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Social credit in China, ICT and book news

Social credit in China

You may have seen the intriguing Foreign Correspondent program on ABC 18 Sept. China is undertaking the most ambitious social engineering program the world has ever seen. Their ‘social credit’ system is designed to engineer better individual behaviour. By 2020 China’s 1.4 billion citizens will get a personal digital scorecard, with good behaviour rewarded and bad behaviour punished. Some say it is the world’s first digital dictatorship.

Excellent article with video. Looks at a young woman with a good social credit score and a journalist who lost his social credit and had his access to various services disabled: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-18/china-social-credit-a-model-citizen-in-a-digital-dictatorship/10200278

Foreign Correspondent ABC 18 Sept: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/foreign-correspondent

Black Mirror in China?: https://www.newstatesman.com/world/asia/2018/04/no-china-isn-t-black-mirror-social-credit-scores-are-more-complex-and-sinister

 

Women in physics

The new HSC physics syllabus for NSW will contain no mention of the contributions of female physicists to the field. The syllabus has 25 scientists mentioned 56 times and focuses completely on male physicists and their work. It is also believed that the gender gap in the science workforce will persist for generations, particularly in surgery, computer science, physics and maths. The gender gap was measured using data on 36 million authors of 10 million articles in 6000 scientific journals published since 2003. Globally in science and medicine, women make up 40% of the workforce, but some fields will take many years before the gender gap disappears.

https://theconversation.com/year-11-and-12-students-in-nsw-will-no-longer-learn-about-womens-contributions-to-physics-102988

https://theconversation.com/new-study-says-the-gender-gap-in-science-could-take-generations-to-fix-95150

 

URLs – is it time for something new?

Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee regrets developing the double slash after ‘http’. A growing group now think the URL is increasingly complicated and too easily compromised. Google said they are rethinking URLs as they are hard to read and hard to know if they can be trusted. Even the ‘https with a padlock symbol’ doesn’t mean much as both good and bad sites can be encrypted.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-09-16/google-time-to-reinvent-the-url-web-browser/10238296

 

Phenomenal success of Fortnite

Launched in Sept 2017, the online video game Fortnite now has over 125 million players and has made $1.6 billion for Epic Games. It has also been linked to 200 divorces. Fortnite’s success is due to 3 principles: accessibility (it’s free with in-app purchases, on all platforms and simple to play); sociality (players can express themselves and play with others) and spectacle (failure is fun and a spectator sport). Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, a gamer on YouTube and Twitch, has made up to $500 000 a month streaming Fortnite sessions from his bedroom.

https://theconversation.com/stay-alive-and-if-something-moves-shoot-it-one-year-of-phenomenal-success-for-fortnite-103528

Could playing Fortnite lead to ‘gaming disorder’ (video game addiction)? The World Health Organisation says yes, others disagree.

https://theconversation.com/could-playing-fortnite-lead-to-video-game-addiction-the-world-health-organisation-says-yes-but-others-disagree-98458

 

3 things we can learn from people who don’t use smartphones or social media

They spent more face-to-face time with others – connecting, talking, touching and supporting. They know that switching off is not missing out – it is exhausting to sustain numerous online connections, endless exchanges of trivial information and keep up with the overwhelming flow of information and tasks. They enjoyed new-found vitality because they connected with the world around them, helping them to reset and relax. They also had more free time.

https://theconversation.com/three-things-we-can-all-learn-from-people-who-dont-use-smartphones-or-social-media-103468

 

Man Booker Prize Shortlist 2018

Winner announced 16 Oct 2018. Includes previous winners.

https://www.bookdepository.com/Man-Booker-Prize?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=MANBOOKER&utm_campaign=20180920_MANBOOKER_SHORTLIST

 

Man Booker Prize – best of the rest

The bestselling shortlisted titles that didn’t win from 50 years of the Booker Prize. Includes The handmaid’s tale; A fine balance; Cloud atlas; The secret river; Atonement; Empire of the sun; Dirt music; Notes on a scandal….

https://www.bookdepository.com/dealsAndOffers/promo/id/1876

Categories
films music popular culture sociology

Good films out now or coming up

Ladies in Black

The movie has received great reviews. Based on the book by Madeleine St John. Directed by Bruce Beresford. Stars Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Shane Jacobson. A young school-leaver joins the sales staff of a fashionable store in the late 1950s and is befriended by the people there, changing her life forever. A musical version with songs by Tim Finn toured in 2017 and was excellent! Out now.

https://www.filmink.com.au/reviews/ladies-in-black/

 

First man

Directed by Damien Chazelle. Stars Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Biographical drama about Neil Armstrong and the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission. Opens 11 Oct 2018.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180829-film-review-five-stars-for-first-man?ocid=global_culture_rss

 

The house with a clock in its walls

Based on the book by John Bellairs. Directed by Eli Roth. Stars Cate Blanchett and Jack Black. A young orphan aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world. Out now.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/house-a-clock-walls-review-1143515

 

Storm Boy

Aww Mr Percival again…such a great story. In this retelling, Storm Boy has grown up to be a retired businessman who begins to see images from his past and tells his granddaughter about his life. Directed by Shawn Seet (Peter Allen; The code). Stars Geoffrey Rush, Jai Courtney, Trevor Jamieson, Finn Little and Mr Percival. Gulpilil has a cameo as Fingerbone Bill’s father. A video game is also being made. Opens Jan 2019.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-15/storm-boy-remake-trailer-and-poster-released/10123090

 

Mortal engines

Based on the novel by Philip Reeve. Directed by Christian Rivers. Stars Hugo Weaving and Hera Hilmar. Screenplay by Peter Jackson and wife Fran Walsh. Many years after the Sixty Minute War, cities survive on desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels, attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources. Opens Dec 2018.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mortal-engines-trailer-release-date-uk-peter-jackson-christian-rivers-a8384641.html

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/

 

Boy erased

Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley. Directed by Joel Edgerton. Stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. The 19 year old gay son of a Baptist pastor is given an ultimatum by his parents: attend a conversion therapy program or be shunned by his family, friends and faith. Opens 8 Nov 2018.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/boy-erased-review-1139231

 

Fantastic beasts: the crimes of Grindelwald

Sequel to Fantastic beasts and where to find them. Directed by David Yates. Screenplay by J.K.Rowling. Stars Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston. Newt Scamander and Dumbledore (Jude Law) attempt to take down the dark wizard Grindelwald, while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world. Opens 15 Nov 2018.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123430/

 

Mary Queen of Scots

Directed by Josie Rourke. Great cast- stars Saoirse Ronan as Mary, Margot Robbie as her distant cousin Queen Elizabeth I, Guy Pearce and David Tennant. Mary Stuart attempts to overthrow Elizabeth I, Queen of England, only to find herself condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution. Opens 17 Jan 2019.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-44951930

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2328900/

 

Toy story 4

Directed by Josh Cooley. Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts. Woody and Buzz set out on a journey to find Woody’s love interest, Bo Peep, who was given away prior to the events of the third film. Opens 20 June 2019.

http://screencrush.com/toy-story-4-delays-annie-potts/

 

And movie musicals are coming back!…..

 

Mary Poppins Returns

The trailer looks amazing! Directed by Rob Marshall. Set in 1935, Emily Blunt plays Mary, who returns to help the grown-up family after a tragedy. Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) has written some of the new songs and plays Jack, a street lamplighter. Also features Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Dick Van Dyke and Meryl Streep, who plays Mary’s eccentric cousin. Opens 1 Jan 2019.

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/09/the-new-trailer-for-mary-poppins-returns-reveals-a-supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-emily-blunt/

 

Bohemian rhapsody

Previews look excellent. Biopic of the rise to fame of rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Directed by Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher. Stars Rami Malek as Freddie. Rami will do an amazing job. Opens 1 Nov 2018.

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/bohemian-rhapsody-queen-biopic-696188/

 

A star is born

Remake directed by Bradley Cooper. Cooper plays a country music star and Lady Gaga is a struggling singer. Cooper and Gaga wrote songs together and performed them live. Gaga looks excellent in the previews. Opens 18 Oct 2018.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180902-film-review-a-star-is-born

 

Cats

Directed by Tom Hooper (Les mis, The king’s speech). Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, James Corden and Taylor Swift will journey up to the Heaviside Layer….what a cast! Andrew Lloyd Webber is also writing some new songs and music for the film. Due out Dec 2019.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/cats-movie-cast-taylor-swift-james-corden-jennifer-hudson-ian-mckellen-tom-hooper-a8458631.html

 

Aladdin

Live-action remake, with additional songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La la land and The greatest showman). Directed by Guy Ritchie. Stars Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott and Will Smith as the Genie. Due May 2019.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aladdin-everything-know-disneys-live-action-remake-1125148

 

The lion king

Live-action remake with a new Elton John song for Beyonce and a reworked score by Hans Zimmer. Directed by Jon Favreau. Stars the voices of Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones. Due July 2019.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lion-king-everything-know-2019-disney-remake-1123979

 

Wicked

Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot). The story of Glinda and Elphaba has yet to begin filming and may come out in 2020.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/wicked-film-will-eventually-happen/

 

West side story

Remake directed by Steven Spielberg. Casting has just begun. Due 2020.

https://screenrant.com/steven-spielberg-west-side-story-filming-start-date/

 

And in 2019 there will also be a Judy Garland biopic (Judy) with Renee Zellweger and Rocketman, the Elton John biopic.

 

Lots of great viewing!