Category Archives: Anatomy

Anatomy

TV star’s female anatomy question baffles men – and it really shouldn’t – Mirror Online

TV star Laura Byrne was completely baffled to find out that there are a lot of men out there who don't know know the answer to a simple female anatomy question - including her fianc.

Mum-of-one Laura took to her Instagram story after recording a segment for the Life Uncut podcast which she co-hosts, to ask fellow fans a question regarding the anatomy of the vagina.

She said: "Guys, if you listened to todays episode, we asked a very important question and I need to know your answers.

"That is, if you have asked your boyfriends or your brothers or any other men in your life, if they know how many holes a woman has down there."

Her partner, Matty, 32, interrupted to say: "Theres like 15! So many! Everyones different. Weve all got a different amount of holes. I have five!"

Laura then went on to explain: "3 GUYS!!!! It is 3!!!! I think we need to revise our sex ed" reports News.com.au.

Just to clarify... Women have the urethra, the vagina and the anus - not 15 as Laura's partner Matty believed.

But it seems he's not the only man confused by the number.

Laura later revealed that a number of her fellow female fans partner's were just as clueless.

One person said: "I just asked my partner thinking there was no way he would get it wrong he said 2 and then said no way show me!"

Another said: "I asked my boyfriend and he said '3 + your bum hole. One for peeing, one for sex and one for pregnancy.' Wow I really thought he knew me."

A third also added: "I asked my partner the female 'hole' situation. His answer was 4... 1 for urinating, 1 for no. 2's, 1 for period and 1 for uterus. He realised as soon as he said it aloud it was incorrect."

And a fourth women said her 55 year old boyfriend - whom she has six children with - thought she had four.

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TV star's female anatomy question baffles men - and it really shouldn't - Mirror Online

Anatomy

The Anatomy of a Nightmare: How Garfield Came to Kennywood – Very Local New Orleans

Our historical walkthrough of Garfields Nightmare answers many important questions, including whether or not Jim Davis creator of Garfield ever rode it.Published on Wednesday, Jun 24th, 2020

I remember the first time I floated slowly through the watery, Day-Glo tunnel emblazoned with pizza, Ruffles chips and foot-tall cans of Mountain Dew.

A journey through Garfields Nightmare lasts less than five minutes, but the ride sticks with you prompting lingering questions like how did a ride featuring Americas premiere lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat end up at Kennywood? Last fall, I decided to embark on a journey of my own, to uncover the history of this beloved and much-maligned attraction. And although there were no Ruffles or 3D glasses involved, it was a journey that took more turns than I ever expected.

In September of 2019, I met up with Nick Paradise, Kennywoods Director of Public Relations. We chatted on a bench just down the path from Garfields Nightmare. Nick acknowledged that I wasnt the only one with lingering questions about the ride, saying, we hear a lot of feedback about it. Its probably one of the rides that generates the most conversation. People largely do want it to go back to the Old Mill, whatever that may mean for them.

Over the years there have been a lot of iterations of the ride. It was originally built as The Old Mill in 1901 (and rebuilt in 1921), but between then and now, it was also re-themed as Fairyland Floats, Rapid Gorge, The Panama Canal, Tour of the World and Hard Headed Harolds Horrendously Humorous Haunted Hideaway among others. Every few years theyd rename it The Old Mill again though the theming was always different.

Brian Butko, Director of Publication at the Senator John Heinz History Center, looks at it from a historical perspective. A majority of people in recent years say they dislike Garfield, but decades ago, it was the Old Mills haunted Old West theme that was scorned for being dated and dumb. At the time, it had become boring except for couples needing some dark/quiet time.

Andy Quinn, who retired as Kennywoods Director of Community and Government Relations a few years back, agrees. It didnt matter what the theme was. Anyone who rode that ride in the sixties, seventies, eighties, they were not on that ride to look at the scenes.

Andy was the first person I reached out to who had been working at Kennywood during the rides Garfield-inspired transformation. I thought that he might be able to provide some context for Garfields arrival in the early 2000s. Andy explained that at that time, there was a big push for amusement parks to align themselves with popular cartoon characters. Six Flags had Looney Tunes. And Jim Davis (the creator of Garfield) looked around at all the parks and all the big ones were taken. Our company had five parks at the time and I believe it was Jim Davis who called us.

We had a long relationship with Jim Davis, Pete McAneny told me. Pete was the General Manager of the Kennywood Entertainment Company from 2003 to 2008. Since hes retired, hes been spending a lot more time with his grandson, who he was on his way to pick up when I reached him on the phone in his car. Pete recalls that his first contact with Garfield creator, Jim Davis, was related to an entirely different project. Jim Davis wanted to build a Garfield themed park in Indianapolis and he asked if wed come out and take a look at it and so we went out and met with him.

An entire theme park just for Garfield?!?! Just think of the possibilities! Lasagna bounce house? Odie tongue splash ride? A 90-minute musical revue celebrating Garfields beloved teddy bear, Pookie? Sadly, it wasnt meant to be, according to Pete, that Indiana park never really came together. The property was there, but there just wasnt the infrastructure for it or the capital. And so we talked about doing a Garfield ride at Kennywood.

I tracked down Larry Kirchner after I saw his company, Halloween Productions, mentioned briefly in a 2008 Pittsburgh Post Gazette article about new attractions at Kennywood. In the early 2000s, Larry was installing a ride at Kennywood when he noticed that the Old Mill hadnt been updated in a while, so I mentioned that if anything comes up with any of your dark rides, we would love to do it. I would almost do it for free. Larry started Halloween Productions, based in St. Louis, in 1989 and, as you might have guessed by the name, they had mostly built haunted houses and spooky rides up until that point, but he was excited to get into the dark ride business. As I learned in my research, dark ride is the industry term for an indoor ride that sends cars (or boats or trains) of visitors through lit scenes or tableaus. For instance, Its A Small World at Disneyland is a dark ride as is Pirates of the Caribbean and, of course, Kennywoods Old Mill.

Pete knew that it was time for The Old Mill to be replaced, but he initially wasnt sure what to put there. Its a high maintenance ride with a huge footprint. There were some suggestions that we should tear it down and use that parcel for something that had a higher capacity, but tradition and history is an important thing at Kennywood. Then he remembered his conversation with Jim Davis. They had already integrated some Garfield theming into the new Pounce Bounce in Kiddieland, but Jim Davis was especially interested in a dark ride. Pete admits, he wanted to sell merchandise, obviously. He thought if we put a ride together like that, then it would help.

So I got a call, Larry told me, and Pete said they were thinking of turning it into Garfields ride, but the budget wasnt that big. Larry took the job. As Pete remembers, Jim Davis himself wrote the script for the ride and did the initial drawings, but Larry remembers it a little differently. We did 20 or 30 drawings. He didnt do anything. I never talked to Jim Davis. The biggest thing was he, or someone, gave us some Garfield books and then we had to figure out which story we wanted to tell.

Initially, Larry had big plans that involved 3D effects and CGI and animatronics. We wanted to make it look like a billboard smashes open and theres a Frankenstein food character, and then we squirt them all with water. I wanted to do other CGI effects so it wasnt so static and so the characters were interacting with them. Obviously, there was a budget thing. In addition to budget restraints, there was another reason that they had to scale the ride back. Larry remembers being told that, we cant make it too great because too many people would want to ride it. It has a pretty limited capacity since its a boat ride.

Pete recalls that too and explained that many decisions at a theme park come down to ride footprints and capacity. On a good day, that ride can accommodate 3,500 people in 10 hours. One of the things we had to do is not make it too spectacular because it doesnt have a high capacity. So on a day that theres 15,000 people in the park and if you made it too good, youd have a line up to the Rankin Bridge.

Larry looked through the stack of Garfield books hed been given, he remembers, I came up with a simpler ride where it was more like you were riding through a book. So youd see these captions and comics that showed him having a nightmare. I asked Larry how they ended up going in the nightmare direction. We were known for Halloween and haunted house stuff so thats probably why we went in the direction of Garfield having the nightmare.

Reworking a hundred-year-old ride comes with some challenges. Larry points out that, without doing some massive redo, you couldnt move people faster or slower. Since the flow of water is controlled by the one big water wheel at the front of the ride, theres no way to speed it up or slow it down. We couldnt do a lot of the things we wanted to do because those boats pass through those scenes so quickly.

Throughout the process, Larry had to submit everything to PAWS, Garfields holding company for review. We had to do drawings of every scene and then get them approved by the creator of Garfield. Despite the limitations and instructions to not make it too great, Larry and his team gave it their all. It took months. We built and painted all the sets in St. Louis and then we sent painters to Pittsburgh and they worked through the winter it was freezing.

Throughout the process, Larry kept getting inspired and sneaking in more details. We scrutinized every little thing. Wouldnt it be cool if there were a salt and pepper shaker? What if we added a fork? We just kept adding more and more stuff. We were really creative and I dont know if we made a penny doing it.

On May 1, 2004, Kenny the Kangaroo climbed into a wooden boat along with Garfield and Odie for the inaugural ride through Garfields Nightmare. I remember being there on the day that it opened, Larry told me. I was there with my whole family. I have a video of my kids riding it and they loved it.

Nick remembers his first ride a little differently. Its sort of humorous on a personal level because the first time I ever rode that with a girl, potentially for that private time, was the very first year that it became Garfields Nightmare. So you get in there and were like what is this? This isnt what we thought we were going into. So it kind of dampened the mood. Garfields Nightmare is many things, but romantic is not one of them.

Despite the many detractors to the ride, Nick was quick to point out last fall that, when you walk by on a Saturday afternoon and the line is spilling out of the queue its kind of like it cant be that unpopular.

I asked Nick if Garfields creator, Jim Davis, had ever taken a ride through Garfields Nightmare. Im not sure. I dont recall seeing anything in the coverage or in our photo archives. Now I was even more curious. I made a mental note to make sure to ask every other person I talked to, to see if I could determine whether or not Jim ever experienced the ride.

Rob Henningers family has been involved with Kennywood for over a century. He started working at Kennywood over thirty years ago as part of the grounds crew. Now hes the Assistant General Manager and Maintenance Director of the park. He remembers that first summer too. I thought it was cute when it was fresh and new and a nice addition for smaller kids in the park.

The ride worked out exactly as Pete had hoped. It attracted families but wasnt so popular that it attracted too large a crowd. Brian Butko from the John Heinz History Center notes that at the time, only one writer, a columnist, gave it much coverage, and he did mention that locals might be sad about the shift away from the tradition.

After opening, Garfields Nightmare stood intact for a decade and a half, welcoming hundreds of thousands of Kennywood visitors into its watery, neon channels. Rob mentions that as one of the older rides, it does take a lot of upkeep between seasons. The old tongue and groove system just swells up and it holds the water. If its not the last one in the world its one of two. We rebuild some of that trough every year.

In recent years, the public outcry for a return to the Old Mill has grown louder. In September of 2019, Brian posed a question in his Kennywood Behind the Screams Facebook group. He asked We know you want the Old Mill back, but tell us WHY. That post quickly garnered 236 responses. Brian believes that, one big factor in the shifting attitudes has been the rise of social media. There may have been regret at the time the Old Mill was changed, or when, say, the Dipper coaster or Gold Rusher dark ride were removed, but other than person-to-person chit-chat, the changes went mostly unnoticed. Now every minor tweak is shared instantly and a sense of outrage and entitlement can rise quickly if a crowd decides the change is for the worse.

On March 9, 2020, Kennywood posted a video to its social channels that, at first, looked like a historical retrospective. Nick Paradise is giving an overview of The Old Mills many versions before the video cuts dramatically to a shot of a crane removing the Garfields Nightmare sign from the rides facade. In the video, Nick announces, Were going to be bringing back The Old Mill as so many of you have requested, restoring the ride to the retro-western theme thats been remembered by so many over the years but with plenty of new twists for a whole new generation to enjoy. He pauses before adding dramatically, The nightmare has ended.

Over 1,300 people shared that post on Facebook alone.

Just a few months earlier I had chatted with Nick at Kennywood and while he had hinted that Garfields Nightmare might not be there too much longer, he also didnt say anything to indicate that it would be gone by the next season. It seems that some dealings in the greater media world might have forced their hand.

In 2019, Nickelodeon (a division of Viacom) bought PAWS (the holding company that owns the rights to Garfield and some of Jim Davis other creations). Rob says Garfields new ownership was only part of the equation. I think Garfields time has come and gone and so I pushed for the re-theming of the ride. It just kind of got stale over time and then they wanted to substantially increase the licensing fees so it felt like a good time to go back to the Old Mill that a lot of our guests were clamoring for. I asked if anyone at Kennywood campaigned to keep Garfields Nightmare. I dont think there was anyone pushing to keep Garfield. After 16 seasons at Kennywood, it seems the ride had lost its freshness, not unlike a 16-year-old lasagna still sitting on the counter.

While I had Rob on the phone I, naturally, had to ask him if he remembered Jim Davis ever visiting the park. Im not sure why I became obsessed with this question but I love imagining a very meta scene in which Garfields own creator rides through his own creations nightmare. Rob didnt recall Jim visiting but he did recall his brother, Dave, visiting Kennywood once.

I was curious about what happened to all those Garfield cut-outs and evil animatronic foods. Rob explains, Those had to be destroyed. It would have been fun to have them around but with all the intellectual property, we even had to document it being destroyed. Its strange to think of an employee at the Nickelodeon offices watching that video of Garfield and Odie and that giant animatronic bulldog being smashed and pulled apart.

Larry Kirchner, of Halloween Productions, was sad to hear the news. He still thinks back fondly of Garfields Nightmare, adding thoughtfully I think its some of the best artwork thats ever been done in blacklight. Its beautiful.

Larry also would have liked to be a part of this new chapter of The Old Mill. I wish that we could have redone it but they had some real time constraints and that was before coronavirus. They had to do it with some local people. Larrys still hoping to get back to Kennywood soon. He says, my new goal would be to redo Ghostwood Estates. He built the original ride and he thinks its ready for a refresh, adding that all the CGI effects were done before HD so I would love to redo them all.

Though Pete McAneny hasnt been the boss at Kennywood for a number of years, all the recent decisions made sense to him. You have to remember what the goal was back then to keep the Old Mill concept in place but not make it so great that everyone who came to the park would want to ride it. So you have to gear it to a younger audience. And thats probably what theyre wanting to do again.

As Pete and I were wrapping up our call, I thought Id ask my burning question one more time. Had Jim Davis, creator of Garfield, ever taken the trip through Garfields Nightmare? Pete responded immediately, He came to Kennywood, oh yeah, he came a couple times. He rode the ride. His brother came as well. He was coming through Pittsburgh and we had dinner.

Finally learning that Jim Davis did in fact float through the ride inspired by his feline creation was so satisfying. I imagine Pete and Jim sitting across from each other at an Italian restaurant, recounting their favorite parts of the ride as they dig into a piping hot, celebratory lasagna.

On June 7, 2020, Kennywood released a few photographs of the newest version of The Old Mill on their Facebook page. While Garfield and Odie are now gone, the Day-Glo paint scheme is still intact and there are even some appearances by the coyote from the old Gold Rusher ride.

While much of our offseason efforts were paused or delayed over the past three months, some ghouls got going in our oldest ride. Here's a little sneak peek inside The Old Mill

Posted by Kennywood Park onSunday, June 7, 2020

The comments were full of people both praising and criticizing the new look. Nick understands their strong feelings, saying, its always hard to compete with peoples memories. Thats always a big challenge here at Kennywood. We try to walk a fine line between staying on the cutting edge and staying modern while also honoring the past and peoples memories.

Brian Butko adds, My Kennywood: Behind The Screams group members sometimes veer into I wish the park was as good now as it was then. I like to ask, When was that perfect time 1996? 1965? 1950, 1930? Logically we could go back to 1899, but even then, they cleared hundreds of trees to change a picnic grove into a trolley park. So, of course, the real answer is, it was best when we were young enough for nostalgia to make it all seem perfect.

Im sure its only a matter of time before someone starts a thread on Brians Facebook group pining for the good old days of Garfields Nightmare.

Ill leave you with some bonus viewing.

In Case You Want to Relive the Version of the Old Mill from Just Before Garfields Nightmare

Header Image:Garfield makes an appearance at the grand opening of Garfields Nightmare in 2004. Photo courtesy of Kennywood.

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The Anatomy of a Nightmare: How Garfield Came to Kennywood - Very Local New Orleans

Anatomy

Why ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Camilla Luddington Found This Episode So Difficult to Film: ‘I Was Just Shaking and Crying’ – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Greys Anatomyfans are eagerly awaiting the premiere of Season 17. The character of Dr. Jo Karev,portrayed by Camilla Luddington, has gone through many ups and downs on the show. Most recently, her husband and longtime love Dr. Alex Karev (played by Justin Chambers) just left her for his former flame Izzie Stevens.

Luddington has played out several dramatic storylines over the years, with one particular episode bringing on a myriad of emotions.

The British actress debuted on Greys in 2012. With her characters backstory including abandonment at a fire station at birth and being in foster homes and also homeless at times, Luddington has learned to master portraying Jo. Last year, the Greys star came up with an idea to add to Jos history and emailed show runner Krista Vernoff.

Maybe this is crazy, but what if we do a story about consent and have Jo be the product of rape,' Luddington recalled in April 2019 to Zimbio of emailing Vernoff. I didnt know what she was thinking at the timeorif shed already gone into the writers room the day before but said, We need to do an episode about consent. Krista wrote back to me immediately and said shewas onboard with the idea.

Luddington knew shed have her work cut out for her on the traumatic plot. I have to say that once we started filming the episode, thats when it really sunk in, she admitted. I kept wondering how Jo was going to overcome this tragedy, but the idea itself came together like it was kismet.

RELATED: Why Greys Anatomys Camilla Luddington Says Her First Scene With Ellen Pompeo Was Legitimately Terrible

Airing on March 28, 2019, the episode entitled Silent All These Years named for a Tori Amos song involved two storylines which melded together. One highlights Jo discovery that she was a product of rape, which is why her mother abandoned her. In the other plot, a patient named Abby (portrayed by Khalilah Joi) arrives at Grey Sloan and is seen by Jo, who finds out Abby was sexually assaulted after leaving a bar.

Being a victim of domestic abuse from her former husband, Jo identifies with the patient. She reminds Jo of herself, especially when Abby says that she hit her head on the cabinet, Luddington told Zimbio. Jo knows instantly thats not true and that someone hurt her. I think Jo can relate to the situation because she sees herself in Abby.

In the episode, Jo teams up with Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) to help Abby through the trauma. While Abby is afraid to report the assault to the police or her husband, she eventually agrees to provide evidence for a rape kit.

One of the episodes most groundbreaking scenes is when, after Abby reveals she is now afraid of all men, the women of Grey Sloan line the hallways to prevent any men from entering as they wheel Abby down the corridor. It felt like I was part of a warrior sisterhood, Luddington said of the scene which they called the Wall of Women.

NBC News reported that a study revealed the episode on consent and sexual assault led to an increase in hotline calls after it aired.

The content of Silent All These Years was the most traumatic Luddington had experienced while on the show.

There really wasnt a day of filming that wasnt difficult, to be honest, the Greys star shared. Shooting scenes about the rape kits were really intense and I had no idea what happens next after you say yes to administering one. I also remember readingthe Wall of Women scene, and I was just shaking and crying. Doing it was so emotional.

Luddington revealed that all who worked on Greys wanted to to show their support of the subject matter and its message.

RELATED: Greys Anatomys Camilla Luddington Pays Tribute To Her Late Mother on Instagram

The this is the first timeIve worked on an episode where everybody from production to editing wanted to be a part of a scene, she said. So, what you see in that hallway isnt just our normal background of female actors.This scene also includes women from all different areas of our production. Thats how much they believed in and wanted to be a part of this iconic moment on the show. So, that day was especially hard to shoot.

Greys Anatomys episode truly broke barriers when it aired Silent All These Years.

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Why 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Camilla Luddington Found This Episode So Difficult to Film: 'I Was Just Shaking and Crying' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

Augmented reality world premiere: pioneer study with holographically navigated surgery on the spine – Microsoft Schweiz Newsroom – Microsoft

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At Balgrist University Hospital, for some years a team of experts from the fields of research, engineering and surgery have been looking at the possibility of augmented reality (AR) to assist with operations on the spine. Imaging data on AR glasses should soon make orthopedic operations more efficient, precise, and safer for the patient. Balgrist University Hospital is laying the foundations for this with the first clinical study of its type in the world.

The study, which was approved by Swissmedic, is being carried out as part of Zurich University Medicines SURGENT (Surgeon Enhancing Technologies) Flagship Project. Together with their technology partner, Microsoft, Balgrist ROCS (Research in Orthopedic Computer Science) and Incremed, a university start-up supported by Balgrist Beteiligungs AG, are currently testing AR-based surgical navigation in orthopedics. In orthopedics, augmented reality is the key to creating new standards for carrying out precise patient-specific surgery. Thanks to the cooperation between the Zurich University, the University hospitals and the ETH, Zurich is at the cutting edge globally, says Prof. Dr. med. Mazda Farshad, Head of the Flagship Project and Chief Medical Officer of Balgrist University Hospital.

An important step for AR technology in the operating roomIn the first study of its type to be carried out anywhere in the world, complex surgical operations on the spine will be performed with or without holographic navigation, following a randomization procedure. The results of the initial phase are expected to be available in autumn 2020. A comparison of the groups should provide the basis for an important step towards bringing AR technology from the research laboratory into operating theatres across the world. Prof. Philipp Frnstahl, Head of ROCS at Balgrist, sees it as a prominent milestone on the way towards orthopedics shaped by computer technology, with the goal of allowing fully digitalized treatment. And Marianne Janik, CEO of Microsoft Switzerland, adds Cooperation with Balgrist University Hospital shows that augmented reality and artificial intelligence can already support and even enhance human abilities and expertise. We are proud that our technology meets the very high quality requirements and that we can contribute to this pioneering work.

Benefits for patients3D images of the affected anatomy are generated on the basis of CT scans and displayed directly in the surgical field during the operation. Surgeons can see the patients 3D anatomy using AR glasses. The AR navigation software guides each step of the operation. For example, it shows the exact placement of a screw at the correct site and the appropriate angle, and verifies the accuracy. In addition to the precise positioning of implant components, rod implants can be measured and thus individually dimensioned. This allows an enhancement of the surgeons perceptive senses.

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Augmented reality world premiere: pioneer study with holographically navigated surgery on the spine - Microsoft Schweiz Newsroom - Microsoft

Anatomy

In a South African cave, another piece in the puzzle of human evolution – Monash Lens

The site of the incredible discovery, explains Monash University palaeontologist Dr Justin Adams, is dry, scrubby and exposed country just 40 kilometres north of Johannesburg, in South Africa. It doesnt look like an archetypal dig. Instead, its in a very old collapsed cave complex named Drimolen, within the so-called Cradle of Humankind.

These are fascinating places to work in, Dr Adams says. In South African cave palaeontology, we dont struggle with finding the fossils. We know where they are theyre in the caves deposits, because caves attract animals.

The caves can be water catchments in an increasingly arid environment, because they meet the underground water table. Caves also help with thermo-regulation, because its cold at night and hot in the day; the caves clustered and trapped body heat. We also know predators used the caves, too, to den in, or as a retreat to feed and drag animal remains in with them.

Dr Adams is part of an international team led by La Trobe University in Melbourne that discovered and analysed fragments from a human-like childs skull at Drimolen. Dr Adams is a senior lecturer in anatomy and developmental biology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and a field palaeontologist.

The child was aged three; the fragments are two million years old. In doing so, the team has played an integral part in solving part of the puzzle of our human origins, and have had its extraordinary findings published in the journal Science.

The three-year-old was in the group of our human ancestors known as Homo erectus. Remains of Homo erectus fossils are rare in southern Africa; most discoveries of the species have come from northern and eastern Africa, Java, China, and the Republic of Georgia.

The discovery at Drimolen not only firmly establishes the species in southern Africa, but also represents the earliest fossil specimen of the species at slightly more than two million years old.

Of equal interest to science, however, is that the discovery at Drimolen also establishes the simultaneous occurrence of three genera of early human ancestors in southern Africa, alongside an incredible diversity of other animal species.

Its not what I would necessarily call a controversial finding, says Dr Adams (although this long-read in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald suggests it could be). But it provides clarity on some major issues that have remained queries for the last couple of decades.

The discovery proves three species of human ancestors lived in the same place at the same time, overlapping in the evolutionary chronology of our lineage. Of the three ancestral groups Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo only our genus (Homo) would survive past about 1.5 million years ago, and eventually lead to us Homo sapiens (the wise men in Latin) about 300,000 years ago.

Were now the only human species on Earth, but the Science paper documents that this wasnt always the case.

The South African site was only discovered as a palaeontological goldmine in 1992, and is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage-protected region of the Cradle of Humankind that spans across northern South Africa.

Our discovery is planting a flag, and saying there was Homo erectus here several hundred thousand years before what was known. So whatever biological events had to take place to get us to a Homo-like condition had already happened before two million years ago.

The discovery also ties into larger ideas weve had for a while about South Africa acting as an ecological refuge. It was a weird, mixed meeting point of older animal lineages starting to die out, but the newer animal lineages were migrating into these areas. There was never clear evidence for this, only suggestions that the process was occurring.

Around two million years ago was a radical transformation in the landscape, but it had an overlap of these three separate genera [kinds] of hominins [human-like species] at the same time. They were all able to live in this landscape, but they may have been doing fundamentally different things.

Our discovery is planting a flag, and saying there was Homo erectus here several hundred thousand years before what was known. So whatever biological events had to take place to get us to a Homo-like condition had already happened before two million years ago."

The new kid on the block, Homo erectus, is somehow able to live on the landscape, too, and the primary adaptation is having a big brain and children with big brains.

This new kid on the block is starting down an evolutionary pathway, but at the same time living on a marginal environment that represented a challenge for other hominin groups like Australopithecus,who we previously demonstrated had a unique survival strategy of returning to breastfeeding at times of limited nutritional options.

Among the rich record of extinct animals from Drimolen were also fossils of two species of sabre-tooth cats that had never before been found in the same fossil deposits.

The Drimolen cave had previously been mined for lime, leaving bands of sediment full of bones and fossils. The childs skull fragments were found preserved in these sediments.

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In a South African cave, another piece in the puzzle of human evolution - Monash Lens

Anatomy

Anatomy of Yet Another Hate Crime False Alarm – Reason

From the New York Post (Craig McCarthy):

The three cops at the center of the NYPDmilkshake "poisoning" scandal never even got sick, and there wasn't the slightest whiff of criminality from the get-go but that didn't stop gung-ho brass from rolling out the crime scene tape and unions from dishing out empty conspiracy theories, The Post has learned.

Police sources explained it was clear that the workers couldn't have known cops had placed the orders "since it wasn't done in person" and they couldn't have dosed the drinks after the officers arrived, because they were packaged and waiting for pickup when the trio walked in.

Soon after sipping the shakes, however, the cops realized they didn't taste or smell right, so they threw the drinks in the trash and alerted a manager, who apologized and issued them vouchers for free food or drink, which they accepted, according to sources.

But when the cops told their sergeant about the incident, the supervisor called in the Emergency Service Unit to set up a crime scene at the fast-food joint for an evidence search around 9:20 p.m. nearly two hours after they first got the sour shakes.

[B]y 10:45 p.m., the Detectives Endowment Association was declaring that Finest had become "ill" after being "intentionally poisoned by one or more workers at the Shake Shack" as Police Benevolent Association president Pat Lynch made a show of visiting Bellevue while his union declared at 10:47 p.m. that police officers came "under attack" from a "toxic substance, believed to be bleach."

Both messages flurried across social media, spawning a trending #BoycottShakeShack hashtag .

I thought of referring to this as a hate crime hoax; but because it's not obvious that there was more here than just overreaction, jumping to conclusions, and broken telephone (maybe there was and maybe there wasn't), I thought I'd be cautious and label it just a false alarm. Still, of course even such false alarms can be damaging to innocent businesses (here, Shake Shack) and can lead to needless fear, hostility, and social tension.

Originally posted here:
Anatomy of Yet Another Hate Crime False Alarm - Reason

Anatomy

Anatomy of a virtual rally How the BJP is reaching the electorate amid Covid-19 – ThePrint

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New Delhi: Posters and billboards, it appears, are pass in the post-Covid political world.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been conducting virtual rallies since 7 June to connect with the people and highlight the Modi governments work, has been relying on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to aggressively push its political messaging.

But how exactly are these virtual rallies being conducted? ThePrint spoke to a number of state unit functionaries of the BJP to understand the process.

Once it is decided that a virtual rally has to be conducted in a state, the BJP unit of that particular state asks the block, district and state units to use their Facebook and Twitter accounts to publicise it. Everybody from the councillors, MLAs, MPs, party supporters and workers are involved in the process.

A BJP leader said that before the virtual rally is conducted, cameras are set up and a stage is built from where the leaders can address the rally.

At the same time, a stage is also set at the headquarters of the state and there too a few leaders share the stage while maintaining a physical distance. A few party workers are also allowed to join the leaders and a separate seating arrangement (in front of the stage) is put in place for them.

During the physical rally before the main speaker, a number of leaders used to address the crowd. One of the main differences between the physical and virtual rally is that we have to keep such speeches short and only allow 2-4 people to address the rally before the main speaker. As it is digital, people can get bored very easily so this is crucial, said a second BJP leader.

In Delhi, for instance, there are 280 blocks and we ask each and every block to publicise it. Similarly, councillors, MLAs and MPs are told to put up the information on their personal handles also along with the link of the rally which would be used on the day of the rally, . This exercise is conducted at least four days before the rally, said a senior BJP functionary. They are also told to inform their followers that through FB live and on Twitter they will stream the rally live.

Senior BJP leaders and Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Nitin Gadkari, have already addressed a number of rallies and many more are in the offing.

Also read: The 5 key takeaways from virtual rallies by Amit Shah, Gadkari, Rajnath and Smriti Irani

Apart from the BJP website, the rally is streamed live on the partys YouTube channel, Twitter and Facebook account too. At times many news channels and websites also carry out live telecasts depending on who is addressing the rally this also becomes a medium to reach out to more people, said the second leader.

Following this, some key points are also identified by the state units where smart television screens are put up for people to watch.

All the councillors, MLAs, MPs are told that on their Twitter and FB they use a live telecast for which the link is created and provided by the state unit, said another party functionary. At points where television screens are put up by the party functionary, it is through screen mirroring the link prepared by the state unit is used to run a live stream on the smart LED television. The sets are usually taken on rent.

In every district, a few people are identified and tasked with keeping track of all activities leading to the virtual rally. IT conveners or sanyojaks were also appointed by state units who not only provided the tech know-how but at the same time in rural areas where connectivity is a major challenge they help telecast it on television screens, said another official.

A small stage is erected in the party offices where the virtual rally takes place and some of the main leaders and party functionaries sit there while maintaining social distancing.

Due to the changed scenario due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was decided by the party that it should connect virtually with the people as well as party workers. According to a senior BJP leader, national secretaries Tarun Chugh and Satya Kumar are in-charge of executing these virtual rallies.

Also read: The BJP should dump Nitish Kumar in Bihar, sooner the better

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Anatomy of a virtual rally How the BJP is reaching the electorate amid Covid-19 - ThePrint

Anatomy

Anatomy of a COVID-19 graduation – Sherbrooke Record

For the last 15 years, Mandy Sullivan, who teaches Grade 6 at St. Francis Elementary School in Richmond, has been creating a little extra time from April to June to help prepare the schools annual graduation ceremonies. Of course, the template she and her team developed over that time has been all but discarded this year because of the COVID-19 epidemic.We normally get together early in April to start talking about the graduation exercises, Mandy Sullivan says. The two Grade 6 teachersJasmine Mason has been teaching the other Grade 6 class the last few yearsare always involved but were always joined by four or five other teachers who want to help out.One of the first things we have to do is narrow down the list of students who are candidates for awards and prizes, she explains. In all there are about 20 awards given. Some students will get a plaque, others receive a book, and this means getting plaques engraved and shopping for books.In May, she continues, we start talking to the students about graduation, and we spend time on the valedictorians address. The students are conscious that this is a moment to both look back and look ahead, at the end of one phase of their education and the beginning of another. Interested students write a short valedictory speech as an exercise in writing and in public speaking. Students and teachers are involved in selecting the student who will deliver the valedictory address at graduation. Some years we have two valedictorians, and some years theyre joined by one or two other students who will recite something.In June, as graduation grows closer, the committees job list grows longer, and more people get involved.Both the Richmond St. Patricks Society and the St. Francis College Corporation present awards and we have to get in touch with their representatives, Mandy says. We also contact Kirk Robinson, the principal at RRHS, and invite him to address our graduates as our guest speaker. Perhaps most important we begin coordinating with the Parents Participatory Organization because they are the people who are in charge of the reception that follows in the gym right after the graduation exercises.These are held in the large space that was designed in the early 1940s to serve the dual purpose of auditorium and gymnasium. It can accommodate about 250 people, Mandy points out, but its a space that fills up quite quickly. Typically, graduating students want to invite their entire families: parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles. We just dont have the room. Depending on the number of graduates we havethis year there are 40they are given three, or four, or five invitations to give to the guests they want to have there.A surprisingly large number of people put in a lot of time and effort to organize the graduation exercises and reception, an event that lasts little more than two or two and a half hours.Its a milestone, Mandy explains, and its important to underline that, to make it a memorable moment.There was no question of not doing something this year, despite the pandemic, she asserts. We didnt know what to do, or what could be done within the constraints set by public health officials, but we were determined that we would do something this year as well.Since elementary schools reopened their doors in May, adapting the school environment to follow the rules of social distancing has posed a considerable challenge, one that has been met with a variety of stratagems.Jasmine Mason and I both had a class of 20 students this year, Mandy points out. Jasmine continued teaching from home, communicating with her students via computer while I taught in the classroom where I had nine students, plus a tenth who joined us for the last week.Were adaptable and flexible and we managed, says Mandy.That same adaptability and flexibility went into the preparation of Junes graduation exercises which were staged as a drive-thru event that took place on Monday, June 22. Starting at 5 p.m. cars with parents, graduates and other family members inched along as they would at a Tim Hortons.For full story and others, subscribe now.

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Anatomy of a COVID-19 graduation - Sherbrooke Record

Anatomy

If you like Greys Anatomy, here are 7 other shows on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and SonyLIV – GQ India

Greys Anatomy fans are part of an elite group who have binge-watched the 300+ episodes of this gripping drama series. But, after a point, you might want something a little more refreshing. Were thinking of some shows that comprise the same drama, crime, thrill, mysterious cases, perfectly placed cliffhangers and more. These shows on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and SonyLIV, for more than one reason, fall in a similar category as Greys Anatomy and we think you should check them out.

The best part about giving Station 19 a shot is the number of crossovers it has had with Greys Anatomy. Every now and then the Station 19 cast makes an appearance on the show, which means you will already share a familiarity with the on-screen characters. The spin-off features a Greys sweetheart, Miranda Bailey, and focuses mainly on her husbands life as he moves from medical to firefighting.

A most-favoured recommendation for Greys Anatomy fans, The Good Doctor is a medical drama about an autistic boy (Shaun) who undertakes a job as a trainee surgeon. His special mental abilities allow him to picture the human anatomy in a way that not a lot of people can. Shaun isnt loved by his work peers, but he finds a way to attain their friendship along the course of the show.

If you like Greys Anatomy for its drama, Suits is gonna be an instant hit with you. The show is a legal drama about a law firm where Mike Ross, a college dropout, starts working with Harvey Specter, a big shot lawyer. A constant throughout the nine seasons is the relationship between Mike and Harvey and their ability to solve cases. Pick up this series for its intriguing plot twists and turns that often end up with Specter using his brilliance to solve the mystery.

House is probably the first recommendation anyone would offer to a Greys fan. This features Hugh Laurie in the lead as Dr. Gregory House, an ingenious and unsociable physician. Dr. House builds controversial hypotheses about his patients, which usually leads to clashes with fellow doctors. His incapability to follow hospital rules brings in an added twist.

Chicago Med is based on the backdrop of a fictional public hospital Gaffney Chicago Medical Center and shows a similar doctor-patient drama series like Greys Anatomy. The only difference is that this one is based in a different location, Chicago. The show, while maintaining the prime focus on events in the hospital, also features various parallel storylines of the personal and interpersonal lives of the lead.

Another mystery drama for Greys Anatomy fans is How to Get Away with Murder. The show features a law class, where the teacher guides her students on the principle of how to get away with murder a technique to start thinking like the killer. Throughout its six seasons, the show serves up some intriguing mystery stories as cases.

The Residenthas doctors and the healthcare system as its central theme.The drama series takes you through the ugly truths behind the privatized medicine and health care system in America. The lead group on the show uncovers the dark side of modern-day medicine with the help of a senior resident at the hospital. It is an engaging medical drama show and has three seasons to keep you entertained.

Featuring:Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Grey Damon

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Platform: Amazon Prime Video

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Platform: Netflix

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If you like Greys Anatomy, here are 7 other shows on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and SonyLIV - GQ India

Anatomy

The Anatomy of Comfort Music – DJBooth

Photo Credit: Apple Music

Comfort music has taken on new importance. Im talking about the music we turn to for some sense of escapism, rooted reality, or pure joythe three essential elements of a comfort project. A cursory scroll of any social media platform will prove soothing music has never felt more crucial.

While we are still looking for music for the beautiful hashtag of our current moment, Id wager most of us music-heads are reaching further and further into our archives and playing the music with which we are most familiar and secure. Looking at some recent examples of the escapist, realistic, and joyful projects released in the hip-hop sphere, well break down the anatomy of comfort music, hopefully to the point of inspiring you, the reader, to assess your listening and indulge in your own comfort projects.

Transportive ability is the first and most obvious element of comfort music. You know, the music that immediately brings you to a better, perhaps sunnier and more inviting place. Released on May 22, 2020, Kota The Friends newest album, EVERYTHING, is 12 songs and 37 minutes of summertime.

From the first notes of opener Summerhouse, Kota sounds intent on taking us out of our present quarantine lives and into a world where the sun beams down, the cars speed by, friends are packed in together, and weve got a Couple of Ls, couple of blunts, couple of wins / Couple of drinks, couple of girls, couple of trips in tow. As the first verse of Summerhouse progresses, Kota sounds positively enthused. His energy is contagious. By the pre-chorus, Kota inspires cheesing of the highest order:

Sunshine, sunshine, yeah / I could fall in love right here / I could be young right here, I could live it up like, aye / Sit up in the sun like, aye, kick it in the cut all day / Listen to the drums all day, bang-bang-bang

Later, on Away Park, Kota digs deep into his memories and sparks in us memories we have yet to experience: I want that back in the day, circa 2008, beer cans by the lake / Fall in love for the fate, find someone and escape / You pour, I relate, we both outta place, get drunk hop the gate / Build Rome in a day, hold hands til they break.

Theres a subtle romance to these bars, and the swirling productionhandled by Hello Oshay, Kota, Alex Banin, and Kaiittakes us right to Kotas 2008. At the same time, it enchants our present. Kota has us in a time-bending trance, where our setting is anywhere but here. Were away from all of thisthe standard email greeting nowadays being In light of all of this.

A little over a month ago, I penned a piece ahead of my big move to Philadelphia with my girlfriend. Now that were all settled, but quarantine is still in effect, I turn to Kota The Friends EVERYTHING to bring us down to the beach, the park, up against the sunset, and into summer nights filled with lightning bugs and good tidings.

In reality, shes in the kitchen cooking a HelloFresh meal while Im fiddling with my camera in the living roomphotographing the cats, of course. Theres something to be said for how seamlessly Kotas music works its way into my life, how it makes me feel so far away from my present reality, but also makes me feel secure in my current moment. Such is the essence of comfort music, how it brings us there, just to bring us back.

On the opposite end of the comfort music spectrum is the need to be rooted in reality. This element refers to the times where we do not want to look away or disconnect. Still, we want to feel a closeness to realityto understand better, appreciate, or navigate said reality.

Always true to the hard facts and concrete emotions, Armand Hammers latest record, their most lush and loose project to date, Shrines, contains the necessary dose of reality so familiar to both billy woods (See: 2019s Hiding Places and Terror Management) and ELUCIDs (See: Duncecaps Miserable Then, and ELUCIDs discography) collective solo works.

Back in 2018, I asked Armand Hammer if they spoke the truth, to which ELUCID replied: When Armand Hammer makes records, or when I make records, I dont think that I have the truth. Its true to me, and maybe other people can jive with that, but its more like a personal statement when I make music. billy woods seconded this notion, and within this deeply personal answer is the magic of Armand Hammers rooting music. They make grounding works by speaking to a truth laden within them, as opposed to working at truisms or universalities.

I would say that every time that Im really proud of myself in rapping is when I said something that I think is essentially true, woods told me two years ago. Shrines is an essentially true record, dealing with grim reality while also injecting humor as the gentlemen are so intent on accomplishing. woods straight-laced imagery contrasts against ELUCIDs more obscure poetic leanings, and together, they blend to represent the world in which we live. They represent a world devoidon the surfaceof peace and answers. They represent the need to dig and excavate and define life for yourself.

Shrines is a comforting album because of the work it asks of the listener because it brings the listener nose-to-nose with truth. Because the breath of reality is hot on our faces, we can take comfort in the simple fact we are engaging with our world. Its not the most apparent method of self-soothing, but it can be the most effective. At the very least, it stands to be the most cathartic.

An offshoot of rooted reality is our need to find joy in our current moment. The music which sparks the most happiness in us is nothing short of precious, and such is the case with Jack Harlows catalog, and his most recent EP, Sweet Action, featuring his now-Platinum single, WHATS POPPIN.

The swagger and ease Jack brings to this EP make it an immediate confidence boost and a staple of my comfort music quiver. Theres not much thinking to do here. You put on Sweet Action, and you simply feel good. In an era where information and misinformation overload are rampant, having a project that instantly releases a dose of good energy feels necessary and, in some ways, powerful.

When youre recording, what keeps you excited is you can feel theres inspiration in the writingeven if its something simple, Jack told me during the release week of Sweet Action. Its the natural simplicity of his themes on I WANNA SEE SOME ASS and the groove of OUT FRONTthe vocal trick of pussy runs the world on that song in particularthat breeds comfort.

Flows are coming easier than ever, he said. Its like dancing. Especially when Im freestyling. The fluidity of Sweet Action makes it the perfect comfort project, for it sparks joy with ease and puts a smile on your face not dissimilar from the way Kota The Friends imagery relaxes you.

The goal is to get out of thinking and into feeling, Jack ultimately concluded during our talk. Stepping into feeling makes Sweet Action a product of immense breeziness and cheer. Though I rush to intellectualize everything in my life, Sweet Actions seven-song runtime breaks me away from that tendency.

The project is an invitation to enjoy life as it stands, to praise the present. The music on Sweet Action, the way Jack finds sticky melodies and crafts endless earworms, invites us to fall for life as it stands. In contrast to Kota taking us somewhere else, and Armand Hammer bringing us closer to the essence of reality, Jack turns reality into a dance party. He is the DJ and the main event in one.

Packed with vocal and emotional tricks, Sweet Action exists as perfect comfort music. At every turn, Jack dazzles and distracts, just to whip around and enhance our surroundings. I play Sweet Action once a day, a byproduct of its brisk runtime, and I feel myself growing more and more comfortable as it takes hold of my morning routine. Jack Harlow makes joyful music to live with, music to uplift any situation. He summons smiles and conjures laughter. And Ill be damned if a good laugh by way of jeering lyricism isnt a cure for an aching present.

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The Anatomy of Comfort Music - DJBooth