Entertainment Archives - BRIC Plus News

AI computer program defeats professional player at game of Go for first time

Admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 04:30:00 +0000

A computer has been created in London that can regularly beat a professional champ at the ancient board game of Go, scientific journal Nature has revealed.

The AlphaGo computer program has been developed by Google’d London-based DeepMind division – in its most successful work yet on Artificial Intelligence development.

AlphaGo defeated the European Go champion Fan Hui in October 2015 and will soon face its ultimate challenge playing against Lee Sedol, the world champion Go player over the past decade. Human and machine will battle in a 5-round tournament game on 9-15 March in Seoul, South Korea.

Go is an ancient Chinese strategy game in which two players try to surround the most territory on a grid board of 19×19 intersecting lines. Despite its easy rules, it is difficult to get a winner when players have comparable experience. The possible number of movements is enormous, making it difficult to plan far ahead or preempt one’s opponent’s moves, so becoming such a thrilling jigsaw for AI experts.

Apparently everything comes down to “deep neural networks and tree search”, David Silver and Aja Huang say in their article in Nature. The mathematical algorithm driving AlphaGo, developed by Google’s London-based company DeepMind, does not only make it able to learn a limited number of moves, but makes it capable of learning on its own directly from raw experience or data – in other words, by playing against itself.

The article explains in detail this new approach “that combines Monte Carlo tree search with deep neural networks that have been trained by supervised learning, from human expert games, and by reinforcement learning from games of self-play.” This type of computer algorithm was dubbed ‘Monte Carlo’ as a codename for top-secret research into the hydrogen bomb in the 1950s.

Robots have beaten humans at board games before. The race started with Noughts and Crosses in 1952, then backgammon in 1992, draughts in 1994, and chess in 1997 – the latter considered as an AI milestone. However, in the game of Go, humans remained unbeatable… until now.

As simple as Go may seem, while for chess the number of possible moves for an average position is 20, it is up to 200 for Go. So AlphaGo’s victory, forecasted by researchers to take at least ten more years, could be a big leap for Artificial Intelligence development.

Nature magazine asked Fan Hui, current European Go champion, how it felt to be beaten by a machine: “the problem is humans sometimes make very big mistakes. Sometimes we are tired, sometimes we so want to win the game, we have this pressure. The programme is not like this. It’s very strong and stable, it seems like a wall. For me this is a big difference.”

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60 Seconds With: Mandeep Dhillon

Admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Mandeep Dhillon is one-to-watch. The hotly-tipped British-Indian actress is currently starring in Fried (BBC Three) though it’s just a matter of time before she cracks it Stateside. Having already appeared alongside Kiefer Sutherland in 24, Mandeep is currently preparing for a guest lead role in Lucky Man, written and produced by Marvel movies legend Stan Lee, and due for release on Sky and NBC.

How did you get into acting? What drew you to it?

I always enjoyed drama in school and would be in the school plays. I then started researching how to get an agent which led me to buying the contacts book from spotlight. In my first year of college I emailed so many agents and then one finally got back to me. I went to her workshops and then was signed! I then started auditioning and was lucky enough to be offered a part in ‘some dogs bite’ for BBC three. That’s how it all started.

How difficult was it to gain a foothold in industry and how did you find yourself in 24?

The audition for 24 was like any other audition. I turned up put it on tape with the casting director and then a few days later got told that I had been offered the role. To be honest I had never heard of 24 before I auditioned so I wasn’t really nervous! If I had known how big it was prior to auditioning I would have been nervous and probably messed it up. I feel like every role I have been lucky enough to be cast in had led on to my next role and so forth.

How significant has your heritage been in which roles you get, and which roles you take?

To be honest it hasn’t been all that significant. Normally the roles I get that are my heritage were not originally meant to be. They have ended up changing the name for me. For example saz in Somegirls was called Sarah to begin with. Nowadays it’s getting to the point where I will go up for roles that are not my heritage and get the part and still be called that name for example – Dacia Turner in Wolfblood , or Chell in 24.

Would you be interested in working in Bollywood or in other South Asian TV and film industries?

I would never say never. I used to love Bollywood films when I was younger so if the opportunity ever came up I would most certainly consider it. I would probably need to work on the language though.

What advice would you give to other young British Asian actors?

I would advice British Asian actors to first of all believe in yourself and your ability. To try not get stuck in the stereotype of playing just Asian characters because as we all know there aren’t many roles that are written with an Asian character in mind. So break that mould get your agent to put you up for everything and eventually you won’t be known as ‘Asian actor’ just simply ‘actor’.

If you weren’t acting, what would you be doing?

Haha this is so random if I wasn’t acting I would love to be an astronaut.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans are to keep working, keep inspiring, keep creating. Most of all to carve a life-long career doing the job I love!

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Bagcore: Do You Ever Feel Like A Plastic Bag?

Admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Taiwanese girls are now fashioning American Apparel-style leotards out of plastic bags from the convenience store 7-Eleven. This news first reached the Western hemisphere via Cosmopolitan, and now Dazed has named the trend “bagcore”.

No one knows why this trend has taken off, or how it came about. Perhaps it’s a move to promote sustainable fashion, or it could be a feminist endeavour. Taiwanese internet celebrities, such as internet queen “Teddy Captain” (pictured above) and Belle Xie (pictured below) have all flaunted Facebook images of themselves posing in their fragile DIY outfits.

Xie captioned this photo with “Shush, I’m wearing a bag. For some reason.”

The following Facebook image was accompanied by the statement: “Sadly, it plays havoc with my back and I must bend over like this all day…”

This is just one in a series of unprecedented style trends that have emerged this year, such as the “health goth” trend, which combines the concept of physical fitness together with goth street fashion, and “prairiecore” which melds normcore, 70’s fashion, and colonial-style prairie garb.

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Rio De Janeiro Names New Legislation After Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie

Pablo Mingoti — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in the world. In Brazil, mortality rates from breast cancer are still high because the disease is mainly diagnosed in its more advanced stages. Observing this, the government of Rio de Janeiro has recently passed a new law that will allow the Unified Health System (SUS), one of Brazil’s public health systems, to carry out genetic sequencing tests for women who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. The examination assesses whether there is a genetic alteration in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which protect the body against these types of diseases, and can detect early cancer.

Women who live in the state of Rio de Janeiro and have a family history of the illness will be entitled to the free exam though it must be requested by a medical geneticist, breast cancer specialist or oncologist. The disease must have been diagnosed before 50 years of age in two first-degree relatives or three second-degree relatives, and the patient themselves must be under 40. The government of Rio de Janeiro has yet to disclose the deadline for the start of the agreement with the Unified Health System.

The law was named after the Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie. In a high profile affair, Jolie underwent examination and found that she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer and 50% of ovarian cancer. Concerned about her family history, particularly as the mother of the actress died in 2007 after discovering the disease, Angelina underwent a mastectomy (surgery to remove the breasts) in 2013.

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This Russian Lake Could Kill You In An Hour

Admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 04:30:00 +0000

What do you think of when you think of a lake in an uninhabited place? Breathtaking landscape, grand mountains, a peaceful lake…I bet you would like to jump in or at least enjoy the view by the lakeside. Well, when it comes to Lake Karachy, Russia, this really is only advisable if you are looking for death.

This huge Russian lake is a killer. Don’t go too close because in less that an hour you can receive a lethal dose of radiation (600 roentgens).

Lake Karachay, located in the southern Ural mountains in eastern Russia, is the most dangerous lake in the world. Back in 1940’s Mayak (Russia’s secret nuclear weapons factory that was built for the creation of plutonium for the Soviet atomic bomb project), was hidden by the Russian government and only after signed decree by Russian president Boris Yeltsin 50 years later, Karachay became an open area. The discovery was immediately declared by the Western scientists who gained access to the area as terrifying, commenting that this postcard looking lake was the most polluted place in the entire planet. And still is!

Image via Daily Mail

Being a dumping ground for radioactive waste, this toxic lake disfigured not only the surrounding locations, air and water, but workers and residents living around that area: there has been a 21% increase in cancer cases, a 25% increase in birth defects and a 41% increase in leukemia.

So if you decide to go to Russia for a vacation best to keep away from this beautifully dangerous Karachay lake. And unfortunately, this toxic story is not the only one…

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Algerian Groom Sees New Bride Without Makeup, Sues for Emotional Trauma

Admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 04:30:00 +0000

An Algerian man is suing his wife for £13,000, claiming ‘psychological suffering’ after seeing her without makeup the morning after their wedding.

It is said that he was so shocked upon seeing her face in the morning that he didn’t recognize her at all, and accused her of being a thief that had broken into the house. Once he realized it was the woman he had married the day before, the man took her to court for ‘cheating’ him with her make-up.

Arabic newspaper Emirates 24/7 has quoted a court source as saying: “He said he was deceived by her as she used to fill up her face with make up before their marriage. He said she looked very beautiful and attractive before marriage, but when he woke up in the morning and found that she had washed the make-up off her face, he was frightened as he thought she was a thief.”

This is not the first time that an incident of this ilk has occurred. Late last year, a Saudi man promptly divorced his wife after seeing her without make-up after the wedding.

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The Radhe Maa Red Dress Scandal Says More About India Than About Her

Admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Like many other ‘Godmen’ and ‘Godwomen’ in India, who are revered for their ability to essentially have God on speed-dial, Radhe Maa, the self-styled and hugely popular Indian spiritual leader, has succeeded with her celestial phone booth. With followers carrying her around with rose and trident in both her hands, she is usually seen with the most non-God like smile written on her face. But who cares, didn’t she cure a ‘vague chest pain‘ of a devotee just by placing her hand on his chest?

With these qualities clearly meaning Radhe Maa is an incarnation of the Goddess, it’s strange to think the reason she has been picked up by headlines recently is not because of her miracles but her playing around in a red dress. Hashtags have flooded the social media walls not with her (fake) claims about being a Goddess but the dress in the #YoRadheMaaSoRed trend.

Radhe Ma being trolled in media is not a concern. But the fact that she has clouded the social feeds for a dress and not her fraudulent life suggests more about our issue with the female image – what is conventional, what is acceptable, and what women must follow – than anything else. There can be no compromise on this female ideal.

Asaram Bapu, another self-styled Godman in India who has been slapped with several sexual assault charges has been forgotten by the media even when the witnesses of his crimes are dying in mysterious circumstances. But a ‘maa’ wearing a mini-skirt cannot be tolerated by popular culture. Why? Because in Indian culture a ‘maa’ must have self-respect and only being covered from bottom to top can apparently give this self-respect.

Increasingly images of Radhe Maa appeared next to images of Indian porn actress Sunny Leone

Comparisons between the porn star Sunny Leone to the Godwoman focused on the red dress

Is the dress style of the ‘maa’ so important in Indian culture that it can make headlines over genuine cases of fraud, or even more serious accusations? A 32-year-old Nikki Gupta filed a case against Radhe Maa and accused her of encouraging her husband, who happens to a devotee of hers, to harass Nikki Gupta for dowry. A Gujrat family committed the crimes after donating everything they owned to Radhe Maa. Social workers argued that the so-called ‘Godwoman’ should be booked under abatement to suicide.

Very few know about this serious accusation, yet it is the miniskirt that makes headlines. Was wearing a mini skirt too much to handle for a cultured Indian society? If yes, then perhaps it is time for some deep thinking to be done. Or is the media somewhat to blame? The Indian media has continuously shown preference to hyped-up, undeserving stories simply because it is good business.

It gives the impression that all its audience wants is to see someone dancing in a red dress all day rather than the more serious issues. But is this really the case?

Radhe Maa’s dress controversy, which has refused to settle for almost a month, has left the public wondering that if Radhe Maa was not wearing that red dress, would she be drawing headlines at all…?

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Breaking Bad Themed Cafe Opens in Istanbul

Admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Despite the fact that one of the greatest television series’ of all time, Breaking Bad, finished over 2 years ago, the amount of products inspired by the Primetime Emmy Award winner is crazy. There were the blue sky candies, (mints that look like crystal meth), the Citizen Brick Lego Superlab Playset, the ‘Bathing Bad’ bath salts, the many Walter White Halloween costumes, and many more.

But few will surpass this fantastic addition. Introducing Walter’s Coffee Roaster, the Breaking Bad themed cafe based in Moda, Istanbul. I know what you want to ask, and the answer is no – you can’t cook or consume crystal meth or any other drugs at Walter’s Coffee Roaster. But you can enjoy a lovely meal or cup of coffee, perhaps one that Mr. Walter White himself would have for his breakfast.

Already, the cafe has became the centre of attention in Istanbul. The coffee ‘Super Lab’ is the first in the world, founded by Deniz Kosan, a Turkish entrepreneur, who couldn’t overcome the pain of his favorite TV show ending. (Also, for some bizarre reason, his cousin looks 99.1% pure Heisenberg. Just saying…)

Admirers can “sniff in” familiar surroundings and objects from the show. You’ll find yellow jumpsuits, meth-inspired blue sweets, drinks served in laboratory-style beakers and a giant periodic table on the wall.

For those who can’t get tickets to Istanbul but still would love to experience those “Science, b**ch” moments, there’s good news. In the heart of Hackney Wick, London there is ABQ, a bar inspired by the same Netflix series. Identical to the van used by Walter White and his partner in crime Jesse for crystal meth cooking, this Breaking Bad themed bar-on-wheels offers two hour sessions to visitors who, helped by on-hand experts, can cook their own crystal blue cocktails. It will run till October this year.

I wonder what the “Game of Thrones” fans will do in return…?

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Too Far? Reality TV Contestants Shot At By ISIS

Admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Like it or loathe it, reality television is a key part of global culture. One of the world’s most famous families rose to prominence through ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’. Not a month seems to pass before others seek to emulate the same fame, with washed-up celebrity after washed-up celebrity flocking to live their lives through the lens. This is not simply a Western phenomenon. India’s version of Celebrity Big Brother, Big Boss, is among the highest watched in the country. The talent programme ‘Chinese Dream Show’ draws viewers in their hundreds of millions. To some, these programmes are simply harmless fun. The attention-hungry are given a chance to enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame. The viewers at home are entertained by watching such people engage in humiliating tasks, or drama-filled situations, giving them a comfortable sense of contentment with their ordinary lives. But not all reality shows are so mundane.

One reality TV show seeks to actively challenge perceptions – by placing people in grave danger. The Australian TV series ‘Go Back To Where You Came From’ seeks to tackle discriminatory attitudes within the country. Emmy-Award winning and now in its third season, the SBS series sees ‘ordinary Australians’ taken to the countries of origin for many of Australia’s immigrants and refugees. By showing them the challenges such people face, it is hoped that attitudes will be softened. However noble the intentions of the broadcasters, the real goal of television is to secure ratings. There is no doubt that the higher the shock value, the greater the ratings will be. With the latest series taking contestants to war-torn Syria, it is clear that they will be.

Three of the series’ six contestants were taken to Syria. Under the eyes of armed Kurdish forces, the Australians are forced to live the devastating reality of life in a conflict zone, as they are bombarded and targeted by ISIS forces. Reality television has existed to cross boundaries, but the active placement of individuals into life-threatening situations for entertainment value is a line which was never designed to be breached.

No matter the stated goals of the producers, the reality is that people’s lives are being endangered in pursuit of ratings. In all of the commotion, the apparent aim of the programme will surely go unheeded. Will watching a few of their countrymen play at being internally-displaced persons in a warzone really endear Australians to the plight of persecuted people? Many would doubt it. How will such a programme help the refugees and displaced persons they are using as props? There seem to be no plans for any of the programme’s proceeds to help alleviate their suffering. The contestants will soon be plucked away, scurried back to the safety of life in conflict-free Australia. The crews will disappear, and the televisions will be turned off. If ‘Go Back To Where You Came From’ really sought to change lives, surely it would continue to shine a light on these communities, even when the Australians have disappeared. It would use some of its undoubtedly large advertising revenue to help improve their lives. That is the sad fact about reality television. The screen can be turned off, but life continues.

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In Pictures: Indonesia’s ‘Chicken Church’

Admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Deep in the forests of Central Java, a majestic bird rises through the trees. No, this is not an exotic and rare endangered species. Rather, it is a building. Specifically, a church. In this Indonesian forest, this magnificently bizarre bird building is surely a sight to behold. Dubbed Gereja Ayam, which is Indonesian for ‘chicken church’, it is perched, mid-crow, in the forest near Magelang. Construction began in the 90s, as a response to an apparent divine calling. Daniel Alamsjah, 67, claimed he received a message from god telling him to build a church in the shape of a dove. Clearly, this did not go quite to plan. Nonetheless, it attracts hundreds of tourists each year, and it is not hard to see why. Spiralling construction costs meant that the church was forced to close its doors in 2000, but that has not stopped it becoming a sight of pilgrimage for those determined to see such a spectacle.

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