 It's undeniable that, despite its pitfalls, tech has improved not only human lives but the well-being of nature as well, and a new development in AI-powered cameras may help save endangered species.
It's no secret that many animal species in Africa are in danger of being wiped out. For example, experts estimate that the African elephant population, once 2 million strong, may face total extinction in just decades. These tragic deaths are in large part due to poaching, but with human resources limited, it's been difficult to stop poaching before it happens. But a new vision-processing technology may help stop that. It's called TrailGuard AI.
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Ever since the release of Star Wars in 1977, Darth Vader has become something of a pop culture sensation and a bona fide fan favorite. Rightly so--he is arguably one of the most terrifying yet compelling villains ever created. His mysterious identity, petrifying voice, and intimidating outfit earn him the respect of the Empire, even while his weak spot for his son and ultimate sacrifice for him earns him our love and pity.
When the prequel trilogy released, we learned the full, tragic backstory of Anakin Skywalker, destined to become the greatest Jedi only to become prey to the Sith. His passionate (and often cringey) relationship with Padmé drove him to desperation and eventually the Dark Side. For the most part, though, he seems to adapt pretty quickly to the Dark Side, but perhaps his true internal struggle has been poorly documented. Enter a YouTube channel called "Star Wars Theory." He, along with an extensive crew, has gifted us with a fan film, entitled Vader Episode I: Shards of the Past, that dives into the former Jedi Anakin Skywalker's struggle with his new identity. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Walt Disney World on a family vacation. In totality, it's actually a very exciting time for sci-fi at Disney World. With the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge coming next summer alongside the recent opening of the Pandora: World of Avatar expansion to Animal Kingdom, sci-fi fans have a lot to look forward to on future trips to the "happiest place on earth." While I just missed the opening of the Star Wars expansion (cue tears of sadness), I was able to experience Pandora: World of Avatar for myself on this last trip. Spoiler: it's incredible. To preface, the Pandora expansion to the Animal Kingdom Park opened in May of last year and, as the name implies, is based on the home world of the Na'vi from the 2009 smash hit Avatar, which also happens to be the highest grossing film of all time. Even if you haven't seen the movie, this new area will stun you. Let's start with walking in. My family and I arrived about an hour and a half before park opening to be able to get in Pandora. We managed to snag a good spot in line, but the people who arrived even not long after us did not fare so well. The crowds attempting to enter Pandora are staggering, and Disney even opens the area early to help alleviate the onslaught of people scrambling to get in. (Yes, this is almost two years after its opening.)
Immediately upon entering, you're transported to an exotic planet. Everything down to the landscaping is made to feel otherworldly. A giant, flowery "plant" mists you as you enter. The sound of waterfalls cascading through the rocks gives the feeling of a serene natural getaway rather than a theme park. But the main attraction here?
 We've all been there.
It's dark in the house, and you just wanted to get up and get a glass of water. Alas, the journey is cursed to end in pain, for there lies in the darkness a Lego piece which your foot, by happenstance, eventually made contact with. Yes, the pain is supremely bad, but does it hurt worse than, say, stepping on glass? ("Yes!" many of you are already screaming.) Well, now science says it does. According to the Smithsonian, there's a reason Legos hurt so bad: it's what they're made of. These little construction toys are created from ABS, an insanely durable type of plastic that can support up to 950 pounds of pressure before they buckle. That's a lot of pressure, but it's not the only reason Legos are so painful. The pointy edges only make things worse, and the fact that our feet contain over 400,000 sensory receptors combined is just the icing on the cake. In fact, Scott Bell, who broke the world record for the longest walk on hot coals back in 2006, says that walking on Legos is even worse than what he did. The reason? Coals get hot, but they don't transfer that heat well. As long as the person walking on them keeps their feet moving, they're unlikely to receive any serious injuries. Even walking on glass is not as excruciating as Legos, since glass is usually in tiny pieces and can easily shift to accommodate extra pressure. 
In case you missed it, some exciting news broke over the weekend for Star Wars and Marvel fans. Not only did we find out the name of Disney's new streaming service (Disney+), but we also discovered that a new Loki-centered series and Cassian Andor-centered series was already in the pipeline.
Yes, it seems too good to be true--Lucasfilm will be blessing us with not one, but two Star Wars TV shows. On the flip side, it means I'm definitely subscribing now (curse you and your corporate greed, Disney!); still, a Cassian Andor show? YES, PLEASE. Rogue One was a fantastic movie that has quickly become a fan favorite, and by the end of the film, Cassian Andor and his snarky, ex-Imperial droid K-2S0 are hard not to love. Not to mention, the official premise of the show is just tantalizing: "The rousing spy thriller will explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire." That sounds exciting, but there's not much there. Or is there? Let's take a look at what we can logically expect from this Cassian Andor series.  Avengers: Infinity War was bad.
Like, good bad--as in, pretty much every Marvel fan left the theater shook. I mean, who wouldn't have? We see Thor come triumphantly through the Bifrost bearing his new butt-kicking axe Stormbreaker. He finally runs Thanos through the chest, only to realize he should have gone for the head. The next few minutes of the film are gutwrenching, as we watch all of our favorite superheroes helplessly fade to dust through Thanos' devious snap. Especially tearjerking is the death of Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Like, I was right there with Peter, okay? I didn't want him to go either. Ant-Man and the Wasp came shortly after Infinity War. It just seemed like such a pleasant, fun little movie. What a relief from that dreadful movie earlier in the year! But, of course, Marvel loves to put your heart gently back in your chest before they rip it out again. So, in the mid-credits scene, they showed Hope, Hank, and Janet also die because of Thanos. So, yeah. Shook again. Well, I'm about to top it for you all, folks. Take a look at the video below, where we get a glimpse of all those people dying simultaneously:  Maybe you're reading this on your smartphone. Take a moment to look at it. Perhaps you've got several accessories for it--a case, maybe a screen protector--but you know what? You're missing something. A robotic finger.
Yes, you heard me right. French researchers agree, by the way. As a matter of fact, they've been working on a project called MobiLimb that will sate your need to have a robotic finger poking out of the bottom of your smartphone.  Imagine--it's a normal day, you're driving like normal, and your truck suddenly ends up flipped over. In the accident, your spinal cord is compressed and you're given minimal chances to walk again.
That's the story of Kelly Thomas, whose life was flipped upside down when she was paralyzed from her waist down at age 19. But now, thanks to research by the University of Louisville, she's up on her feet once more. Using a breakthrough device, called the RestoreAdvanced SureScan MRI Neurostimulator, Kelly Thomas took her first steps since her accident earlier this year. The surgically implanted device works by sending electrical pulses into her spine, which in turn sends signals to her legs. With a little concentration, Thomas, along with some of the other patients that participated in the study, is able to walk.  Have you ever looked at NASA's nearly $20 billion budget and wonder, "What's in it for me?" Sure, going out and studying Mars is all fine and dandy, but what immediate benefit do you, the taxpayer, get from all this spending? Believe it or not, it's a lot more than you think, and NASA has a new interactive website that gives you an in-depth look at how space research directly impacts your everyday life. It's called NASA Home and City. You can choose to explore either an average household or an adorable little city. Clicking nodes on each of the buildings and in the rooms displays an interesting factoid about how those items came about through NASA's research. It's super fun to use, and it's actually quite engaging! Here's a few tidbits I found interesting.  Inside the hospital, you can take a look, among other things, at how researchers developed improved contact lenses in lower gravity environments. Neat!
Three Weather Channel Mixed Reality VideoS That Make The Destructive Power Of Nature Hit Home9/15/2018  If you've ever been caught in the midst of a major natural disaster, unfortunately, it's not difficult to visualize the destructive power of nature. For those of us who haven't, mere numbers or weather-talk may not translate fully into real-word effects. But the Weather Channel has been crafting some sobering, frightening, and visually impressive videos that help people understand how terrible nature's fury can really be. Using mixed reality based on the gaming engine Unreal, the Weather Channel drops real people in the midst of simulated natural disasters. The purpose of the videos is to remind people to stay safe during intense weather. Here's three for you to check out: Hurricane Florence Flooding LevelsWhen we hear "6 feet of water" on television, it sounds like a lot--but do we really know what it looks like? In this video, Greg Postel gets digitally dropped in the middle of the Hurricane Florence flooding to show how bad it gets.
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