SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " mind " 1,761 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Fauci’s diaries show he changed his mind often. That’s what scientists are supposed to do.
Ann Keller: Public health experts need to be allowed to admit when they’re wrong — and share with the public what they are learning.
He bought a fitness supplement online to bulk up, but ended up losing his mind
Daniel Murphy's mental health spiralled after he took missold drugs which had been mixed with steroids.
‘Now or never’ mindset opens the M&A floodgates for Corporate America
U.S. companies are pursuing large mergers and acquisitions as they seek to capitalize on what many view as the most business-friendly regulatory environment in years under the Trump administration, The New York Times reports. High-profile deals include NextEra Energy’s proposed $67 billion combination with Dominion Energy, Sysco’s $29 billion acquisition of Jetro Restaurant Depot and […]
Promises made, promises kept: Trucker of the Month Jeffrey Crise
Owner-operator Jeffrey Crise, who runs two-truck A&J Transport & Recovery out of the Baltimore area, prides himself punctuality and service -- with clear dedication to customers.
You Could Send Messages to Your Past Self With This Mind-Melting Technology, Scientists Say
Sending information backward in time may be less impossible than it sounds.
Jensen Huang says this is the greatest time in history to start a business—and his advice is to stop overthinking it: ‘How hard can it be?’
The billionaire CEO has spent the last three decades building Nvidia —but says one simple mindset helped turn a diner-booth idea into a $4.7 trillion giant.
Senate Punts on College Sports Bill Vote Without Big Ten, SEC Approval
The conferences still haven’t made up their minds.
Google DeepMind’s new AI model can control a robot’s entire body
The new model can help robots tie up trash bags and unscrew lightbulbs, too.
Scientists Figured Out How to ‘Edit’ Your Memories. It Could Free Your Mind.
For decades, memories were thought to be permanent, but new science is reshaping how we might think about our past.
The No. 1 Habit That Slowly Dulls Your Sharp Mind, By A Psychologist
New research reveals the surprising habit that quietly dulls a sharp mind — and it's not neglect, it's the competence you've already built up over the years.
The new "science golden age" looks suspiciously like a grift
This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 The Trump regime is trying to usher in a “Golden Age in Science” where scientific research is run like a Trump family business, artificial intelligence is all that matters, profit is everything, and expertise is for chumps. Or at least that’s the vision emerging from a new 123-page “Report to the President” from Michael Kratsios, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In a normal administration, you could probably skip over learning about a science policy document — but this is no normal administration, and this is no normal science policy document. Instead, it’s Trump’s attempt to end the actual golden age of science that was kicked off in 1945 with the publication of '“The Endless Frontier” by Vannevar Bush. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) [ Harmeet Dhillon demonstrates danger of posting through it ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) Liz Dye · Jul 29 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) Bush, at President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s request, laid out a vision of federal support for science that centered on funding universities to do basic research, saying that as long as those institutions were “vigorous and healthy and their scientists are free to pursue the truth wherever it may lead, there will be a flow of new scientific knowledge to those who can apply it to practical problems in Government, in industry, or elsewhere.” Kratsios’s report is supposed to be the successor to Bush’s, and even apes the format, but this isn’t really a document about science policy. It’s one about ending science research as we know it in favor of shoveling cash at big tech companies. While it might be temping to wave this away as an aspirational policy document, Trump has already begun to shift billions in research funds to AI projects and has taken a hatchet to science funding across the board. He’s teed up the shift Kratsios proposes here, and since neither Congress nor the Supreme Court seem inclined to stop him from doing whatever he wants with taxpayer money, it isn’t doomering or hyperbole to say we are staring down the barrel of a world where the only “science” the government intends to support is for-profit tech and defense advancements. Science for dummies Part of how you can tell this isn’t a document about science is that you are immediately faced with an absolute wall of business-speak of the worst sort. Did you know we must “tightly couple our science and technology enterprises to ensure that groundbreaking ideas invented in the United States are rapidly prototyped, tested, manufactured, and scaled domestically”? You do now! That tone isn’t surprising, because Kratsios has no background in science or research. He has a bachelor’s in political science and spent most of his career working for Peter Thiel at Thiel Capital. After a stint in the first Trump administration as Chief Technology Officer, where he also did not do any science, Kratsios was tasked in 2020 with overseeing the Pentagon’s research budget for a brief time, a position that, as the Wall Street Journal put it, “carries a great deal of power in terms of dictating investment allocations.” He spent the Biden years at Scale AI as “head of strategy,” which you will also note is neither a science nor a research job. But Scale AI has contracts with the Department of Defense and, as the Washington Post wrote in 2023, “has been aggressively pitching itself as the company that will help the US military in its existential battle with China.” And now you have the necessary background for our new golden age, which is going to be a golden age of taking money away from scientists and universities and giving it to companies like Scale AI. A note from Aaron: Working with brilliant contributors like Lisa takes resources. If you aren’t already a paid subscriber, please become one to support our work. 👇 Subscribe In a genuinely galling move, Katsios spends a lot of time slamming universities because of “administrative burdens on researchers” and the “well-documented inefficiencies” in academia, the message being that those damn universities waste the time of amazing researchers with paperwork. Except it’s the administration that is attempting to impose inefficient, unnecessary burdens on those researchers with a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would require senior political appointees to approve every science grant and ensure it aligns with Trump’s personal priorities. Researchers would also have to seek prior government approval to attend conferences or publicize their research. And political appointees could terminate any grant at any time if they feel like it. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) [ The murder of expertise ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) Lisa Needham · Jun 11 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) But when it comes to AI, we’re going to “restore permissionless innovation.” The report proposes to give lucky ducky innovators a pile of cash up front for grants lasting five years or longer, saying “awards should be fully-funded in year one, with all resources earmarked upfront, to minimize administrative burdens and reduce pressure for researchers to generate intermediate results to secure continued funding.” Yeah, wouldn’t want to have to make the Very Special Tech Bros show results or get money parceled out year by year like the plebes at universities. The report also proposes that we should have “fast grants” with “simplified applications requiring just a few pages of writing” because that is definitely how science works, just writing a bit off the dome and getting some cash. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) [ Tech elites are turning AI into ChatGPTrump ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) Paul Waldman · July 29, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) Oh, and we should have prizes and challenges, where multiple teams compete. The proposed prizes include incentives like “advance procurement commitments,” which means the federal government agrees to buy whatever is being developed. There’s also “regulatory fast-tracking,” making sure all those great AI thingies don’t have to wait too long to be unleashed on a market. These aren’t incentives to do science. These are incentives to develop things with tax dollars that you can then sell to the government for more tax dollars. In the suggestion that might be the most unhinged, the most very opposite of how both government and research work, our new age will include “golden tickets.” That’s where an individual reviewer in an agency — yes, just one person — can “recommend unconventional proposals that may not pass consensus-driven review panels” because somehow this will “surface valuable ideas too divisive for committees and attract higher quality reviewers by empowering them to exercise independent scientific judgment.” Yes, that’s saying that a random person in an agency should be able to shovel money at some idea even if it can’t pass a review panel, and that the opportunity to do so will attract better employees because apparently all the best minds in science are chomping at the bit to be allowed to unilaterally fund AI research based on their personal vibes. But that isn’t at all how actual science works, and actual scientists aren’t unhappy about review panels. They work collaboratively, not siloed in some secret race to create the next AI chatbot. A 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research examined whether peer review panels succeed in helping agencies predict which research ideas will best advance science. Peer review was better at finding “diamond in the rough” applicants than a single government program official. How about that. Trump always wants a taste It’s painfully clear that what Katsios is trying to do here is turn the whole of government science research and funding into the sort of “move fast and break things” paradigm that is the hallmark of big tech. That method works to line the pockets of tech executives, but it isn’t science. There’s a reason the government funds different kinds of research than private tech companies do. What Katsios either fails to understand or deliberately ignores is that the federal government is the main funder of basic research precisely because it can take a long time for it to bear fruit and is not intended to be profitable as such. “Basic” here does not mean rudimentary or simple, but rather research that is designed to advance scientific knowledge instead of achieving a specific outcome or product. Big tech companies don’t widely fund that sort of research, because it doesn’t make them money. Industry dollars account for only about 20 percent of basic research funding, while the government contributes around 60 percent. Big tech companies and startups do, however, rely on and benefit from that basic research. A 2019 study found that 35 percent of all patents obtained by venture-backed startups from 1976 to 2016 cited federally supported research. Basic research funded by the NIH contributed to every single drug the FDA approved from 2010 to 2016. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) [ The Saudi nuclear farce and governance by whim and meme ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) Noah Berlatsky · Jul 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) Unlike inventing the next ChatGPT, actual science is slow and iterative. Government funding of research that, on its face, would not appear to lead to any big new invention is actually what underpins those big new inventions. If the government hadn’t funded research into desert lizard venom, we wouldn’t know about semaglutide, and we wouldn’t have Ozempic. If research scientists hadn’t studied how bees optimize nectar foraging within a colony, we wouldn’t have the algorithm that assigns internet traffic across computer servers. The report assiduously ignores that a symbiotic, profitable relationship between the federal government, universities, and private companies already exists. Each federal research dollar generates about $1.50 to $3.00 in long-term economic benefits. The $36 billion the government awarded in NIH research funding in fiscal year 2025 generated $94 billion in new economic activity. Trump’s proposed new golden age is intended to strip those billions from universities, resulting in the dismantling of departments and the shuttering of labs. But Katsios has a plan for that: Universities should just become trade schools to churn out no-show STEM degrees! “Require universities and community colleges to embed practical technical training and externships into STEM curricula. Let hands-on experience and industry credentials count toward degrees.” It’s quite the feat to, on the one hand, strip schools of funding for scientific research while simultaneously demanding to control what is taught and, oh, also, colleges need to give degrees to employees at big tech companies just for being employees at big tech companies. The new golden age would also exacerbate the brain drain Trump’s policies have already caused. Nature found that in the first quarter of 2025, US scientists submitted 32 percent more job applications abroad than in 2024. A March 2025 poll by Nature of roughly 1,600 scientists found that over 1,200 said they were considering leaving the country. Europe is investing $565 million to make it a “magnet for researchers” and provide funding for scientists who relocate. The new golden age is also about embedding Trump’s xenophobia into the fabric of American science. The report complains of an “over-reliance on foreign students” that “creates a security challenge our institutions are ill-equipped to address” and that a “reliance on foreign talent sidelines American students.” This is, to put it mildly, nonsense. International students pay far higher tuition and often receive no financial aid. Their tuition dollars are what make it possible for American students to get financial aid. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, international students contributed $43.8 billion to the US economy and supported over 378,000 jobs. Those 1.1 million international students accounted for only six percent of the total number of students in higher education that year, but were such an economic engine that for every three international students, one job was created or supported. It’s impossible not to wonder whether part of Trump’s loathing for universities and their leading role in scientific research is that there is no way for him to corrupt the process and make money off it in the same way he can by giving millions and billions to Silicon Valley types who, in turn, give him millions in cash. There’s no way for his children to invest in universities that the government then gives no-bid contracts to, fattening the family’s bottom line, which is pretty much the Trump sons’ current venture capital practice. Trump and Katsios’s view of science is narrow, cramped, and wrong. We’re not in a crisis, we’re not a failed state. We’ve been a science superpower for decades, and the only thing that threatens that is Donald Trump. Tech bros are already living high off the hog in this administration. They don’t need any more of our tax dollars. Hopefully this new golden age never comes to pass. Thanks for reading Public Notice. This post is public so feel free to share it. Share We’ll be back with more tomorrow. If you appreciate today’s PN, please do your part to keep us free by signing up for a paid subscription. 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 Thanks for reading, and for your support.
Health experts give warning about popular fidget toy ‘Needoh’
A popular fidget toy is keeping little hands busy, but there are a few things to be mindful of to make sure the kid-friendly toy remains a stress reliever.
How Columbia Changed My Politics
A former liberal reflects on how Columbia University's reaction to the 2016 election and its culture of ideological conformity reshaped her politics.
McKenzie Health ‘Peace of Mind’ Clinic Helps Thumb Residents Access Behavioral Health Services
Michigan hospitals are finding innovative ways to remove barriers and help those in need across their communities.
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Local nonprofit partners to help veterans transition into aviation careers; rental market takes dubious top honors for most expensive in the nation
In her latest business column, Jessica M. Pasko highlights a tricounty nonprofit aiming to give veterans more career opportunities, along with dates to keep in mind and more.
Google Shuts Down Its Nobel-Prize Winning AlphaFold Project As It Focuses On Gemini
DeepMind's award-winning AlphaFold team is no more.
Hyperliquid Is Building A $1B Business, Says Grayscale – But Traders Just Got Reminded Of The Risks Amid SK Hynix Turmoil
HYPE's circulating supply is estimated at 270-310 million tokens by 2027, said Grayscale, influenced by the unlocking of vested tokens at a rate of 550,000 per month.
Google DeepMind dismantles Nobel-winning AlphaFold team in strategy shift
Landmark project that solved protein folding gives way to a wider race to build AI systems for scientific discovery
Energy Management: A Perspective From Sports And Entertainment
Energy Management: A Perspective From Sports And Entertainment By John Marler, Vice President, Energy and Environment, AEG - Live sporting events or concerts are probably not the first things that come to mind when someone thinks of energy management....
Former Red Wings Player to Give it One Last Go
The post Former Red Wings Player to Give it One Last Go appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. Jan Mursak has finally made up his mind, and the former Detroit Red Wings forward is of a mind to […] The post Former Red Wings Player to Give it One Last Go appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Zac Taylor’s New Mindset Could Define the Bengals’ 2026 Season
Trading post-Super Bowl pressure for infectious optimism, Taylor aims to unleash Joe Burrow and a revamped roster by embracing the high-stakes thrill of a pivotal campaign.
Sen. John Fetterman: Why I Changed My Mind About the Filibuster
It’s not often you hear someone in D.C. admit they were wrong, let alone horribly wrong — and the entire Democratic Party was, including me. When Democrats had the presidency and a majority in both chambers, they were frustrated with the 60-vote threshold needed to advance legislation. Senate Democrats attempted to end…
Unsecured Business Property Tax Bills to Be Mailed in July
Nevada County Treasurer-Tax Collector Michelle Bodley and Assessor Rolf Kleinhans remind local business owners that annual Unsecured Business Property Tax bills will be mailed in July, with payments due by August 31. Businesses are encouraged...
Cowboys Headlines: What's the mindset as 2026 training camp commences?
After the moves made on defense, it's time for the Cowboys offense to take on a more aggressive mindset. This and more from around the NFL.
Baldur's Gate 3 True Third-Person Camera Mod Goes Viral, Sparks Debate About Whether It Erases the Game's Identity
Baldur’s Gate 3 might be three years old, but it’s still the subject of much debate — and many new mods. One mod in particular has gone viral, leading some fans to say developer Larian should keep it in mind for its future games. Others, though, believe using it to play Baldur’s Gate 3 essentially amounts to heresy.
Europe got its own TBPN-style live show, and everyone’s angling for a guest spot
On Monday, the network announced a $1.6 million seed round from top players in the media ecosystem, including Powerhouse Capital, Axel Springer SE (which owns Business Insider and Politico), the popular media publication LadBible, and angel investors from OpenAI and DeepMind. With this fresh capital, the network is announcing its largest expansion yet.
Which Falcons Linebacker Room Addition Will Step Up in 2026?
The Atlanta Falcons had an eventful offseason, marked by staff changes, new additions, and the departure of several impact players from the last few seasons. As training camp continues, Atlanta has a multitude of questions to answer surrounding many positions, including quarterback, linebacker, and offensive tackle. Although the biggest question on Falcons fans' minds is who will start at QB, the linebacker position is anything but set in stone.
Learning how to bend light at the Orlando Science Center
Check out this fun activity on this week's The Science of It, where young minds can learn about reflection and refraction
CNN Exclusive: How IndyCar’s most ambitious street race became a test of politics, security and spectacle in Trump’s DC
As Bud Denker dreamed last summer of holding an IndyCar race in downtown Washington, DC, he walked the city’s streets in the stifling heat and tried to design the course in his mind. Denker, the president of Penske Corp., a transportation company that also owns motorsports teams, had put on IndyCar races in other cities. But the nation’s capital presented a unique challenge.
Final Fantasy 7 Director Kept 'Open World Fatigue' in Mind as New Remake Chapter Promises 'Bigger' World Than Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi has acknowledged the "open world fatigue" affecting the industry but says Square Enix was "very careful" to make sure fans would have "all the guidance they need" in the new remake chapter – even if it's bigger than the last.
‘Mind Your Business’—Neymar Hits Back at Critics of Post-World Cup Controversy
Neymar hasn’t played since the end of Brazil’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
Business owners in Kerrville trying to recover after 2 big floods
The lingering question on business owners’ minds in the area: will people want to come here to camp again after two terrible floods back-to-back, a year apart?
Sioux Falls Little League prepares for LLWS push
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The Sioux Falls Little League team won the state tournament and has Williamsport on its mind this summer. “We got the first goal accomplished, which was winning state here,” said Head Coach Ryan Krome. “Then the next goal is getting to Indiana and winning that, and getting to Williamsport. Krome […]
Mike McDaniel Could Be Under a Microscope This Season
Mike McDaniel has another opportunity to prove he’s one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds. With Justin Herbert under center, success could put him back in the head coaching conversation while failure could reshape his reputation.
Papers: Argumentation and Surprise Are Best Ways to Do Good Science
I’m sure the authors of these papers didn’t mean to pay ID any compliments, but everything we’ve seen here closely tracks with intelligent design literature.
Matt Mindrum: Don’t put a moratorium on Indianapolis’ growth
Marion County's data center moratorium sends a message that Indianapolis is becoming less open to business. It risks turning away billions in investment from some of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
I Just Realized Where I Know 'Five Star Weekend' Actor Timothy Olyphant from...and I'm Freaking Out
Actor Timothy Olyphant is having a moment, with viewers especially excited to see him opposite Jennifer Garner in 'The Five Star Weekend.' But I just realized where else I know him from, and this blew my mind.
Unsecured Business Property Tax Bills to Be Mailed in July
Nevada County Treasurer-Tax Collector Michelle Bodley and Assessor Rolf Kleinhans remind local business owners that annual Unsecured Business Property Tax bills will be mailed in July, with payments due by August 31. Businesses are encouraged to review their bills promptly and pay by the due date to avoid penalties. Unsecured Business Property Tax is based […]
Trump’s Approval Ratings Are Plummeting. The Last Group of People You’d Expect Is Behind the Shift.
The same reasons they voted for him are the reasons they're changing their minds.
The 10 weirdest spinoffs — and whether viewers tuned in
From Beverly Hills to Miami — and from comedy to supernatural strangeness — revisit some of the oddest spinoffs in TV history, including ‘Mrs. Columbo’ and the notorious ‘Baywatch Nights.’
Cool Course: Mind Playing Tricks on Me—Mental Health in Contemporary Music
Student analyze and critique songs from diverse artists and genres to explore mental health topics and related stigmas
Unsecured Business Property Tax Bills to Be Mailed in July
Nevada County Treasurer-Tax Collector Michelle Bodley and Assessor Rolf Kleinhans remind local business owners that annual Unsecured Business Property Tax bills will be mailed in July, with payments d
Then vs. Now: Bo Jackson vs. J.K. Dobbins
Jackson is already really reminding me of J.K. Dobbins
What the sudden demise of the UK’s department of science means for the future of research
If we want to be reminded what real damage to a science system looks like, we only need to glance across the Atlantic.
‘Medical freedom’ takes a back seat in Florida’s midterm fights
Despite numerous pushes from top GOP officials on the libertarian-leaning health efforts, voters have other issues top of mind in 2026.
Big Ank Lost By Accident!
Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev still has revenge on his mind. “Big Ank” returns to action this weekend (July 25, 2026) in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi versus Uzbek knockout artist Bogdan Guskov (not Khalil Rountree Jr.). It’s been about ten months since Ankalaev’s title loss to Alex Pereira, a quick […]
Connor Bedard’s ‘only goal’ after signing $75 million Blackhawks contract
Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard has a clear goal in mind now that he has signed on the dotted line for the next five years.
Giants Coaching Holdover Named Potential Breakout Candidate in 2026
John Harbaugh has a knack for developing elite coaching minds, and ironically one of the New York Giants' best is a guy who has been in the facility for years. Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen, who has spent the past two years coaching the Giants' edge unit, was named as an assistant coach to watch by The Athletic. Bullen was initially hired by since-fired head coach Brian Daboll, yet he survived the cultural purge from Harbaugh, who even added "run-game coordinator" to his title.
ASU science workshop gets teens' 'minds in motion'
For Tristen McKenna, the path was clear — he would become a welder when he graduated from high school."My family never pushed for college," said McKenna, a senior in Arizona's foster care program. "They wanted me to go to a trade school — not college."But last week, McKenna was one of 20 teens who participated in an immersive STEM program at Arizona State University and it may have just changed the trajectory of his life.
Tuesday letters: Voter outreach, farewell, Roan Plateau drilling and national politics
Get out the vote As the November elections approach, we are reminded that democracy depends on active participation. Voting is one of the most important ways citizens can make their voices heard and help shape...
'Kimmel' Guest Host Colman Domingo Trolls MAGA With Epic Melania Trump Reminder
The actor mocked right-wing outrage over the cast of “The Odyssey.”
UFC Freedom 250 Fails to Knock Out The Ratings
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) If UFC fans wanted one image to say, “Hey, Paramount+ is crushing it with their UFC rights deal,” I could provide that image. Here it is: (Reminder: this is my creation of the Nielsen Top 30, since Nielsen doesn’t combine the lists or include sports. I take all three lists and combine them. Some streaming TV shows probably have higher ratings than many of the films on this list.) Look at that! UFC Freedom 250 is number one! It topped the Nielsen “Top 30” list for shows and films that made the top ten the week of 15-June. So if you’re a UFC fan or supporter of Paramount+, that’s the good news for you this week. This program topped the ratings charts for one week. Everything else is bad news, or at least a huge caveat to that story, which I’ll explain today in the first part of this week’s Streaming Ratings Report—for the weeks of 8-June and 15-June—which is a double issue since I’ve been writing on a bunch of topics recently. UFC Freedom 250 is one of the biggest streaming events of the year, and super relevant to Paramount+’s strategy, so it merited its own article. Let’s dive in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of June 8th to June 21st 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Check Out My Interview on UFC 250 at MMA Draw After you read this article, if you want even more thoughts on UFC and Paramount-Skydance/Paramount+, I did a written interview with MMA Draw. They asked me to answer some questions about UFC Freedom 250, and I was happy to chat with them. Find it here: [ The MMA Draw Newsletter Did Paramount really overpay for the UFC? What the data tells us so far If you know the history of American television, you also know that combat sports is often a leading indicator of the future… Read more a day ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · Nate Wilcox and Zach Arnold ](https://www.themmadraw.com/p/did-paramount-really-overpay-for?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) I never thought I’d need a combat sports newsletter in my life, but the good folks at MMA Draw publish an excellent one on UFC, MMA, pro wrestling, boxing and more, analyzing both the sports themselves and the politics, economics and antitrust issues that impact them. Check the article and their newsletter out! Paramount+ Has Its Best Sporting Event of All Time…But Was It Worth It? Before we look at the UFC Freedom 250 data in particular, let’s talk about what we can’t say. Namely, let’s start with the lack of comparisons. First off, I’d love to put a chart out comparing this fight to past UFC fights on Paramount+…but we don’t have the data. This is the first time we’ve gotten Nielsen data about a Paramount+ UFC fight. As far as I can tell, Paramount provided data for the first fight, but it was a proprietary datecdote (saying it had “an average minute audience” of 5 million “views”) and then, for two fights, we got the linear viewership numbers when they aired on CBS, but no streaming data. Everything else was crickets. We also can’t compare this fight to other fights/combat sports on streaming, in particular the MMA and boxing, because Netflix also didn’t use Nielsen to track those events, opting for TVision and VideoAmp, respectively. (This isn’t Paramount’s fault, but does still suck.) We also can’t compare to UFC’s fights that used to be on ESPN+, since we don’t have any data for that, plus Disney+ didn’t have marquee fights. The comparisons would not be apples-to-apples. Can we compare to past Pay-Per-View fights? Absolutely not. The comparisons would absolutely NOT be apples-to-apples. That didn’t stop Paramount+, though, who bragged that their UFC events have reached drastically more people than past PPV fights. Duh. Sorry, but I gotta make this point again. A basic tenet of economics is that the cheaper something becomes, the more people consume or buy it. That’s Econ 101. (Sometimes pundits call things “Econ 101” that are actually like Econ 210 or even PhD-level economics, but no, this is really like first or second class basic economics.) Yet I still see one analytics firm consistently say that more people watch films on streaming than PVOD proves streaming which means that the streaming window is more valuable than the PVOD window. No, it’s not! Same thing here. Pay-Per-View events back in the day could be really, really, really expensive! So whole groups of people pitched in to buy them. That increased the perceived value of, say, the Mike Tyson fight. Or a UFC numbered event. So yes, the fact that Paramount+ makes numbered UFC fights essentially “free” if you’re already a Paramount+ member means consumption will go up. Obviously. Same for Netflix and their boxing matches. They’re talking about fights that used to cost consumers, in some cases, $50 in 1996…which is over $100 in today’s dollars. Over 1.6 million people paid that to watch the Tyson-Holyfield fight! Again, streaming is essentially “free”. Or $10 to $20, depending on what streamer we’re talking about and what tier you’re on. No wonder more people are “watching”. (Plus, Nielsen’s out-of-home viewing also helps these numbers.) UFC Freedom 250 Did Well…But I Have A Lot of Worries So what can we compare the fights to? Well, the good news is Nielsen put out that the fight averaged 7.0 million viewers for UFC Freedom 250, which is a solid number for a fight. We also know the length, at roughly 4 and a half hours. (I saw different run times, but this seems to be the consensus considering it started at 8 pm, had a delay and then finished after midnight on the East Coast. If you assume a shorter run time, then yes, the total hours viewed would go down.) That means I have the two numbers needed to add this to my Nielsen database. And then…I can compare this viewership to the NFL: And, uh, not great. But also within striking distance, mainly because the runtime for this event was so long. I’d also add that this event had viewership equal to a regular season NFL game on streaming, but if anything, it was more comparable to an NFL playoff or Super Bowl-esque event. And you can compare viewership to the top football games on broadcast, cable and streaming, and it’s not impressive at all: We can also compare it to other sports that week, including the NBA Finals and start of the World Cup: Again, not great. The NBA generated roughly four times as many average viewers each game for its NBA Finals. The World Cup has similarly big numbers. Also, that’s just a tiny fraction of the 25 most watched sporting events each week. The NBA, NHL and FIFA World Cup had many, many more games racking up hours. We could also compare this to other streaming programs to get an idea of “is this a good investment?” and here is how it ranks compared to other top Paramount+ programs: The worry here? Well, unlike scripted programming, which has rewatchability, older fights/sporting events have very little library value. Very, very few people are rewatching these fights, especially years from now. Paramount has also released datecdotes bragging about their subscriber numbers. Earlier this year, they claimed that the first UFC fight on Paramount+ brought in 1 million subscribers. Then, in their quarterly earnings report, they only ended up with 700K subs. Not great! They claimed they dropped lower-value international subscribers, but that’s why I tend to discount subscriber additions when they’re leaked to the press.1 I expect we may see a bump again for UFC Freedom 250, but I’d caution using subscriber growth so soon after these events to judge the success, since new subs with high churn (see Peacock) aren’t great either. Also, analysts often want to attribute all subscriber growth to their favorite/pet show, and that just doesn’t make sense. The biggest caveat for UFC Freedom 250 and Paramount’s very first UFC marquee event is that these could be high watermarks for the sport. UFC Freedom 250 had an incredible amount of earned media coverage compared to most UFC fights. I mean, it had wall-to-wall national news coverage in the lead up to the event. (The first fight also had a lot of promotion from Paramount since it was first.) Other fights could reach this bar—say the Conor McGregor return to the Octagon—but they’ll be fewer and far between. Was This Deal Worth It? All to ask: is this Paramount deal worth it? In this case, I think the UFC Freedom 250 numbers are more distracting than helpful. This fight did well and compares well to other top sporting events. But we know that the first marquee event was at least a third smaller, if Paramount’s own data is to be believed. And it’s likely the other fights are much, much, much smaller. And then you get to the paycheck that Paramount-Skydance paid. FIFA’s World Cup cost about the same for Fox, but clearly generated multiples more total viewership. (Though it’s only every four years.) The NBA is much more expensive, but until the playoffs, they likely didn’t pay for itself. Even still, Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video likely overpaid. So, in that context, the NBA may be an overpay that makes the UFC look not so bad. But two overpays don’t make an underpay, to paraphrase the old cliché about wrongs and rights. And looking at UFC Freedom 250 as the likely ceiling of MMA on Paramount+, Paramount-Skydance likely paid too much. Share 1 I would love regular reports on subscriber additions by programs, but as is, it’s mostly leaked or rumored in haphazard ways.
4 Android Phones With Physical Keyboards You Can Buy In 2026
Some Android phones that have physical keyboard include the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite, Clicks Communicator, Minimal Phone, and Ikko MindOne Pro.
Science can serve dark as well as light
I’m not sure how many of you are watching “Star City,” Apple TV’s spin-off of its “For All Mankind” program (2019-present), but it’s one of the better sci-fi series I’ve seen in a while, with an impressively dark political message. (Some light spoilers below.) For the uninitiated, “For All Mankind” presented a slightly tweaked history of the U.S. space program in which it was the USSR that landed on the Moon first in 1969, and shortly thereafter put a woman cosmonaut on the lunar surface. This sparks an ongoing space race that, in the original series, yields a lot of benefits for humanity. President Nixon’s insistence on a female astronaut corps to compete with the Soviets boosts the feminist movement of the 1970s and the ERA passes. New fuels generated for the space program create clean and cheap energy around Earth. There are also some darker changes — the USSR is thriving well into the 2000s, there are terrorist counter-technology movements around the globe, laborers on Mars work in nightmarish conditions and organize strikes and riots, etc. the @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe That show offers glimpses into the subtle ways this Earth is different. Teddy Kennedy never went to Chappaquidick because he was racing back to Washington to deal with the space program crisis; he gets elected President in 1972. John Lennon survives his early 1980s shooting but Pope John Paul II does not. The Apple Newton succeeded. Pretty much the whole of season 4 is a setup for an Al Gore joke. Again, mostly, the vision that “For All Mankind” presents is a positive one, with technology advancing many human interests. “Star City” goes in a very different direction. This spin-off show is about the same set of events but from the Soviet perspective. As we meet them, the team of scientists and cosmonauts responsible for the lunar landing are still basking in their hero status, but their program is embedded deep in the Soviet security state of the late 1960s. Everyone’s apartment is bugged. Whole teams of clerical staff spend their days transcribing recordings of people’s lives. People in the program, including respected cosmonauts, are regularly arrested. An incredibly menacing Colonel Lyudmilla Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin) forces confessions and tortures and kills, expressing little more than annoyance in the process. Meanwhile, the space program’s highly respected Chief Designer (Rhys Ifans) has a vision for the program that he knows the government will not approve. He insists that they need to think past the Moon to focus on colonizing the solar system, starting with Venus. (This is a rough parallel to the Americans’ pivot to Mars in the original show.) He essentially builds a secret space program within the space program, calculating that the government will embrace the mission after it has succeeded. (As an aside, I’m not sure why the Venus obsession, as a successful mission can’t produce the biggest public relations payoff: a cosmonaut standing on the surface holding the Soviet flag. Anyone standing on Venus would be immediately crushed by the 92-bar atmosphere and then cremated in the 900°F temperatures. But in a country with no free press perhaps the visual payoff was less valued.) But the overall vision is that the technological advances have only amplified the most fearsome aspects of the Soviet system. The state is paranoid (but not incorrect) about American spies and does monstrous things to protect its secrets. People are terrified to trust each other. Classic banality-of-evil figures order people to harm those they care about; those people comply rather than get shot. Others are forced into criminal behavior to protect loved ones. We’re reminded all the time these days of what happens when a government despises science. It manifests in the defunding of schools, the elevation of fossil fuels as the rest of the world pivots to solar, outbreaks of measles and diarrhea, etc. But “Star City” offers a vision of a bad government that likes science. It’s not encouraging. It’s not yet clear if there will be a season two of this show. But I strongly recommend season one. It’s both thoughtful and gripping. Share
I Tried a Sensory Float Pod to Quiet My Mind—and It Was One of the Best Things I’ve Done For Myself in Years
After a four-day solo darkness retreat helped quiet my anxiety, I began seeking other wellness practices. Here’s what I learned.
Colorado Commission prioritizes feelings over science
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday and prioritized feelings over science-based management. Meanwhile, Rancher X is the beneficiary of those feelings-driven decisions. Well played, Governor. The newest appointees to the CPW Commission are just the parting gift you had in mind for rural Colorado. The Commission voted Thursday 6-5 to reject CPW staff […]
Colorado Commission prioritizes feelings over science
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday and prioritized feelings over science-based management. Meanwhile, Rancher X is the beneficiary of those feelings-driven decisions. Well played, Governor. The newest appointees to the CPW Commission are just the parting gift you had in mind for rural Colorado. The Commission voted Thursday 6-5 to reject CPW staff […]
Tina Charles Builds Business With Huskies, Connecticut Sun in Mind
The ex-UConn great and retired WNBA star has gotten into the beer business, and pays tribute to her alma mater at the same time.
Modern Life May Be Pushing Human Minds Beyond Their Limits, Reflecting an Evolutionary Mismatch
This evolutionary mismatch is leading to significant problems.
Modern Life May Be Pushing Human Minds Beyond Their Limits, Reflecting an Evolutionary Mismatch
This evolutionary mismatch is leading to significant problems.
What scientists felt when approaching Egyptian mummies will truly shock you - Futura-Sciences
The Surprising Role of Scents in Ancient Egyptian Burial Rites In ancient Egypt, smell was far from a trivial detail: it was a crucial part of funerary rituals. Pleasant fragrances were linked to the gods and purity, while foul odors were a direct reminder of decay and death. For Egyptians,...
After Alan Rangel stumbles, how much longer can Phillies wait on No. 5 spot?
Alan Rangel’s rough outing was another reminder that the Phillies’ No. 5 starter spot is a black hole and remains a glaring deadline issue.
How To use Claude's Reflect dashboard and learn when it's time to touch grass
Break reminders are your friend.
Jonty Hurwitz brings mind-bending science, art, and optical illusions to Jerusalem
Jonty Hurwitz’s works are sculptures smaller than atoms and images created by cylindrical mirrors.
Why do we need a nasty parasite to remind us public health matters?
Food experts tell me that federal cuts might not have directly impacted detection of this outbreak, but it could make it harder to learn from this one.
Free Fall 2.0 Puts The Front Office At A Crossroads
Too bad the crossroads seem to overlook a cliff on all sides, but which way do you want to go? This reminds me of a trip to Europe years ago in which Siri instructed, calmly, “turn left”. Only we were driving on a mountain road and for as long as the eye could see a […]
‘I don't want you on my team' – Dak Prescott makes the Dallas Cowboys' mindset very clear going into the 2026 NFL season
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback knows what the 2026 NFL season is all about. And he isn't willing to hide it. Instead, he's embracing it.
Scientists Solve The 40-Year Mystery of a Giant Structure Towering Over The Milky Way
Mind. Blown.
BYU’s Three Toughest Tests in 2026
The 2026 football season is right around the corner. Fall camp is just a few weeks away and BYU kicks off against Utah Tech in just over 50 days. With that in mind, let’s scan over the football schedule and pinpoint where BYU will be tested the most. Almost no game on the schedule is […]
Two Ohio State Buckeye Legends, One Picture Frame
Two of the best Ohio State Buckeyes pose for a picture together, reminding us just how good we have had it watching the last 10 years of Ohio State Football.
Orlando Magic Summer League Guard Ready to Take Major Leap
After transforming his physique and sharpening his perimeter shooting, Alex Morales is embracing a defensive-first mindset to transition from G League standout to a permanent NBA roster spot.
BBC mini-documentary shines a light on community health workers in Arizona
When people think of health care professionals, what often comes to mind are doctors and nurses. In reality, there are more than 250 distinct professions in the field. This summer, a new BBC mini-documentary is bringing attention to one of them: community health workers.
Former MTV Reality Star Lo Bosworth Knows Social Media Is a Powerful Tool for Building a Business, But Says 'It Is Eating Away at Our Brains'
Lo Bosworth shares the mindset and strategies she used to found Love Wellness, a company that is revolutionizing women’s health.
Secret Lair: A Marvelous Mathom Superdrop
Pack your pocket-handkerchief, polish your buttons, and mind the Dragon—The Hobbit comes to Secret Lair on August 17, 2026!
Mind science may unlock effective leadership
Something is changing about what it means to lead.
El Niño is here, and it’s already looking like it could be 'mind-blowing'
Temperatures in the El Niño region in the Pacific Ocean are the warmest they've been on record at this time of year. And the peak is still months away.
Raccoon in Whitesboro tests positive for rabies, health officials warn
A raccoon in Whitesboro has tested positive for rabies, and county health officials say it's a good reminder to know the warning signs of rabies.
Instead of “Batman”, “The Odyssey” stars Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson bonded over odd tuna: ‘Mind-blowing how unappealing it looked’
And pizza. Lots of pizza.
The Best Small-Business Payroll Software
Here are the payroll software providers that are highly rated and offer entrepreneurs peace of mind.
Winter Sports Club responds to Nordic combined’s removal from Olympics
In a gut-punch to the Steamboat Springs Nordic combined community, the sport has been removed from the Alpes 2030 Winter Olympic games in France. Nordic combined has long been a bread-and-butter sport for the Steamboat...
ESPN’s wide receiver ranking delivers another slight to DeVonta Smith
League executives, coaches and scouts left DeVonta Smith off ESPN's top 10 ranking, which reminds everyone that the Eagles are still undervalued.
Who pays the cost when Americans opt out of science?
Astronomer Adam Frank used to think the consequences would play out on the individual level. Today, he's changed his mind.
Google AI researcher says he resigned over military contract
Alex Turner, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, said he tried to change Google executives' minds about working with the Pentagon.
Google AI researcher says he resigned over military contract
Alex Turner, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, said he tried to change Google executives' minds about working with the Pentagon.
After an Hours-Long Commute Landed Her in the ER, She Started Her Own Local Business. It Now Has a Year-Long Wait List. Here's How She Did It.
Cosee Home founder Kristina Leigh Johnson shares the mindset and tactics that took her from solopreneur to leading a home-building empire.
Taxes, paid leave program on minds of N. Va. business leaders after General Assembly session
Optimism among Northern Virginia business leaders is improving, although some expressed worries about taxes and the state's approval of a paid family and medical leave program. That's according to the second-quarter 2026 Business Leader Survey released last week by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and public relations firm Pinkston, revealing the sentiments of the
Sabres Troll Red Wings, Other NHL Teams
The post Sabres Troll Red Wings, Other NHL Teams appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. One year removed from a 14-year postseason drought, the Buffalo Sabres decided to remind the Detroit Red Wings which team […] The post Sabres Troll Red Wings, Other NHL Teams appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Older adults who followed popular diet saw surprising mental health benefit
Eating the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil, may help keep the mind strong even into old age, according to new research.
Sean Hannity: This is a political movement that has ‘lost their minds’
Fox News host Sean Hannity discusses former MSNBC host Joy Reid's criticism of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham and the 'radical' agenda pushed by far-left Democrats on 'Hannity.'
47 revelatory hours with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
To review this month’s supposed remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, I must first correct the record. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced isn’t a game about pirates (and assassins) in the 18th century Caribbean. Sure, sure, that’s what the trailers would have you believe. They’ve go their clips of Edward Kenway swinging his swords and steering his pirate ship into cannon-blasting combat against British frigates. Is Resynced truly a pirate game? Of the 47 hours I spent playing Resynced over the past few weeks, I will admit I spent maybe 44 (?) of them collecting plunder with Blackbeard, drinking rum with Anne Bonny and debating the pros and cons of the lawless pirate-run settlement Nassau with Benjamin Hornigold. I may in fact have spent dozens of hours sailing to remote islands, reading treasure maps, opening messages left in bottles, sinking the odd Man o’ War with a well-timed broadside, collecting sea shanties for my crew, befriending a pet monkey, and hunting whales. I am nevertheless neither so Gullible nor so Narrow-Minded as to call the magnificent Resynced a “pirate remake.” Oh no. Forget any reviews of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced you may have read. Forget what you yourself may have played, if you’ve spent any time with the game since its launch. What Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is really about I’m here to give you the scoop (spoilers for Resynced’s Animus menu lore, which many players are probably not going to see): Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, the new game whose development was led by Ubisoft Singapore, is set in the year 2096. It’s about a societal split, about revolution, about an old Assassin’s Creed adventure repurposed in the series’ distant future as propaganda or samizdat. It’s about the overheated future of 2096, essentially conquered by the series’ well-established nefarious Templar-run company Abstergo. (In this future, Abstergo is, among other things, remaking a 2013 pirate movie called Devils of the Caribbean, but this time in VR. The VR version will be backed by a marketing plan that involves AI influencers, a 10,000-avatar “metaverse premiere event” and that manufacturing of memes aimed at “50 million VR nodes.” See what I mean about Abstergo being evil?) Resynced is about a late 21st-century population mollified by the widespread use of Abstergo’s Animus devices which let people experience the lives of historical figures culled from “genetic memories.” It’s about an insurgent faction of Assassins. And it’s about a plan to wake the population into revolutionary fervor by showing them the memories of 18th century pirate Edward Kenway, who—as depicted in the original Black Flag and again in Resynced—gradually comes to an understanding about the Assassins of his day and their centuries old fight for freedom. Resynced is also about an AI developed within the late 21st-century Animus, called Ego. It has found a way to alter genetic memories, to create and show Animus users false ones. The game is about Ego’s efforts to tell the people experiencing Edward Kenway’s memories that Kenway was wrong, that fighting against order is folly, that we should crave a world where “compliance is rewarded with power.” Who are we in this game? We’re an unnamed Animus user in 2096 who experiences Kenway’s journey virtually. At four moments during Kenway’s exploits in the Caribbean our virtual jaunt can be interrupted for 10-15 minutes, as we explore Animus “rifts” where Ego explicitly tries to tell us how wrong Kenway was. None of this is what 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was about, of course. That was a different game, even if you also spent dozens of hours pirating as Kenway in that game, across missions and a map that’s been faithfully reintroduced and rebuilt for Resynced. The 2013 Black Flag was about you playing as an unnamed researcher newly hired in 2013 by Abstergo Entertainment, the video game development wing of the Templars’ evil-corp. In that game, you were assigned to use the Animus to dive into the genetic memories of Desmond Miles, a man who died in Assassin’s Creed III and who was descended from a long line of Assassins (and at least one Templar) whose adventures were featured across the prior AC games. In 2013’s Black Flag, your mission was to plumb the Edward Kenway experience for material that Abstergo could use in productions such as the motion picture Devils of the Caribbean, though the Templars had some ulterior motives for the assignment. Resynced is therefore not a remake of 2013’s Black Flag. It’s a sequel. It is a new game about a new exploration of Edward Kenway’s pirate/assassin journey, set 83 years after the framing sequences of the original game. Resynced provides a new narrative framework that, thanks to the concept of an AI that wants to alter historical memories, arrives with creative justification to tweak a now-classic 13-year old game. That makes Resynced, already a hot seller, a tantalizing hint of where Ubisoft could go with a line of Assassin’s Creed remakes. They could remake the first game, the Ezio games, even the recent ones set in ancient Egypt and Greece. And for each, they could not just modernize the graphics and controls but expand and alter their sequences of events to use them as reference points for a conflict set in the late 21st century, as rival factions try to weaponize historical memories. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, even when that work consists of ravings about Assassin’s Creed’s modern day plot, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe A story most players will probably miss If you didn’t know any of this, I’m not surprised. If you played the game and still didn’t catch it, I’m not a bit shocked. If Ubisoft has no plans to do more of this, I won’t fall down. Almost all of what I’ve described is optional and missable in Black Flag Resynced. I nearly missed it myself, as I planned for a breezy playthrough of an old Assassin’s Creed favorite. Instead, I found myself in a 40+ hour hunt for the “real” story, buried deeper in Resynced than any gold-filled chest. The story of 2096 is Resynced’s meta-story, told in two remote pockets of the game: 1) four optional playable “rifts” that players may find as they proceed through Resynced’s pirate fantasy , 2) in dozens of text files tucked three menus deep in the game’s barely-interactive Animus hub. Assassin’s Creed games have almost always had a meta-story about people in the 21st century (usually matching the game’s release year) and their connections to the main history portions you play. Those meta-stories have always been squeezed into the margins, though seldom as severely and as, uh, graphiaclly simple, as in recent games. Back in 2013, the modern-day exploits of you as an Abstergo Entertainment employee were prominent. They were portrayed via first-person portions that occasionally interrupted the third-person Kenway experience and could be explored for hours, complete with their own missions, side quests and puzzles. Resynced’s 2096 story—of Assassin “Watchers” vs. Abstergo/Tempar goons, of rogue AIs, of panicking scientists, of a woman wondering why her Animus-addicted husband is muttering about Mary Read (“What does he mean by Assassins?”), of a fight for the population’s hearts and minds via varying interpretations of Edward Kenway’s life choices—is mostly told through unlockable text files. The files are interesting. Offered via diary entries, intercepted chats and news reports, they present varied perspectives of a world in crisis. One set works as a narrative puzzle as it reveals the Rashomonic interpretations of a massacre, or was that a successful Assassin hit? Another favorite reveals the rising bitterness of a person who, through Edward Kenway’s journey, now shakes at the ignored evil around him. One surmises that Ubisoft is averse to putting the Assassin’s Creed’s meta-story in the way of more marketable pirate playgrounds and ninja/samurai epics. Instead, we get a better-than-nothing text-in-menus approach introduced in 2025’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows. In Shadows, players unlocked the meta-story text files largely via time-gated missions that called on the user to kill X number of enemy type Y, clear three enemy castles, re-win a three-phase fighting tournament, and other grinds. Time restrictions on accessing these missions and unlocking the files meant it could take players months to access the full story in-game. But even in the most hardcore Assassin’s Creed hangouts, the fanbase instead seemed to throw up their hands rather than grind to keep up. In Resynced, Ubisoft has shown some mercy, diminishing the amount of new text files that are tied to timed grinds. Now, most of the text-based 2096 lore are associated with “data file” collectibles that players can find in the world. That includes a batch of written entries that explain a historical link between the feudal Japan era in Shadows and the piracy adventures in Black Flag. Players who explore a lot will find dozens of data files, though the game does not appear to offer any in-game tracker for finding each one. You just need to keep looking for them. As of this writing, I have most of them, but not all. I can’t find any full guide for them online. And even Ubisoft’s optional $5 microtransaction that reveals lots of items in-game does not appear to reveal the locations of the text files (at least the official description omits them from its collectibles list). That’s not a huge bother, because tracking the data files down compelled me to re-explore the waves and islands of Black Flag. That was a thoroughly pleasant task to do for the first time in a dozen years. I expect many players, though, will be content to wait for the files to be reproduced in an online AC wiki somewhere, the easier to read on a web page. It may not seem enticing to play a video game in order to gradually unlock pages of text to read. Why not, you may ask, just read a book, where they put the pages in order? For one, they’ve not tucked this latest installment of Assassin’s Creed’s meta saga in a book. I also enjoy the unordered delivery, the dawning comprehension of a story about 2096’s desperate people and questionable tech, which I glimpsed first at its middle, then the end, then the front, then other moments in between1. I am also enamored with the idea of the Assassin’s Creed games I’ve previously played, including Black Flag, being repurposed for an information war. The ideas in Resynced’s meta-story, which builds off characters and ideas in Shadows’ chunks of text, are strong. The potential of where they could go with it is exciting. As for the pirate stuff? Looks great, controls pretty well, is fun to play and oh so speedy in terms of how much of a good time you can have with each sit-down. It never gets old to chase a new shanty page across a rooftop, bombard a fort with upgraded mortars or use a diving bell to explore sunken wrecks (hats off to the team at Ubisoft Barcelona that worked on the underwater portions in Resynced; that team is now facing layoffs, such is the misery of modern gaming and oft-troubled Ubisoft). New pirate missions in Resynced involving new ally characters are brief, dramatic and add more to Edward’s story, even if the gameplay perks they provide barely enhance the gameplay. A new denouement for high-class pirate Stede Bonnet is affecting; a new hunt for Blackbeard’s treasure is a welcome extra moment. A new epilogue to hunt down a pirate killer, on the other hand, over-complicates Kenway’s character. The ending credits remain my favorite of any game I’ve ever played. Black Flag provides great source material. The revisit is well-made and a great sign of what could be. It is offered in a different wrapper that hints at an opportunity for more interesting remakes to come, should Ubisoft choose to pursue such treasures—and as we brace to resist or comply with an Abstergo future. 1 The messages that Edward Kenway finds in bottles tell another out-of-order story, one about a man reckoning with the strange memories and voices he’s heard in his head since he was a boy. That tale was also in the 2013 game and develops into one of Black Flag’s most compelling character arcs. In Resynced, it has lost its climax, because the bottle story previously paid off in the halls of the first-person Abstergo Entertainment, which is exclusive to the older game. An altered resolution, written by the 2013 game’s lead writer is fine, doesn’t invalidate the 2013 version, but makes for an inferior final note.
Nike's Mule-ish Science Project Has Left the Lab
The Nike Mind 001 Mineral Slate translates Nike’s ambitious engineering concept into a truly wearable, lifestyle-first recovery shoe.
Google DeepMind CEO issues stark warning about AGI
Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis advocated for a US-led coalition to govern AI development, highlighting AGI's impending global impact.
With football behind him, Blackhawks prospect Mason West ready for hockey career to flourish
West is now a full-time hockey player, and how he lifts, trains, rests and practices is done with only one sport in mind.
200 economists and executives warn on AI's job impact: read the letter
Executives and researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic all signed the 88-word letter released on Monday.
Lenovo announces new C700 handheld with cloud gaming in mind, set to launch next month
The new device is called the Lenovo Legion C700, and Lenovo has officially teased its launch with the message “See you in August."
Calling all business leaders and innovators: The Trailblazer Awards are open for nominations
For a second year, the Jacksonville Daily Record will honor the boldest, brightest minds and highest achievers in Northeast Florida’s business community.
EXCLUSIVE: LVMH Partners With IFM Fashion School on Research Chair in Science and Creativity
The world's biggest luxury group wants to study how creative minds engage with technology, as AI is poised to revolutionize fashion design.
Graham’s death highlights a power shift and a new question: What’s coming next in Washington?
The death of Sen. Lindsey Graham and the long hospitalization of former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell are poignant reminders that time conquers even political careers marked by great power and ubiquity.