Pantheon is an American adult animated science fiction drama television series created by Craig Silverstein and based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu. Set in a world where mind uploading technology is on the verge of mass adoption, it follows three protagonists: Maddie Kim, a grieving teenager whose father was uploaded without her knowledge; Caspian Keyes, a gifted teen unknowingly raised in a constructed environment; and Vinod Chanda, a brilliant computer engineer uploaded against his will. As they place themselves at the center of a global conspiracy, they also deal with societal consequences and existential crises brought forth by rapidly evolving technology.
The Odyssey (2026) - FILM FREAK CENTRAL
****/****starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theronscreenplay by Christopher Nolan, based on the epic poem by Homerdirected by Christopher Nolan by Walter Chaw The bookshelf of my childhood includes The Chronicles of Narnia, Edward Ormondroyd’s David and the Phoenix, Ray Bradbury’s short stories, Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat series, Robert Lynn Asprin’s MythAdventures, a whole lot of Asimov and Ellison, Piers Anthony’s Xanth and “Incarnations of Immortality” series, William Sleator’s House of Stairs, a Chinese manga of Journey to the West, and Bernard Evslin’s The Adventures of Ulysses. I read each of these volumes multiple times and draw…
Nebula – Indie Streaming
Nebula is smart, thoughtful videos, podcasts, and classes from your favorite creators.
The (Surprisingly) Long History of Magical Girl Idols
From Creamy Mami to Lapis Re:LiGHTs, magical girl idol series have long been a staple in anime.
Allegory of the Cave - Legion
Goddess Remembered
This documentary is a salute to 35,000 years of the goddess-worshipping religions of the ancient past. …
Scale deep — The Systems Sanctuary
The world calls us to shift our mindsets and values from outdated ways of being and doing rooted in dominance, hierarchy and harmful systems, towards new ways rooted in relationship, collaboration and innovation.
OH NOAH! | Learn Spanish with OH NOAH! | PBS KIDS
On the Opportunities and Risks of Foundation Models
AI is undergoing a paradigm shift with the rise of models (e.g., BERT, DALL-E, GPT-3) that are trained on broad data at scale and are adaptable to a wide range of downstream tasks. We call these models foundation models to underscore their critically central yet incomplete character. This report provides a thorough account of the opportunities and risks of foundation models, ranging from their capabilities (e.g., language, vision, robotics, reasoning, human interaction) and technical principles(e.g., model architectures, training procedures, data, systems, security, evaluation, theory) to their applications (e.g., law, healthcare, education) and societal impact (e.g., inequity, misuse, economic and environmental impact, legal and ethical considerations). Though foundation models are based on standard deep learning and transfer learning, their scale results in new emergent capabilities,and their effectiveness across so many tasks incentivizes homogenization. Homogenization provides powerful leverage but demands caution, as the defects of the foundation model are inherited by all the adapted models downstream. Despite the impending widespread deployment of foundation models, we currently lack a clear understanding of how they work, when they fail, and what they are even capable of due to their emergent properties. To tackle these questions, we believe much of the critical research on foundation models will require deep interdisciplinary collaboration commensurate with their fundamentally sociotechnical nature.
Platform Studies
The Platform Studies book series has been established to promote the investigation of underlying computing systems and how they enable, constrain, shape and support the creative work that is done on them. The series investigates the foundations of digital media — the computing systems, both hardware and software, that developers and users depend upon for artistic, literary, and gaming development. Books in the series will certainly vary in their approaches, but they will all also share certain features: A focus on a single platform or a closely related family of platforms; Technical rigor and in-depth investigation of how computing technologies work; An awareness of and discussion of how computing platforms exist in a context of culture and society, being developed based on cultural concepts and then contributing to culture in a variety of ways — for instance, by affecting how people perceive computing.
Ursula K. Le Guin — Ursula on Writing: A Rant about "Techonolgy"
Ursula K. Le Guin on the presence of technology in her work
Hayden Panettiere: Tributes paid to Heroes and Nashville actress who has died aged 36
She starred in the TV shows Heroes and Nashville, plus films Remember the Titans and Raising Helen.
The Vault
The Vault contains every game released in the world for thirty-three classic systems.
Sam Altman’s anti-human worldview
OpenAI CEO downgrades humanity in pursuit of goal to merge with computers
The Flat Curve Society
Hi-ho, we’ve reached the moment, in this movie we’re all watching together on X, where model intelligence has become dangerous. Dario…
rewind @ dvdcompare.net - the home of dvd & blu-ray comparisons
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl. A love letter to the ‘80s classic genre films that captivated a generation, Stranger Things is a thrilling drama set in the seemingly normal Midwestern town of Hawkins, Indiana. After a boy vanishes into thin air, his close-knit group of friends and family search for answers and are pulled into a high-stakes and deadly series of events. Beneath the surface of their ordinary town lurks an extraordinary supernatural mystery, along with top-secret government experiments and a dangerous gateway that connects our world to a powerful yet sinister realm. Friendships will be tested and lives will be altered as what they discover will change Hawkins and possibly the world — forever. News straight from WSQK The Squawk: Arrow Films - in collaboration with Netflix - has just announced that Stranger Things: The Complete Series is available to pre-order now in both Special and Deluxe editions, for both Blu-Ray™ and stunning 4K UHD (see below), with the full box set releasing on 27 July in the UK and 28 July in the US and Canada. For the first time ever, every single episode of Netflix’s critically acclaimed, cultural phenomenon will be available to watch on Blu-ray™ and 4K UHD. The collection will be available through all major in-store and online retailers across all territories. Special and Deluxe editions of Stranger Things: The Complete Series will be available for purchase, featuring an array of exclusive bonus content, including bloopers, interviews with the cast and crew, and behind-the-scenes featurettes, designed for the ultimate Stranger Things experience. The Deluxe Edition is presented in custom packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork, alongside a wealth of extra material: a 148-page booklet, exclusive art cards, a Hellfire Club patch, double-sided posters for each season, and much more! "We always dreamed that Stranger Things could be owned in its entirety," said Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of the series, "not just as a collector’s set, but as a way to preserve the show for decades to come." Created by The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things debuted in 2016 and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular series, with Seasons 1-4 amassing over 1.2 billion views. The fifth and final season premiered in 2025 with the biggest English-language premiere week, joining Season 4 on Netflix's Most Popular List. The final season also propelled Seasons 1–4 back into the Global Top 10 for a record eight weeks and delivered Netflix’s most-watched New Year’s Day. Dean Lawson, Arrow Films’ Director of Sales and Marketing, commented: "Working with the Netflix team and the Duffer Brothers to bring the definitive physical media release of Stranger Things to fans has been a phenomenal project for Arrow to be a part of. The show is colossal in influence and scale, is beloved globally, has transcended generations, and has been a huge part of the cultural conversation for nearly 10 years now. We at Arrow are thrilled to play a part in bringing this landmark show to physical media and believe we’ve created a boxset that fans will be delighted to own, packed with bonus features, curios, and memorabilia from the world of Stranger Things." 25-Disc Special and Deluxe Edition Contents: • High-Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ / 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray™ presentation of all forty-two episodes across five series and twenty-five discs • Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and stereo audio for all episodes plus Dolby Atmos for Seasons 4 & 5 • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing • Optional audio description tracks • Interviews with the cast and crew • Behind-the-scenes featurettes • Set tours • Bloopers Deluxe Edition Exclusives: • Deluxe packaging including brand new wraparound box artwork by Juan Ramos • Palace Arcade alloy-zinc coin-token • Self-adhesive Hellfire Club patch • Exclusive Hellfire Club d20 dice • Twenty-five artcards from all five seasons • Five double-sided posters featuring original artwork by Kyle Lambert • Reversible sleeves featuring brand new artwork by Juan Ramos and original artwork by Kyle Lambert • Double-sided fold-out Hawkins map • 148-page perfect-bound artbook including original design sketches, concept art, storyboards and new writing on the making of the series from the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Andrew Stanton, Kyle Dixon & more Special and Deluxe Edition prices (RRPs) are as follows: Deluxe UHD Edition: US: RRP: $269.99 UK: RRP: £199.99 Deluxe Blu-ray™ Edition: US: RRP: $249.99 UK: RRP: £179.99 Special UHD Edition: US: RRP: $219.99 UK: RRP: £159.99 Special Blu-ray™ Edition: US: RRP: $199.99 UK: RRP: £134.99 Technical Specifications: Aspect Ratio: 2:1 (All Seasons) Total Runtime by Season: S1 – 405 mins | S2 – 467 mins | S3 – 449 mins | S4 – 780 mins | S5 – 624 mins Audio: S1–S3: DTS-HD MA 5.1 / 2.0 | S4–S5: DTS-HD MA 5.1 / 2.0 / Dolby Atmos
"Like Magic Intelligence in the Cloud", 2025.05.26 - Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000
Because Sam Altman hates opening his laptop, OpenAI is merging with iPhone guy Jony Ive's design firm in the name of some mysterious new ChatGPT-enabled consumer products: Alex and Emily go full Mystery Science Theater and dissect the announcement video. Plus how tech billionaires like Sam Altman mythologize San Francisco while their money makes it less livable for everyone else.References:Sam Altman and Jony Ive are merging (Video)Emplacedness, real estate, and gentrification in San FranciscoAnthropic? More like anthropomorphicKaren Hao on her new book
