Latest news with #LaughingCow
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Golden Retriever Has Enough of Dog's Tantrum—Proceeds to Silence Her
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video of a neighbor's golden retriever, fed up with listening to a dog having a tantrum over a treat, stepped in to mediate the situation, leaving viewers in stitches. In a June 5 Instagram video posted to the account @manhattanmillie333, two dogs stood next to the kitchen counter. The owner's golden mountain dog—a cross between a golden retriever and Bernese mountain dog—named Millie—spotted a special treat on the counter that she couldn't stop thinking about. With her nonstop whining, Millie threw a "begging tantrum" in hopes the owner would cave. The owner told Newsweek via Instagram that Millie was begging for Laughing Cow cheese, served on crackers. It is one of her "favorite snacks." All she wanted was a little nibble, and when she wasn't getting any, she made sure her owner knew how she felt. Meanwhile, the neighbor's golden retriever, Lola, couldn't care less about the treat. She was sick of listening to Millie's cries. Taking matters into her own paws, Lola stood up and attempted to console Millie. She placed her paw on Millie's back, and then on her head and snout, because one touch wasn't enough to stop the whining. Screenshots from a June 5 Instagram video of a neighbor's golden retriever consoling a dog who was having a tantrum over not getting a treat. Screenshots from a June 5 Instagram video of a neighbor's golden retriever consoling a dog who was having a tantrum over not getting a treat. @manhattanmillie333/Instagram With a serious look on her face, Lola warned Millie not to beg again. She had seen enough. Plus, she knew firsthand that begging gets you nowhere when food is involved. If either were to be granted a piece of cheese, they needed to relax. Lola's reaction caught the owner off guard. She said she was impressed by Lola's discipline, especially for a golden retriever. "Lola is usually very goofy, so I was surprised she was scolding Millie for being impatient," the owner said. The Instagram video reached over 1.9 million views as of Tuesday, with viewers cracking up over Lola's ability to calmly ask her doggy friend to stop and silence her, at least for a moment. She was only looking out for both of their best interests. "Now THAT'S an emotional support dog," wrote one person. Another added: "That's a well-mannered dog! She can come over more!" Others flooded the comment section with what Lola was likely thinking: "Chill, don't embarrass yourself, stay calm and she'll give u sum." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
National Geographic
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
The Mandela effect tricks our brains with false memories. Is AI making it worse?
Darth Vader never said, 'Luke I am your father.' So why do we all think he did? Here's the science behind this strange phenomenon—and how AI is poised to send it into overdrive. Cape Town street art depicts former South African President Nelson Mandela. A phenomenon known as the Mandela effect originates from the false memory of Nelson Mandela passing away during his imprisonment in the 1980s. Photograph by Nardus Engelbrecht, AFP/Getty Images Darth Vader never actually said 'Luke I am your father.' Your favorite children's book series was the Berenstain Bears, not the Berenstein Bears. And the cow on Laughing Cow cheese never actually had a nose ring. These are some of the most famous examples of a phenomenon known as the Mandela effect —an experience where the public collectively misremembers an image, event, or phrase. It's possible that modern advances in technology, such as generative artificial intelligence, could lead to similar confusion but with potentially negative consequences. Exactly what role AI might play in the creation of our memories is something that experts in both human memory and AI misinformation are interested to find out. Here's how the Mandela effect explains the science of misremembering. What is the Mandela effect? The Mandela effect is a kind of false collective memory in which many people remember the same incorrect details about an event, phrase, or image. 'When we think of false memories, we usually think of them in an individual way, like, 'Oh I remember my second birthday party being a certain way' but when you look back at the photos [it's different],' says Wilma Bainbridge, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago who has studied the Mandela effect. 'What's really striking about the Mandela effect is that it is a form of false memory that occurs across people.' Limited Time: Bonus Issue Offer Subscribe now and gift up to 4 bonus issues—starting at $34/year. The Mandela effect was coined in 2009 by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome when she noticed that many people shared a false memory about the death of South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandela died in 2013 from a lung infection, but many people falsely remember that he died while in prison in the 1980s for fighting against apartheid. (This ancient technique may help you remember almost anything.) Since then, examples of the Mandela effect have popped up in different forms with help from social media to bring together people to uncover these shared experiences. Bainbridge says millennial childhoods are often the breeding ground for this effect because they are some of the heaviest social media users on sites like Instagram or Reddit where these effects have been seen. That said, this effect can still be seen in some older iconography as well, she says. These altered memories are typically harmless. Yet at its core, the Mandela effect makes us doubt our own memories and even our sense of reality. Research behind the Mandela effect Scientific studies of the Mandela effect are still relatively new, but scientists have already been studying the creation of false memories for decades. This is part of the work that Aileen Oeberst does as a professor of social psychology at the University of Potsdam in Germany. Part of what makes memories so fallible is that the brain uses the same area—the hippocampus—for both imagination and memory storage, says Oeberst. 'That already suggests some important consequences for false memories,' she said. 'We know from research that if people imagine something repeatedly, they tend to believe at some point that they actually experienced it and that it is basically a memory.' (How using your senses could help you make stronger memories.) When you recall a memory, your brain doesn't play it back like a video but rather reconstructs it, which makes it susceptible to misremembering. For example, an individual might fill in the gaps in their memory with details they might expect to be true based on stereotypes. Or they might filter a memory through an emotionally charged lens—ultimately remembering what happened as having been better or worse than it really was. Memories that are novel, emotional, and self-relevant are more susceptible to these changes because we tend to remember and talk about them often, Oeberst says. (Yes, you can teach yourself to forget. And here's why you should.) Interestingly, however, these explanations don't totally fit what happens in the Mandela effect, says Bainbridge. In her 2022 work, Bainbridge and co-author Deepasri Prasad found that a Mandela effect memory can be formed even in opposition to a stereotype. To better understand how a Mandela effect is created, Bainbridge and Prasad studied people's reactions to different iconography, such as Curious George or Pikachu's tails, the Monopoly Man's outfit, or the Volkswagen logo. Take the Fruit of the Loom logo for example, Bainbridge says. The brand's logo is a collection of grapes with an apple at the center, and it floats on white background. 'The common false memory is that there's a giant cornucopia around the fruit [in the logo],' Bainbridge says. 'But we see fruit so often in our daily lives and when do we ever see a cornucopia?' Bainbridge and Prasad even seeded another false image of the Fruit of the Loom logo—this time placing the fruit on a plate instead of a cornucopia—but participants still chose the cornucopia more often than both the plate version and the actual logo. This research did not conclusively determine exactly what makes different icons or events susceptible to the Mandela effect, but Bainbridge says they could determine that simple images with just a couple of interesting quirks seem to be the most memorable. The researchers also found that what people misremember about these images is remarkably consistent and becomes stronger with repetition. In the future, Bainbridge is interested in extending this work to study exactly what makes an image memorable and even reverse engineering that to create new Mandela effects. This idea of solidifying false memories through repeated exposure is part of what could make false AI images such a risk, says Prasad, who is now a graduate student of psychological and brain sciences at Dartmouth. 'I think misinformation, especially when presented as the truth repeatedly, could definitely lead to the creation of false memories, or at least, doubting the validity of your own memories,' she says. False Memory and AI If the Berenstain Bears are a standout example of the Mandela effect, then the viral image of the late Pope Francis wearing a giant Balenciaga puffer jacket is a standout example of what this phenomenon could look like in the world of AI. 'The pope in a fluffy coat was one of the first [generative AI images] that went viral,' says Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland's College of Information who studies AI, social media, and trust online. 'And there's probably people who saw that image and didn't realize that it was [AI] generated. We're in such an interesting time now where people know they have to be suspicious, but some people just don't care.' There are a number of headwinds that have made the perfect storm for this kind of misinformation to spread, Golbeck said, including the rise of 'fake news' sites, the erosion of institutional trust throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rise of increasingly convincing content from gen-AI. The risk of being tricked by AI comes not only from human-prompted creations, but from believing AI hallucinations as well. Even for those who pride themselves on being good at sniffing out AI images, it's becoming harder and harder to do so. One of the biggest risks, says Oeberst, is that our brains are predisposed to forget source information more quickly than content, meaning that we may remember what a false AI image looked like but forget that we're meant to distrust it. Because generative AI is new and evolving, researchers don't know about its future risks. However, they are eager to explore this technology's influence on both individual false memories and the Mandela effect. Both Oeberst and Prasad are interested in whether false AI images will be believed more readily if they reinforce someone's beliefs or opinions, and Golbeck is interested in whether AI can play a role in reinforcing false memories. The researchers agree that long-term studies will be important to understand the extent of these interactions between memory, images, and AI. As for what we can all do right now to keep our memories safe from corruption, Golbeck says it's important to lean on community. 'One important step is to really establish a cohort of people that you do trust,' Golbeck said. 'Like journalists, scientists, politicians, who you've really evaluated and are going to tell you correct information, even if it's not what you want to hear. I think that's critical.'
South China Morning Post
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Behind the counter at Hong Kong's first cheese omakase
Almost everyone in Hong Kong knows Laughing Cow: the grinning red cow on a round blue-and-white box, packed with foil-wrapped triangles of soft, tangy cheese with an unmistakably artificial plastic sheen. Surprisingly, it's also beloved in France, the land of strict appellations and strong opinions on dairy. For Jeremy Evrard , owner of the much-buzzed-about cheese omakase Roucou , that was where the obsession started. 'My mother would buy La Vache qui rit at the supermarket. I always kept the label. I've been fascinated by those red cows,' he says. Why? He shrugs: 'When you're a kid, you just do things.' What began as a casual habit became a collection of more than 1,000 cheese labels, the oldest dating back to the 1930s. Jeremy Evrard has more than 1,000 cheese labels, with the oldest dating back to the 1930s. Photo: Jocelyn Tam 'It's just a thing I started. And then it became, 'No, no! Stop!'' He throws his hands up, laughing. 'They just kept coming and I didn't know what to do.' Being friends with a cheesemaker helps. One such friend named Jean François started saving labels for him once he caught wind of the collection. 'It spiralled from there.' Evrard is a self-described 'cheese freak'. 'I grew up with this dairy obsession. I don't know why. My parents aren't in the business. My mother is the worst cook ever,' he chuckles. 'She wouldn't mind me saying it – it's true.' He calls his love of cheese 'self-built'. Instead of visiting vineyards when he was old enough to drink, he would visit dairy farms. Even so, young Jeremy couldn't have guessed where his love of cheese, and its packaging, would eventually lead him. A sushi roll with organic Camembert at Roucou. Photo: courtesy Roucou
Business Insider
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Accenture is giving consulting a new name as it doubles down on AI: 'reinvention services'
After more than 35 years in the business, Accenture is giving consulting a new name: "reinvention services." The global consulting firm reported its earnings on Friday, highlighting a generally positive performance for the third fiscal quarter of 2025. The firm reported revenue of $17.7 billion, an 8% increase from this time last year. While new bookings were down 6% compared to the third quarter in 2024, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet told CNBC on Friday that the firm was "really pleased" with its bookings and that demand for its services could be seen in its revenue. Sweet said on the earnings call that AI is the firm's strongest bet for creating new demand and that to maximize AI's potential, the firm is consolidating its strategy, consulting, song, technology, and operations services into a single unit known as "reinvention services," starting September 1. "What we're going to do now is make it even easier to bring those solutions, embed data and AI, so we can really scale across our client base and into new markets using our reinvention services," Sweet told CNBC. What consultants do sometimes needs to be explained, and "reinvention services" is no exception. In both her CNBC interview and the earnings call on Friday, Sweet shared several examples of the company's AI-powered reinvention work, which — following its reorganization — the firm will be able to execute more efficiently, she said. In one example, she said Accenture is working with Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri to launch the first AI-powered ship in 2025. Sweet told CNBC that the ship will be able to "predict its maintenance, manage its energy use on its own, and talk to the dock" before it arrives at its destination. She said Accenture's work to modernize the manufacturing process for Bel, maker of Laughing Cow cheese, would also fall under this new department, as would its collaboration with Brazilian mining company Vale to expedite environmental licensing and permits. She also said the firm is creating AI-generated 3D avatars of physical products for coffee brands like Nescafé, Dolce Gusto, and Nespresso to reduce the time and cost of developing marketing campaigns, which would also fall under the new reinvention services department. Sweet told CNBC that AI can be a "tool" to help companies navigate the future, but to reap the benefits, it will also need to be "disruptive."
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Companies pause packaged food price hikes as input costs stabilise
New Delhi: Makers of grocery staples such as snacks, biscuits and tea have paused price hikes after three back-to-back quarters of 5-10% increases across pack sizes, as key commodity prices like palm oil and wheat stabilise. Executives at companies such as Britannia, Wipro Consumer, Parle Products and Bikaji Foods said they are pausing price increases. Some said they are also bringing back selective consumer promotions to boost sales even as urban demand remains under stress, their executives said. "(While) we see no price reduction or grammage increase in the next couple of quarters, there will be no more price increases for sure," Varun Berry, managing director of Britannia Industries , told ET. While the maker of Nutrichoice biscuits and Laughing Cow cheese did some strategic buying of wheat and flour, most of its commodities are priced at the same level as at the end of FY25, he said. "Flour is just slightly lower than the exit price of last year despite the wheat season," he added. Deepak Agarwal, MD, Bikaji Foods, too, said the snacks firm would not increase prices as some inflation is under control and raw material costs are reducing. "Selective consumer offerings and promotions will be reintroduced to get better market share and momentum," he added. Companies making daily essentials and grocery products had been increasing prices by 5-10% on higher raw material costs while maintaining that they withheld some of the cost pressures amid stagnating sales in cities. With food inflation expected to remain low, company executives expect their retail prices to remain steady. "Core inflation will likely remain range-bound, led by weaker commodity prices, softer growth and a stronger rupee," HSBC Research said in a report released on Monday. This, it said, is a relief for consumers and "may fuel the purchasing power of households." Anil Chugh, president, food business, at Wipro Consumer Care , said the overall food inflation is expected to remain in the region of 3-4% in the coming two quarters. "This is because of commodity prices stabilising, expected good monsoon and companies taking cautious approach to price increases," he said. Wipro Consumer Care makes Nirapara ready-to-cook foods and Granamma snacks. "For 3 quarters, prices were increasing," said Mayank Shah, vice president at Parle Products. "Now the hikes have been paused as some commodities are stable. Some key commodities are still higher than a year ago, but what's happened is that the rate of inflation has come down for now." The food inflation rate dropped to 1.78% year-on-year in April 2025, compared to a year-on-year Consumer Food Price Index of 10.87% in October 2024, according to government data. "Going forward, we expect tea pricing/ tea costs to soften rather than pricing going up (if the tea crop is normal). So, therefore, margins will come back," Sunil D'Souza, managing director, Tata Consumer Products , said in a quarter four post earnings call. NielsenIQ in its January-March quarter update earlier this month had said the FMCG industry grew 11% year-on-year by value, driven by a 5.6% price hike. Growth of packaged foods slowed to 4.9% in the January-March quarter compared to 6% in the fourth quarter of 2024, which the report attributed to declining lower volumes in edible oils and palm oil, impacted by higher prices. The past three quarters had seen surging prices of wheat (which increased 17.4% year-on-year in the March quarter), palm oil (17.2%) and cocoa (78%).
