Latest news with #21stCentury
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Terracotta Warriors exhibition showcases China's ancient civilisation
People visit the exhibition 'World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century' at the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California. – Xinhua photo LOS ANGELES (June 1): Towering Terracotta Warriors and ornate chariots showcase the grandeur of the ancient Chinese civilisation, while mysterious artifacts from the Shimao ruins in northwest China offer a rare glimpse into a 'super city' of around 4,000 years ago. These are just some highlights of the exhibition 'World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century', which kicked off last week at the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California. Nearly 200 Chinese and American guests from various fields attended the opening ceremony to explore the richness and enduring allure of China's ancient cultural heritage. Upon entering the exhibition hall of the Bowers and laying eyes on the Terracotta Warriors and other relics, part of the burial complex for China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, visitors paused to admire and took photos of the displays, immersed in a sea of history. The museum has incorporated cutting-edge multimedia and interactive technology into the show. A woman visits the exhibition 'World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century' at the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California. – Xinhua photo Attendees can digitally 'paint' colorful uniforms for the Terracotta Warriors with computers, or 'step into' a formidable Qin Dynasty military formation via a panoramic surround screen. The exhibition is co-organised by the Bowers Museum, the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, and the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. Tianlong Jiao, chief curator and director of the Asian Exhibition Programme at the Bowers Museum, told Xinhua that the event features life-sized statues of generals, archers and acrobats, along with more than 100 sets of artifacts unearthed in the past two decades across Shaanxi Province. These include precious relics from the Shimao ruins, which are recognised as the largest Neolithic city site discovered in East Asia to date. Jiao highlighted that the immersive technology featured in the exhibition aids visitors in learning about Chinese culture. He also noted the event marks a valuable opportunity for collaboration between Chinese and American archaeologists. The museum plans to host a series of lectures and academic symposiums in conjunction with the exhibition. Sean O'Harrow, president and CEO of the Bowers Museum, emphasised how the exhibition will help people understand the importance of cross-cultural exchanges. 'China has a long history, while the United States is considered a young country. But each has its own strengths and characteristics. 'We should learn from each other, respect each other, and appreciate each other,' Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun said in his remarks. 'For many years, the Bowers Museum has been dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between China and the United States, offering many Americans the opportunity to explore Chinese culture in their own community,' Guo noted. People visit the exhibition 'World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century' at the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California. – Xinhua photo Founded in 1936, the Bowers Museum is the largest and one of the oldest museums in Orange County. The museum houses over 100,000 works of art and cultural artifacts from around the world. The museum previously hosted Terracotta Warrior exhibitions in 2008 and 2011, both of which sparked significant interest in Chinese culture throughout Southern California. The 'World of the Terracotta Warriors' exhibition will run through Oct 19. – Xinhua california China exhibition us World of the Terracotta Warriors Xinhua
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Queen of Spades review – dark and convincing staging of Tchaikovsky's compulsive drama
Garsington's production of The Queen of Spades leaves little room for doubt that this is Tchaikovsky's most substantial and forward-looking operatic achievement. There are a few debatable aspects to Jack Furness's ingeniously busy production and Tom Piper's mirror-dominated stage designs, and on the opening night it took time for the show to fully hit its musical stride. Overall, though, this is an overwhelmingly convincing staging of a genuine music drama, and it will surely come to be seen as one of Garsington's most notable milestones. The opera's 18th-century setting, following Pushkin's short story, is retained. But in every other respect this is an unmistakably dark 21st-century reading. Furness is good at inserting troubling new details into the opera's apparently sunnier moments, literally so when black curtains zip across the late afternoon Garsington windows. The children playing soldiers on the banks of the Neva are here more sinister than cute, while the costume ball scene is riddled with transgressive suggestion. Suffice to say that the grand entrance of Catherine the Great after the ball scene's pastorale will not end as traditionalists will expect either. A successful performance of The Queen of Spades never rests solely on the shoulders of the opera's tortured antihero Hermann. Tchaikovsky's opera contains too many other fine cameos and ensembles for that. But without an outstanding Hermann, the opera's uniquely visceral impact might misfire. Fortunately, Garsington has a true Hermann in its ranks, in the shape of the Germany-based Irish tenor Aaron Cawley, who sings the role with prodigious intensity, almost too agonisingly, and with a brooding Heathcliffian presence which at times threatens to eclipse everything else on stage. Yet this is as it should be. Hermann's obsessive gambling, social awkwardness and sexual frustration are the dramatic focus of the opera in ways that look forward to the 20th century, to Berg's unhappy Wozzeck and to Britten's troubled loner Peter Grimes, a role for which Cawley would be ideal. Under Douglas Boyd's baton, Tchaikovsky's compulsive and innovative score, full of expressive woodwind detail and driven forwards by the march of fate, does the rest. Among the other principals, Laura Wilde is a suitably haunted and haunting Lisa, movingly depicting her character's journey from security to despair. Stephanie Wake-Edwards is bright and characterful as her friend Polina. Diana Montague, as vocally elegant as ever, plays the aged Countess without hamming the role. Robert Hayward uses his many arts to give more depth to Hermann's friend Tomsky than usual, while Roderick Williams does an eloquently sympathetic turn as the disappointed Prince Yeletsky. Until 4 July
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
This is how YOU can profit from the AI revolution: ANNE ASHWORTH reveals everything investors need to know - and which companies experts are backing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing our lives in a 21st century industrial revolution powered by semiconductors. The companies that supply these vital products - which are used to make microchips - may have seemed like a danger zone for investors of late.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis faces $335K funding cut. Here's what is being affected.
Federal funding cuts are impacting the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis (BGCI), costing the organization thousands of dollars to support proper staffing, but the organization says its summer camp is still on. The Indianapolis branch of the national Boys & Girls Club of America told IndyStar that it has seen an approximate loss of $315,000 to $335,000 in funding due to cuts at the federal level to the AmeriCorps agency and 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. Cuts to the AmeriCorps agency have already been impacting organizations across the country, but cuts to the 21st Century grants are still being considered under Trump's "skinny" budget. While the budget bill has not been finalized, some organizations are making preparations for the funding cuts anyway. However, despite this significant reduction in the organization's funding, it plans to open its doors at its five club sites across the city for its five-week summer camp program this year. Pam Lozano, director of resource development for the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis, told IndyStar that the cuts mean their five school-site programs will have to be closed. Those sites include Enlace Academy, Johnathan Jennings School 109, Raymond Park Middle School, Liberty Park Elementary School and Pleasant Run Elementary School. More news you should know: Hogsett, IPS names members of group shaping the future of the district. Who they picked 'We feel this impact because we are losing team members who support yearly in varying spaces, but we are also losing members who are in AmeriCorps as future educators, social workers, etc,' Lozano said. 'We know we are meeting a challenging time ahead, but our clubs will be open, we have worked hard to create a plan where we shift and focus on ways to be sure that any funding cuts aren't felt at the club level.' The funding cuts mostly stem from the Trump administration's move to eliminate funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, which is the only federal funding stream dedicated to supporting afterschool and summer programs for children, according to the After School Alliance. Lozano said the club is losing around $315,000 with the grant gone. The Indianapolis organization is also possibly losing $120,000 from AmeriCorps funding, which helped fund staff positions and mentors at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. AmeriCorps announced in late April that they were suspending $400 million in grants, which has resulted in more than 1,000 programs shuttering and affecting 32,000 AmeriCorps members across the nation. Lozano said the loss of the AmeriCorps funding has resulted in the most immediate impacts to their programming with the loss of mentors who provide one-on-one support for kids and scaling back specialized programs such as literacy tutoring, college prep and mental health services. 'This is more than a financial setback, it's a call to action,' Lozano said. 'Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive in a safe, supportive community.' Keep up with school news: Sign up for Study Hall, IndyStar's free weekly education newsletter. The Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis has served more than 7,300 youth annually, with the majority of them qualifying for free or reduced lunch, according to the organization's website. The local club is asking the community to donate money or volunteer their time to ensure their programming can continue.
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WIRED
7 days ago
- Health
- WIRED
WIRED's Guide to Mushroom Supplements (the Functional Kind)
All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. From ancient remedies to your Amazon cart, mushroom supplements have traveled a circuitous road. They nourish the body, enhance the mind, and occasionally poison the unlucky. Their biochemical adaptability has intrigued Eastern cultures for centuries. The West has been slow to embrace mushrooms until the 21st century, propelled in part by endorsements from celebrities like Gisele Bündchen and Gwen Stefani. Today, in a zeitgeist fixated on biohacking and self-optimization, mushrooms are now tools for functional wellness. Gone are the days of foraging and sautéing. Instead, we embrace microdosing. We're enjoying lion's mane in our adaptogenic lattes and mixing cordyceps into our post-workout smoothies, aiming to enhance our brains and upgrade our immune systems. Researchers are also exploring their potential applications, ranging from cancer therapies to supportive treatments for COVID-19. Power up with unlimited access to WIRED . Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today . Functional mushrooms, often referred to as medicinal or adaptogenic, offer more than just nutritional value. The excitement surrounding them isn't due to recent studies; their advantages have been recognized for years. What has shifted is the way they are presented, allowing for simpler integration into contemporary lifestyles without the need for cooking. Brands like RYZE and PlantFusion have played a significant role in transforming these fungi from traditional remedies to nootropic supplements. 'One of the OG brands was Four Sigmatic,' recalls Brigitte Zeitlin, a NYC-based nutritionist who has swapped caffeine for mushroom coffee and matcha tea. 'When they first hit shelves, people were like, 'Wait, we drink mushrooms now?'.' 'If you don't like the taste or can't find quality mushrooms at your store, supplements are a great second option,' she adds. 'Some people hate swallowing pills or are already taking too many, so powders are a great alternative because they're already broken down.' For as long as humans have been getting sick, they have relied on fungi as a means of healing. Hippocrates is said to have used amadou, a spongy fungus, to reduce inflammation. Ötzi the Iceman had amadou in his supplies (probably for fire-starting), along with birch polypore, which was likely used to fight intestinal parasites. Native American cultures pressed puffball mushrooms onto wounds to halt bleeding and aid healing. Additionally, they used tiger milk mushrooms to treat asthma. East Asian traditions have long used Phellinus fungi to treat digestive issues. Ganoderma lucidum —commonly known as reishi or lingzhi—was first recorded in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing , the oldest Chinese pharmacopeia written over two millennia ago, where it was classified as a tonic for anti-aging and boosting qi. In modern-day China, reishi is often recommended to support immune health in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Inonotus obliquus —better known as chaga—has been a staple in traditional medicine among Indigenous communities across the world. Notably, native Siberians would grind up chaga and add it to teas, soups, and stews, believing it to ward off degenerative diseases. It was also a remedy for ulcers, liver ailments, and tuberculosis. Russian First Nations used it to slow the growth of visible tumors. Today, hunters in rural Russia still consume chaga to boost endurance on long treks. Nutritionists agree: food first. Whole mushrooms like maitake, shiitake, and lion's mane offer fiber and nutrients you won't get from supplements. Toss them into stir-fries, omelets, or soups. While supplements don't always deliver the same results, here are some of the health benefits seen with regular intake. A review of 17 cancer studies shows that consuming about 1/8 cup of mushrooms a day may lower your risk of cancer by as much as 45 percent. Fungi are packed with ergothioneine, an amino acid and antioxidant that slows cellular damage. Shiitake, oyster, maitake, and king oyster have some of the higher amounts of ergothioneine, but any variety of mushrooms is better than none. In a study in Singapore, participants who ate more than two cups of mushrooms (golden, oyster, shiitake, and white button) a week had a 50 percent lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. Unlike many foods that are broken down by stomach acid, the polysaccharides in fungi remain intact as they pass through the stomach. This allows them to reach the colon, where they can prompt the growth of healthy bacteria. Certain shrooms also provide vital nutrients that can support your overall well-being. Cremini and portabella are high in selenium, a mineral that produces antioxidant enzymes to prevent cell damage. Maitake mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D, and incorporate Shiitake into your diet for vitamin B6. Photograph:From nootropic lattes to adaptogenic powders, certain species have become stars in the wellness space. Here's what the research and experts have to say about the fungi dominating your feed. Chaga, a white-rot fungus that thrives on birch trees in northern climates, is recognized for its abundant antioxidants. 'If you have autoimmune issues like Hashimoto's or psoriasis, Chaga mushrooms are awesome because they reduce inflammation,' says Zeitlin. Though much of the research has been conducted in vitro or on animals, Chaga demonstrates promising antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that sprouts on larvae of insects. In wellness marketing, it's the performance mushroom and a favorite among athletes. Research suggests cordyceps may help improve stamina and post-workout recovery by boosting ATP production and oxygen efficiency in cells. But many of those claims are based on early-stage research and lab models. Marketed as brain food, lion's mane is rich in terpenes like hericenones and erinacines that boost the production of the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a protein vital for the maintenance and regeneration of neurons. Preliminary research also indicates it may aid in nerve regeneration, reduce the risk of cognitive decline, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. It's important to note, though, since it might contain phytoestrogens that could activate estrogen-sensitive cells, those with a history of breast cancer should consult a physician before using it. Maitake (also known as hen-of-the-wood) contains beta-glucans that have been shown to activate lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and T-helper cells. Researchers are investigating its potential to help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, particularly in individuals with metabolic issues. Zeitlin recommends maitake—and shiitake—mushrooms for those who have a history of chronic illnesses. Reishi is studied for calming effects and possible support for blood sugar and lung function, thanks to its high polysaccharide content. "Reishi mushrooms are [for] a general wellness boost," Zeitlin says. "If you're feeling stressed out, you get colds frequently, or it's spring season and your allergies are running amok, Reishi mushrooms are a supportive move." Behind their umami-rich bite is a potent wellness profile: these mushrooms deliver lentinan, an immune-boosting polysaccharide, and eritadenine, known for supporting heart health by lowering cholesterol. Shiitake also reduces inflammation markers like CRP (C-reactive protein) and IgA (Immunoglobulin A). Plus, they're packed with B vitamins to support energy, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. This colorful mushroom gets its name from its resemblance to a turkey tail's feather, and it's one of the most researched macrofungus in oncology. Turkey tail is rich in protein-bound polysaccharides (PBPs) that stimulate immune responses, particularly in the function of T-cells and NK cells. Courtesy of Four Sigmatic Like most supplements, timing your mushroom intake depends on the specific variety and what you're hoping to get out of it. Let's start with mornings. If you're caffeine-sensitive, mushrooms can be an energizing swap. Lion's mane is a go-to for AM focus (especially during workdays) for its ability to support brain health, and cordyceps is a popular pre-workout boost. 'Caffeine works by blocking the neurotransmitters that make us feel tired,' says Zeitlin, who regularly drinks mushroom coffee. 'It doesn't give us energy, it just stops the sensation of tiredness.' Chaga acts as a multitasker; it provides calmness without sedation, allowing it to enhance your morning coffee or offer an afternoon boost. Its earthy, mildly bitter taste has a coffee-like mouthfeel, contributing to its popularity. If you're looking for immune support, incorporate turkey tail in the morning to prepare your body for a day of commuting. Finally, reishi is typically consumed in the evening to help relax the body. In most cases, yes—while consuming mushrooms poses minimal risk for most people, unless you're allergic. Toss them into stir-fries, omelets, or soups. Concentrated mushroom supplements operate in murkier territory. The supplement industry is under-regulated in the U.S., and that lack of oversight extends to functional fungi. Labels may not always reflect what's inside the package. 'If you're going the supplement route, look for products with natural ingredients and some sort of third-party regulation,' says dietitian Laura Wargo. 'That gives you a clearer idea of what's actually in them.' Be sure to take them with food to avoid any gastrointestinal discomfort. 'Natural food is more bioavailable, and taking supplements with a meal can support better digestion,' Wargo says. If you can eat your mushrooms, eat your mushrooms. Supplements are great insurance, but not a replacement for a well-balanced diet. Supplements are great insurance, but not a replacement for a well-balanced diet. Think purpose over timing. Different mushrooms shine at different times, but no matter when you take them, consistency is key. Different mushrooms shine at different times, but no matter when you take them, consistency is key. Always check with your doctor first. Laura E. Wargo, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine Osher Center for Integrative Health in Chicago, Illinois. Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at BZ Nutrition in New York City.
