Planet-warming emissions dropped when companies had to report them. EPA wants to end that
LEOPOLD, Ind. — On the ceiling of Abbie Brockman's middle school English classroom in Perry County, the fluorescent lights are covered with images of a bright blue sky, a few clouds floating by.
Outside, the real sky isn't always blue. Sometimes it's hazy, with pollution drifting from coal-fired power plants in this part of southwest Indiana. Knowing exactly how much, and what it may be doing to the people who live there, is why Brockman got involved with a local environmental organization that's installing air and water quality monitors in her community.
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Forbes
34 minutes ago
- Forbes
An AI Film Festival And The Multiverse Engine
In the glassy confines of Alice Tully Hall on Thursday, the third annual Runway AI Film Festival celebrated an entirely new art form. The winning film, Total Pixel Space, was not made in the traditional sense. It was conjured by Jacob Adler, a composer and educator from Arizona State University, stitched together from image generators, synthetic voices, and video animation tools — most notably Runway's Gen-3, the company's text-to-video model (Runway Gen-4 was released in March). Video generation technology emerged in public in 2022 with Meta's crude video of a flying Corgi wearing a red cape and sunglasses. Since then, it has fundamentally transformed filmmaking, dramatically lowering barriers to entry and enabling new forms of creative expression. Independent creators and established filmmakers alike now have access to powerful AI tools such as Runway that can generate realistic video scenes, animate storyboards, and even produce entire short films from simple text prompts or reference images. As a result, production costs and timelines are shrinking, making it possible for filmmakers with limited resources to achieve professional-quality results and bring ambitious visions to life. The democratization of content creation is expanding far beyond traditional studio constraints, empowering anyone with patience and a rich imagination. Adler's inspiration came from Jorge Luis Borges' celebrated short story The Library of Babel, which imagines a universe where every conceivable book exists in an endless repository. Adler found a parallel in the capabilities of modern generative machine learning models, which can produce an unfathomable variety of images from noise (random variations in pixel values much like the 'snow' on an old television set) and text prompts. 'How many images can possibly exist,' the dreamy narrator begins as fantastical AI-generated video plays on the screen: a floating, exploding building; a human-sized housecat curled on a woman's lap. 'What lies in the space between order and chaos?' Adler's brilliant script is a fascinating thought experiment that attempts to calculate the total number of possible images, unfurling the endless possibilities of the AI-aided human imagination. 'Pixels are the building blocks of digital images, tiny tiles forming a mosaic,' continues the voice, which was generated using ElevenLabs. 'Each pixel is defined by numbers representing color and position. Therefore, any digital image can be represented as a sequence of numbers,' the narration continues, the voice itself a sequence of numbers that describe air pressure changes over time. 'Therefore, every photograph that could ever be taken exists as coordinates. Every frame of every possible film exists as coordinates.' Winners at the 3rd Annual International AIFF 2025 Runway was founded in 2018 by Cristóbal Valenzuela, Alejandro Matamala, and Anastasis Germanidis, after they met at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Valenzuela, who serves as CEO, says he fell in love with neural networks in 2015, and couldn't stop thinking about how they might be used by people who create. Today, it's a multi-million-user platform, used by filmmakers, musicians, advertisers, and artists, and has been joined by other platforms, including OpenAI's Sora, and Google's Veo 3. What separates Runway from many of its competitors is that it builds from scratch. Its research team — which comprises most of the company — develops its own models, which can now generate up to about 20 seconds of video. The result, as seen in the works submitted to the AI Film Festival, is what Valenzuela calls 'a new kind of media.' The word film may soon no longer apply. Nor, perhaps, will filmmaker. 'The Tisches of tomorrow will teach something that doesn't yet have a name,' he said during opening remarks at the festival. Indeed, Adler is not a filmmaker by training, but a classically trained composer, a pipe organist, and a theorist of microtonality. 'The process of composing music and editing film,' he told me, 'are both about orchestrating change through time.' He used the image generation platform Midjourney to generate thousands of images, then used Runway to animate them. He used ElevenLabs to synthesize the narrator's voice. The script he wrote himself, drawing from the ideas of Borges, combinatorics, and the sheer mind-bending number of possible images that can exist at a given resolution. He edited it all together in DaVinci Resolve. The result? A ten-minute film that feels as philosophical as it is visual. It's tempting to frame all this as the next step in a long evolution; from the Lumière brothers to CGI, from Technicolor to TikTok. But what we're witnessing isn't a continuation. It's a rupture. 'Artists used to be gatekept by cameras, studios, budgets,' Valenzuela said. 'Now, a kid with a thought can press a button and generate a dream.' At the Runway Film Festival, the lights dimmed, and the films came in waves of animated hallucinations, synthetic voices, and impossible perspectives. Some were rough. Some were polished. All were unlike anything seen before. This isn't about replacing filmmakers. It's about unleashing them. 'When photography first came around — actually, when daguerreotypes were first invented — people just didn't have the word to describe it,' Valenzuela said during his opening remarks at the festival. 'They used this idea of a mirror with a memory because they'd never seen anything like that. … I think that's pretty close to where we are right now.' Valenzuela was invoking Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.'s phrase to convey how photography could capture and preserve images of reality, allowing those images to be revisited and remembered long after the moment had passed. Just as photography once astonished and unsettled, generative media now invites a similar rethinking of what creativity means. When you see it — when you watch Jacob Adler's film unfold — it's hard not to feel that the mirror is starting to show us something deeper. AI video generation is a kind of multiverse engine, enabling creators to explore and visualize an endless spectrum of alternate realities, all within the digital realm. 'Evolution itself becomes not a process of creation, but of discovery,' his film concludes. 'Each possible path of life's development … is but one thread in a colossal tapestry of possibility.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
These 2 Foods May Help Lower Your Chronic Disease Risk, New Study Says
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RDA new study suggests that eating a cup of black beans or chickpeas each day offers protective health benefits. The black bean group had lower inflammation, while the chickpea group had lower cholesterol. Both black beans and chickpeas are good sources of plant-based protein and if the key to a healthier heart and improved metabolic health was sitting in your pantry all along? A new study shines a spotlight on the humble black bean and chickpea, both affordable and versatile staples, as potential gamechangers for reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Researchers have discovered that regularly eating just a cup of beans a day may offer significant benefits, and the results were shared this week at a meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando, Florida. Let's unpack what they found. To determine how certain foods may impact health outcomes, a total of 72 adults with prediabetes participated and were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was instructed to consume one of three daily options for 12 weeks: 1 cup of black beans, 1 cup of chickpeas or 1 cup of rice as a control. Researchers allowed participants to remain in their regular home environments, referred to as "free-living conditions," rather than keeping them in a controlled laboratory setting. By allowing participants to maintain their normal lifestyles while incorporating the assigned food into their everyday meals, the study aimed to imitate realistic dietary practices. To measure the effects of these dietary changes, researchers used a variety of health markers. Blood samples were collected at the start of the study, midway at six weeks, and again at the conclusion of the 12 weeks. These samples were analyzed to track significant biochemical changes, including cholesterol levels, inflammation markers and glucose metabolism. Additionally, glucose tolerance tests were performed at the beginning and the end of the study to further evaluate insulin response and blood sugar control. Over the 12-week study period, researchers observed notable improvements in markers of heart and metabolic health among participants who consumed either black beans or chickpeas daily. For the chickpea group, total cholesterol levels decreased significantly by nearly 15 milligrams per deciliter, dropping from an average of 200.4 mg/dL to 185.8 mg/dL. This reduction is significant, as high cholesterol is a major factor contributing to heart disease. Meanwhile, participants who incorporated black beans into their diet saw significant reductions in inflammation, as evidenced by lower levels of the pro-inflammatory marker interleukin-6. These findings highlight how even simple dietary changes like swapping in nutrient-dense foods such as beans and chickpeas can have measurable health outcomes. Interestingly, while both chickpeas and black beans showed benefits in cholesterol and inflammation markers, the study did not find significant differences in glucose metabolism or blood sugar levels across any of the groups by the end of the study. Despite this, researchers stress the importance of legumes as a versatile, affordable, and accessible food option capable of supporting overall health, particularly for individuals at risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. It is important to acknowledge this study's limitations. First, the study's relatively small sample size of 72 participants may not fully represent the broader population, making it necessary to conduct larger studies to confirm these findings. Additionally, the study focused specifically on individuals with prediabetes, which means that the results may not directly apply to other populations or those without metabolic risks. Another consideration is the short duration of the study: 12 weeks may not capture the long-term effects of integrating chickpeas or black beans into the diet. Lastly, while improvements in cholesterol and inflammation markers were noted, the lack of significant changes in glucose metabolism highlights that bean consumption alone may not address all aspects of metabolic health. Finally, it is important to note that this data was not published in a peer-reviewed journal. While the findings provide valuable insights, the lack of peer review underscores the need for cautious interpretation and further validation by the scientific community. These findings have real-life implications for anyone looking to improve their heart and metabolic health through simple dietary changes. Beans and chickpeas, which are affordable and widely available, can be seamlessly incorporated into everyday meals to help support health, especially for people with pre-diabetes. Both of these legumes also offer satisfying protein and fiber in every bite, making them a budget-friendly way to stretch your meals—especially soups and pastas—and enjoy a filling lunch or dinner. Here are some simple ways you can include black beans and chickpeas in your day: Add them to salads. Toss black beans or chickpeas into your salads for added protein and texture. Blend them into dips. Create homemade hummus using chickpeas or a black bean dip as a healthy snack option. Use them in soups or stews. Black beans and chickpeas are perfect additions to soups, stews, and chilis. Try our Black Bean Soup for a satisfying recipe. Add them to grain bowls. Incorporate them with quinoa, rice, or other grains alongside roasted vegetables for a balanced meal. Use them in wraps or tacos. Fill tortillas or wraps with spiced black beans or chickpeas for a quick and delicious option—we love our Black Bean-Avocado Wrap for an easy lunch you can even take on the go. Bake them into snacks. Roast chickpeas with spices for a crunchy snack or use black beans in brownies for a nutritious twist on dessert. A new, non-peer-reviewed study suggests that eating black beans and chickpeas offers health benefits that can help protect you from chronic disease. In particular, black beans may reduce chronic inflammation and chickpeas may be helpful for lower cholesterol. The results of this study serve as a that small, intentional dietary changes can have a meaningful impact on overall health. Incorporating nutrient-dense foods like black beans and chickpeas into your meals not only supports heart health and reduces inflammation but also underscores the importance of affordable and accessible solutions to combat chronic diseases—no complicated or fancy diet required! Combining these dietary shifts with other practices like regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and stress management could further amplify their benefits. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Classic Steak Breakfast NASA Astronauts Eat Before Going To Space
Astronauts are like athletes; they have to train for their NASA mission at hand, and that starts with what they put in their bodies. Before blasting off in a rocket headed for space, astronauts need a breakfast fit for explorers. Enter steak and eggs. This protein-rich duo became the last meal ritual for cosmo travelers when, in 1961, American astronaut Alan Shepard became the first human to leave the Earth's atmosphere aboard the Mercury spacecraft, Freedom 7, to experience those zero Gs. Low in fiber but filling and satiating, this meal doesn't disrupt the body's constitution, meaning an astronaut like Shepard can skip the bathroom for the 15 minutes it takes to reach space. This isn't necessarily the case with a tropical kale smoothie or your favorite espresso drink, thanks to the diuretic properties of this morning brew. In fact, Shepard couldn't have coffee starting 24 hours prior to liftoff. But steak and eggs wasn't Shepard's idea. It was chosen by Beatrice Finkelstein of the Aerospace Medical Laboratory and set the standard for over six decades. Today, steak eggs is still the go-to breakfast for astronauts before launching up into the heavens. Read more: 9 Meats You Should And 5 You Shouldn't Buy From Costco And Why As beloved as steak and eggs is, this culinary power couple is not uniquely American; it hails from Australia, and it is considered this country's national dish. However, it is a combo that America quickly embraced. In the 1940s, as World War II was in full swing, this decadent meal fueled the military and was adopted by the United States Marines. It was a special meal troops would wolf down before an invasion. While steak and eggs is the pregaming meal astronauts eat before leaving the ground, the food that they initially ate in space was not as lovely. Their space pantry items had to have an extended shelf life, which meant eating foods like those that have been freeze-dried or irradiated. Since those early decades, NASA's food approach has shifted, and space explorers have taken everything from pizza to a bacon sandwich; Apollo 11 astronauts ate Stouffer's meals during 'moon quarantine.' However, there is one food that generally doesn't make it into an astronaut's food supply: bread. It leaves crumbs that can wreak havoc if it gets on equipment. Instead, they opt for tortillas if they need a carb fix. Hungry for more? Sign up for the free Daily Meal newsletter for delicious recipes, cooking tips, kitchen hacks, and more, delivered straight to your inbox. Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
