the faade and interior finishes, the load-bearing structure consists of a precast concrete skeleton. This construction method allows for straightforward dismantling, reconfiguration, and expansion, providing flexibility to adapt to potential future scenarios, such as changes in use. Adaptability can be considered a key sustainability factor in the lifecycle of buildings.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Lotte-Branz-Strae 5-7 , 80939 Munich, GermanyLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeHild und KOfficeMaterialsWoodConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on March 03, 2025Cite: "Overnight Shelter Lotte-Branz-Strasse / Hild und K" 03 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027237/overnight-shelter-lotte-branz-strasse-hild-und-k&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Renewable Innovations provided solar and hydrogen-powered EV charging in Johnson Valley, Nevada.Image: Kristin Shaw / Popular Science ShareAt King of the Hammers, one of the toughest off-road races in the world, electric vehicles arent really on the radar. Gas-powered vehicles rule, and they go hard across the desert. Theres no time for recharging or, for that matter, the infrastructure to do it even if someone were inclined to race their EV.Optimaand its parent company Clariosis actively working to change that. Clarios has been in business for more than a century, making 155 million batteries every year by Optima and its other brands around the world. The companys batteries are in one in three vehicles on the road today, making it a juggernaut in the industry.The battery titan rented a 10-acre spot in Johnson Valley, Nevada to set up the Optima Oasis, a basecamp for EVs. Renewable Innovations partnered with Optima to set up fast charging stations in the desert (along with restroom trailers and showers) with energy created from solar and hydrogen power and a parade of EVs dropped in to charge up.In the middle of the desert, Optima and parent company Clarios provided infrastructure with fast chargers for visiting EVs. Images: Kristin Shaw / Popular ScienceWhy Optima is exploring off-roadingOptima claims the title as the worlds first commercially available automotive Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery. An AGM battery is a sealed lead-acid battery which employs a glass mat to contain the liquid electrolytes inside, as opposed to an older type of flooded battery that contains free liquids.In the middle of nowhere, this technology company built a temporary infrastructure for off-road enthusiasts. A Hummer EV showed up, along with a bunch of Rivian EVs and a whopping 13 Tesla Cybertrucks, and several of them competed in a good-natured drag race across the dry bed of Soggy Lake (Eric Thiele, a senior director for Clarios prevailed in a Hummer EV).A Hummer EV won the just-for-fun drag race across Soggy Lakes dry lakebed.Image: Kristin Shaw / Popular Science Renamed Hammertown during KOTH, the Johnson Valley area teems with vehicles and tens of thousands of fans for a week. Its an assault or a symphony of the senses, depending on your perspective: engines scream, rubber scrabbles for purchase on the rocks, and dust hangs like low-lying clouds. This is not an event for a casual observer; attendees are all in, and theyre passionate about it. Where does a battery-powered vehicle fit in? Thiele says its part of a powertrain-agnostic approach.We know going into it that 95 percent of the Hammertown population are real gearheads who are huge fans of gas guzzlers, Thiele says. But were a company that supports all powertrains. We want to support enthusiasts across the board.Rivian manager of exterior engineering Alex Anderson was asked to join the Rivian Clubs of America team at the King of the Hammers event as a trail lead and general volunteer to help spread excitement about the event and EVs. Anderson has been attending King of the Hammers for the past five years and says it offers the perfect mix of engineering prowess in the race vehicles, surrounded by all sorts of passionate off roaders, and (just a little) bit of chaos sprinkled in. Shepherding a group of 15 Rivian vehicles, Anderson showed the EV owners it can be rewarding to go off-roading without fuel.Since I joined Rivian, I have fallen in love with EVs and EVs off road, Anderson says. If youve never taken an EV off road, its unlike anything else. Its silent, surreal, and you can connect with nature like no other.Rivian is uniquely positioned to tackle the desert terrain with drive modes that adapt to soft sand and rock crawling. In fact, Anderson and her teammate (and fellow Rivian employee) Lilly Macaruso piloted an R1T truck to a win at the 2023 Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road rally in the U.S. During that event, Renewable Innovations also provided the power for their EV.The King of the Hammers race is one of the toughest off-road events in the world. EVs, to date, have been scarce.Image: Kristin Shaw / Popular Science roycerumseyHoping for more EVs in the desert and beyondThe 53-foot mobile Renewable Innovations semi carries high-density solar panels combined with follow-the-sun smart flowers that collect and deliver 50 kilowatts of peak power. At the Optima Oasis, that power was funneled into fast charging Wallbox stations where EVs renewed their electrons and headed out again.Optima and its cheerful yellow, red, and orange-topped batteries have been recognizable for decades. As the demand for more technology and battery-electric vehicles grows, the company has expanded its lineup to stay ahead of the curve.Clarios sees the demand for low voltage and the number of batteries we put in a vehicle is increasing, Thiele says. Vehicles are becoming more complex, with more power and more active chassis stabilization, and were developing and supporting that at the manufacturer level.After more than a week on a dry lakebed at the Oasis, Clarios Eric Thiele says hes finally evicting the last of the desert dust from his sinus cavity. Hes ready to roll again, and hes looking forward to expanding the program next year to welcome more EVs. Anderson and her crew of Rivian owners is also excited to see what the future brings for EVs off-road.Ive always seen King of the Hammers as the premier off-road event in the U.S., Anderson says. As technology advances, especially in areas like charging infrastructure for remote locations, I envision a future where all vehicles, regardless of powertrain, can coexist and share the passion for off-roading. Im definitely hoping to see an EV class competing at King of the Hammers soon!

About 18 years ago, a 4-year-old girl with a rare nerve cell cancer received an infusion of immune cells that were genetically engineered to fight the disease. Since then, she has remained cancer-free, possibly making her the longest-surviving patient with cancer who received this tailored treatment, researchers report February 17 in Nature Medicine.As part of a clinical trial, the girl received CAR-T cell therapy, a treatment that requires removing some of a patients immune cells and programming them to target and kill cancer cells before returning them. Since 2017, seven CAR-T cell therapies have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a few blood cancers. But solid tumors, like the girls neuroblastoma, have been harder to treat with this technology.This is because solid tumors, which account for approximately 90 percent of all cancers, are tougher to penetrate and are equipped with molecules that can hinder the engineered cells, says Helen Heslop, a physician-scientist at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston.Neuroblastoma is the first solid tumor where there looks like there could be curative effects with CAR-T cells, says cancer immunotherapist Carl June, who was not involved in the study. Its really exciting, I think, to see this happen.Heslops team recruited 19 children with neuroblastoma 11 with actively growing cancer and eight who were at high risk of relapsing. From 2004 to 2009, all 19 were infused with CAR-T cells. Within seven years of treatment, 12 patients relapsed and died. Of the seven survivors, five were at risk of relapse when treated and were disease-free 10 to 15 years later. The other two had actively growing cancer at the time they were infused with the treatment. One was still in remission eight years later, but stopped participating in the study at that point; the other is the 18-year survivor.I think now we need to know why some people progressed and some people didnt, says June, who works at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Perhaps in patients who didnt continue to benefit, either the engineered cells didnt stick around long enough, or the tumor lost the protein the cells were targeting.Since this study was done, Heslop says, she and other investigators have added special molecules to CAR-T cells to make them last longer and track down tumors better. In 2023, researchers at Bambino Ges Childrens Hospital in Italy published a study in which nine of 27 patients with neuroblastoma had no signs of cancer six weeks after receiving next-generation CAR-T cells. Five of those patients were cancer-free about one to two years later. Longer-term results should be out soon.Hopefully those patients, too, will have sustained benefit and survive long-term, says Heslop. While a great deal more research would be needed, she says this is a glimmer of hope that neuroblastoma, and perhaps other solid tumors, could be treatable with CAR-T.

Nature, Published online: 28 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00669-0Trump administration policies are creating turmoil for US PhD students and NIH-funded researchers abroad. Plus, the months best science images.

RTBlender Congratulations to @gintszilbalodis and the entire Flow film crew for the Academy Award win!Flow is the manifestation of Blenders mission, where a small independent team is able to create a story that moves audiences worldwide.Thank you for the shout out! #b3d

An amazing resource for those in need of a 3d reference for anatomy studies! The skeleton model has all the major and minor points needed to know the ins and outs of anatomy while the base model will help you navigate the basic proportions and forms. https://flipnm.co/4hVHfto

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