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Baby no more: Justin Bieber celebrates 30th birthday with wife Hailey
Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber has reached another milestone in his young decorated career, his 30th birthday......»»
Rolling Stones return with a little help from a Beatle
The Rolling Stones burst back to life on Friday with "Hackney Diamonds", their first album in 18 years, featuring megastar cameos from Elton John, Lady Gaga and even their old rival, Paul McCartney. Now in their seventh decade of making music together, the legendary British band is back with their 24th studio album. McCartney joins in for the first time, playing bass on the punky "Bite My Head Off". Back in their 1960s heyday, much was made of the rivalry between the Stones and the Beatles, but it was always more marketing than reality, with John Lennon singing on the Stones' "We Love You" in 1967. "Paul and I have always been friends," Stones frontman Mick Jagger, 80, told France 2 this week. McCartney's appearance was something of an accident, Keith Richards told Guitar Player magazine. "He happened to be around and dropped by," Richards said. "I don't even think he intended to play bass on a track, but once he was in there, I just said, 'Come on, you're in. You ain't leaving till you play.'" While McCartney and Elton John's contributions are somewhat hard to pick out, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder make more of an impact on "Sweet Sounds of Heaven", a blues-y ballad in the vein of classics such as "You Can't Always Get What You Want". 'Hackneyed duds' Reviews have been mostly polite rather than gushing. The Guardian gave it four stars, saying: "If this is the end, they're going out with a bang", while the LA Times called it "surprisingly spry, sparked by the deathless riffs". There has indeed been plenty of hype ahead of the release, with some saying it is their best piece of work since "Some Girls" in 1978. But others were deeply unimpressed by the sleek production from Andrew Watt, used to working with popstars like Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa. "Hackney Diamonds" is old London slang for "broken glass", but was used as a pun by Pitchfork, who called the album "a bunch of hackneyed duds, polished until the character has disappeared." No one is pretending it comes close to the legendary run between 1968 and 1972 that saw the release of "Beggars Banquet", "Let It Bleed", "Sticky Fingers" and "Exile on Main St." in quick succession. Nor does it head in any new directions. "The group seemed to concede years ago that, with such a legendary discography, new albums and attempts at new styles are almost superfluous," wrote Variety. "(But) if there's a better way to end the Rolling Stones 60-plus-year recording career, it's hard to imagine what it could be," it added. The post Rolling Stones return with a little help from a Beatle appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival
The world premiere of Jang Kun-jae's "Because I Hate Korea" will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday night as it looks to rally from a year marked by scandal and budget cutbacks. The South Korean director's tale of a disillusioned young woman who relocates to New Zealand is among 209 official entries from 69 countries set to unspool at the Busan International Film Festival, which runs until 13 October. Eighty will be making their world premieres in the southern port city. This year's edition comes as organizers grapple with the fallout from former festival director Huh Moon-yung's resignation in May amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The scandal saw BIFF's 2023 budget reduced by about 10 percent as sponsors withdrew in the wake of the allegations, according to organizers. Kang Seung-ah, now serving as acting deputy director, acknowledged they had endured a "difficult phase" before assembling a lineup she said was "more substantial than ever before". Opening night director Jang, who noted he'd attended BIFF far more as an audience member than a filmmaker, told a late afternoon news conference he had sought to address serious questions with his film. "I believe it's necessary to pay attention to the fact that many young people are finding it difficult to navigate through Korean society. I started questioning whether our society is providing a fair and equitable foundation for young people to pursue their dreams," he told reporters after a preview screening. Based on the best-selling Chang Kang-myoung novel, "Because I Hate Korea" received support from BIFF's Asia Project Market back in 2016. South Korea has transformed itself into a cultural powerhouse since then thanks to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" and the Netflix series "Squid Game". "Many people are now showing great interest in Korean content such as K-pop, K-movies, and K-dramas. Living in such an era, they might develop a certain fantasy about South Korea, I think," Nam Dong-chul, the festival's acting interim director, told reporters. But "I thought it might be good to consider these views from the perspective of people living in Korea and especially the youth in South Korea", he said of the opening night choice. "They might have different thoughts and experiences." Frequent Bong Joon-ho collaborator Go Ah-sung, who delivered a memorable performance as the protagonist of "Because I Hate Korea", was unable to attend the festival due to a back injury. 'Dear Jinri' Despite Go's absence, the festival will still feature serious star power, with acclaimed Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat scheduled to receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. Three of Chow's films -- "A Better Tomorrow" (1986), "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) and 2023's "One More Chance" -- will be screened in his honour. Other highly anticipated screenings include "Dear Jinri", a documentary that features late K-pop star Sulli's last and incomplete project. Sulli, born Choi Jin-ri, took her own life in 2019 after a long struggle with online bullying. The film includes her final media interview, which has not been disclosed previously. Korea's filmmaking diaspora will also be showcased with a special series of screenings that includes "Searching" (2018), starring John Cho, and director Celine Song's Sundance favorite "Past Lives". Netflix's highly anticipated "Yellow Door: 90s Lo-fi Film Club" will also have its world premiere at BIFF. The documentary spotlights South Korea's renowned cinephile generation of the 1990s, acclaimed "Parasite" director Bong among them. "The Movie Emperor", director Ning Hao's satirical take on the Chinese film industry starring Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, is set to close the festival. Ning's comedy "deftly captures the fine line between the film industries in Hong Kong and mainland China", as well as the "delicate relationship between Western film festivals and Asian filmmakers", according to the program notes. The post S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fashion seeks dedicated followers with influence online
Once kept firmly at arm's length by the fashion world, influencers are now courted alongside big celebrity names by emerging talents keen to leverage their millions of online followers. "Influencers will have a leading role in building the legitimacy of creators," Delphine Dion, professor at France's ESSEC Business School, told AFP. "It is thanks to them that many designers will manage to break through." The cream of TikTok and Instagram flocked to Masha Popova's show on Sunday as part of London Fashion Week. The young Ukrainian designer counted TikTok superstar Abby Roberts, who has more than 16 million followers, among her guests. "I was in the front row with six other influencers, so I think we are doing well," said TikTok, Instagram and YouTube content creator Emma Winder after the show. Avant-garde To be a fashion influencer who matters, you first have to be "trusted by the big names" in the industry, said Dion. Next you can build a name for yourself as someone with "extremely cutting-edge tastes who can help new fashion players emerge". "It's exactly like the avant-garde dynamics you get in art. You look for the very niche to show you are even more fashionable than the rest," she added. The phenomenon is particularly visible on the catwalks at London Fashion Week, known worldwide for giving emerging talents a platform. Fashionable influencers and stars such as Zendaya, Billie Eilish, Hailey Bieber or Kylie Jenner have been seen wearing outfits by the new generation of designers including Masha Popova, Di Petsa, Chet Lo, Feben, or Yuhan Wang. 'Instant reaction' It's a win-win situation for influencers as it's now much "cooler" to wear clothes by young designers than a luxury brand, said Elizabeth Stiles, a consultant for fashion brands. And from the designer's point of view, it's "definitely faster to grow your brand through social media just through the way it works", she said. When an influencer posts content "you get an instant reaction, versus magazines where even on-line, it still takes time to write that article and upload it and maybe go through an approval process as well with an editor", she added. Social media content creators can also benefit from a good engagement rate, which measures how well their posts interact with their community. An influencer with a high engagement rate posting a photo, dressed by a young label, is more likely to generate sales for the brand. 'Everyone welcome'? Competition between traditional media -- including specialist fashion magazines -- and former fashion bloggers who are now influencers on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube is not new. The influential British journalist Susie Lau began with her fashion blog "Style Bubble" in 2006. Now she writes notably for the British magazine Pop and The Business of Fashion and is also followed by nearly 700,000 people on Instagram. In an article published in Grazia in 2017 titled "Everyone should be welcome in fashion", she said she regretted the "negative connotations" that had attached themselves to fashion bloggers, influencers and content creators. Even as recently as February, she denounced the "gall of most print media" who still in 2023 sneered at influencers. This, she said, was "hilarious, considering how many have adopted social media modus operandi". The post Fashion seeks dedicated followers with influence online appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Artists scoot off Scooter Braun’s management
Scooter Braun’s an empire no more. Multiple reports say major artists, among them Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Idina Menzel, have parted ways with the music executive. Braun, known for discovering Justin Bieber on YouTube, is also stepping back from managing the Canadian singer, though Bieber’s departure from Braun has been denied by sources. NBC News reported that there’s no bad blood between the artists and Braun. The talent manager is said to be preparing for his role as chief executive officer of the American branch of HYBE, the South Korean multinational entertainment company behind the K-pop titan BTS. In 2021, Braun sold his Ithaca Holdings to HYBE for US$1.05 billion. Braun earned the ire of Taylor Swift and her global fandom in 2018 when he acquired the rights to her first six albums when he purchased the label Big Machine Record Group. Swift called the move her “worst case scenario.” Braun then sold Swift’s music catalog for $300 million to Shamrock Holdings, leading to Swift announcing that she would rerecord her albums. So far, Swift has released the new versions of Fearless, Red and Speak Now. She is set to release 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in October. Braun is said to still be managing Hollywood acts Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin, Carly Rae Jepsen and Ava Max. The post Artists scoot off Scooter Braun’s management appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lady Gaga recalls ‘magical’ partnership with crooner Tony Bennett
Lady Gaga, who was Tony Bennett's friend and collaborator in the final years of the hitmaker's life, over the weekend hailed their "magical" relationship and urged others not to "discount your elders." Bennett died at 96 on July 21, having lived with Alzheimer's disease for years. In 2014 he became the oldest person ever to reach number one on the US album chart through a collection of duets with Lady Gaga, with whom he also won a Grammy in 2022 for their album of Cole Porter standards. "With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo," Gaga posted in a lengthy ode to Bennett on Instagram. "But it wasn't an act. Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight." Among Bennett's many gifts was his stage presence: With a welcoming smile and dapper suit, he sang with gusto and a smooth vibrato in a strong, clearly enunciated voice. His death prompted an outpouring of gratitude for his life and work, with Elton John calling him "irreplaceable" and President Joe Biden saying "he himself was an American classic." Gaga's partnership with the legend was seemingly improbable -- she the boundary-pushing pop star and he the aging crooner -- but in her homage to Bennett she said "our age difference didn't matter." "We were from two different stages in life entirely -- inspired. Losing Tony to Alzheimer's has been painful but it was also really beautiful," she said. "An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a person's life. There's such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity." In her message Gaga urged people to keep their elders close: "Don't leave them behind when things change," she said. "And pay attention to silence -- some of my musical partner and I's most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all." "I love you Tony." The post Lady Gaga recalls ‘magical’ partnership with crooner Tony Bennett appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Barbie’ Review: Preachy Hot Mess
To fans of Greta Gerwig and long-time collaborator and partner Noah Baumbach such as myself, it is already understood that Barbie won’t be your typical family comedy about the fun adventures of Mattel’s most popular doll. That underneath the cute trailer lies a subversive movie packed with Gerwig’s brand of sardonic wit, feminist sensibilities and relatable human vulnerability, which made her solo projects such as Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019) such masterpieces. Even her collab projects with Baumbach in their days of mumblecore films, their unforgettable Francis Ha (2012) and Mistress America (2015), make Barbie a highly anticipated film for basically everybody. But the reality is that Barbie is a hot mess. Preachy and melodramatic, it seems to struggle under the weight of mixing arthouse and commercial appeal. It feels self-conscious of the fact that it features a toy, but that it should be “deeper” than just a toy movie. Gerwig seems desperate to conceal whether or not she has become a sellout. Margot Robbie plays Stereotypical Barbie, who is the most basic of all Barbies. Blonde and perfect-looking down to her tiptoed feet, she lives in Barbieland with a variety of other Barbies — all based on real Barbie dolls. But her eternal plastic life of sleepovers, dance parties and pretend drinking is suddenly disrupted by intrusive thoughts of dying. What does this all mean, she wonders? When she wakes up flat-footed, her toast burnt and she can no longer glide in the air as if held by an invisible little girl, she realizes that something is indeed seriously wrong. Taking the advice of Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) — which is pretty much how all my Barbies ended up as a child — Barbie journeys to the Real World to fix things, with Ken (Ryan Gosling) tagging along. [caption id="attachment_161377" align="aligncenter" width="535"] Ryan Gosling as Ken.[/caption] In the harsh world where we live, Ken, formerly just a Barbie accessory, gets excited by patriarchy, while Barbie — well, for her, it’s more like complex trauma. While the movie looks gorgeous, with mildly interesting inspirations from popular films and musicals plus semi-funny gags here and there, it is heavily burdened by its shallow philosophical ruminations, like those inspirational and motivational therapy art cards and cheesy content on social media targeted at the insecure, the depressed, the left-behind and the oppressed female. Instead of experiencing Gerwig and Baumbach’s brand of self-deprecating humor in portraying an imperfect life in an imperfect world, Barbie feels like a “woke” wannabe psychotherapist that tries so hard to please you with its corny humor, while irritating you with unsolicited advice. 1.5 out of 5 stars The post ‘Barbie’ Review: Preachy Hot Mess appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dominic Fike drops new album Sunburn
Dominic Fike has released his sophomore album Sunburn via Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment. The album finds him returning to his native Florida, examining the culture and environments in which he was raised that are unique to the Sunshine State. Included in the album’s release is the standout track, “Mona Lisa,” which Fike created with longtime collaborator Kenny Beats and was also featured in the box office-topping film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Also featured on Sunburn are “Frisky” and “Think Fast,” two tracks that have been teased over the past few months and have already become fan favorites online. The latter song features contributions by Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo on guitar and backing vocals — a full circle moment for Fike given Weezer’s influence on him and his history of covering the band’s “Say It Ain’t So” as part of a medley with his own song “Westcoast Collective” on his first North American tour. Fike is also set to launch his North American Don’t Stare At The Sun tour, marking his first live performances since his breakout set at this year’s Coachella, where “his talent jumped out every time he took the mic,” according to Rolling Stone. Fike will perform at iconic venues like New York’s Prospect Park, Los Angeles’ Greek Theater and Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion, making this his largest tour to date. The album is available digitally as well as on standard CD and vinyl formats (the former with 12-panel folded insert poster and the latter with a 12-page insert booklet), an exclusive CD edition with a 60-page photo book, as well as deluxe and color vinyl editions. Digital and CD formats are available for purchase now and vinyl is available for pre-order. Dominic Fike’s new album, Sunburn, is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The post Dominic Fike drops new album Sunburn appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tens of millions sign up to Twitter rival Threads
More than 30 million people have downloaded Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter, within the first few hours of its launch, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday. The app went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries at 2300 GMT on Wednesday and will run with no ads for now, but its release in Europe has been delayed over data privacy concerns. Threads is the biggest challenger yet to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, which has seen a series of potential competitors emerge but not yet replace one of the world's biggest social media platforms, despite its struggles. "Feels like the beginning of something special, but we've got a lot of work ahead to build the app," Zuckerberg wrote on his official Threads account Thursday. Accounts were already active for celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and Hugh Jackman, as well as media outlets including The Washington Post and The Economist. Zuckerberg also offered a shot across the bow at Musk -- the pair are known to be bitter rivals and have offered to wrestle it out in a cage fight. In his first tweet in over a decade, Zuckerberg posted a Spiderman pointing at Spiderman meme in an apparent reference to the similarities between Threads and Twitter. On Threads, he wrote: "It'll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it." Twitter has said it has more than 200 million daily users. Be kind Threads was introduced as a clear spin-off of Instagram, which offers a built-in audience of more than two billion users, sparing the new platform the challenge of starting from scratch. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri told users that Threads was intended to build "an open and friendly platform for conversations." "The best thing you can do if you want that too is be kind," he said. Zuckerberg is taking advantage of Musk's chaotic ownership of Twitter to push out the new product, which Meta hopes will become the go-to platform for celebrities, companies, and politicians. "It's as simple as that: if an Instagram user with a large number of followers such as Kardashian or a Bieber or a Messi begins posting on Threads regularly, a new platform could quickly thrive," strategic financial analyst Brian Wieser said on Substack. Analyst Jasmine Engberg from Insider Intelligence said Threads only needs one out of four Instagram monthly users "to make it as big as Twitter." "Twitter users are desperate for an alternative, and Musk has given Zuckerberg an opening," she added. Under Musk, Twitter has seen content moderation reduced to a minimum with glitches and rash decisions scaring away celebrities and major advertisers. He has angered Twitter's most devoted aficionados by declaring that access to its TweetDeck product -- which allows users to view a fast flow of tweets at once -- would be for paying customers only. EU many months away Meta has its legion of critics too, especially in Europe, which could slow the growth of Threads. The company has been criticized for its handling of personal data, the essential ingredient for targeted ads that help it rake in billions of dollars in profits. Mosseri said he regretted that the launch was delayed in the European Union, but had Meta waited for regulatory clarity from Brussels, Threads would have been "many, many, many, months away." "I was worried that our window would close because timing is important," he told the tech news site Platformer. According to a source close to the matter, Meta was wary of a new law called the Digital Markets Act, which sets strict rules for the world's "gatekeeper" internet companies. One rule restricts platforms from moving user data between products, as would potentially be the case between Threads and Instagram. The EU Commission, which will oversee compliance with the DMA, declined to comment on what it said was a private business decision. Meta was caught doing just that after it bought WhatsApp, and European regulators will be on high alert to ensure it does not do so illegally with Threads. Globally, the Threads hashtag on Twitter has garnered three million tweets, with many users jokingly suggesting people will return to Musk's platform. "10 mins into threads app. Me coming back to Twitter," one user wrote, sharing a video of a man sprinting. Others expressed privacy concerns. "Meta loves to collect private information and I don't trust the way it treats private information," a Japanese user tweeted. "I also have the impression that this is a company hated by the EU, so I'm reluctant." But some said they would permanently move to Threads. One Threads user wrote: "Now I truly can say goodbye to Twitter forever." The post Tens of millions sign up to Twitter rival Threads appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Two Friends, Loud Luxury in Powerhouse Collab ‘If Only I’ With Bebe Rexha
Acclaimed producer/DJ duo Two Friends and diamond and multi-platinum selling dance music duo Loud Luxury release their latest single, “If Only I”, with award-winning pop singer Bebe Rexha on Helix Records/Armada Music. Two Friends’ massive 30-plus date Planet Two Friends North American headline tour is currently underway, stopping at iconic venues such as Forest Hills Stadium in New York. Electro-pop queen Bebe Rexha’s smooth vocals paired with the carefully-crafted beats of Two Friends and Loud Luxury make for a dance music fan’s dream: a true powerhouse collaboration. The candy-colored music video captures the feel-good essence of the track as the collaborators take on the California coast with special guest influencer Hannah Stocking. In April, Two Friends delighted Coachella fans with the first live performance of “If Only I,” bringing out collaborator Rexha for a special appearance. Loud Luxury also gave it a similar, special pre-release treatment, closing out their set at the EDC Las Vegas mainstage with a fireworks-filled high tempo rendition. The new single follows Two Friends’ recent collaboration with multi-platinum country singer Russell Dickerson in “More Than Yesterday.” Slowly beginning with Dickerson’s rich vocals over acoustic plucking, the song steadily progresses, building instrumental and electronic beats and culminating in a powerful, danceable chorus featuring drums, synths and a catchy trumpet hook. Two Friends earned a coveted Vegas residency at the Wynn’s XS & Encore this summer, and the second annual edition of their very own festival, Big Bootie Land, recently took place in Chicago. The official Planet Two Friends headline tour continues through July, concluding at New York City’s Forest Hills Stadium on 8 July. Two Friends will return to their hometown later this summer to play LA Historic State Park with The Chainsmokers, ARMNHMR and NOTD. The post Two Friends, Loud Luxury in Powerhouse Collab ‘If Only I’ With Bebe Rexha appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singer Choi Sung Bong dies at 33
Choi Sung Bong's Cinderella run came to a tragic end when police found him in his home in an apparent suicide. He was 33 years old. In 2011, Choi Sung Bong rose to fame on "Korea's Got Talent". His operatic pipes impressed everyone and clips of his rendition of Ennio Morricone's "Nella Fantasia" went viral, and were even shared by celebrities like BoA. His performance even merited a mention by Justin Bieber. The feel-good story was punctuated by the underprivileged upbringing that saw him quit music school because his family could no longer afford to pay for it. He placed second in the contest but was able to parlay it into a record and book deal In 2021, however, he was exposed as faking having several cancers in order to get donations. His note said how sorry he was for his mistake, but did reveal that he has been able to pay back all the money that was donated to him under questionable circumstances. Rest in peace. The post Singer Choi Sung Bong dies at 33 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
FASHION BRAND celebrates queer club culture, safe spaces
In celebration of queer club culture and the safer spaces they provide this LGBTQ+ Pride Month, London-based fashion brand COS offers a limited-edition T-shirt capsule featuring designs created with four iconic club experiences worldwide — Horse Meat Disco, House of Yes, Sink the Pink and Churros con Chocolate — continuing to support LGBTQ+ communities internationally. Since before the pandemic, these spaces have declined in numbers, with several still facing battles due to transphobia, homophobia and gentrification. The beating heart of many queer communities and an important way to be inspired, each of the collectives offer their communities a space to connect and celebrate, allowing freedom to be themselves, whether performing or in the crowd. Embodying the creativity and individuality of each collaborator, international music festival headliner Horse Meat Disco’s T-shirt features a bold and colorful disco design representing the community coming together through the love of disco and dancing, while New York-based House of Yes, a space dedicated to connection and creativity, offers a powerful heart-shaped design with interconnected lines to represent love while creating something unique and beautiful. Alongside this, Sink the Pink, legendary UK collective and advocates of self-expression, shares a playful Queen of Club’s design, a beautiful representation of their legacy, and Churros con Chocolate, Spain’s festival of fun, recreates their iconic poster designs, which illustrate dress-up and their flamboyant guests. The collectives offer their communities a space to connect and celebrate, allowing freedom to be themselves, whether performing or in the crowd. Shot by Brett Lloyd, the campaign features faces that form the heart and soul of worldwide LGBTQ+ communities. COS will donate 100 percent of the profits from sales of this collaboration to support Metro Manila Pride, a volunteer-managed organization dedicated to educating, equipping and empowering the Filipino LGBTQ+ community, working towards a future without discrimination and prejudice. The COS Pride collection is available globally at Cos.com and the COS Store Manila in SM Aura Premier. The post FASHION BRAND celebrates queer club culture, safe spaces appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stephen Hawking’s last collaborator on physicist’s final theory
When Thomas Hertog was first summoned to Stephen Hawking's office in the late 1990s, there was an instant connection between the young Belgian researcher and the legendary British theoretical physicist. "Something clicked between us," Hertog said. That connection would continue even as Hawking's debilitating disease ALS robbed him of his last ways to communicate, allowing the pair to complete a new theory that aims to turn how science looks at the universe on its head. The theory, which would be Hawking's last before his death in 2018, has been laid out in full for the first time in Hertog's book "On the Origin of Time", published in the UK last month. In an interview with AFP, the cosmologist spoke about their 20-year collaboration, how they communicated via facial expression, and why Hawking ultimately decided his landmark book "A Brief of History of Time" was written from the wrong perspective. The 'designed' universe During their first meeting at Cambridge University in 1998, Hawking wasted no time in bringing up the problem bothering him. "The universe we observe appears designed," Hawking told Hertog, communicating via a clicker connected to a speech machine. Hertog explained that "the laws of physics -- the rules on which the universe runs -- turn out to be just perfect for the universe to be habitable, for life to be possible." This remarkable string of good luck stretches from the delicate balance that makes it possible for atoms to form molecules necessary for chemistry to the expansion of the universe itself, which allows for vast cosmic structures such as galaxies. One "trendy" answer to this problem has been the multiverse, an idea that has recently become popular in the movie industry, Hertog said. This theory explains away the seemingly designed nature of the universe by making it just one of countless others -- most of which are "crap, lifeless, sterile", the 47-year-old added. But Hawking realised the "great mire of paradoxes the multiverse was leading us into", arguing there must be a better explanation, Hertog said. Outsider's perspective A few years into their collaboration, "it began to sink in" that they were missing something fundamental, Hertog said. The multiverse and even "A Brief History of Time" were "attempts to describe the creation and evolution of our universe from what Stephen would call a 'God's eye perspective'," Hertog said. But because "we are within the universe" and not outside looking in, our theories cannot be decoupled from our perspective, he added. "That was why (Hawking) said that 'A Brief History of Time' is written from the wrong perspective." For the next 15 years, the pair used the oddities of quantum theory to develop a new theory of physics and cosmology from an "observer's perspective". But by 2008, Hawking had lost the ability to use his clicker, becoming increasingly isolated from the world. "I thought it was over," Hertog said. Then the pair developed a "somewhat magical" level of non-verbal communication that allowed them to continue working, he said. Positioned in front of Hawking, Hertog would ask questions and look into the physicist's eyes. "He had a very wide range of facial expressions, ranging from extreme disagreement to extreme excitement," he said. "It's impossible to disentangle" which parts of the final theory came from himself or Hawking, Hertog said, adding that many of the ideas had been developed between the pair over the years. 'One grand evolutionary process' Their theory is focused on what happened in the first moments after the Big Bang. Rather than an explosion that followed a pre-existing set of rules, they propose that the laws of physics evolved along with the universe. This means that if you turn back the clock far enough, "the laws of physics themselves begin to simplify and disappear", Hertog said. "Ultimately, even the dimension of time evaporates." Under this theory, the laws of physics and time itself evolved in a way that resembles biological evolution -- the title of Hertog's book is a reference to Darwin's "On the Origin of Species". "What we're essentially saying is that (biology and physics) are two levels of one grand evolutionary process," Hertog said. He acknowledged that it is difficult to prove this theory because the first years of the universe remain "hidden in the mist of the Big Bang". One way to lift this veil could be by studying gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space time, while another could be via quantum holograms constructed on quantum computers, he said. The post Stephen Hawking’s last collaborator on physicist’s final theory appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Lord of the Rings’ composer Howard Shore dreams his scores
Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore has scored landmark hits from "Silence of the Lambs" to "Lord of the Rings". He says the music emerges from his dreams. "I like to improvise," Shore told AFP. "I like to read the novel, the play or the script and then I dream and go into a state of improvisational association with the world of the film. "That's where the music comes from, from dreaming the story," he said. Shore, 76, was present at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday as part of the annual celebration of composers. Sacem, France's songwriters' association, are calling for Cannes to "give music its rightful place" and hand out an award for a movie's score. Under French and US law, composers are officially "co-authors" of every film alongside the director and screenwriter, Cecile Rap-Veber, Sacem's CEO told AFP. "It's clear, with very few exceptions, that if you take the music out of a film you'll quickly see something is missing," she said. "It's one of the indispensable elements that generate emotions and carry the message of the story," she added. 'Great collaborator' Shore welcomes any effort to recognize the work of film composers, who he says play a crucial role in "maintaining the relationship between the audience and storytelling". He won three Oscars for his work with Peter Jackson on the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies. "Peter was in the studio every day. He was a great collaborator," Shore recalled. He has also worked regularly with Martin Scorsese (including on "The Departed" and "The Aviator") and other Hollywood greats such as David Fincher (for "Seven" and "The Game"). But his longest relationship has been with Canadian director David Cronenberg, from early films like "The Fly" and "Videodrome" to last year's body-horror "Crimes of the Future" and his upcoming semi-autobiographical film, "The Shrouds". "David and I are almost like brothers, we grew up in the same neighborhood," said Shore. "He's very instinctive, never looking back. In the 16 films we've done together, we've tried many different things." Shore began his career as a jazz musician and later worked on the early anarchic episodes of TV show "Saturday Night Live". What drew him to film work was the chance to mess around with technology -- "all the microphones and acoustics". "I started in the theater. It was a great training ground," he said. "But since then, I have tried pretty much everything you can try in terms of using music." The post ‘Lord of the Rings’ composer Howard Shore dreams his scores appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Liza Soberano slips back into the country without Enrique knowing?
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