Amgen picks prolific biotech founder Chang as new top scientist

Science and Health

Howard Chang, a top biotechnology researcher and longtime professor at Stanford University, will join Amgen as chief scientific officer on Dec. 16, the company said Wednesday.
Chang will also assume the title of senior vice president of research and will report to Jay Bradner, the executive vice president of research and development who currently serves as chief scientific officer. Chang will oversee operations in key research hubs around the world and research into therapies for rare diseases, cancer, inflammation and cardiometabolic conditions, Amgen said.

In Chang, Amgen is getting an award-winning scientist known for expertise in genetics and RNA research, particularly in long-noncoding RNAs. But Chang is also an experienced industry player, whose resume includes co-founding the biotech companies Orbital Therapeutics, Cartography Biosciences, Boundless Bio and Accent Therapeutics. 
“Howard is one of our generation’s foremost physician-scientists, with expertise in human genetics and a profound ability to distill complex disease biology into clarified targets,” Bradner said in Amgen’s statement announcing his appointment.
Chang will have his work cut out for him at Amgen, which is facing the impending losses of market exclusivity for best sellers including Prolia/Xgeva, Enbrel, Repatha and Otezla. In a recent report, analyst firm Leerink Partners ranked Amgen among the top five large-cap biopharma companies exposed to patent expirations for blockbuster drugs in the 2025-2030 period.
To make up for declining sales of older medicines, Amgen has been looking both outside and inside the company for growth. Last year, Amgen completed a $28 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics. And it’s been focusing on experimental treatments for immune-system disorders, prostate cancer and obesity, an area of particular interest to investors with the booming demand for drugs like Ozempic.
Chang, for his part, expressed confidence that his new company will succeed. “Amgen holds a storied place in the biotech industry,” Chang posted on LinkedIn. “I’m confident we can push the boundaries of what is possible in science and medicine.” 

Chang holds undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University as well as a Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed his residency and a fellowship in dermatology at Stanford and has been on the faculty at the university since 2004.

Bulgarian Scientists Discover New Species of Amanita Mashrooms in Sofia

Science and Health

Scientists from the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) have discovered a new species of Amanita mushrooms in Sofia, Az-buki newspaper said in its latest issue.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Assyov and his colleagues from Turkiye, France, and the Czech Republic came across unusual-looking Amanita in Sofia’s West Park.
“We started a project aimed at studying Amanita mushrooms in Europe. Paradoxically, we found that they haven’t been sufficiently researched, despite the great interest in them, because some of the most deadly mushrooms, like the white and green Amanitas, belong to this genus. The Amanita also includes valuable edible mushrooms, like the bridal veil [Phallus indusiatus] mushroom, which is a food market favourite in Bulgaria,” Assyov explained.
Assyov clarified that this mushroom cannot be cultivated because Amanitas are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form connections with the roots of various trees and cannot survive without them. Due to their inability to be cultivated and because they are collected only in the wild, their prices are relatively high on the market.
/NF/

Ken Bridges: The scientist that helped Arkansas understanding ‘its own geology’

Science and Health

Science is about inquiry. Observation is the tool used to find out answers, from the stars above to the rocks under our feet. And one prominent scientist, David Owen, helped Arkansas understand its own geology as the first state geologist in 1857.David Dale Owen was born in Scotland in 1807, the fourth of eight children. Growing up, he was mostly taught by private tutors. His father, Robert Owen, was a wealthy textile manufacturer, social reformer and noted philanthropist. His reputation grew when he gave his mill in Scotland to his workers, letting them manage the mill and divide its profits among themselves. Impressed by the results, Owen set up other worker-owned mills across Scotland and eventually into the United States. 

Disney Forced To Recall Beloved Animated Classic Movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

There have been plenty of stories about Disney Animation movies with hidden adult content. Some of these stories were a little bit dubious. This includes a scene from The Lion King where the letters “SPX” were hidden in the clouds, which many fans thought said something dirtier. However, one instance was true, and Disney had to recall the movie.
Here is what you need to know.
Disney Animation Classic Recalled Due To Adult Content
One of the most beloved Disney animated classics of the 1970s was The Rescuers. This movie tells the story of an international mouse organization in the United Nations (Rescue Aid Society) that sets out on rescue missions. The entire movie is a fun adventure tale that has stood the test of time.
The Rescuers | YouTube
It even had a sequel with The Rescuers Down Under, which was also popular. However, the first movie had to be recalled because one of the animators snuck in a topless woman in a window when Bernard and Miss Bianca drove by it. The window was in the background, and fans had to pause the video to see it.
The only problem is that it was released on VHS when Disney figured out what happened. They went in and redid that scene to remove the offensive image. The company then asked anyone who bought the movie to return it to DIsney’s video distribution wing at Buena Vista Home Entertainment in Carson, California (via The U.S. Sun).
Disney said they needed “to keep our promise to families that we can trust and rely on the Disney brand to provide the finest in family entertainment.”
Other Disney Animation Controversies
This wasn’t the first time something like this was snuck into a Disney Animation release. However, it was the only time that the company asked people who bought it to return it so they could replace it with a version that was “fixed.”

As mentioned earlier, there is a scene in The Lion King where Simba lies on the edge of a cliff, and a cloud of dust is in the sky behind him. Many parents thought the dust spelled out the word “S*X.” However, it actually spells out “SFX,” which is the abbreviation for “Special Effects.”
The Little Mermaid also had a questionable scene. This scene shows a shot of the castle under the sea. This image was also added to the poster and promotional materials. When they looked hard enough, some parents saw that one of the castle’s designs looked a little too phallic.
Did you know about The Rescuers topless woman scene from before it was reedited? Did you know about any of the other Disney Animation hidden images? Let us know in the comments below.

Shawn S. Lealos has been a freelance writer for over 25 years and is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He is also a published author with a book about the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers. Latest posts by Shawn Lealos (see all)

WTIA honors 40 years of boosting Washington’s tech sector as new CEO aims for more impact

Technology

WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler (left), and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell speak at the WTIA’s 40th anniversary event on Tuesday in Seattle. Schutzler is retiring after leading the nonprofit trade association for 11 years. (GeekWire Photos / Taylor Soper)

The tech scene in Washington looked quite different than today when the Washington Technology Industry Association launched back in 1984.

There was a fast-growing company called Microsoft in Bellevue, and a few other Seattle software upstarts such as AttachMate and WRQ were getting off the ground.

The industry was small and nascent. But a group of folks recognized the potential of a new, booming sector — one that needed support to grow.

The Washington Software Association, which later became the WTIA, was born.

“They sought to unite the industry. They sought to grow the industry,” Ed Lazowska, a longtime computer science professor at the University of Washington, said at the WTIA’s 40th anniversary event on Tuesday. “They sought to convince civic leaders and the citizens that … we could become a national, global power in software. That was their vision, and it worked out pretty well.”

Microsoft has grown into the third-most valuable company in the world. Amazon became the state’s largest employer as it pioneered online retail and cloud computing.

A flurry of other companies, working in software and other tech-enabled industries — Tableau, Zillow Group, F5, Expedia Group, just to name a few — sprouted in Washington and grew into major players.

Now, a flock of newer startups — see the GeekWire 200 list of top privately held companies — is continuing the state’s strength in technology.

The tech industry now represents about 21% of the state’s GDP and has created about 3.5 million jobs in total, according to the WTIA, which has remained a key pillar of the state’s innovation ecosystem.

WTIA operates a nonprofit member trade association and a for-profit corporation providing business services. It also offers health insurance and 401(k) to tech companies and entrepreneurs.

The organization will have a new leader at the start of next year, as longtime WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler announced this week that he’s retiring.

When he took over in 2013, Schutzler helped WTIA shift its focus to accelerating workforce development and helping boost startups, by way of public policy efforts and programs for companies and entrepreneurs.

“We pivoted it to a mission-driven organization, instead of a member-driven organization,” Schutzler said at the event Tuesday. “It was a huge difference.”

Under Schutzler’s leadership, WTIA also helped raise $50 million for computer science education in the state of Washington, and supported more than 150 entrepreneurs who launched companies.

It also created a nonprofit tech apprenticeship program called Apprenti that was spun out and now operates in multiple U.S. states.

Schutzler thanked the hundreds of volunteers and sponsors for their support, many of whom were in the room on Tuesday.

“It’s been an amazing ride,” he said.

Kelly Fukai will become WTIA’s CEO in January.

Kelly Fukai, WTIA’s current COO, will take over as CEO.

Speaking at the event, Fukai called technology the “economic engine that powers our state.” She is focused on helping close the tech talent gap and making sure the industry benefits communities across the entire state of Washington.

“I’m really excited to take this great foundation that has been laid by our team here and all of you in this room, and really deliver at the highest level possible — and just put it on steroids,” Fukai said.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell also spoke at the event Tuesday. He said his peers around the world know Seattle as a city of technology and innovation — and credited the WTIA for boosting that brand.

“I will guarantee you there are mayors that would love to have this kind of presence in their city,” Harrell said.

Lazowska reminded the audience that the WTIA’s impact is not just about tech companies and employees.

“We understand our responsibility to help create a region where everyone can not just survive, but thrive,” he said. “We’re not just about ourselves. That’s really important. We’re about equity, we’re about advancing the well-being of the community in which we live and work.”

Related: Seattle mayor, who sits on a federal AI panel, says he’ll seek ways to work with Trump administration

Microsoft launches imprint that aims to be faster than traditional book publishing

Arts & Culture, Books

Microsoft has launched a new book imprint with the aim of printing faster than traditional publishers.Named after an Intel microprocessor, 8080 Books will publish titles focused on technology, science and business.The imprint aims to “accelerate the publishing process, shortening the lag between the final manuscript and the book’s arrival in the marketplace,” reads a company statement.“Technology has quickened the pace of almost every industry except publishing,” it adds. “We know that more important ideas and arguments can travel faster than they do at the moment. Can they travel too fast? Of course, that already happens in abundance, but we seek to strike the right balance.”The first title from 8080, No Prize for Pessimism, by Microsoft’s deputy chief technology officer Sam Schillace, is available now. The book explores the need for optimism when creating technology products.Its second title, Platform Mindset, is written by Marcus Fontoura, previously technical fellow and corporate vice-president at Microsoft, and will be available later this year.The imprint anticipates that many of its writers and readers will be “current, former, and future Microsofties” as well as customers, researchers and policymakers.However, along with Microsoft writers, it hopes to “showcase minds and ideas from outside the company” and is “especially interested in new and nontraditional writers and thinkers”. It is not currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts.8080 also plans to reissue “significant works” and out of print books that remain relevant.The imprint said its initial topics of focus will be “technology and the future; business process and productivity, and societal priorities in law, ethics, and policy.”skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionIt said it will experiment with technology to “accelerate and democratise” book publishing, and is building a “rigorous” editorial process which will involve spotting “meritorious” ideas and arguments quickly, assisting with manuscript development, inviting internal and external reviews and meeting “style and substance standards”.The imprint will “cover the costs of utilising publishing professionals” and donate the remaining revenue to nonprofits through Microsoft Philanthropies.This week, it was revealed that Microsoft had struck a deal with HarperCollins to use some nonfiction books it publishes to train an AI model, with the permission of authors.

‘The Goonies’ and ‘Twilight’ houses featured in documentary on homes famous from movies and TV

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Oregonians are likely very familiar with the complicated story of the Astoria house that was featured in “The Goonies,” the 1985 movie whose fans love to travel to the Oregon coast to look at, and take pictures of, the hilltop house.The push-and-pull between how passionate fans feels about locations they associate with movies and TV shows they love, and how folks who live in those homes feel about hordes of visitors camping on their doorstep, are issues explored in a new documentary, “The House From …”The film, whose executive producers include actor Ryan Reynolds (who also happens to be co-owner of Aviation American Gin, whose distillery is in Portland), includes visits not only to “The Goonies” house, but also to the home of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) in “Twilight,” (2008), which is located in St. Helens, and a house featured in the Oregon-filmed movie, “Short Circuit” (1986), also in Astoria.Jason Lee (”My Name Ia Earl”) narrates the feature-length documentary, which looks at such popular spots as “Sex and the City” main character Carrie Bradshaw’s New York City home; the Winnetka, Illinois house from “Home Alone”; the Tanner residence in San Francisco, California, from “Full House”; “The Christmas Story” house, museum and gift shop, in Cleveland, Ohio; the house featured in “Friday,” in West Athens, California; the “Golden Girls” house, located in Brentwood, California; and many more.While in most cases, it’s only the exteriors of the homes that were used in movies and TV, that hasn’t stopped some diehards from showing up, sometimes in the thousands. And while some homeowners and neighbors say they’ve been touched by the emotional connection fans make with the shows and movies associated with these real-life residences, not every homeowner is so upbeat.In one eye-popping sequence, for example, a woman who’s an owner of the Albuquerque home where the “Breaking Bad” character of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) lived, the woman yells R-rated retorts to visitors who insist on gawking at the house, with some even attempting to replicate a moment from the show where Walter angrily tosses a pizza on the roof of the garage.Those complication feelings about what’s a tourist attraction and what is someone’s home come through dramatically in a lengthy segment devoted to the so-called “Goonies” house. In an interview with a man who says he was a friend of former owner Sandi Preston, we hear about some of the frustrations Preston reportedly experienced as thousands of “Goonies” fans kept showing up to see the house. Some were polite, the friend says, and others were less considerate.The documentary includes moments of fans being peeved that homeowners object to their residences being treated like tourist attractions, as some of the fans insist that they have a right to show up, and if owners don’t like it, they should move.The controversy over the “Goonies” house — which saw fans ignoring posted signs that they shouldn’t barge into the Astoria residential neighborhood — culminated in Preston putting the house up for sale, and a self-described “Goonies” fan buying it in 2023.The buyer, a Kansas-based entrepreneur named Behman Zakeri, purchased the home for $1,650,777, as The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.Zakeri appears in the documentary, encouraging “Goonies” fans to visit (even as a neighboring home posted a banner reading, “Goonies Not Welcome”).Some owners of famed residences have made the choice to make the most of fan interest by playing up the movie connections, and turning the properties into vacation rentals, as in the case of the people who own the St. Helens house where “Twilight” heroine Bella Swan lived, and the Astoria home featured in “Short Circuit.”While some homeowners and neighbors may be annoyed by fan visits, “The House From…” makes the point that for many people, going to places they associate with favorite movies and TV shows isn’t simply tourism, but a pilgrimage, a way to connect to something that has been deeply meaningful in their lives.“The House From …,” directed by Tommy Avallone, is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video; it is also streaming on Fubo (which offers a free trial), and the Maximum Effort Channel.

Dream Job: Catching Up With A Travel Photographer And Cinematographer Duo

Travel

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedinA great image serves as a passport, allowing you to transport to a place and experience its unique essence, distinct textures, colors and light. With their exceptional skill and extensive experience, travel photographer Teal Thomsen and cinematographer David Markun have mastered this art of capturing people and landscapes with their lenses.

You might have seen the married couple’s work with Belmond and Four Seasons hotels, on Netflix’s Dancing for the Devil and in the 2021 Oscar-winning short film Two Distant Strangers. Forbes Travel Guide caught up with the talented twosome during a recent visit to Cognac’s Le Logis (home to Forbes Travel Guide’s L’Académie corporate retreat), where they photographed the 16th-century chateau and surrounding vineyards, to get a snapshot of the duo’s creative process, find out their bucket-list destinations and gather some tips for aspiring photographers.
When the light hits the French countryside just right.Teal Thomsen
What was your impression of Le Logis?
Thomsen: It’s like a fairytale, a storybook chateau surrounded by vineyards on a hill. The hospitality is just absolutely next level. The staff was so kind and welcoming, and the food was amazing.

Markun: They curate such amazing, unique experiences. We ate dinner in different places every night. We had cocktail hour in different locations each time, lunch was in different settings, and they were able to create these beautiful, unique little experiences.

Do you have any favorite photographs or images from your visit?
Thomsen: Definitely not. There are thousands. There are terabytes of footage. It would be crazy to have a favorite. My favorites would be the photos I shot inside the chateau in the mornings because it gets stunning, strong morning light. And then all the exteriors at sunset. Shooting outside during golden hour, David and I ran around like chickens with their heads off nonstop. Like at every angle, the light was stunning.A camera-wielding Markun in action.Teal Thomsen
There’s nothing better than natural light.
Markun: Totally. That dictated a lot of our shoot, and I got to give a lot of credit to Robert [Louey], our creative director, who was adamant that we soak in the light and see it. Teal and I are so used to hitting the ground running. Whatever location, whatever place in the world we go to, we pull out our cameras, and we’re ready to go. Robert’s like, “Sit and watch the light for a bit when you get to Le Logis.” It sounded hilarious, but truthfully, it dictated a lot of our shoot.
Staying there for a few days allowed us to study the light. In the same way, they curated these different experiences, we were able to curate different light patterns and say, “Oh, the pool actually will be better at 4 o’clock, a little bit before sunset.” It was cool to let that be the process that naturally dictated how the photographs came to life.
France is beautiful, and it holds so much magic for people. Is there something that stands out that visually defines it for you?
Thomsen: For me, a lot of it is the light. I had to shoot in Saint-Tropez once, and I just remember the light bouncing off all the warm-colored buildings, making everyone look beautiful. Every person was stunning because the light was hitting them. But also, it has a certain magic because there’s so much history and all the architecture and buildings. There are so many stories within that it lends itself to visual storytelling. Walking around France is different from walking around L.A. You get different kinds of information here.The creative couple captures moments all over the globe, including this one with marigolds in Jaipur.Teal Thomsen
How would you describe your work’s styles and influences?
Thomsen: My goal is to make it feel transportive so you can feel like you were there. I lean toward warmth and natural light in every frame. I tend to go for color, but being transportive is the primary goal, so I’m not shooting wide frames of a landscape or a room. I’m shooting what it feels like to sit there so that you might see the edge of the desk with your coffee on it, the open window with the drapes blowing and the view out the window — not just the view.
Markun: My style of filming is mainly documentary-based. I shoot series and films, travel the world and do different stories. I always like the idea you’re in service of your subject, trying to tell the story through the subject’s eyes.
As a documentarian, your job is to feel the lens, the perspective, feel you’re there, but you’re also trying to do so through your subject. I also pride myself on doing elevated documentaries — not using a Handycam but technology and real cinema tools to tell a story and, not make it larger than life, but bring out the best of it.
Is there a place where you felt photos couldn’t do it justice?
Thomsen: Yes. Namibia, for example. There was no way to fully capture the vastness of the landscapes and how tiny you felt in this desert land. I tried to do it through humans in the frame for scale, but it doesn’t do it justice.
Markun: Steepness is difficult to capture. We often shoot motorcycle commercials in the Himalayas and Ladakh, India. And I’m like, “We’re up at 15,000 feet. How do you make it seem like we’re at 15,000 feet?” And you’re riding on a crazy, single-track road with a gigantic steep drop-off. It isn’t easy to get the perspective to show the sheer intensity of the natural landscape.A stunning shot in Namibia.Teal Thomsen
Any bucket-list destinations?
Thomsen: My bucket list is never-ending, but Bhutan and Antarctica are at the top of my list.
Markun: Somewhere extreme because I love seeing how people adapt. Whether it’s people living 14,000 feet up in Ladakh, India, or people in Alaska riding their mountain bikes in zero-degree weather, or people in Quito, Ecuador, living at the top of a crater, it’s fascinating to tell those stories of people in extreme environments because it gives you another appreciation and respect for humanity.According to Thomsen, don’t just focus on the view.Teal Thomsen
Do you have any advice for amateurs looking for a good travel photo?
Thomsen: Think about foreground, middle ground and background. Don’t just shoot the view. Shoot like what it looks like from where you are. Include a little bit of the window frame.
Markun: Follow the light. Everyone always wants to take a photo in front of the sunset. If you have a really good camera, a backlight and maybe a bounce card, it could look good, but otherwise, it will just be like a silhouette. We take the phone and then say, “Maybe face this way for a second.” And everyone’s like, “Why would I face that way?” But get the good light to hit you for a second, and then boom, this is the better photo. Just trust the light.
Thomsen: When you’re just shooting the view or the sunset, everyone will have that picture. Shoot from your perspective, it’s going to be different.
MORE FROM FORBES

Northeastern College of Science Dean Hazel Sive announces resignation after five years leading college

Science and Health

Hazel Sive, the dean of the College of Science, will resign from her position effective June 30, 2025, according to a Nov. 15 email to the college’s students and staff from the Office of the Provost. 
Sive came to Northeastern in June 2020 as the dean of the College of Science and a professor of biology. Prior to joining Northeastern, Sive was a professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 28 years as well as a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, according to her MIT science department profile. 
Sive spent her time at Northeastern working toward her overarching vision of promoting “excellence through innovation in science in education and research,” Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Madigan said in the email announcing her resignation.
“I came here to increase excellence in education and research in the College of Science and across Northeastern University through being very supportive and through taking very innovative approaches,” Sive said in an interview with The News. “Everything I’ve done is in that context.” 
Sive has also worked to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the College of Science through initiatives including the Student Diversity Advisory Council and the Principles of Community. 
“There is a department dedicated to [equity, diversity, inclusion, justice] initiatives, so we are invited to participate in a book club in which we read more diverse books,” said Ana Otero, an associate teaching professor of biology at Northeastern.
In her time at Northeastern, Sive hired over 100 professors and worked to support them, Otero said. Professors have noticed her efforts.
“I think [the dean] does [support faculty and staff], and that’s one of the reasons why I came here,” Otero said. “I do feel supported academically, I feel supported in terms of resources, also in terms of pursuing interests.” 
Much of Sive’s focus has also been on expanding opportunities for undergraduate research. 
“Undergraduate research is so important for anyone, whether or not a student is thinking that they might want a research career, whether they’re pre-med or whether they just want to know how you find things out,” Sive said. “Actually getting into  una research group and doing what I call ‘hands-in,’ putting your hands into understanding how you find a question to ask.”
In her time as dean, Sive led a huge shift in the doctoral program, creating the Connected Science Community Biology Ph.D. Program and introducing combined Ph.Ds., which enhanced professional opportunities for graduate students. Under her leadership, the College of Science saw a 200% increase in Master of Science enrollment, along with significant expansion of programs across Northeastern’s global campuses, according to Madigan’s email.
Sive also introduced co-op opportunities for all graduate students in the College of Science, initiated RampUp courses for first-year undergraduates and launched new entrepreneurship and research initiatives, all while expanding the College’s outreach to Boston Public School students through the Bridge to Science program.
The College of Science has also seen significant success in growing its global reputation in the last four years. 
As the dean, Sive continued her pioneering research, earning recognition as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her work on embryonic brain and craniofacial development as well as for her leadership in higher education in 2022. 
Sive will continue to be a professor of biology at Northeastern following the end of her tenure as dean while exploring next steps, she said.
“I have, for the last five years, devoted myself really, fully, 100% to being dean in the College of Science and to promoting excellence across education and research for everyone, and to building a very supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff,” Sive said. “It’s been my total commitment. I am deeply committed to the power of higher education, and now I will think where else I would like to put that commitment.” 
Sive, a native of South Africa, received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and zoology from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as an honorary doctorate from Witwatersrand in 2022. Sive went on to earn her doctorate degree in molecular biology from The Rockefeller University in New York City. Sive contributes to Northeastern’s global efforts as chair of the Northeastern University Africa Global Initiative.
Madigan said the College of Science will follow the typical Northeastern protocol from the Faculty Handbook and form a search committee to begin looking for Sive’s successor. 

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