New Documentary by World Robot Olympiad Reveals Why Kids Fall in Love with Robotics

Each year, students from around the globe compete in World Robot Olympiad. To claim the coveted championship, they use their engineering skills, LEGO ingenuity, and competitive drive to qualify regionally, nationally, and internationally. ME & MY ROBOT follows 18 teams from 10 different countries — utilizing video diaries from the kids themselves.

Robotics is not just the stuff of sci-fi movies anymore, but something every child can – and should – learn to develop skills that employers are already prizing. That is the mission of World Robot Olympiad: to introduce STEM through fun robotics competitions and connecting thousands of children and youth regardless of their nationality and background. 

A new documentary – ME & MY ROBOT – follows several WRO teams to show how robotics impact the way kids see and interact with the world around them. The documentary premieres November 8 during the international final in Hungary, and will be part of a campaign to inspire students to explore their interest in STEM.

Trailer for ME & MY ROBOT

New friend, bonus family and first place

Fabian and Adib are two of the kids featured in the documentary. The story of how they became a team is remarkable. In 2016, Adib moved from Syria to Germany with his family, because the situation in Edlib had become too dangerous. His plan was to continue with robotics in Germany, maybe to forget about the war and leaving home. To find a partner, Adib looked for participants in robotic competitions and came across Fabian, who appeared to be the only other teenager in the state working with robotics in their age group. By a stroke of luck Fabian went to a school in Halle, Adib's new home town.

They met, and despite the fact they didn't share a language, they talked 2-3 hours about building better algorithms and robots. The first year they communicated in English. The second year Adib was fluent in German and they won 1st place in the German national WRO final. 

Adib says: "The main reason I speak German is because of Fabian's parents. I went climbing, swimming, and skiing with the family. They showed me how cool Germany is and have helped me a lot with practical things. They still do."

'Where else could this happen'

Last year at the international WRO final in Thailand, Adib and Fabian talked to the Russian team. They communicated through Google translate, exchanged email and are still developing algorithms together. 

Adib says: "They build algorithms on top of ours, which is extra cool. Where else could this happen: Syrians, Germans and Russians coding together? This kind of experience can't be taught at university or on your own. You have to exchange ideas and learn from other experienced people."

Adib's and Fabian's passion for robotics and LEGO have been passed on to their younger brothers, who now participate in WRO. Word of mouth is one way to acquaint more kids with STEM. Another is collaboration between NGOs, companies, governments and universities who want to help foster the engineers and inventors of tomorrow. Like the international WRO final in November which is hosted by the Hungarian government and Edutus University – and ME & MY ROBOT, which is presented by Juniper Networks and executive producer James Redford.

Facts

• The documentary was filmed up to and during the international final in Thailand 2018.
• More than 27,000 teams are participating in national WRO competitions in 2019.
• The international WRO final attracts 400 teams from 65 countries and 3,000 visitors.
• Teams consist of two to three young people supervised by a coach.

SOURCE: World Robot Olympiad Association

Related Video:

The Legendary Doll Collection Of American Heiress Huguette Clark Announced For Auction

A sample of over 400 Dolls and Automata from the collection of mysterious heiress, Huguette Clark, to be auctioned by Theriault's

When Huguette Clark, the 104-year-old daughter of W.A. Clark, the Gilded Age copper baron, died in 2011, she and her father left a legacy that spanned from the American Civil War all the way to the Obama administration. This fascinating life was documented in the New York Times best-selling book, Empty Mansions, by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.

Among the treasures she left behind in her Manhattan 5th Avenue penthouse were paintings by Monet and Renoir, violins by Stradivarius, jewels from Cartier and her famed collection of rare antique dolls.

The doll collection will be auctioned by Theriault's, the international doll auction firm, at a special event to be held in Santa Barbara on January 11th and 12th, 2020 to benefit The Bellosguardo Foundation which oversees the historical coastal property in Santa Barbara, CA bequeathed by Huguette Clark as a future center for the arts. 

• A small collection of historically relevant dolls will be curated by Theriault's and retained by Bellosguardo for inclusion in the home display.

The collection comprises extraordinary dolls and automata from the French golden age of 1860-1890, as well as selections of sought-after early Japanese cultural dolls and architectural miniatures.

The dolls will be presented in a commemorative catalog which includes many historical references concerning the life of Huguette Clark including such unique correspondences as that with Christian Dior, the iconic fashion house which created custom costumes for some of her 19th-century fine French bebes.

Huguette Clark at Columbia Gardens, Butte, Montana

About Huguette Clark:

(Via Wikipedia)

Huguette Marcelle Clark (June 9, 1906 – May 24, 2011) was an American heiress and philanthropist, who became well known again late in life as a recluse, living in hospitals for more than 20 years while her various mansions remained unoccupied. She is the subject of the No. 1 bestselling biography Empty Mansions and the planned film based on the book.

The youngest daughter of Montana senator and industrialist William A. Clark, she spent her early life in Paris before relocating with her family to New York City, where she was educated at the Spence School. After a short-lived marriage ended in 1930, Clark returned to her residence at 907 Fifth Avenue, a large twelfth-floor apartment that she significantly expanded to occupying two floors. She also meticulously maintained Bellosguardo, a large familial estate in Santa Barbara, California, though she never returned to the property after the 1950s. [Click here to read more...]

About The Bellosguardo Foundation:

Huguette Clark bequeathed her magnificent Santa Barbara estate to the Bellosguardo Foundation in order to transform it into a focal point for art and culture. For more than half a century, the estate has stood frozen in time. The Foundation is committed to honoring the Clarks' legacy, while transforming Bellosguardo into a center for art, music, history, and culture on the California coast.

SOURCE: Theriault's

Here's How Your Foreign Accent Can Unfairly Destroy Your Credibility

It’s not what you say… it’s how you say it. (Shutterstock)

There’s an old Punch magazine cartoon depicting a rather typical business boardroom. The group in the illustration includes one woman and several men, with the chairman saying, “That’s an excellent suggestion, Miss Triggs. Perhaps one of the men here would like to make it?”

The cartoon is still regularly shared on social media in the context of the debate around unconscious, or automatic, bias. This bias can happen when people unknowingly favour people who appear to be more like themselves, and discriminate against those who appear “different”. Examples include white people being more likely to find black male faces more threatening, or applicants with ethnic minority sounding names being less likely to get a job interview, even when they have the same qualifications.

Many employers now require their employees to take courses aimed at making them aware of this bias. Judging another person’s capability or credibility based on their gender, race or whether they use a wheelchair is obviously discriminatory, as such characteristics are unrelated to competence and expertise.

What accents say

But most people never stop to reflect on the degree to which accent can affect their opinion of the person speaking – particularly (but not only) if the accent gives the speaker away as someone who did not learn the language as a native speaker.

A particularly disturbing example was recently reported in the form of a judgment by Canadian judge Terry Clackson. The judgment lists in great detail a range of grammatical and phonetic “errors” committed by the Crown’s expert medical witness, Dr Bamidele Adeagbo – who is of Nigerian descent – rejecting the expert opinion delivered in his capacity as the physician who performed an autopsy that was a key element in the case.

In the present day and age, one would very much hope that stereotypes based on race, gender or sexual identity would not be seen as remotely acceptable arguments in a court ruling. So how can a supposedly imperfect command of the English language by someone who did not have the good fortune of being born and raised in what linguist David Crystal has termed an “inner circle” country – such as the UK, the US or Canada – be acceptable grounds for dismissing their considerable expertise?

‘You’re not from 'round here!’ (Shutterstock)

Like the non-male, the non-white and the non-able-bodied, non-native speakers often face an uphill struggle to be heard and taken seriously. Research shows that they are seen as less intelligent and competent, are less likely to be found suitable for higher-status jobs, and are less likely to be believed when delivering trivia statements such as “ants don’t sleep”.

How well we speak the language therefore is a measuring stick for how competent we are at anything else. As the linguist Vivian Cook pointed out, foreign language speakers are typically evaluated not on the basis of how far they have come, what they have achieved and how much they are able to do, but by the gap that still separates them from the “ideal” native. The enumeration by Justice Clackson of the imperfections in Adeagbo’s use of English is a textbook example of such an evaluation.

Such biases are particularly common in societies where it still is considered the norm for people to grow up speaking only one language, and where foreign language learning is deemed to be a “useless” luxury – although similar biases have been shown to apply among other non-natives who presumably should share the pain.<

‘Where are you from?’

Even more disturbingly, labelling someone as “foreign”, with all the prejudices and stereotypes that this incurs, is something that literally happens within a split second. One study found that judgements on whether or not a speaker is a native can be surprisingly accurate upon hearing a speech segment that is just 30 milliseconds long.

Certainly, after a sentence or two, the listener will have made up their mind – and often will follow it up with the inevitable and ubiquitous question: “Oh, where are you from?” At that point, you know you have been labelled – and that your credibility is in tatters. What you say is now less important than how you say it.

While it is essential that these prejudices should be called out and recognised as part and parcel of unconscious bias, and that we should try to work against them, it is clear that this will have to be a marathon, not a sprint. The view that someone with a more “native” command of a language must be more knowledgeable than one who doesn’t – even if we are talking about a non-native who is considerably more expert – is deeply rooted and hard to challenge.

In an ideal world, society should treat everyone as equal, regardless of their wealth, power, status, race, gender – or accent. We do not live in such an ideal world. But there is a reason why many societies represent Lady Justice as wearing a blindfold: the judiciary must put facts and expertise in the balance and be able to abstract away from base prejudices.

“Thank you for your excellent analysis, Dr Adeagbo – perhaps a native speaker would care to present it?” is simply not good enough.

About Today's Contributor:

Monika Schmid, Professor of Linguistics, University of Essex

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

How the War on Drugs and Myths about Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us

War on Us: How the War on Drugs and Myths about Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us. - Book Cover

While the War on Drugs may have sounded like a good idea at one time, the consequences have been catastrophic. One in three adults in the United States now have a criminal record, primarily for drug possession. The U.S. government seizes more assets under civil forfeiture law than ALL reported burglaries combined. Parents grieve the loss of their children as overdose and mass incarceration have escalated. Patients with severe illness or chronic pain are denied access to proven pain medications.

We've all become victims of this war, observes Colleen Cowles, a lawyer, speaker, teacher, advocate and author of the new book, War on Us: How the War on Drugs and Myths about Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us.

Cowles spent 15 years researching and writing this informative yet highly personal book. She is the parent of two sons whose experiences sparked her interest in learning more about the War on Drugs and its victims. As an attorney, she worked with clients whose lives were turned upside down by addiction and failed drug policy. Ultimately, she produced a roadmap for how individuals, professionals and policy makers can transform this punitive war into compassionate and effective policy. Cowles is also the author of the online course "A Parent's Guide to Addiction: Moving Past Punishment."

What Others Are Saying About the Book:

"A must-read for parents, taxpayers, educators, decision-makers, health-care providers and criminal justice professionals." — Gretchen Burns Bergman, A New PATH; Moms United to End the War on Drugs

"I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about the increasing toll of death and destruction resulting from America's longest war." — Jeffrey A. Singer, MD, senior fellow, Cato Institute

"As a retired police detective, I've personally seen the effects of the War on Drugs. Colleen Cowles has captured the day-to-day agony created, for citizens as well as for law enforcement, and gives valuable insight into the history, the effects, the obstacles to change, and logical alternatives to this war that's killing our kids and destroying our communities." — Howard Wooldridge, Citizen's Opposing Prohibition; co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

"This book is highly readable, engaging, fast-paced and covers a breathtaking amount of ground." — Daniel N. Abrahamson, former director of legal affairs and senior legal advisor at the Drug Policy Alliance; law school lecturer on drug law and policy

"A compelling look behind the scenes on the War on Drugs and the ensuing humanitarian crisis facing those living with chronic disease and addiction." — Lauren Deluca, president, CIAAG, (Chronic Illness Advocacy & Awareness Group)

Colleen Cowles

About the Author:

Colleen Cowles, J.D., speaks at corporate, public, association and university events, and is an author and frequent radio and TV guest expert on topics related to criminal justice reform, drug policy, and substance use disorder.

Related Video:

SOURCE: Colleen Cowles

Living With An Environmentaly Friendly Focus: Can You Do More?

A cup of coffee and a laptop... (image via Pixabay)

Some people have big views on the way the modern society is changing. The use of carbon emissions in our city centres. The way we have created such a wasteful lifestyle, and how we can take convenience as a matter of importance. There is the failings of vulnerable people being reported everyday, and the protests of peace for the whole world that can be ignored. So as someone who may feel strongly about these views, are you doing all that you can to live with this focus, and to help spread awareness? With that question in mind, here are some of the things that you could consider.

It isn’t just about what you say

Sometimes it isn’t just about what you say to people, you need to be able to share and spread awareness with information that has the right level of facts and also information that supports what you are saying. This is when you may want to look online and find websites that are full of information on the subject, such as websites like https://www.wopg.org/ where peace of words and different speakers will help to share and express your views in a different way.

Using digital platforms to your advantage

A great way to help share what you are doing and the changes that you are making to your life and the way that you live is to use digital platforms to help spears the awareness a little more. This could be easily done through already established personal social media channels that you have. It might be a case of sharing articles or speeches that mean something to you, or simply sharing what you are doing to make a change. You could also use an online blog to write about it in more detail. Sharing your articles with people and also helping them to spread awareness through the information and the content that you have written.

Practice what you preach

Another option to consider would be to seriously practice what you preach. That might be things like living more sustainably. This could mean things like growing your own food, and recycling more. It could mean that you live more consciously, such as using less plastic on a day to day basis to help reduce the amount of consumption that is polluting our seas right now. You could also change the way your home is energised by opting for solar panels as an option instead. There are many ways that you can live in the way that you believe in, that doing so can help you to lead by example with others following.

Find people that share the same view

Finally, it may be worth finding people that share the same views and opinions than you. This is different to seeking out confirmation on websites and through online blogs set up by others. This could be in your friends, your co-workers, and the people you lease with day in day out.

Let’s hope these suggestions help you to live with an environmentally friendly focus in your life.

Balt Getty Debuts New Single, 'LOSER' with Eccentric Music Video [Video Included]

Balt Getty - Loser Artwork

The Los Angeles born-and-raised maverick that is Balt Getty is back with another single, just in time for Halloween. The multi-talent creative releases "LOSER," the new theme song for all those who feel different. Everyone, even The Rock, has days that they feel like a loser and Balt Getty is right there with you.

"LOSER" brings a sense of humor and wit to the subject. Balt, himself, feels this way but yet travels the world, designs beautiful clothing, DJs some amazing parties, and still, sometimes he feels like a loser and an alien in this world. The song itself has a catchy melody that's easy to move and sing or rap along with. The lyrics are literally brought to lyrics through the music video, giving viewers an inside look on the real-life of Balt Getty; everything from his art to his clothing line, his drawings, his travels, his music. Intertwined with the lyrics as they're brought to life around the screen with playful effects that give the video some extra oomph.

The Video:

You may already be familiar with Balt Getty from one of his many feature films or TV roles or his newly launched clothing line/store Monk Punk. However, these days the recording artist/DJ is focused on his first love, music, and has been releasing under his alter-ego Balt Getty and working on his visionary collective Purple Haus Music, which has ignited collaborations for everyone from rap legends Wu-Tang Clan to Latin superstar Asdru Sierra.

Balt Getty

Getty sheds some insight on his ideas behind the new release, "The song LOSER is about feeling different. Feeling like a loser, feeling like a creep, feeling like an outsider. And then drawing parallels with being a Vampire, needing blood to survive. A metaphor for needing attention, needing love. Needing all those things we're always looking for to fulfill ourselves, to fill that hole inside of us I guess. All with a sense of humor of course. Yeah, it's in the title. I'm a loser I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, I'm eccentric. You know, all these things that are a part of me. We see one thing on the outside but often feel differently on the inside. It's sorta cheeky, witty look at that."

• You can also listen to the song here

SOURCE: Balt Getty

Maya Biosphere Watch Opposes Proposal For Jungle Train And Disney-Like Theme Park

Archaeologist Richard Hansen looks out over the Maya Biosphere he hopes to develop from a tower at El Mirador. ( Photo by Kelly McLaughlin.)

A proposal to build a Disney-like theme park in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala is under fire from a coalition of forestry and conservation groups as well as Mayan archaeologists.

"The future of the Maya Biosphere Reserve must lie in the hands of the Guatemalan people," said Teena Clipston, founder of the Maya Biosphere Watch, a coalition opposing the project. "They are the ones that need to make the decisions in what happens to their land."

The jungle theme park is the brainchild of Dr. Richard D. Hansen, an archaeologist from Rupert, Idaho, and director of the El Mirador Archaeological Project in the reserve.

"We have a real live Disneyland here," Hansen said. "We don't have to invent anything. It's all here. Animals, crocodiles, tapirs, jaguars, ruins, jungle, macaws, parrots, toucans, it's all here," Hansen said in an interview at the El Mirador archaeological site.

Though the plan has not been made available to the public, Maya Biosphere Watch reports that a 2018 executive summary documented plans for multiple hotels and a train that would traverse the rainforest, linking nine archaeological sites.

Clipston said forestry workers, archaeologists, and conservation groups in the area opposes the plan. The group believes the theme park would disrupt conservation efforts by forestry concessions and displace thousands of local residents, many of whom are descended from the ancient Maya, she said.

Hansen has hired a lobbying firm to seek out government assistance in Washington to raise the more than $100 million dollars for the project. Hansen has worked in the area for decades and has pursued this vision for at least 20 years. He believes it will be the salvation of the region, preventing deforestation, drug trafficking and halting migration to the U.S.

Conservation groups say the reserve is not in any immediate danger and insist that removing national parks and forest concessions would threaten the fragile rainforest environment. 

They point to a 2017 report by Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, a government agency, that shows a net gain in the amount of forest within the Eastern MBR over recent years.

"Like most people," Clipston said. "I was lured into the idea of this proposal being beneficial to the people and the forest, but after further investigation I was disheartened."

Dr. Tomas Barrientos, codirector of La Corona Archaeological Project in the MBR, says "The role that local communities have played in the preservation of nature must be taken into consideration."

Dr. Francisco Estrada-Belli, a Guatemalan archaeologist and director of the Holmul Archaeological Project, openly voices his disapproval. "It concerns me that those outside the academic community who currently support Hansen's project genuinely believe he is working to benefit Guatemala, while the plan appears to be more about him having control of a large portion of the country than about benefitting Guatemala or science."

Roan Balas McNab, program director of Wildlife Conservation Society in Guatemala, says Hansen's plan would "undermine the social fabric of the eastern Maya Biosphere Reserve, one of the few Mesoamerican wilderness areas that is actually increasing in size.

Our call to Guatemalans, Mexicans, and the U.S. supporters alike is that they take a step back, debate the merits and challenges inherent in this proposal, and at all costs avoid a rush to judgement."

• A full report on the controversy is available here.

SOURCE: Maya Biosphere

HBO Makes It "Rain Squid" To Promote New Series Watchmen In New York City And Los Angeles [Video Included]

HBO makes it "rain squid" to promote new series Watchmen in New York City and Los Angeles (PRNewsfoto/OUTFRONT Media Inc.)

In anticipation of one of their biggest shows of the year, HBO made a massive splash for Watchmen by utilizing an array of OUTFRONT (NYSE: OUT) out-of-home assets including bus posters, transit shelters, wallscapes, billboards, subway posters, and Liveboards, throughout New York City and Los Angeles.

The campaign maximizes augmented reality ("AR") on LA and NY bus shelters , which surprises commuters as it appears to "rain squids" from the sky, a reference from the original Watchmen graphic novel and the series' first episode. 

This is accomplished by placing a camera directed on the street and superimposing the experience on the current environment. The Liveboards included a real-time countdown that led up to the show's premiere on Sunday, October 20; an additional eight episodes will be released throughout the season. 

The series' all-star cast members include, Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and more.

The Video:

"Squid falling from the sky is a daily reality for the characters in our Watchmen universe, and one that to them isn't really that odd," said Yauny Wheaton, VP Program Marketing, HBO. "For commuters in our world though it would be totally unexpected. So, with the use of AR technology we found a way to bring this unique element of the series to life."

The campaign features the series' key image and tagline "It's Time" in bright neon font, which is promoted on both dynamic digital and static displays. With a combination of out-of-home assets placed throughout two of the largest cities in the country, the show is set to have a significant following.

"The combination of highly visible out-of-home media formats created huge awareness for Watchmen's much anticipated launch," said Jodi Senese, Chief Marketing Officer of OUTFRONT Media. "HBO utilized a strong mix of static and dynamic digital assets to prime and excite the marketplace for this bold new series."

Watchmen on HBO

About HBO's Watchmen:

(Via Wikipedia)

Watchmen is an American superhero drama television series, inspired by some characters from the DC Comics limited series of the same name created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The TV series is created by Damon Lindelof for HBO, with Lindelof serving as executive producer and writer. The series takes place in an alternate contemporary reality in the United States, in which superheroes and masked vigilantes were outlawed due to their violent methods, but some of them gather around to start a revolution while others attempt to stop it.

According to Lindelof, the TV series is not a direct adaptation of the original source material, instead, being "remixed"; aiming to tell an entirely new story set in the world where the events of the original storyline took place. The series also showcases different points of view, with the only characters from the original storyline confirmed to appear in the series being Doctor Manhattan, the former Silk Spectre, and former hero Ozymandias. It retains continuity with the original comic, however, and can be considered a loose sequel. The series' lead character is detective Angela Abar, codenamed Sister Night, portrayed by Regina King.

[...]

HBO's Watchmen - The Trailer:

SOURCE: OUTFRONT Media Inc.

Saddle Up With George Strait As AXS Celebrates Country Icon's Upcoming Las Vegas Shows With Life-Like Pumpkin Carving For Halloween [Video Included]

An annual tradition, AXS has created a larger-than-life pumpkin sculpture of a music icon. For 2019, the ticketing and technology company selected the best pumpkin from the patch and headed to Texas to hold court with the King of Country himself, George Strait.

For the fourth year in a row, AXS has created a larger-than-life pumpkin sculpture of a music icon. For 2019, AXS selected the best pumpkin from the patch and headed to Texas to hold court with the King of Country himself, George Strait. 

Soundtracked to Strait's hit singles "We Really Shouldn't Be Doing This," "Write This Down" and more, the life-like carving captures Strait's unmistakable rabble-rousing spirit, decking the pumpkin with the singer's trademark Stetson and winning cowboy smile.

The George Strait Pumpkin Video:

AXS created the George Strait pumpkin to celebrate the country giant's upcoming exclusive engagement at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Since 2018, Strait has set up camp in the Entertainment Capital of the World, headlining multiple shows at T-Mobile Arena with more on the way in 2020. 

George Strait

• Strait will perform at T-Mobile with Ashley McBryde as support this December 6 and 7 before returning again in February 2020 during his "Gone West" run.

The George Strait pumpkin (carved by pumpkin artist Jon Neill) continues AXS' Halloween tradition of carving life-like pumpkins of some of the world's greatest talent. In 2016, the Jon Bon Jovi pumpkin did the rounds, while Slash and Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco transformed into pumpkins in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Now, it's the King's turn.

The Slash Pumpkin Video:

The Brendon Urie Pumpkin Video:

SOURCE: AXS

"Behind the Smile" - New Report From World Animal Protection Exposes Scale Of Suffering Behind Dolphin Tourism Experiences

Public display facilities confining marine mammals such as dolphins, are not essential conservation or education resources. The animals suffer poor welfare as a result of their captive environment. Pictured; Dolphins posing for visitors at an entertainment park in China. Credit Line: World Animal Protection Date: 08/08/2019 (CNW Group/World Animal Protection)

A new global report from World Animal Protection shows the massive scale and profitability of the multibillion-dollar, dolphin entertainment industry which causes immense animal suffering. This is likely unknown to many Canadian tourists who visit sun destinations like Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. Some 64% of Canadians polled have gone on holiday to a destination where dolphin tourism was offered.

Millions of animal lovers every year are tricked into thinking that dolphin shows and swim-with-dolphin experiences sold by the world's largest travel companies are humane, educational and support conservation efforts.

The report, Behind the Smile, is the most comprehensive assessment of captive dolphins to date. It reveals that globally, there are 336 dolphin entertainment venues in 54 countries, including the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and China, which confine at least 3,000 dolphins.

Melissa Matlow, Campaign Director for World Animal Protection says, "For wide-ranging, social and intelligent animals like dolphins, a life spent in a concrete tank entertaining tourists is no life at all. Every ticket sold is an incentive for this industry to continue breeding and capturing dolphins for a lifetime of suffering."

Fortunately, governments and travel companies are starting to respond to the scientific evidence and public pressure against keeping dolphins in captivity. Last June, Canada passed legislation banning the breeding, display and trade of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) making it illegal to possess cetaceans for purposes other than research or rehabilitation.

Also in Canada, Transat and Air Canada have shown leadership on this issue. Transat has ceased commercializing all shows featuring captive marine mammals, including swimming with dolphins, with its holiday packages and flights-only sales. In so doing, the company is asserting its leadership in responsible tourism and responding to the concerns of travellers who are increasingly sensitive to the well-being of these wild animals.

"Transat supports the actions of World Animal Protection and is committed to helping its local incoming tourism partners, including its own Trafic Tours business unit, to cease commercializing such activities by finding economically viable and socially acceptable ways to replace them within two years," says Odette Trottier, Director, Communications and Corporate Affairs for Transat.

Peter Fitzpatrick, Director of Corporate Communications for Air Canada, Central Canada stated, "By the end of August 2020, Air Canada and its subsidiaries (including Air Canada Vacations) will no longer directly sell or promote packages to, or generate revenue from, attractions that involve the captivity of current or future generations of dolphins."

Other major travel brands such as Virgin Holidays, Trip Advisor and Booking.com, following guidance from World Animal Protection, have taken similar steps. They recently committed to stop selling or promoting tickets to captive dolphin venues.

However, market research shows that there is still work to do to educate and influence Canadian tourists, booking sites and travel companies. For example, 50% of Canadian tourists still consider keeping dolphins in enclosures acceptable and one-third of Canadian travellers have participated in at least one dolphin-related activity in the past three years.

"Canadian attitudes and behaviours are changing," says Matlow. "When people learn the truth about how dolphins suffer, they don't want to participate. That's why we are calling on travel companies like Expedia Group and others that are lagging behind to stop supporting activities that cause harm to animals."

The Video:

• World Animal Protection's goal is to make this the last generation of dolphins to suffer for our entertainment.

SOURCE: World Animal Protection

Marvel and SiriusXM Enter a Major Multi-Year Deal to Create Original Podcasts for SiriusXM and Pandora

Marvel and SiriusXM Enter a Major Multi-Year Deal to Create Original Podcasts for SiriusXM and Pandora

Today SiriusXM and Marvel announced a multi-year agreement under which Marvel will create a substantial amount of exclusive podcasts for SiriusXM and Pandora.

 In Marvel's most sweeping podcast deal ever, the venture will include both scripted and unscripted series, themed live events, and much more, premiering in 2020. SiriusXM and Pandora will also debut many of Marvel's most popular podcasts before they can be heard anywhere else.

Included in the slate of upcoming programming are four new scripted series, each ten episodes, based around the iconic characters of Wolverine, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Star-Lord, as well as a fifth series in which all four team up; unscripted podcasts that look at Marvel's rich history through a modern-day lens of pop culture; podcasts dedicated to popular Marvel franchises; and regular talk shows, including an interview show that will feature famous celebrity guests.

"Powerful stories are read, seen, and heard – and we believe audio is the next natural step to bring the Marvel Universe to fans around the world," said Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. "Storytelling has always been at the heart of Marvel's success, and SiriusXM and Pandora have the right platform and expertise to bring Marvel's rich tapestry of stories to listeners in a whole new way. We are excited to introduce an impressive roster of programming with SiriusXM and Pandora, and we can't wait to share more details in the weeks and months to come."

"Whether in movies, TV or other media, Marvel has been a success everywhere it goes, employing a level of quality and pop culture brilliance that organically draws massive audiences, and they are bringing that creative genius to SiriusXM and Pandora," said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM's President and Chief Content Officer. "We chose Marvel for our first major foray into creating original podcasts, and are thrilled to have Marvel create new audio programming and curate top quality podcasts for SiriusXM and Pandora. Under our new creative collaboration with Marvel, we'll now provide our subscribers and listeners and Marvel fans a breadth and depth of podcasts that will be an immersive adventure into the iconic Marvel universe."

SiriusXM and Marvel launched their first joint initiative in August with an all-new exclusive music station and channel "Marvel's 80th: The Road to Marvel Comics #1000," which was available on SiriusXM for a limited run, as well as through its streaming platform and On Demand, and also on the Pandora mobile app. 

Celebrating the 1000th issue of Marvel comics as well as the company's 80th anniversary, the programming was a sonic time-warp experience that included an 80-song station playing a track from every year of Marvel's illustrious history, each connected to a page of the Marvel #1000 issue.

Source: SiriusXM

Great Scott! Back to the Future Celebrates 35 Years

Back to the Future Celebrates 35 Years (PRNewsfoto/Universal Brand Development)

Universal is going back in time to celebrate 35 years of the beloved film franchise – Back to the Future – starting today, on the iconic fan-created anniversary date captured in the film when Marty McFly travels back to the future: October 21, 2015. 

Over the next year, fans around the world will be treated to new, inspired-by merchandise across a variety of categories, theatrical re-releases, anniversary celebrations, digital content and more.

New YouTube Originals learning series - "Could You Survive the Movies?" - launches today, featuring "Back to the Future" in episode one.

Today, YouTube Originals and Ample Entertainment launched the new learning series, "Could You Survive the Movies" – an exciting series dedicated to exploring the magic and science of cinema's most iconic pop culture films, including "Back to the Future." In each episode, YouTube creator and host Jake Roper takes you on an immersive journey into the world of a different movie; blending unscripted scientific exploration with narrative storytelling. 

In the premiere episode, Jake steps into the original 1985 film to find out if you could survive the massive pressure wave generated by a giant guitar amp, time travel paradoxes, and the electricity from a lightning bolt travelling through your body…all while desperately trying to get back to the future! 

Could you Survive the Movies? - Episode One

• "Could you Survive the Movies?" is available to stream on YouTube.com/Learning and the Vsauce3 YouTube channel. 

New toy partner Playmobil has created a collection featuring fan favorite characters and vehicles including Marty McFly, Dr. Emmett Brown, the DeLorean Time Machine and more – coming in May 2020. Popular Funko POP! figures, a new themed board game from Ravensburger, collectible movie prints from Classic Stills plus other surprises from Hasbro, Mattel, 3D Retro Collectibles and more that will debut next summer.

Playmobil has a new toy line celebrating the 35th Anniversary of "Back To The Future"

Publishing program expands with new novelty formats from Running Press and Insight Editions, a new comic series from IDW Publishing, along with existing fan-favorites from other partners, such as:

• Back to the Future: DeLorean Time Machine – Owner's Workshop Manual 
• Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History 
• William Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future 
• Back to the Future: The Classic Illustrated Storybook 
• and much more...

New publishing offering, "DeLorean Time Machine: Owner's Workshop Manual" celebrating the iconic film "Back To The Future"

A lifestyle collection of apparel and accessories includes fun, retro looks that are still relevant today. Expected partners include Criminal Damage, Box Lunch, Dumbgood, Haus of JR, Hot Topic, Just Hype, Primark, Suavecito, Super 7, Zara and more. Rubies and FUN.com will have costumes for fan celebrations beyond Halloween. 

With a nod to the nostalgia trend, Universal has once again partnered with the Otis School of Design for a special "Back to the Future" collection designed by students to be presented at the annual scholarship and benefit fashion show in Spring 2020.

Where we're going, we don't need roads… be on the lookout for theatrical events and the debut of the "Back to the Future" trilogy in 4K from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, as well as a celebration from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) later in 2020.

Fans won't want to miss Back to the Future The Musical, directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, which opens for a 12-week run at the Manchester Opera House on February 20, 2020. The musical features a book by the film's co-creator and co-writer Bob Gale, and new music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri (who composed the score for the original 1985 film) and Glen Ballard.

• The anniversary will be commemorated by Universal Parks & Resorts, key retail partners and more. Visit the Back to the Future page on Facebook for details.

Back to the Future

About Back to the Future

From the Academy Award-winning filmmakers Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg comes Back to the Future - the original, groundbreaking adventure that sparked one of the most successful trilogies ever! 

When teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is blasted to 1955 in the DeLorean time machine created by the eccentric Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), he finds himself mixed up in a time-shattering chain reaction that could vaporize his future - and leave him trapped in the past. 

Powered by innovative special effects, unforgettable songs and non-stop action, Back to the Future is an unrivaled adventure that stands the test of time.

SOURCE: Universal Brand Development