Meghan Markle’s book revealed as ‘a flop’ as children’s authors blast ’embarrassing’ celebrities

Arts & Culture, Books

Children’s authors have hit out at celebs who think that it’s “easy” to write books for kids. Several frustrated scribblers spoke to The Guardian about A-listers jumping on the bandwagon. The report describes Meghan Markle‘s 2021 children’s picture book ‘The Bench’ as a “flop” that “made a lot of headlines but didn’t sell at all…

Vanguard’s Spooky Movie Suggestions

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

An American Werewolf in London

Suggested by JJ Christensen, Opinion Editor

My favorite movie for Halloween is An American Werewolf in London, a 1981 comedy/horror by John Landis.

The movie focuses on an American college student named David who gets attacked by a werewolf while with his friend. The friend dies, and David survives—the werewolf is shot. Unfortunately, however, the curse of the werewolf passes on to David. As long as the werewolf curse is still active, all of its victims can’t pass on… including David’s friend who torments him.

It contains some of my favorite practical effects of all time, including an amazing transformation scene set to the song Blue Moon by Frank Sinatra. There’s also some well done, gorey death scenes if that’s what you look for in a horror movie. Beyond that, though, the acting and characterization done alongside the supernatural elements really builds up David’s mental torment (the best part of any character.)

I watched it way too young and it did bad, awful, (beautiful, wonderful) things to my brain chemistry. I highly recommend it.

House

Suggested by Noah Carandanis, News Editor

Floating limbs? A creepy cat? A piano with an appetite for more than sheet music? Nobuhiko Obayashi’s cult classic film House is a must watch for any Halloween enthusiast. Gorgeous—our movie’s protagonist—visits her aunt’s house in the countryside along with her six friends—Kung Fu, Fantasy, Prof, Mac, Melody and Sweet. Absurd as their names may be, each actress plays their role with the perfect amount of sincerity and self-aware whimsy.

Psychedelic colors and effects mix with a score that simultaneously evokes the nostalgia of summer and the eeriness of October. Brimming with charm, campy gore and an addictive sense of humor, House is sure to please both the horror and comedy crowds. So get yourself a sweet treat, grab some friends and snuggle up with your cat as you partake in the absolute trip that is House. 

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Suggested by Benjamin Wenck, Contributor

While the Twin Peaks TV show certainly has its fair share of existential horror, the show’s prequel film Fire Walk With Me leans into the show’s darkest themes and plot points. The film begins with a light tone following a new device investigating the disappearance of a woman. We follow him until he disappears, leaving no trace. The film then jumps to the last few days of Laura Palmer’s life where we follow through the tragic events that eventually lead to her death.

The horror of Fire Walk With Me comes from the humanization of Laura Palmer. The core of the TV show centers around Laura Palmer’s death, but we get very little time with her character throughout it. In the movie however, we follow her directly, so we are forced to experience what we may have already been told, but through her eyes, it gives the audience both a sense of horror and guilt.

The Thing

Suggested by Isaiah Burns, Editor in Chief

My favorite horror movie is probably The Thing. There’s a lot to praise about this movie—it’s a classic for a reason. I think the most amazing thing is how good it is at building a sense of paranoia. For those who aren’t familiar, the movie follows a group of scientists isolated in a research facility in Antarctica. The plot begins once the researchers realize that their facility has been infiltrated by a mysterious alien that can take on the form and traits of any living being it comes into contact with. Not only this, but the creature can quickly replicate at an exponential level, meaning there are no limits to how many people (or animals) it can replace. 

Throughout the film, you watch the stir-crazy characters gradually lose their minds as their trust in one another rapidly weakens and their instincts to survive take over. Older horror movies don’t tend to do it for me too often, but this one had me counting my blessings that I’ll likely never experience a situation like this.

Pearl

Suggested by Sarah Applin, Arts and Culture Editor

One of my favorite movies to watch during Halloween is the magnificent, Pearl. When I saw Pearl in theaters, it was a chilly autumn day in St. Paul, Minnesota and it snowed when we came out of the cinema—which to me, was the cherry on top of the sundae that is the film. While not only providing stomach-turning maggot-filled scenes, the star, Pearl, is a character that many know like the back of their hand. Pearl aspires to be loved, to be seen, to be a star. I am not sure what is scarier about this film, either the obvious gore or Pearl’s relatable desire for recognition and struggle with societal expectations.

House. Courtesy of IMDB

The Thing. Courtesy of IMDB

Pearl. Courtesy of IMDB

Twin Peaks. Courtesy of IMDB

Computers normally can’t see optical illusions — but a scientist combined AI with quantum mechanics to make it happen

Science and Health

A new artificial intelligence (AI) system can mimic how people interpret complex optical illusions for the first time, thanks to principles borrowed from the laws of quantum mechanics.Optical illusions, such as the Necker Cube and Rubin’s Vase, trick the brain into seeing one interpretation first and then another, as the image is studied. The human brain effectively switches between two or more different versions of what is possible, despite the image remaining static.Computer vision, however, cannot simulate the psychological and neurological aspects of human vision and struggles to mimic our naturally evolved pattern recognition capabilities. The most advanced AI agents today, therefore, struggle to see optical illusions the way humans do.But a new study published Aug. 22 in the journal APL Machine Learning demonstrated a technique that lets an AI imitate the way a human brain interprets an optical illusion, by utilizing the physical phenomenon of “quantum tunneling.”The AI system is dubbed a “quantum-tunneling deep neural network” and combines neural networks with quantum tunneling. A deep neural network is a collection of machine learning algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the brain — with multiple layers of nodes between the input and output. It can model complex non-linear relationships and, unlike conventional neural networks (which include a single layer between input and output) deep neural networks include many hidden layers.Quantum tunneling, meanwhile, occurs when a subatomic particle, such as an electron or photon (particle of light), effectively passes through an impenetrable barrier. Because a subatomic particle like light can also behave as a wave — when it is not directly observed it is not in any fixed location — it has a small but finite probability of being on the other side of the barrier. When sufficient subatomic particles are present, some will “tunnel” through the barrier.After the data representing the optical illusion passes through the quantum tunneling stage, the slightly altered image is processed by a deep neural network.Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowGet the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The new AI model was repeatedly trained on optical illusions — the Necker Cube and Rubin’s Vase — to interpret what it could see. By disrupting the image slightly each time it was passed through the quantum tunneling stage, small differences were introduced. The deep neural network then formed a decision on how to interpret the image.The deep neural network processes multiple variations of the optical illusion, choosing which of the perspectives it matches. This allows it to mimic how a human brain switches between different perspectives when viewing an optical illusion.”When we see an optical illusion with two possible interpretations (like the ambiguous cube or the vase and faces), researchers believe we temporarily hold both interpretations at the same time, until our brains decide which picture should be seen. This situation resembles the quantum-mechanical thought experiment of Schrödinger’s cat,” wrote the author of the study Ivan Maksymov, a principal research fellow in AI at Charles Sturt University in Australia, in a post on TechXplore.”I trained my quantum-tunneling neural network to recognize the Necker Cube and Rubin’s Vase illusions. When faced with the illusion as an input, it produced an output of one or the other of the two interpretations,” said Maksymov.Maksymov states that the findings could help airline pilots be aware of the dangers of disorientation and misinterpretation of flight instruments, and assist astronauts in interpreting a spacecraft’s instruments during long-duration space flight.Analyzing ambiguous images can also help in the diagnosis of people with mild cognitive impairments and dementia. An AI trained using this algorithm could be possibly used in the detection of these mentally debilitating diseases, too.

Goa Tourism meets with VFS Global to boost Goa’s international reach & drive growth

Travel

The meeting explored avenues to strengthen Goa’s international reach, enhance ease of travel for international tourists, and position the state as a key destination in the Asian tourism market.The Goa Tourism delegation at ITB Asia 2024 engaged with dignitaries, offering insights into the vibrant and diverse tourism offerings of Goa, while highlighting key initiatives in regenerative tourism, hinterland experiences, and MICE and wedding tourism. The delegation was led by Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director of Tourism, along with Gavin Dias, General Manager, Marketing, GTDC, and Dhiraj Wagle, Deputy Director of Tourism.Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director of Tourism, expressed, “We are committed to advancing Goa’s tourism by focusing on innovative approaches like regenerative tourism that prioritize sustainable growth and the preservation of our cultural and natural assets. The visit of esteemed dignitaries from the High Commission of India reaffirms the importance of promoting Goa as a premier global destination and further solidifies our efforts to engage with international stakeholders.”As part of its initiatives to boost Goa’s tourism, the delegation held a significant meeting with GB Srithar, Head of Tourism Services at VFS Global. This strategic discussion centered on enhancing connectivity and paving the way for growth opportunities in Goa’s tourism sector. The meeting explored avenues to strengthen Goa’s international reach, enhance ease of travel for international tourists, and position the state as a key destination in the Asian tourism market.

Rohan A. Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, stated, “Our interactions and discussions, such as the meeting with VFS Global, are aimed at creating a seamless travel experience for international visitors and fostering partnerships that will lead to long-term growth. Goa’s diverse tourism offerings and innovative initiatives will continue to set new benchmarks for the industry, and we are excited to see these collaborations come to fruition.”Goa Tourism also had G2G meetings with Usubaliev, Director at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, and Nazgul Akzholova, Chief Specialist of the Department of Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic. During these discussions, Director of Tourism Suneel Anchipaka, Gavin Dias, Dhiraj Wagle along with Sheik Ismail, Senior Vice President of Concorde Exotic Voyages explored potential collaborations to boost inbound tourism between Goa and the Kyrgyz Republic. The meetings concluded on an optimistic note, with promising prospects for bilateral tourism initiatives.

Goa Tourism meets with VFS Global to boost Goa’s international reach & drive growth

Travel

The meeting explored avenues to strengthen Goa’s international reach, enhance ease of travel for international tourists, and position the state as a key destination in the Asian tourism market.The Goa Tourism delegation at ITB Asia 2024 engaged with dignitaries, offering insights into the vibrant and diverse tourism offerings of Goa, while highlighting key initiatives in regenerative tourism, hinterland experiences, and MICE and wedding tourism. The delegation was led by Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director of Tourism, along with Gavin Dias, General Manager, Marketing, GTDC, and Dhiraj Wagle, Deputy Director of Tourism.Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director of Tourism, expressed, “We are committed to advancing Goa’s tourism by focusing on innovative approaches like regenerative tourism that prioritize sustainable growth and the preservation of our cultural and natural assets. The visit of esteemed dignitaries from the High Commission of India reaffirms the importance of promoting Goa as a premier global destination and further solidifies our efforts to engage with international stakeholders.”As part of its initiatives to boost Goa’s tourism, the delegation held a significant meeting with GB Srithar, Head of Tourism Services at VFS Global. This strategic discussion centered on enhancing connectivity and paving the way for growth opportunities in Goa’s tourism sector. The meeting explored avenues to strengthen Goa’s international reach, enhance ease of travel for international tourists, and position the state as a key destination in the Asian tourism market.

Rohan A. Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, stated, “Our interactions and discussions, such as the meeting with VFS Global, are aimed at creating a seamless travel experience for international visitors and fostering partnerships that will lead to long-term growth. Goa’s diverse tourism offerings and innovative initiatives will continue to set new benchmarks for the industry, and we are excited to see these collaborations come to fruition.”Goa Tourism also had G2G meetings with Usubaliev, Director at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, and Nazgul Akzholova, Chief Specialist of the Department of Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic. During these discussions, Director of Tourism Suneel Anchipaka, Gavin Dias, Dhiraj Wagle along with Sheik Ismail, Senior Vice President of Concorde Exotic Voyages explored potential collaborations to boost inbound tourism between Goa and the Kyrgyz Republic. The meetings concluded on an optimistic note, with promising prospects for bilateral tourism initiatives.

International travelers visited Azerbaijan’s Fuzuli, watched the demining operation-

Travel

A group of 33 travelers from Great Britain’s Piki Reels Club, led by Belgian citizen Yves Bouvien, has started their visit to Azerbaijan’s Fuzuli district, APA reports.

The travelers arrived in the Horadiz village of the district. They were informed about the contamination of the area with mines and unexploded ordnance by the Armenian army during the occupation period.

Then they watched the process of detonation of mines and unexploded ammunition found in the area by ANAMA (Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action) staff by explosion.

It should be noted that prior to this, the travelers visited the Jabrayil district and the historic Khudafarin Bridge.

Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 11 visits to Garabagh and Eastern Zangezur have been organized by major international travel clubs around the world. These visits have been attended by more than 400 renowned international travelers from over 50 countries.