Global Car VRLA Battery Market research Report 2019 may be a comprehensive business study on this state of business that analyses innovative ways for business growth and describes necessary factors like prime manufacturers, production worth, key regions and rate of growth. with growth trends, numerous stakeholders like investors, CEOs, traders, suppliers, analysis & media, international Manager, Director, President, SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization and others. This report focuses on Professional Global Car VRLA Battery Market 2019-2025 volume and value at Global level, regional level and company level.

Global Car VRLA Battery Market 2019 report provides key statistics on the market status of the Car VRLA Battery Manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the Car VRLA Battery Industry. The Car VRLA Battery industry report firstly announced the Car VRLA Battery Market fundamentals: type applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on.

Request Exclusive Free Sample PDF Of This Report At https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/86111

Car VRLA Battery market competition by top manufacturers/ Key player Profiled: company 1 company 2 company 3 company 4 company 5 company 6 company 7 company 8 company 9 And More

Car VRLA Battery Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2025, from xx million US$ in 2019, according to a new study.

Car VRLA Battery Market Segment by Type covers: Type 1 Type 2 Type 3

Car VRLA Battery Market Segment by Applications can be divided into: Application 1 Application 2 Application 3

Regional analysis covers: North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

This report focuses on the Car VRLA Battery in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.

For More Information on this report, Request Inquiry At https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/86111

Key questions answered in the report: What will the market growth rate of Car VRLA Battery market? What are the key factors driving the Global Car VRLA Battery market? Who are the key manufacturers in Car VRLA Battery market space? What are the market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Car VRLA Battery market? What are sales, revenue, and price analysis of top manufacturers of Car VRLA Battery market? Who are the distributors, traders and dealers of Car VRLA Battery market? What are the Car VRLA Battery market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Car VRLA Battery industries? What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by types and applications of Car VRLA Battery market? What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by regions of Car VRLA Battery industries?

Key Benefits Major countries in each region are mapped according to individual market revenue. Comprehensive analysis of factors that drive and restrict the market growth is provided. The report includes an in-depth analysis of current research and clinical developments within the market. Key players and their key developments in the recent years are listed. And More.

The next part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Apart from the mentioned information, growth rate of Car VRLA Battery market in 2025 is also explained. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption tables and figures of Car VRLA Battery market are also given.

To Buy this Report, Visit https://www.upmarketresearch.com/buy/car-vrla-battery-market-2019

Objective of Studies: To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyse the Car VRLA Battery market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porter five force analysis etc. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Car VRLA Battery market. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by application, product type and sub-segments. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World. To track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Car VRLA Battery market.

For Best Discount on purchasing this report, Visit https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/86111

About UpMarketResearch: Up Market Research (https://www.upmarketresearch.com) is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.

Contact Info UpMarketResearch Name Alex Mathews Email [emailprotected] Website https://www.upmarketresearch.com Address 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States.

Read the original here:
Landfill Compactor Market Exceeded Industry Evolution in Coming Year's - Fusion Science Academy

Disco was overthrown in a rock supremacist coup in Chicago in 1979. The White Soxs stadium was packed with mostly white folks bearing records by mainly black artists. An angry radio DJ named Steve Dahl led the chant of Disco sucks! before literally detonating a crate of the offensive product in centre field.

The politics of the game-changing stunt went largely unremarked at the time. But looking back from a world where every kind of music goes, cohabiting and cross-marrying in a fabulous multi-coloured and genre-fluid dance party, its hard not to be disturbed by the act of cultural fascism.

In that light, the sudden disco embrace of Moon Duos latest album is a timely gesture. Known these past 10 years for their darkly simmering psychedelic rock, the San Francisco-based duo of Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada have set the mirror ball spinning over Stars Are the Lightwith conscious intent.

Sanae Yamada and Ripley Johnson, aka Moon Duo.Credit:Brett Johnson

I wouldnt say that we made a disco record necessarily, keyboard player Yamada says, but starting some kind of creative conversation with the ideas around disco definitely led us to a different place.

While she was too young to observe the '70s club revolution first-hand, she believes that the concept of the space of the disco is something that holds a lot of relevance today.

It was a space of fluid identity and self-expression for people who maybe felt marginalised by mainstream culture. In a disco youd have amazing fashion and amazing dancing in this very expressive space where people could go and do whatever they had in mind to do and be whoever they had in mind to be. I think that type of inclusion and that type of liberation is something that holds a lot of appeal.

That might be part of what we still feel whenever a Chic or Donna Summer record throws a party into hyperdrive: freedom hardwired to the groove by the dark art of the disco beat. Whats certain is that compared with the density of Moon Duos previous two albums Occult Architecture Vol. 1 and 2 this new one is a decidedly feel-good affair.

Yamada says she was wanting really effervescent textures: sonic glitter, kind of.

Our music has always been a kind of conversation between guitar and electronic music; synthesiser and drum machine and stuff like that, so we wanted to bring the machine-type elements more on top on this record. When we finished the Occult Architecture pair of records, we had the sense that we had completed a cycle of our musical project. We had sort of found this sound as a band and cultivated it over a series of records and both Ripley and I had this sense that we needed to change our tack a bit; that to keep going with that sound, we would just end up repeating ourselves.

Its a slightly ironic turn for a band that has valued repetition, at least as a compositionalelement, for so long. While they never actively pursued the psychedelic label, fundamental elements of reiteration, drone, obscure lyrics and impressionistic sound layers have always applied.

As a member of San Francisco drone-rock experimentalistsWooden Shjips, Ripley Johnsons psychedelic allegiances are well known. Yamada met him through mutual friends when she moved there in 2004. They promptly went to a Bob Dylan concert in Berkeley (it was a great one, actually; he was playing piano most of the night), but it was in a shared love of the Velvet Underground that they found their essential aesthetic.

In that respect, Moon Duo is far from a lone voyager. Lou Reed and John Cales marriage of rock and avant-garde birthed a movement that echoes seemingly eternal, wherever walls of electric sound collide.

Yamada expresses reservations about the guitar-worshipping limitations of the so-called neo-psych movement but concedes that the ideas of transcendence and the psychedelic are in the DNA of what we are doing.

To me, the idea of psychedelia is an idea of endless expansion; an idea of revealing things in a different light; turning the mundane inside out to show its extraordinary essence somehow. Ive always loved that as a concept. I think thats a really expansive concept and it applies to a massive range of artistic expressions so Im perfectly happy to fit in with that concept of psychedelia.

Visually, Moon Duos emphasis on stage projections and trippy lighting design also draws clear lines from the mid '60s experiments of the Velvets and Pink Floyd. But inevitably, the new-found disco undertow has brought a new shimmer to this ingredient too.

Trippy lighting design accompanies Moon Duo on stage. Credit:Benny van der Plank

Last April in Manchester, in collaboration with local projection artist Emmanuel Baird, the band unveiled a show called Stardust Highway: Experiments in Stoner Disco. The intention to explore ideas of time and ritual, as well as the human desire to transcend material reality has since evolved into their current stage show.

The good news, 40 years since the night of the White Sox smackdown, is that this disco insurgence has largely escaped the wrath of the rock police. Sure there was the odd music press sulk about duff synth and tinny drum machine, but for such a brave evolution, critical response to Stars Are the Light has been overwhelmingly positive.

Thats transcendence for you.

One of the big things is just the need for connection on a really human level, Yamada says of the Duos renewed intention. The lyrics are less esoteric, less occult, as it were, than they may have been in the past. Theyre more about just the struggles of humanity. Love and loss, feeling lost and seeking out other humans. Thats kind of where this is coming from.

Moon Duo perform at Melbourne Recital Centre, Feb 11; The Zoo, Brisbane, Feb 12; and Sydneys Oxford Art Factory Feb 13.

Michael Dwyer is an arts and music writer

Visit link:
Mirror ball spins anew as Moon Duo take a shine to disco - Sydney Morning Herald

After moving to the area to attend East Tennessee State University, Williams decided to stay in the region after graduating in 2005, working as a freelance artist and screen printer before taking a job at Nelson Fine Art and Frames, a position she loved until she left 10 years later.

Now, Williams has turned her full attention toward being a solo artist, working to get her screen printing business, Asterosperma, up and running while continuing to complete her own artwork in a sustainable, eco-friendly way.

Williams briefly:

Favorite local restaurant: Main St Pizza

Favorite color: Green, but also orange

Dogs or cats: Cats rule! Dogs drool!

Favorite movie: If I have to pick, Dr. Strangelove, but also Little Shop of Horrors.

Favorite music/musician: Its probably a tie between Talking Heads and Devo.

How did you first get into screen printing and illustrating?

Ive been drawing for as long as I can remember, and even as a kid, my drawings were illustrative in nature. There was always some narrative I was working with, either a story I had heard or one I invented myself. I was introduced to screen printing in art school, and I took to it like a fish to water. It not only perfectly suited my style at the time, but it has also affected the evolution of my work over the decades. Plus, it really appeals to my penchant for methodical processes.

What's your favorite part of being an artist, and whendid you realize being an artist was the career you wanted?

Thats a really hard question to answer. Its just what I do. I like being creative and making (and breaking) my own rules. Its very satisfying.It was never a conscious decision on my part. Its just something Ive always done. Its the only thing thats ever strongly appealed to me, career-wise.

What advice do you have for young/new artists?

Just finish the work, even if you mess up or hate the direction a piece seems to be going. Everything does not have to be a masterpiece, but you can still learn and take something away every time. Everything I have ever made Ive hated at some point during the process. You just have to see it through to the end.

What's your favorite thing you've made, what was the process like and why is it your favorite?

A few years ago, I completed a series of 10 prints illustrating the ancient Greek poem The Battle of the Frogs and Mice, which I was also translating from Greek at the time (a favorite hobby of mine). The process was fast paced because I was on a firm deadline. I didnt have time to get stuck on small details or overthink things. It was more like a stream of consciousness approach to image making, which isnt how I typically work.

It gave me a chance to tell a complete story from beginning to end through imagery, carefully selecting the most important scenes. It also combined two of my passions, drawing and translating ancient Greek. The work was very well received, as well, and people still bring it up to me, how much they love the story and the images years later, something that really means a lot to me as an artist.

Also, one of the images from the series was recently used on the cover of a beautiful translation of the poem, translated by Matthew Hosty and published by the Oxford University Press. I received my copy a few days ago on New Years Eve, and I can honestly say, it was this Greek language nerds happiest moment and a really great ending to a very eventful year!

Whats next for your career, aside from working on your business?

Its a very fulfilling life, but one thing that has been missing after leaving the gallery was my role in connecting artists with the community. To fill this need, Ive recently had the pleasure of joining the Johnson City Public Arts Committee, where I hope to offer my skills and knowledge to help continue the great work theyve been doing for the community.

You can find Stacie Williams work on her website, http://www.asterosperma.com, or on Instagram and Facebook, @asterosperma.

See original here:
Featured Artist: Stacie Williams cut her teeth locally before branching out on her own - Johnson City Press (subscription)

Asia is the most expensive region with five of the most expensive cities globally. Furthermore, the three most expensive cities are all in Asia.

This is according to Julius Baers inaugural Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report. It looked premium good and services at 28 cities across the world. Strangely, the cheapest to live in, Mumbai, was also in Asia.

he worlds most expensive city is Hong Kong, which ranks above the 90th percentile for property, beauty services, fine dining, business class flights, and lawyer fees.

European cities were noted for offering the best value. The best for luxurious living were Barcelona and Frankfurt. London is the priciest city in the continent with Zurich a close second.

Rajesh Manwani, head markets and wealth management solutions Asia Pacific of Julius Baer, said: The inaugural edition of Julius Baers Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report showcases the trends in high-end consumption around the world, which are of relevance to our clients. The methodology was pioneered in Julius Baers Wealth Report Asia, which has been issued since 2011. For the first time it has now been expanded to include 28 cities globally. We hope these findings will shed insight on global lifestyle trends in 2020.

The report also focused on conscious consumption or a shift to less is more.

Findings included:

Nicolas de Skowronski, head wealth management solutions and member of the Executive Board of Bank Julius Baer, added: Our analysis reveals the growing desire among consumers to balance their buying decisions with their social, environmental and political convictions. This began with the millennials, but the baton has definitely been passed down the generations now. Even Generation Alpha is getting involved, as I know from personal experience. The conscious consumer is here to stay, and we see a fast evolution of existing offerings and major investments into innovations across industries as a response to this growing demand.

Originally posted here:
Asia host to five of the ten most expensive cities globally - Verdict

The yachting and cruise industry contributes significantly to the pollution of the seas and oceans, even if it can be difficult to forget about it as you chill on board a private superyacht or an all-inclusive cruise. Exhaust emissions, noise, wastewater and solid waste are just some of the ways in which this means of travel contributes to an already severe problem: the degradation of the Earths waters.

The superyacht industry has already started taking notice of it and is working towards greener, more efficient vessels that ditch traditional means of propulsion and incorporate means to dispose of garbage and waste through recycling or reuse. The SY200 fits right in.

SY200 is just a concept for the time being, but given the boom in interest in greener means of travel, whether on water or on land, being commissioned to be built is probably a matter of time. Its name is derived from its impressive size: its 200 feet long and is meant to be the little sister of the SY300, Briands first in the family of self-sufficient performance yachts.

The SY200 is a stunner, as newly released renders reveal. More impressively, it comes with the performance of a racing yacht and no impact on the environment, because its powered entirely by wind.

Guest areas are available on both decks, and theres a huge skylight that covers 80 percent of the length of the vessel, providing shelter from the elements and natural light, along with a view of the carbon fiber mast above. The owners aft steering station is designed as a place for guests to socialize, but theres also a table seating 16 in the cockpit, protected by a hardtop.

Unlike many of todays superyachts, the SY200 doesnt feature a pool or expansive entertainment areas. But it more than makes up for that by being completely emissions-free: it sails by the power of wind thanks to the sloop sailing rig, which works in combination with the slightly inverted bow to deliver top hydrodynamic efficiency.

Underwater turbines can charge the batteries on board: Briand says the vessel will be fitted with a 20-metric ton battery bank, more than enough to power the entire ship.

When docked, the SY200 would power silently, using the energy generated while sailing and stored in the battery bank.

I believe we need to embrace lateral thinking when it comes to the future of sailing yacht design, Briand says of the new concept, as cited by Superyacht Times.

We want to work alongside owners to create the perfect renewable energy machine, using only wind, water and solar energy to run the yacht and provide an exceptional experience of peace on board and exploration of the sea, he adds.

Briand is convinced the SY200 would appeal to the eco-conscious seafarer, but he or she would have to be willing to sacrifice some of the luxuries of modern sailing in the process. While this concept superyacht stands out for its sleek and elegant design, the focus on its reduced carbon footprint and efficiency translate into fewer amenities than todays millionaire might expect on board such a vessel.

See more here:
Phillippe Briand SY200: The Performance of a Racing Yacht With Zero Emissions - autoevolution

For the fashion-savvy bride who's buying multiple looks, Macon says the bridal stylist is also a trend that's here to stay. "With the shift in focus from just the dress to the wedding wardrobe, the role of the bridal stylist is becoming a big deal. Which is why we decided to start offering this service at Over The Moonto help brides put together a wedding weekend wardrobe that feels curated and cohesive, but also organic, and never overly styled. That extends to the bridal party, too: Matchy-matchy bridesmaids dresses are gone for good, she adds. Perhaps this is a result of the rise in bridal styling, but the old school youll wear it again, one-silhouette-fits-all bridesmaids dress seems to be [disappearing].

Last year, Rosemary Hattenbach offered a solution: Stick with a complementary palette, and let members of your bridal party wear different patterns, styles, hues, and designers that express their individual points of view. Even better, your friends will have a lot more fun if they feel good about what they're wearing, not resenting the polyesterdress you chose for them.

Like ball gowns and excessively-fancy meals, over-the-top flowers and table settings feel like relics of the past. My favorite part of the last decade was moving on from typical bridal decor to more architectural designs, wedding planner Stefanie Cove says. We also saw a shift toward longer, family-style tables, which then led to looser garland florals [instead of classic arrangements]. Im thankful that brides began to steer clear of tight centerpieces and mercury glass candles!

Planner Marcy Blum echoed Coves sentiments about florals that snake down a table and hang over the edges, which look relaxed and dont obscure your guests vision. Lynn Easton of Easton Events added that, in general, brides are more willing to experiment with color, pattern, and customization: Whether its on the plate, napkin, tablecloth, glass or all mixed together, its all about pattern play right now.

Of course, color and pattern look great in photos, too. The shift away from white-and-beige-everything may just be a result of our magpie tendencies: We need bright, eye-catching things to pique our interestotherwise we keep on scrolling. If some of Vogues recent wedding slideshows are any indication, from a Burning Man-inspired weekend in Lake Como to this fashion-forward ceremony at the new TWA terminal, weddings will be even bolder (and more fun!) in the 2020s. And maybe more dazzling, too: How many brides and grooms will toast the 20s with a Great Gatsby-style bash? If and when that becomes the next trend, youll know where to read about it.

Originally posted here:
How Weddings Changed Over the Last DecadeAnd What's Next for 2020 - Vogue

Posted on Friday, January 10th, 2020 by Fred Topel

Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clements vampire comedy What We Do In the Shadows became a hit FX series last year. Its back for a second season and FX presented a panel for the Television Critics Association to preview it. Cast members Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen and Mark Proksch were on the panel with Clement and executive producer/writer Stefani Robinson.

They revealed whats coming up for each of the characters, including big guest stars like Mark Hamill and season 1 characters who could no longer appear. What We Do In the Shadows returns April 15 on FX.

What We Do in the Shadows threw down the gauntlet for celebrity guest stars in an episode where the main characters met the vampire council. Clement and Waititi reprised their roles from the movie, and Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood and Wesley Snipes cameoed.

We have some really good guest stars, and we have one particularly huge one, Clement said. I dont know whether to say. Mark Hamill.

Thats all Clement would say about his role, including whether hes a vampire or a human. No more, Clement said. Its a secret.

The vampire council is still coming after the house vampires too.

In a pretty major way, I would say them escaping the council has consequences throughout the entirety of the season, Proksch said.

Matt Berry plays Laszlo, and Berry revealed he gets kicked out of the house in season two.

I have to leave the house at one point, Berry said. I have to leave the house and I have to change my name because Ive done something despicable. So Im not outwardly a vampire for an episode.

Berry meets another famous character who is also a vampire.

Then theres Elvis, Berry says. He he pops up. He was made into a vampire in the 70s, just before he died, 77. Hes in the basement. That was a lot of fun being with him.

The season finale of What We Do In the Shadows had Nadia (Demetriou) rekindle her eternal affair with her reincarnated human lover (Jake McDorman), who Laszlo always kills throughout the centuries. Seeing Laszlo step in again rekindled their marriage, and that continues in season two.

Nadja and Laszlo are in a very good place, Demetriou said. Theyre very, very in love and so a little more sexually active than ever.

Theyre also making music to celebrate their love.

We have a music room which was a lot of fun where you will hear us performing songs that weve written over the last three, four hundred years, Berry said. And theyre in different sorts of styles. Theres a disco number. Theres a baroque style thing. Singer/songwriter, acoustic.

Demetriou added, Electronic, Ragtime. Scatting, I did some scatting. Theyve done it all. And they wrote a lot of hits, big hits.

Although Clement comes from the musical background of Flight of the Conchords, Berry said he wrote Laszlos songs.

The season finale also revealed that Guillermo (Guillan), the human whos been waiting a decade to become a vampire, is actually related to famed vampire hunter Van Helsing. Season two will explore his conflict.

Guillermo finding out that hes a natural vampire killer, yet he wants to be a vampire is a big part of the season, Clement said. A lot of the episodes are standalone stories as well.

The vampires already pretty much ignored Guillermo, so having a Van Helsing in their midst doesnt really phase them.

A lot of it they dont notice, but then, eventually, yes, Clement said. That all becomes conscious.

Its a juicy evolution of the role for Guillan at least.

Guillermo gets to do a lot of action stuff, Guillen said. And its a conflict for Guillermo to want something and be good at something else. So its a nice crossroad.

In season one, Beanie Feldstein played Jenna, a girl Nadja turned. Since Booksmart, Feldstein became unavailable for season two.

Unfortunately, shes just been too busy, Clement said. Its a little disappointing for me because she was planned to be a big character, but we found other really fun stories and other people to bring on.

Taika Waititi directed some season one episodes, but he is too busy to direct season two. And while Colin got a girlfriend in season 1, the emotional vampire Evie (Vanessa Bayer), but Colin will be single again.

Evie wont be back this season, but I find love interests in other places very comfortably, Proksch said. So Colin gets into some sexcapades. As America wants, America gets.

Read more here:
'What We Do in the Shadows' Season 2 Will Guest Star Mark Hamill [TCA 2020] - /FILM

The renowned Chinese science-fiction writer Cixin Liu is best known as the author of the bestselling, Obama-beloved, Hugo-winning, and truly mind-bending trilogy The Three Body Problem. In 2018, the Brandeis Novel Symposium organized a one-day conference about that work, so we jumped at the chance to speak with Liu when he visited Brandeis. In the booth, John asked the questions (which we had written together) while Pu did simultaneous translation.

John Plotz: Mr. Liu, hello. Let me begin by asking which writers had an influence on you. And were there poets or painters or filmmakers who also had the kind of impact that Jules Verne or H. G. Wells had on you?

Cixin Liu: I would like to divide the influential writers into two categories: mainstream, canonical writers and science-fiction writers. When it comes to the first category, of canonical serious literature, the biggest influence on me was Golden Age Russian literatureespecially Tolstoy.

I once had a misunderstanding about, or misperception of, my fascination with Russian literature. I attributed this fascination to historical conditions, because back in my formative years Russian literature was quite dominant on the Chinese cultural front. And I once believed that my love for the Russian Revolution, for Russian literature, was only a part of this cultural situation.

But, when I think again and look back again, the most intensive literature reading of my life started to take place during my middle-school and high-school years. That was already the beginning of Chinas age of reforms and opening up. A lot of Western literary works were introduced into China at this time, translated into Chinese, including a lot of Western European and North American works, in addition to Russian works. If we take this into consideration, then probably my love for Russian literatureespecially Tolstoys huge influence on meis simply thanks to my personality.

That is so fascinating. Im rereading War and Peace right now. His world-building capacity is astonishing: the war spaces and the peace spaces seem to be disconnectedyet suddenly readers realize the deep connection underneath. Can you talk more about how you compare your own work to Tolstoys?

My favorite Tolstoy is also War and Peace. Thats the biggest influence on me.

There are two reasons why I love War and Peace so much. The first one, of course, is the panoramic totality of the historical world that Tolstoy created. That kind of grand narrative is simply powerful for me. But another reason is also the Russianness of this work, so deeply rooted in its Russian spirit.

There is a sense of profundity that overwhelms me. In my more recent work, there are always echoes and shadows of Tolstoys War and Peace. But, for me, these are simply very, very low-level imitations, which cannot even begin to match Tolstoys profundity.

And are there artists who werent writers who affected you like that?

Yes. Kubrick, for one, is my favorite filmmaker. Of course, 2001 is a classic I love. But all of his works have a lot of influence on me.

This year is the 51st anniversary of the making of 2001. For a fan of science fiction like me, this film has the status of the Bible. Last month in Beijing, together with many other science-fiction writers and critics, I saw the digitally repaired version of 2001. And all of us were pilgrims, not just moviegoers. There are many poets and painters that I admire, but, in terms of influence, they cannot compare to what I have just mentioned.

* * *

When you began to be a writer, what sort of things did you write? And when did you begin to write science fiction?

My experience of writing, actually, was quite simple. I only wrote science fiction. I started with science fiction and I ended up being a science-fiction writer. I started as a big fan of science fiction. And in that sense, I might be part of the first generation of Chinese writers who engaged with science fiction self-consciously, which means, we wanted to become science-fiction writers, as such.

Here, I want to further clarify the differences between the fans of science fiction and the writers of science fiction. I was a big fan of science fiction, and that was a new subculture in China. I was part of the first generation of self-conscious fans of science fiction, but science-fiction writers of course existed way before I started my work. But, I think, in terms of a subculture of science fiction, we were the first generation that generated that kind of self-consciousness.

Can you talk about how that subculture existed? Was it connected by magazines, or was there an online cultureor was it books that you read in translation or books by other Chinese writers? What was the material connection that made you a fandom?

I started my fascination with science fiction while I was a primary-school student. That was still in the final years of the Cultural Revolution. There was no cultural landscape of media as we know it today. There was not even the concept of science fiction yet in China. Back then, what I read was translated science fiction from the 50s, the period of early Peoples Republic. The early socialist period was a relatively open era, culturally. At that time, a lot of Western science-fiction works were translated into Chinese.

During the Cultural Revolution, those books were no longer considered politically orthodox enough. My father just put them underneath the bed.

Those first science-fiction books I read belonged to my father. During the Cultural Revolution, those books were no longer considered politically orthodox enough. My father just put them underneath the bed. So, as a young boy, I sneaked under the bed and started to read those words. Among those authors were H. G. Wells and Soviet science-fiction writers.

And who were the other fans of science fiction?

This reading experience of mine was very private, very intimate. Back then, I didnt even want to let others know I was reading this kind of book. Were there any other young boys, young girls doing the same thing? I dont know. Because this kind of reading just made me like an isolated island.

* * *

When it comes to philosophy and spirituality, are there writers or thinkers that have influenced you?

In terms of religion, Im an atheist. So, I dont think any religion has a political bearing on me.

Let me focus on my philosophical influences. Philosophy has a profound impact on me. Thats because, in my view, if we compare science and philosophy, which one is closer to science fiction? Actually, philosophy is closer.

Im with you.

If we take science as a worldview, according to this worldview, theres only one single image of the world. But philosophy is entirely different.

Every philosopher has his or her own worldview. And every worldview is so different from the others. If an alien came from outside this universe, they would be totally puzzled by the debates between our philosophers. This alien would be puzzled because it doesnt seem like the philosophers are talking about the same world.

In this regard, philosophy is closest to science fiction, because different writers of science fiction are striving to create different world images of social formation, of history, of the universe. Of course, the way I am influenced by philosophers might be different from other peoples pursuit of philosophical insight.

For others, they might want to find the truth in a philosophical discourse. But for me, every philosophical discourse will be judged by one standardwhich is, whether its interesting, whether theres a story to tell.

One really curious outcome: some radically opposing philosophical schools have equal influence on me. For example, idealism is, of course, so vastly different from materialism. But, for me, theyre both sources of inspiration.

* * *

There is a Chinese term, ke huan, which is an acronym that means science and fantasy. Science can be a concept or a discourse. It can refer to a discipline of natural sciences, but also a method shared by disciplines. It also means a worldview, a way of thinking and reasoning and of modern enlightenment.

Butand this is important for science fictionscience is sometimes confused with technology, which creates its own kind of world picture. As an engineeras a science-fiction writer living in this post-Einstein technological worldwhat is your definition of science?

This is indeed a very complicated issue, especially when it comes to sciences relationship with technology.

First off, technology precedes science. Way before the rise of modern science, there were so many technologies, so many technological innovations. But today technology is deeply embedded in the development of science. Basically, in our contemporary world, science sets a glass ceiling for technology. The degree of technological development is predetermined by the advances of science.

But there is also a paradoxical interdependence between the two. What is remarkably interesting is how technology becomes so interconnected with science. In the ancient Greek world, science develops out of logic and reason. There is no reliance on technology. The big game changer is Galileos method of doing experiments in order to prove a theory and then putting theory back into experimentation. After Galileo, science had to rely on technology. This kind of reliance becomes stronger and stronger up until our own time.

Today, the frontiers of physics are totally conditioned on the developments of technology. This is unprecedented. Back in China, there has been a huge debate about whether we need to build a new particle accelerator, because the investment for its construction could be as high as 100 billion.

And yet, what information you can obtain from todays technological accelerator is still far, far away from what you need for experiments in the most advanced physics. The difference is 11 zeros. There is a poetic nickname for this difference between technologys capacity and the requirements of the scientific question: a desert of physics.

I know we have so much to talk about, but it would be really interesting to think about mathematics in this respect, too. Do you think of mathematics as among the sciences or in a perpendicular relationship to them, because mathematics doesnt need that kind of empiricism?

Its curious to see which side we want them to be on, because some people will say mathematics does not belong to science. But even if we say mathematics is part of science, mathematics is an exceptional case, because it does not rely on technology.

Following up on the sciences reliance on technology, I would like to point to a very paradoxical phenomenon. Right now, we can see technology is based on the advances of science. Meanwhile, science has to rely on technology for verification. If there has ever been a time when this circularity was goodwhen science and technology supported each others developmentthen I would like to say that would have been the early 20th century, the golden age of modern physics.

But what we have today might be, instead, a vicious circle. That is, science and technology are mutually limited by each other.

If we compare science to a fruit tree, those fruits that are within our reach are already picked. The most important, the most pioneering branches, are totally beyond our reach.

What can we do? We turn to the fields of information and communication. Beyond information and communication, however, it seems to me that theres no breakthrough in our near future.

Is there a way to think from the outside about that vicious circle of technology and science? Could science fiction itself have a role to play in changing that locked relationshipperhaps just by offering a different way of thinking about the two?

Youve assigned a mission to science fiction that is too sublime. I continue to see science fiction as simply part of popular culture. If it can help the readers open up their horizon and inspire them to explore even more, that would be a huge success already.

* * *

Lets talk about the second element of the term ke huan, that is, fantasy. The question is about the relationship between fantasy and realism, which is obviously a key part of modern fiction.

Does realism have a role in your literary formation? Do you think of science fiction as a form of realism?

My personal view is that there should not be just one single paradigm for science fiction. There should be various kinds of science fiction.

Of course, some writers will use science fiction, or elements of fantasy, to allegorize realityto be critical of reality and to represent and reflect upon reality. This kind of science fiction gained a particular name in Chinese. Chinese critics like to label it science-fantasy realism.

But, as for me, Im not interested in this approach, tradition, or tendency. Im not interested in allegorizing, criticizing, and representing reality. For me, the most valuablethe most preciouspart of science fiction is that we can build a world entirely based on imagination.

Everything is purely up in the air. That kind of fantastic imagination is the reason why I love science fiction. I remember one historian said that the difference between humans and other species is that we have the ability to use our imaginations to build something. Actually, given the role that imagination has played in our evolution as a species, this creation of the non-actual might be the only ability in which we can surpass artificial intelligence.

And yet, you love Tolstoy. And the realism in Tolstoy is that hes committed to the facts that we already know happened. And then the imagination is inside that factual structure; Tolstoy builds inside the Napoleonic Wars. So, do you see what youre doing as a writer as similar to Tolstoy?

For me, realism is the platform, the takeoff ground for my imagination. But if I have started with realism, then my goal is always to reach the pure realm of the imaginary.

We should not drag science fiction from the level of fantasy down to the level of realism. Rather, I would like to have science fiction up in the air, creating something that is totally non-actual.

Chinese readers like to start with a representation of reality. This is vastly different from the tradition of Western science fiction. Western science fiction sometimes lifts the reader off the ground by the hair and then throws everyone into thin air. But for Chinese readers you need to have a slow build-up of this fantasy. For that, you still need realism.

To further explain the role of realism in my work, we can use the metaphor of a kite. My imagination can be high in the air, but I still have a thin line linking it back to reality. That seems to be a stabilizing force in my work.

So, that would be a distinction from fantasy, is that right?

Yes, I do feel thats what distinguishes my work from fantasy. In Chinese, science fiction can mean science fantasy. From my perspective, science fiction is surreal but never supernatural.

This leads me to my interpretation of mythology. We have a misunderstanding of mythology today. We believe that mythology is fiction. But think of our ancient ancestors who were the recipients of mythologyfor them, mythology was reality.

In our contemporary culture, I think science fiction is the only literary genre that can replace the role of mythology. Because in science fiction, even though its pure fantasy, there is a sense of truthfulness. Whereas the genre of fantasy will never be able to provide that sense of truthfulness.

To switch gears a bit: do you think of yourself as having a message or messages for your audiences?

Ninety percent of my efforts are about telling a creative, compelling story. The focus is always on my striving, as a writer, toward compelling storytelling. If theres some message in my work, its either something I see in hindsight, once the work is finished, or the interpretation of my beloved critics.

Is there a thematic allegorical drive? Is there an allegorical message I want to convey? I dont think so. Im always fascinated and surprised by how rich the interpretation of my work has become. So many rich implications of my work are never in my mind, but they have been produced by the interpreters.

* * *

Can we ask you a question about translation? Your masterpieces are read and interpreted all over the world. Non-Chinese speakers like me come to this work through translation.

How do you feel about being translated? Are you worried about aspects being lost in translation? Or are you excited about translation as a second life, as something gained?

Conventionally speaking, we believe there has to be a certain loss when we do translingual translation. The more the writers roots work deeply into their national cultures, the more loss they face in translation. An example of this is Mo Yan, who received a Nobel Prize less than a decade ago. To translate Mo Yan means, I believe, that you will necessarily lose something that is truly Chinese.

But in this regard, science fiction is a happy exception. Because in China, science fiction is 100 percent a foreign import. Many concepts we use in Chinese science fiction, for example, are originally Western concepts, Western words, Western terms. Therefore, its a little bit easier for our translators to bring them back into Western languages.

More important is the nature of science fiction as a form of fictional storytelling. In the history of science fiction, humanity always appears in its totality rather than in different nations. In light of this, we can say that science fiction poses the questions that are shared by the whole human community.

Science fiction does not simply pose questions that are unique to a single ethnic group, a single community, or a single nation-state. Since science fiction responds to the crises confronting humanity as a whole, science fiction becomes a genre that is particularly suitable for transnational, transcultural communication.

When it comes to my own work, Im particularly lucky. In fact, Im luckier than most science-fiction writers. I have two really wonderful translators. When my work is in their hands, I can assure you that my work is not lost in translation. My work gains a lot in translation. Its no exaggeration on my part to say that the literary quality of my English translation is better than my original.

I dont believe that.

If you can read in English, then please, just buy the English translation of my work.

* * *

I have a question about virtual reality. The first volume of your wonderful Three Body Problem trilogy begins both with real history, and, of course, with the idea of virtual reality: the online game The Three Body Problem. The setting of this VR game is a narrative strategy, which enables a representation of something that is by nature unrepresentable.

How do you think about virtual reality and the new frontier of the virtual universe, which is created both in the inward-looking individual and in the community by all kinds of innovative new mediasocial media, videogames, online communication?

A simpler form of the question: are you a big fan of videogames or virtual-reality devices or apps or social media platforms? Have you been really interested in and immersed in that kind of subculture?

Im totally open to the media immersion, the age of media-related innovations, although I have to admit that my screen time has become limited. Its now reserved, generally, for work-related matters. Im actually quite interested in spending more time in this way but cant, because Im just too busy.

For a short period of time, I was really passionate about videogames. But that was the videogame before the internet. That was the time when Windows was not yet out there. How did that fascination disappear? Looking back, I would say that its because I got super busy with my work, with my family. The love for videogames started to take a back seat.

For me, I think we need to pay attention to one important trend in information technology: the advance of information technologies creates a new situation, whereby many of our desires and needs can be met by virtual reality or the world of the internet.

As of now, as were talking, I think that the needs that can be fulfilled through virtual reality and the internet only account for a small fraction of human desires.

But I have no doubts that in the futuremaybe the near futurealmost all human desires will be able to be fulfilled in the worlds created by VR, AI, and the internet. For me, the immediate outcome of this is a change in humanity. Human civilization will be changed from an outward-looking to an inward-looking civilization.

How do I differentiate these two types of human civilization? For me, an outward-looking civilization is defined by the age of the great ocean navigations, the discovery of new continents. Thats a desire for discovering new grounds of human development. Whereas in our probable inward-looking civilization of the future, this desire would be nonfunctional.

In the short term, an inward-looking civilization is a civilization of happiness. But in the long term theres no visionary prospects for an inward-looking civilization.

Within that supercomputer, there are 10 billion human beings. And these 10 billion human beings are happy. For me, this happiness is horrible.

I have a solid beliefthis might just be methat we might have a really prosperous future in store for us. But if in that future theres no interstellar travel, then, for me, that is not a good future for humans.

So, I have a horrible dystopia in my mind. In that future of our inward-looking civilization, the ecology of the earth will be restored. You will have reforestation and the best ecological surface of the world. But across this world, you will not be able to see any single human individual. Instead, there will only be a huge cave, in which you have a supercomputer. Within that supercomputer, there are 10 billion human beings. And these 10 billion human beings are happy. For me, this happiness is horrible.

We already have some signs of that kind of life. Take any big metropolitan city. If you live in Beijing or New York, for example, from your birth certificate to your death certificate, you do not need to leave a room that has wi-fi. You can spend all your life in an internet environment.

Wow. That is a dark vision for technology and for science. It reminds me of The Machine Stops, by E. M. Forster. Do you know the story?

Oh, yes. I see what you mean.

Everyone lives underground inside a hexagonal chamber, like bees in a honeycomb.

Thinking about E. M. Forster: his work was, I believe, from the early 20th century.

Yes.

Do you see? The kind of dystopia I describe is already predicted.

Support JSTOR Daily! Join our new membership program on Patreon today.

See the original post:
To Reach the Pure Realm of the Imaginary: A Conversation with Cixin Liu - JSTOR Daily

I actually bled for this article. Turns out the comfy-chic white leather sneaks I wore to the worlds largest technology conference might not have been the best choice. Racking up to15km a day on foot, the only respite for my skinned heels was that battling with 175,000 other people there to see tomorrow today makes for an average top speed of 0.25mph.

On the other hand, the technology and brands present are in hyperdrive.

By now, youll have read (or perhaps savantly avoided) umpteen articles covering the Lenovo Yoga 5G laptop, LGs eye-melting 8K displays, and of course artificial intelligence (AI) powered everything. But the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is about so much more than announcements. Its about humans and the way were living life. So while it would be easy to rattle off a list of individual innovations worth column inches, lets instead zoom out from the fact Samsungs Gen Z-geared vertical television is going to launch outside of Asia this year, away from Fords glorious Mustang Mach-E Tesla contender, and focus on what we actually all do for a living: understanding people. Here are the five things you need to know from CES 2020.

1: Tech makers are finally evolving past gadgets

Or trying at least. Countless products were on show that went beyond core technologies to propose actual solutions to human needs, marking a departure from the razzmatazz ofmaking shiny boxes because we can.

A prime example is Boschs latest smart fridge offering, which now goes a step further than simply seeing whats in your fridge to query arecipe database and make dinner suggestions that help to reduce food waste and save consumers time and money.

CookingPals Julia smart cooking system picks up where the fridge leaves off: recipe suggestions are turned into foolproof step-by-step instructions for budding chefs, tired professionals and busy parents to pop into the Julia, a gigantic bowl that kneads, chops, cooks, steams and more. This sharpened focus on human-centred product design uncovers potential for brands to enter these technology driven value-add ecosystems, to become an ally for a better life.

2: Smart materials will help us do more, with less

With the world quite literally on fire, considered consumerism has never been higher in our collective consciousness. Gen Z now outnumber millennials in the UK, and thanks totheir influence on a family spending budget of 268bn, conscious consumption is going nowhere but up. When each purchase has to mean more and do more, multi-functionalityis key.

Enter Solar Paper, a million-dollar Kickstarter phenomenon that built a paper-thin solar panel to charge devices, and is actively looking for new partners. Or take flexible-screen specialist Royole, which showed off with its RoTree made of 1,000 soft screen leaves also embedded into fashion items, allowing clothing or homewares to be programmable at the touch of a button. Hong Kong based KnitWarm showed off its silver-conductive 3D-knit accessories that heat in 30 seconds when plugged into a portable battery pack but are otherwise indiscernible from regular knits.

Applications could include cold environment clothing, sports gear, elderly and baby care, automotive textiles, home furnishing, bedding and more. Weve got the job of figuring out how brands can use these technologies to delight and deliver value in more than one context, challenging the one-dimensionality of products to build a more sustainable future.

3: The shift from healthcare to wellbeing has happened

CES was jam-packed with technologies and ideas to help us manage our holistic wellbeing in a more prophylactic way. This isnt news, as trends like microbiomes and meditation have been sweeping Western society for the past few years, but we have now hit an inflexion point where more than just calorie counters are available to help people take active management of their well state as well as their diseased one.

We saw anevolution from the myriad fingerpick blood tests I discussed in December towards pee-stick-based diagnostics, morefitness trackers than any sane person could handle (the Withings ScanWatch stole the show thanks to its apnea and atrial fibrillation detection), bloodless glucose monitors,systolic and diastolic measurement blood pressure wristbands, ECG sportswear, and even a smart belt that helps prevent hard falls in the elderly by analysing gait patterns and otherdata points and alerting them to danger.

Sex tech finally made an all-out appearance, mainly concentrating on the female pleasure conversation.

Great, thats a lot of sophisticated gadgets. But the point is the market is driving enough speculation that people will buy into new active management tactics. Brands in health, wellbeing, fitness, FMCG and even travel can tap into this evolution of consumer behaviour by helping design moments and ways to use these new devices to greater effect.

The single biggest wellness facet well see explode in 2020 is sleep: its easy to track and there are manymethods to correct poor sleep habits. Food and drink, homewares, apparel, lighting, music and health brands can all help consumers try to get better kip with smart mattresses, sleep trackers, headbands and lamps to optimise their slumber. Well see a rise in the conversation around sleep for performance, which will fuel adoption of tactics by seriously motivated early-adopters, driving mass interest by Christmas 2020.

4: 5G isnt just about bandwidth

Its going to be really easy to talk about loading speeds of video content or streaming capability for brands on their first forays into gaming. But while both of those symptoms of 5G are true, downloading a movie a bit faster or waiting less for our fave streaming show to start isnt reason enough to run out for new 5G-enabled phones.

Brands that win at 5G will understand that its power is infrastructural in nature, such as the ability to support a sprawling Internet of Things with no latency between myriad devices, relay information from remote places such as drone footage, and even components that can charge themselves not from the grid but off millimetre waves instead. In 2020, focusing on applications that redefine what cellular network connection can do rather than streaming speeds will give you a longer-term competitive advantage.

5: Privacy shouldnt be a luxury

With the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) coming into action, the collective conversation around ownership of personal data is going nowhere. Largely heralded the American GDPR, it is hoped to fuel a wider federal conversation around how consumers can access and have their personal information deleted from companies databases.

The conversation raged on at CES, most notably in the form of a panel discussion between Facebook, Apple, P&G and the Federal Trade Commission. Beyond the obvious steps we should take with our customers data to protect and respect them, we need to shift from doing whats required to doing what is right. Transparent and easy ways to engage people on the topic and provision of tools for them to see what data brands hold on them and revoke whichever they desire will become a competitive advantage for those brave enough to lead the change.

With CES behind us, the horizon of big announcements is now clear until Google, Facebook and Apples developer conferences roll around in May and June respectively.

More than enough time for us to get stuck into our collective year of making great experiences. And for me to buy a new pair of shoes.

Gracie Page is emerging technology director at VMLY&R

More:
Who cares about 8K TVs; here's what you need to know about CES 2020 - CampaignLive

Lifestyle The disused terminal at Galway Airport is being transformed for Sruth na Teanga, an immersive journey through centuries of Irish language and culture. Created by theatre company Branar, it was commissioned by Galway 2020 and will use puppetry, music, video and live performance to give audiences a fresh insight into the oldest vernacular language in Western Europe. Its creator and director, Marc Mac Lochlainn talks to JUDYMURPHY.

Entering the terminal of Galway Airport is like visiting the place that time forgot.

The desks for Avis and Budget Travel are still in place, exactly as they were when the facility closed nine years ago. So too are signs saying Departures and Garda and Customs only, while the yellow pay-machines for the empty car-park stand abandoned by the main door and wind howls through the deserted building.

At the reception desk, a dog-eared copy of Dan Browns novel, Deception, is a lonesome reminder of the days when people thronged through this airport, carrying reading material for their flights.

Its a bit like the Mary Celeste, says Marc Mac Lochlainn, the director of Branar Tatar do Phist with a mischievous grin. Hes referring to the American shipwreck that was found abandoned off the Azores in 1872, with everything perfectly intact but its crew missing.

At the height of Storm Brendan, with the rain lashing and wind howling, the space does feel eerie, but from March 2-29, thanks to Branar, it will become home to magical forests, streams and islands for one of the main events of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture.

Branars new show, Sruth na Teanga, was commissioned by 2020 as one of its flagship productions. Now the theatre company has just over a month to transform the abandoned terminal building into a space for an immersive journey capturing the evolution of Western Europes oldest written, and still spoken, language. That language is Irish a subject which caused so many people so much angst at school.

Marc is aware of this difficult legacy, but points out that Irish language and its culture far predates what has happened to it in the 20th Century at the hands of the Irish education system.

And thats what Sruth na Teanga based on the metaphor of a river is all about. With puppetry, music, video mapping and live performance, its for children and adults and Marc hopes it will give people a fresh appreciation for Irish and its ongoing role in shaping us as a nation, through our place-names, our stories, our songs and the way we view the world.

Transforming the deserted airport terminal for this production will be no small feat but then Branar have never been short of ambition, as anyone who has seen their magical productions, such as How to Catch a Star and Woollys Quest, will be aware.

Sruth na Teanga has been evolving since 2015 when Galway first sought the European Capital of Culture designation and invited people such as Marc to dream big.

For more, read this weeks Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City andcounty. Its completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on whats on in your area. ClickHEREto download it for iPhone and iPad from Apples App Store, orHEREto get the Android Version from Google Play.

The rest is here:
Local brewery kicks off New Year with launch of new range of canned beers - Connacht Tribune Group