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Kilmer’s Bipartisan Amendment to Boost Computer Science Apprenticeships Included in House-Passed Apprenticeship Bill – The Suburban Times

On February 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which invests more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships. The legislation included Representative Derek Kilmers (WA-06) bipartisan amendment to ensure computer science youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs are prioritized for funding through the comprehensive legislation.

We know that apprenticeship programs are one of the most effective paths to high quality, work-based learning in America. And in todays changing economy, its important to continue to find ways to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future jobs in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology, green jobs, and computer science,said Rep. Kilmer. Thats why Im proud that in addition to investing broadly in apprenticeship programs across the board, Congress included my bipartisan amendment to expand access to computer science youth apprenticeship programs. These investments will provide more 21st century job opportunities for our kids, more qualified employees for our local employers, and more economic resiliency for our communities.

CSforALL is committed to high-quality computer science education for all K-12 students, including hands-on practical learning experiences such as career and technical education (CTE), internships, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. The tech industry and technology jobs are inherently dynamic,said Ruthe Farmer, Chief Evangelist, CSforALL. Apprenticeships enable students to engage with state-of-the-art technologies and develop job-ready skills that will prepare them for high-demand career pathways in technology the engine that drives innovation in virtually every sector of society. CSforALL strongly supports increased opportunities for practical training for youth in computer science and related disciplines including data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 94 percent of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships are employed upon completion, earning an average starting wage of above $70,000 annually. Yet, according to the most recent data, only 0.3 percent of the overall workforce in America have completed an apprenticeship.

During a time of record unemployment, the National Apprenticeships Acts of 2021 would mark the first time the National Apprenticeship system has been comprehensively updated since 1937. The bill also takes the critical first step of codifying into federal law youth and pre-apprenticeship programs, a measure that Rep. Kilmer has long supported through his own legislation the Compete for the Future Act. The Compete for the Future Act empowers the Department of Education, with the advice of the Department of Labor, to run a prize competition that would award eligible youth and pre-apprenticeship programs with investments to expand their programs and serve more students.

According to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 is expected to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It is also expected to yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased workers productivity and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance.

By increasing investments in the national apprenticeship system, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 aims to begin to bring Americas investments in apprenticeships more in line with countries around the world. The U.S. spends only about 0.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on workforce training and employment programs, while peer industrialized nations spend roughly six times as much as a share of GDP.

The legislation aims to expand the nations workforce development system during our nations deepest economic decline since the Great Depression and increase diversity within the national apprenticeship system.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), International Association of Iron Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Jobs for the Future (JFF), Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Skills Coalition (NSC), National Taskforce on Tradeswomens Issues (TWTF), North Americas Building Trades Unions (NABTU), National Urban League (NUL), and Third Way.

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Kilmer's Bipartisan Amendment to Boost Computer Science Apprenticeships Included in House-Passed Apprenticeship Bill - The Suburban Times

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Amendment to Boost Computer Science Apprenticeships Included in Apprenticeship Bill – masonwebtv.com

Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which invests more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships. The legislation included Representative Derek Kilmers (WA-06) bipartisan amendment to ensure computer science youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs are prioritized for funding through the comprehensive legislation.

We know that apprenticeship programs are one of the most effective paths to high quality, work-based learning in America. And in todays changing economy, its important to continue to find ways to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future jobs in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology, green jobs, and computer science, said Rep. Kilmer. Thats why Im proud that in addition to investing broadly in apprenticeship programs across the board, Congress included my bipartisan amendment to expand access to computer science youth apprenticeship programs. These investments will provide more 21st century job opportunities for our kids, more qualified employees for our local employers, and more economic resiliency for our communities.

CSforALL is committed to high-quality computer science education for all K-12 students, including hands-on practical learning experiences such as career and technical education (CTE), internships, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. The tech industry and technology jobs are inherently dynamic, said Ruthe Farmer, Chief Evangelist, CSforALL. Apprenticeships enable students to engage with state-of-the-art technologies and develop job-ready skills that will prepare them for high-demand career pathways in technology the engine that drives innovation in virtually every sector of society. CSforALL strongly supports increased opportunities for practical training for youth in computer science and related disciplines including data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 94 percent of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships are employed upon completion, earning an average starting wage of above $70,000 annually. Yet, according to the most recent data, only 0.3 percent of the overall workforce in America have completed an apprenticeship.

During a time of record unemployment, the National Apprenticeships Acts of 2021 would mark the first time the National Apprenticeship system has been comprehensively updated since 1937. The bill also takes the critical first step of codifying into federal law youth and pre-apprenticeship programs, a measure that Rep. Kilmer has long supported through his own legislation the Compete for the Future Act. The Compete for the Future Act empowers the Department of Education, with the advice of the Department of Labor, to run a prize competition that would award eligible youth and pre-apprenticeship programs with investments to expand their programs and serve more students.

According to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 is expected to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It is also expected to yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased workers productivity and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance.

By increasing investments in the national apprenticeship system, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 aims to begin to bring Americas investments in apprenticeships more in line with countries around the world. The U.S. spends only about 0.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on workforce training and employment programs, while peer industrialized nations spend roughly six times as much as a share of GDP.

The legislation aims to expand the nations workforce development system during our nations deepest economic decline since the Great Depression and increase diversity within the national apprenticeship system.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), International Association of Iron Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Jobs for the Future (JFF), Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Skills Coalition (NSC), National Taskforce on Tradeswomens Issues (TWTF), North Americas Building Trades Unions (NABTU), National Urban League (NUL), and Third Way.

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Living an Algorithmic Life. The distinction between Computers and | by Jaskaran Singh Bhatia | The Startup | Feb, 2021 – Medium

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

The distinction between Computers and Humans is not as striking as one would initially assume it is. We conventionally say that a computer is a dumb aggregate of semiconductor devices that cant think on its own, and were right in saying so. The common general purpose computer does have to be programmed before we can expect anything out of it it needs to be told what its tasks are, what its constraints are, what it will get from us in the form of an input, and what it needs to compute as the output. At a very high level, a computer is just a machine that maps inputs to outputs subject to some constraints. Humans, on the other hand, are complex emotional beings that have much more going on inside of them, right? We have the capability to think; we have what is called free will. We can make decisions for ourselves, and then act upon those decisions. We can sense whatevers going on around us, and then decide what it is that we want to do. Our speech, actions, gestures etc. basically all forms of ways we interact with our environment and the people around us are shaped by what we see, touch, hear, feel, then interpret and process. At a very high level, humans factor in their surroundings, and based on laws, norms, and various religious, personal, and societal conventions, they act.

Come to think of it, that sounds an awful lot like just mapping inputs to outputs subject to certain constraints. My point is, there may be numerous arguments to be made against the whole concept of comparing Man to Machine, but at the micro-level, everything we do boils down to a decision problem that is sometimes influenced by external factors. Our lives are made of the very problems that computers have been taught how to handle. If you analyse each activity, you will find a striking similarity between said activity and some aspect of the rather vast field of computer science.

Say youre sitting at your desk working on a paper for school. Your stomach makes the characteristic dying whale sound. This is an Interrupt. Youre hungry. Decision point: do you get a snack, or do you finish off your work first. Your mind (consciously or otherwise) weighs in the pros and cons. It is anticipating the outcome and wants to act in the way that would be most beneficial to you, much like a Lookahead mechanism thats implemented in various computer-y contexts. Eventually your brain does a cost-benefit analysis and says:

The analogy doesnt end here. When youve decided to move between tasks, you need to do a Context Switch. You need to save the current state of your process so that you can get back to it and start off where you left. Itll take you some time to get in the zone again when youre back, much like the overhead that a processor has to bear.

Say, then, that you decide to make a sandwich. You check if you have all the ingredients by Searching through your pantry. You realise youre missing some sauces so you decide to drive to the store. Upon reaching, you look at the store map and mentally plot the Shortest Path to the aisle that has the sauces. When you cant find what you need, you Query an employee and they return with exactly what you need. At the checkout, the cashier says Thanks for shopping with us. You say You too. Oops! Cache Miss these werent the words you were looking for.

When you reach home, you cant seem to find your keys. Your house is Encrypted. Thankfully you remember your neighbours have your spare key for Redundancy. You ring their bell but nobody answers. You knock, and call out their name. They come out and say they had to cut off the bell connection because the neighbourhood kids would ring the bell and run away. What you just experienced was the aftermath of a Denial of Service attack

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Living an Algorithmic Life. The distinction between Computers and | by Jaskaran Singh Bhatia | The Startup | Feb, 2021 - Medium

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Do You Need a Four-Year Degree to Get a Job in Tech? – Dice Insights

Do you really need a four-year degree to get a job in tech? That depends on who you ask, as well as the role you seek.

Richard Wang, cofounder andCEO of coding bootcampCoding Dojo,says the skills gap and high cost of education are factors in why some tech professionals focus on skills rather than degrees. Wang noted that tech pioneers such as Steve Jobs,MarkZuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey became tech pioneers without completing college.

I really dont think it should be mandatory, Wang said. Now were seeing the evidence from major tech companies to get rid of that criteria, which is a testament to that.

Jobs that do not require a four-year degree include web developers, system administrators and database engineers, according to Wang.

Wangs assertion is backed up by Burning Glass, a database that collects and analyzes millions of job postings across the country. For many technology jobs, even highly specialized ones, a bachelors degree is often cited as the recommended degree. Thats also good news for technologists who dont necessarily want to earn an advanced degree in order to work in specialized fields.

Examples of companies prizing skills over degrees abound. Although Google lists many tech jobs that require four-year degrees, for instance, you can find positions such asData Center Technicianin which a bachelors degree is preferred (the position requires two years of experience with diagnosing, navigating and troubleshooting computer hardware and server hardware). Amazon posts positions such asSoftware Dev Engineer 1where a bachelors degree in computer science or a related field is likewise preferred.

Bootcamps such as Coding Dojo teach skills such as coding, data science, UX and product management. In addition to technical knowledge, candidates who can demonstrate strong problem-solving skills can often land a job without a formal degree. Some students who attended Coding Dojo had computer science degrees but lacked the basic building blocks of programming such as HTML and CSS, Wang said. (However, its important tocarefully evaluate any bootcampbefore you sign on.)

Sometimes people earn a degree in a general studies area and lack practical skills in more technical disciplines such as computer science. In order to overcome that issue, students with anon-computing backgroundcan take certification programs in computer science, like the Illinois Computing Accelerator for Non-Specialists (iCAN) at the University of Illinois.

Four-year degrees are becomingless of a requirementat companies such as Google and Apple. Google hires some people without technical degrees and trains them in-house, noted Nancy Amato, Ph.D., head of the Department of Computer Science and professor of engineering at theUniversity of Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign.

Some of this is driven simply by the fact that theres just not enough workers trained with these skills, so theyre resorting to other ways to try to build that up, Amato said. She noted that the tech jobs serve as an on-ramp, and the employees may pursue a degree later.

Is forgoing a four-year degree the best way to get a high-paying tech job? Not necessarily, according toEva Tardos, Ph.D., chair and professor of computer science at Cornell University. She explained that, although you can get a job as a computer programmer without a formal BA, if you plan to advance to a higher-paid position such as a software architect or engineer, seriously consider a four-year program.

Software engineers usually need a degree, and in contrast, a programmer does not, Tardos said. Software engineers and architects, like project managers and other advanced technology roles, need to have a grasp of abstract, deep conceptsoften taught as part of four-year programs.

The industry is eagerly hiring people without a degree because theyre so hungry for a capable workforce, but they pay a lot more if you have that degree, Tardos said, noting that, without a four-year diploma, you can land a decent tech job that pays around $60,000-$80,000. But with a diploma, CS graduates could land jobs that pay significantly moreperhaps even in the six-figure range, relatively soon after leaving school.

As Amato also noted, people in a four-year program can receive proper training in data security and privacy, which are important qualities that hiring managers often focus on. I strongly believe that students who are getting an undergraduate degree in computer science are going to be totally well-served, she said. Theyre not going to regret that for a second, and they will be better prepared and more competitive for the really excellent opportunities than someone who doesnt have that.

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Meet the Site Coordinators of NOVA Science Studio – PBS

We are excited to take the NOVA Science Studio to the national stage with a virtual launch of our program that will engage students from across the country!

Not only do we seek to provide youth with the skills to tell engaging digital stories about the science happening in their communities, but also to amplify the voices of young people who have long been underrepresented in science communication.

Over the course of six months, students across the United States will learn about video production, identifying misinformation, and a wide range of STEM careers, under the guidance of a site coordinator and the mentorship of a NOVA producer.

Each site coordinator leads two hour long sessions a week for a regional cohort of six students. And the students receive regular feedback and instruction on how to develop and refine their science journalism video projects.

Were excited to introduce the first group of NOVA Science Studio site coordinators, which includes science communicators, producers, and teachers who have a strong track record of covering science through multiplatform storytelling.

Chicago, ILMidwest Region

Cesar Almeida is a stewardship coordinator for the CIMBY Center. As an artist, educator, and Fulbright Scholar, he designs artistic and educational programs for youth and young adults to conserve and uphold ancestral forms, which include environments, cultures, and languages. He earned his B.S. in education from Northwestern University, and his work challenges Western colonial approaches to education by centering the learners identity, embodying youth-led approaches, and validating new media as literacy. Ultimately, Almeida recognizes that the environment is not only about the birds, bees, and trees but is about the places we live, learn, eat, and sleep.

There is not enough representation or access to science and the environment, Almeida says. The dominant narrative perpetuates the idea that nature and science originate from foundations of white and eurocentric forms of thought, but this is not the case, and it is my mission to increase representation and access to science and the environment for BIPOC artists, youth, and communities.

Charlotte, NCSoutheast Region

Tazeen Hossain is a process development engineer at Bosch Rexroth where she leads her sites digital manufacturing transformation. She graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a minor in Spanish from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She also holds a Women in Leadership certificate from Cornell University. As an alumna of INROADS and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), she has served both organizations through STEM advocacy and mentorship for minority students in high school and college. Hossains passion for increasing representation in STEM has led to her establishing an employee resource group at Bosch Rexroth focused on highlighting and celebrating the intersectionality of different identities within the workplace. Her love for engineering technology drives her to constantly seek ways to break barriers and provide underrepresented youth with access to careers in STEM.

When you bring more people on stage who can tell different stories, and share perspectives that speak to the other 40% of Americans, suddenly science is relatable, Hossain says. More problems get solved within our communities because more people are aware of them.

Boston, MANortheast Region

Greg Hufford is a STEM literacy specialist at 826 Boston who has a fervent passion for the natural sciences and is fascinated by the overlap between scientific and artistic pursuits. Prior to joining 826 Boston, he served with AmeriCorps in New Hampshire, where he taught environmental science to elementary school students. Hufford holds an M.S. in geology from the Colorado School of Mines, andbefore a recent career switchworked as a geologist. In his free time, Hufford loves to wander outdoors, paint, play Dungeons and Dragons, and make music.

Science has had a central role in my life for over two decades, says Hufford. Even as an adult, I still crawl in the woods on my hands and knees, and explore the world through a magnifying glass. I see science as an iterative process of discovery that can enrich our lives. I have been and will continue to be a student of science.

San Francisco, CAWest Coast Region

Niba Nirmal is a multimedia science communicator based on the traditional land of the Ramaytush Ohlone (San Francisco, CA). She creates scientific content through articles, photos, videos, and social media. Her personal project Notes By Niba explores the science of cosmetics, fashion, and skincare through YouTube and Instagram. She holds a B.S. in genetics and genomics from UC Davis, where she studied the effects of climate change on crops. She also holds a double-minor in toxicology and diversity studies. She received her M.S. in genetics from Duke University, graduating with the class of 2020. Her graduate research focused on the genetics, form, and function of plant roots.

While researching plant genetics, I discovered a passion for science communication, Nirmal says. Lacking scicomm mentorship, I had to teach myself video production and arduously build my brand from the ground up. NOVAs program gives me the unique opportunity to directly mentor students in my field so they need not undergo the unnecessary struggles I had to.

Phoenix, AZSouthwest Region

Leon Tynes is the technology and computer science lead educator at the Academy of Math and Science Desert Sky in Phoenix, Arizona. For the past eleven years, Tynes has used a flipped classroom approach to maximize learning in the realms of 3D modeling, digital media, mobile app development, and computer science courses. Dedicated to immersing his students in all aspects of technology, he has successfully integrated science and engineering concepts, which has led to numerous student awards. He has a passion for habitat and climate issues and wishes to develop authentic projects to broaden students global awareness in STEM.

My focus has always been in urban education and equity in computer science and technology, Tynes says. I have a significant amount of experience with students creating nonfiction media dealing with contemporary social issues. Imploring students to research contemporary issues that directly affect their communities and their potential to explore college and substantive careers is a priority of my pedagogy.

With a focus on hyperlocal storytelling, the NOVA Science Studio aims to give students the tools to tell their own stories through the science happening right in their own backyard. We will be sharing updates on the program and student projects via the NOVA Education Spark newsletter and NOVA Science Studio social media accounts. Follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay connected!

Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens.

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The Year of the Ox: How students are celebrating an untraditional Lunar New Year – OSU – The Lantern

Chinese American Student Association helps bring in dancers to perform at a show at the Ohio Union.Credit: Courtesy of Jessica Huang

The Year of the Ox will be ushered in Friday as those celebrating the Lunar New Year face changes to traditional festivities.

Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of the Chinese calendar and is often celebrated with decorations, extravagant meals, fireworks and gifts. This year, the traditions live on, but several student organizations at Ohio State will be celebrating the holiday in smaller settings.

Jacob Chang, a third-year in psychology and political science, chair of the International Student Council and vice president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Society, said there would usually be huge gatherings on campus.

In a normal year, our club will throw a huge LNY performance where about 700 to 800 students will participate on campus, Chang said. We emphasize the sense of community for every Chinese international student at Ohio State and everyone who observes Chinese New Year.

When students around campus are able to come together, Jessica Huang, a fourth-year in industrial and systems engineering and the leader of Ohio States Chinese American Student Association, said there is a wide variety of performers that are able to show up for the celebration.

Outside of OSU, we invite Dance of Soul and Chinese Folk Music, which focus on more traditional CNY performances, Huang said. From OSU, we have a mix of martial art performances, dance teams and singers, consisting of both domestic and international students.

Both Huang and Chang said that this holiday can be compared to popular American holidays and that anyone can celebrate Lunar New Year.

The decorations throughout China are equivalent to if not, dare I say more extravagant than how people prep for Christmas in America, Huang said. CNY feasts are comparable to Thanksgiving dinners many restaurants are booked months in advance or prepped for days in advance.

However, because of the ongoing pandemic, the usual big festivities will be put on hold for the first time. Instead, smaller groups will gather and put their twist on the holiday.

The Chinese Folk Music Orchestra is unable to perform their normal shows for Lunar New Year but is working on video performances, Yamei Tu, a third-year doctorate student in computer science and engineering and the publicity chair for the group, said. However, she is still celebrating with decorations, a big meal and video chatting with family in China.

Tu said one of her favorite Lunar New Year traditions is receiving lucky money a tradition where children receive money from adults in red envelopes.

Traditionally, children put it under the pillow for good luck, Tu said. Red can scare bad things and keep you safe in ancient stories.

Because she is unable to travel home, Tu said her family sent well wishes and her lucky money online.

Chang, an international student, said no matter the circumstances, he is going to find a way to celebrate with his friends.

I am unable to return home for LNY, but I never let that stop me from celebrating it with my Chinese friends here at Ohio State, Chang said. The pandemic stops us from having huge gatherings, so me and my two close friends are getting together to have hotpot and watch movies together.

Hotpot is a social meal originating from Eastern Asia that consists of a large pot of simmering broth with a variety of ingredients, like beef, seafood, vegetables and noodles.

Chang joins the ranks of a multitude of Ohio State students who had to make the most of the situation and find new ways to celebrate with family and friends both in Ohio and abroad.

Personally, I am doing hotpot with my best friend and calling my family back home in Ohio and China, Huang said.

Although they could not be together, Huang said CASA rang in the new year with a Twitch stream last week, hoping to accommodate anyone celebrating from home with their families or traveling home to do so.

Chang said his favorite aspects of this time of year are the ideas of unity and importance it can promote within the country.

It promotes solidarity among our community while spreading the joy and happiness to everyone around, Chang said. It is an inclusive holiday for everyone who is willing to participate and share the refreshing start of the new year with us.

Ohio State students who are looking for ways to ring in the Year of the Ox can register for the Lunar New Year Party on the International Friendships website.

The Year of the Ox will be ushered in Friday as those celebrating the Lunar New Year face changes to traditional festivities.

Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of the Chinese calendar and is often celebrated with decorations, extravagant meals, fireworks and gifts. This year, the traditions live on, but several student organizations at Ohio State will be celebrating the holiday in smaller settings.

Jacob Chang, a third-year in psychology and political science, chair of the International Student Council and vice president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Society, said there would usually be huge gatherings on campus.

In a normal year, our club will throw a huge LNY performance where about 700 to 800 students will participate on campus, Chang said. We emphasize the sense of community for every Chinese international student at Ohio State and everyone who observes Chinese New Year.

When students around campus are able to come together, Jessica Huang, a fourth-year in industrial and systems engineering and the leader of Ohio States Chinese American Student Association, said there is a wide variety of performers that are able to show up for the celebration.

Outside of OSU, we invite Dance of Soul and Chinese Folk Music, which focus on more traditional CNY performances, Huang said. From OSU, we have a mix of martial art performances, dance teams and singers, consisting of both domestic and international students.

Both Huang and Chang said that this holiday can be compared to popular American holidays and that anyone can celebrate Lunar New Year.

The decorations throughout China are equivalent to if not, dare I say more extravagant than how people prep for Christmas in America, Huang said. CNY feasts are comparable to Thanksgiving dinners many restaurants are booked months in advance or prepped for days in advance.

However, because of the ongoing pandemic, the usual big festivities will be put on hold for the first time. Instead, smaller groups will gather and put their twist on the holiday.

The Chinese Folk Music Orchestra is unable to perform their normal shows for Lunar New Year but is working on video performances, Yamei Tu, a third-year doctorate student in computer science and engineering and the publicity chair for the group, said. However, she is still celebrating with decorations, a big meal and video chatting with family in China.

Tu said one of her favorite Lunar New Year traditions is receiving lucky money a tradition where children receive money from adults in red envelopes.

Traditionally, children put it under the pillow for good luck, Tu said. Red can scare bad things and keep you safe in ancient stories.

Because she is unable to travel home, Tu said her family sent well wishes and her lucky money online.

Chang, an international student, said no matter the circumstances, he is going to find a way to celebrate with his friends.

I am unable to return home for LNY, but I never let that stop me from celebrating it with my Chinese friends here at Ohio State, Chang said. The pandemic stops us from having huge gatherings, so me and my two close friends are getting together to have hotpot and watch movies together.

Hotpot is a social meal originating from Eastern Asia that consists of a large pot of simmering broth with a variety of ingredients, like beef, seafood, vegetables and noodles.

Chang joins the ranks of a multitude of Ohio State students who had to make the most of the situation and find new ways to celebrate with family and friends both in Ohio and abroad.

Personally, I am doing hotpot with my best friend and calling my family back home in Ohio and China, Huang said.

Although they could not be together, Huang said CASA rang in the new year with a Twitch stream last week, hoping to accommodate anyone celebrating from home with their families or traveling home to do so.

Chang said his favorite aspects of this time of year are the ideas of unity and importance it can promote within the country.

It promotes solidarity among our community while spreading the joy and happiness to everyone around, Chang said. It is an inclusive holiday for everyone who is willing to participate and share the refreshing start of the new year with us.

Ohio State students who are looking for ways to ring in the Year of the Ox can register for the Lunar New Year Party on the International Friendships website.

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The Year of the Ox: How students are celebrating an untraditional Lunar New Year - OSU - The Lantern

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The Empowerment of AI Robotics by Mech-Mind Helped Increase Operational Efficiency for Over 110 Logistics Firms in 2020 – PRNewswire

With online retail sales growing ten-fold in ten years in China alone, there is already enormous demand for technological solutions to 'fine task' oriented processes in logistics. In addition, the latest reports from Logistics IQ show an expected compound annual growth rate of 14% worldwide in the market of logistics automation, reaching $ US 30 billion by 2026. In adapting to the sheer volumes of packages that are expected to be moved around the world every day, technology companies like Mech-Mind Robotics are poised to provide crucial and cost-effective solutions that genuinely improve operations for logistics providers.

"Complex picking activities in logistics, such as mixed-carton palletizing and depalletizing, order picking and parcel loading, seem fairly complicated and hard to achieve by robots. But actually, it is no longer like that today. We empower integrators with our AI abilities. With our empowerment, integrators can easily deploy AI solutions to end users. We feel very lucky to be riding the wave of AI," said Tianlan Shao, CEO and Founder of Mech-Mind Robotics.

Mech-Mind offers universal platform products, which include Mech-Eye Industrial 3D Camera, Mech-Vision Graphical Machine Vision Software and Mech-Viz Intelligent Robot Programming Environment. Various typical smart applications in actual logistics scenarios can be realized by non-experts in days. By integrating Mech-Mind's products into real solutions, robots are therefore implanted with 'eyes' and 'brains'. Mech-Mind enables a low threshold for robot operators, making the whole software control process completely code-free. Besides, for experienced engineers, Mech-Mind's software also supports secondary development, creating enough flexibility for engineers.

Recently in China, Mech-Mind Robotics has been working with a multinational logistics firm to increase the efficiency of their logistics sorting system. After using Mech-Mind's technology solution, the already highly optimized process recorded a significant efficiency increase. Adapting robots instead of people allowed for round-the-clock processing of packages and was used to alleviate some of the pressure caused by the rise in demand for shipping coupled with a reduction in staff numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, labor dependence was reduced, warehouse management efficiency was improved, and overall transfer capacity was increased.

Mech-Mind Robotics also has rich experience in other major industries, especially in manufacturing. Applications such as machine tending, high-accuracy locating, gluing and assembly in automotive, steel and machinery can also be easily achieved. Mech-Mind Robotics increases the usability of industrial robots through utilizing cutting-edge technologies of 3D vision and motion planning to allow them to observe their environment and then make refined decisions and adjustments through a process of deep learning. Mech-Mind's products have now been widely used in Japan, the US, South Korea, Germany, and other countries.

For more information, please visit http://en.mech-mind.net/.

About Mech-Mind Robotics

Mech-Mind was founded in 2016, aiming at putting intelligence into industrial robots. Through advanced technologies including deep learning, 3D vision, and motion planning, Mech-Mind offers cost-effective solutions to mixed-carton palletizing and depalletizing, bin picking, order sorting, machine tending and assembly/gluing/locating in logistics and manufacturing.

Mech-Mind's intelligent industrial robot solutions have been deployed in automotive OEM plants, appliance plants, steel plants, food plants, logistics warehouses, banks, and hospitals in countries such asChina,Japan,South Korea,Germany, and the US.

SOURCE Mech-Mind Robotics

http://www.mech-mind.net

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Bucks on Trucks: Deep discounts abound on this new Ford F-150 – Driving

The experts at driving.ca regularly combine manufacturers incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability, and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars.

Today, we look at one truck in particular, the 2021 Ford F-150 XLT 44 SuperCrew. Check out the deal below.

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $47,939Manufacturer Incentive: $4000Unhaggle Savings: $2000Total Savings: $6000Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2080Total Before Tax: $44,019

Its big news any time the Blue Oval makes major changes to its best-selling pickup, the F-150. Stakes are high in the half-ton truck market since these machines are a major profit centre and account for a significant chunk of annual sales.

For the 2021 model year, the F-150 is significantly revised both inside and out. It doesnt enjoy the wholesale changes made in 2015 when the body was switched to an aluminum construction, but there are enough alterations to get Ford fans jonesing for a new ride. The crew at Unhaggle.com have uncovered some savings on a particular trim and body style that could help buyers save a few dollars.

Specifically, this deal applies to the XLT SuperCrew model with a short 5.5 box. That explains the 145-inch notation in this posts title; its the wheelbase measure and helps to distinguish this specific body style from F-150s with the 6.5 cargo box. Keep this in mind when shopping because it may make a difference in both available savings and interest rates.

The XLT is the next-to-base trim but is hardly a stripper truck. Without adding a single extra feature or additional option package, the XLT comes with active safety kit like blind-spot monitoring and the second-gen Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driver aids. An active front air dam channels air around the truck at highway speeds in such a way as to save fuel. Fog lights are embedded in the front bumper and the heated side mirrors are power adjustable.

Under the hood, a XLT-grade truck will be equipped with the base 3.3L V6 engine, which is good for 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. If that naturally aspirated mill doesnt turn your crank, there are no fewer than five other engine options, including the newly introduced full-hybrid powertrain that makes nearly 600 lb-ft of torque (though one does have to select an extra option package to get this engine). Most notably, the excellent 2.7L EcoBoost V6 is available as a stand-alone option for just $900, bringing with it 325 horsepower plus 400 lb-ft of torque and the capability to tow up to 10,000 lbs when properly equipped.

Speaking of towing, this specific body style (SuperCrew 44 short box) can tow a hearty 8,200 lbs at minimum with the 3.3L V6 engine. Properly equipped with the correct powertrain, that number soars to a staggering 13,900 lbs, a number squarely in the domain of heavy-duty pickups not that many years ago. Be sure to do your homework on engine size and axle ratio before signing on the dotted line to make sure the truck youre buying has the towing capability you need.

While the XLT is certainly low on the F-150 totem pole of trim levels, it isnt the hose-em-out base truck one may remember from their youth. Single-zone air conditioning is standard, along with cruise control and a cloth split bench seat. Yes, one can still spec a no-charge rubber floor covering instead of carpet in a nod to practicality. Infotainment is handled by a large 8-inch touchscreen in the centre stack; this size of display was once an expensive option. Fords new Sync 4 system works with certain voice commands and also features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Extra packages are available intended to either jazz up the exterior or add more creature comforts to the cabin. The latter can bring everything from heated seats to better infotainment options. It should be noted that XLT trucks are only available with a bench seat, no matter the price tag. Various payload and towing options can be selected to equip the truck with capability matching your future weekend plans.

The 2021 Ford F-150 XLT 44 SuperCrew Short Box arrives with a $6,000 combined Unhaggle discount, leaving a sticker of $44,019. This price includes freight and PDI along with other mandatory government fees but does not include sales tax.

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Astro Bob: Journey to the deep sky with Cassiopeia as your guide – Grand Forks Herald

Deep-sky objects are "extended" (not pinpoint stars) celestial objects and include nebulas, star clusters and galaxies. (NASA, ESO)

Deep-sky objects are non-stellar celestial objects that usually require optical aid to see. They include all those magnificent galaxies, star clusters and nebulae (clouds of dust illuminated by stars) famously pictured with the Hubble Space Telescope. The brighter naked-eye stars are typically dozens to hundreds of light-years away, while deep-sky objects are often much more remote, from thousands to billions of light-years distant. Deep.

To find deep-sky objects in binoculars start at a bright star and create a path to the target. I own several binoculars but use a pair of 8x40 most often. Eight (8) is the magnification, while "40" is the size of the lenses in millimeters. 40 millimeters equals about 1.5 inches. (Bob King)

Once I became familiar with the brighter stars I used them to star-hop to a nebula or cluster. I'd lay open my star atlas and note the position of a deep-sky target with respect to a star I could easily identify. I'd mentally draw a path to the object, then point my binoculars at it and slide a little this way and a little that way until I spotted what I was looking for. Often, I had to use more than one star to get there the same way you'd carefully chose steppingstones to cross to the other side of a river.

Use this map to help guide you to the featured deep-sky objects. 5 is equal to three fingers held together at arm's length against the sky. A fist covers 10 of sky. (Stellarium with additions by the author)

You can hunt the deep-sky, too. How would you like to see three star clusters and the closest, biggest galaxy beyond the Milky Way? All are within a stone's throw of the familiar W of Cassiopeia and visible in a pair of 35mm or larger binoculars. You'll need a clear, preferably moonless sky for the hunt and warm clothing. Clothing is important for comfort's sake. Properly dressed, you can observe in a relaxed state of mind, which increases the enjoyment of stargazing.

Our deep-sky targets are the Andromeda Galaxy, the Perseus Double Cluster and NGC 752, a bright but neglected star cluster in Andromeda. Depending on the size of your binoculars and sky darkness they may all strike you as little more than hazy patches of light at first glance. Most things do in typical amateur instruments. Only larger telescopes and time-exposure photographs show the kind of detail we've grown accustomed to seeing in published images.

Deep-sky objects appear more delicate and nuanced and require an observer to spend at least a few minutes to appreciate what's there. The act of focusing your attention will not only reveal more detail than you thought was present at first encounter, but there are spillover benefits. Visual concentration sharpens our powers of observation of other natural phenomena.

We're going to use Cassiopeia as our steppingstone to the deep-sky. Start around 8 o'clock local time in mid-February and allow about 10 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness. Look halfway up in the northwestern sky to spot the W of Cassiopeia. This time of year it's tilted on its side and better resembles the Greek letter sigma, written as .

The Double Cluster in Perseus is a sparkling sight in any instrument. (Hunter Wilson)

While looking up, raise the binoculars to your eyes and focus sharply on the top two stars of the W. Then slide about one binocular field of view (~6) up and to the left. You should now see two dense clumps of stars, one on top of the other. This is the Perseus Double Cluster, comprised of two paired star clusters, NGC 869 and 884, that lie 7,500 light-years from Earth. Each is 4th magnitude, bright enough to see with the naked eye from a dark sky.

In my 8x40s I see two dense piles of starry gems, each with its own distinctive appearance. It was just an impression, but the stars in both appeared to spill over the sides as if heaped too high. Both are young clusters, born from gas and dust clouds (nebulae) 12.8 million years ago. The Pleiades in contrast are much older, roughly 100 million years.

At left is a time exposure photo of the Andromeda Galaxy made with a telescope. At right is a sketch I made using 10x50 binoculars of the galaxy under dark skies. It's surprising how much binoculars can reveal. Besides the Andromeda's elongated shape and bright core, two of its satellite galaxies M32 and M110 were also visible. (John Chumack (left) and Bob King)

After you've taken your measure of the Double Cluster, point your binoculars at the bottom three stars in the W that form a bright equilateral triangle. Then slide about three binocular fields to the left until you see something fuzzy. That's the Andromeda Galaxy, located 2.5 million light-years away. It's the nearest large galaxy to our own and contains about a trillion suns in a flattened disk 220 million light-years across twice the size of the Milky Way!

Andromeda is so far away that its faint stellar multitudes blur into a cigar-shaped puff of light 2-3 long. One detail stands out the galaxy's brighter core, where the stars are more densely concentrated. Can you see it? Like the Double Cluster, the galaxy is faintly visible without optical aid under dark skies.

NGC 752 is a spread-out star cluster in Andromeda located near a skinny, bright triangle of stars (below in this image). (PANSTARRS DR1 / Aladin Sky Atlas)

From the Andromeda Galaxy, follow the short arc of stars to its left to the bright star Mirach. Then slide about two binocular fields straight up to find the sprawling 6th magnitude star cluster NGC 752. It looks like a smoky patch about 1 across shot through with faint stars. While nowhere near as compact as the Double Cluster, it's still a true star cluster. All of its members hang together by their mutual gravities as they travel across space like a school of fish in the ocean. NGC 752 is ancient about two billion years old and 1,300 light years away.

I've shown you one way to star-hop to each of our featured deep-sky objects, but like driving to a destination, there's often more than one way to get there. With the help of the map you can choose to start at a different star and arrive at an object by an alternate route. More power to you! Finding your way in the sky takes advantage of your own ingenuity. The more you use it, the more satisfying your journey.

"Astro" Bob King is a freelance writer for the Duluth News Tribune. Read more of his work at duluthnewstribune.com/astrobob.

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How the Hannibal Lecterverse Made Its Real Star the Human Mind – The Ringer

With CBS debuting Clarice on Thursday nightand the 30th anniversary of The Silence of the Lambs arriving just three days laterThe Ringer is spending a day celebrating Hannibal Lecter and his strangely intoxicating universe.

Shortly before Hannibal Lecter makes his first appearance in The Silence of the Lambs, FBI special agent Jack Crawford delivers specific instructions to his protg, Clarice Starling: Youre to tell him nothing personal, Starling. Believe me, you dont want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.

Four novels written by Thomas Harris, adapted into five feature films and two network TV shows, have made Hannibal Lecter into one of the scariest and most indelible characters in contemporary American fiction. Weve seen him tear off a policemans face and wear it as a disguise, feed a man a portion of his own brain, and change an entire generations perception of fava beans. But Crawfords warning distills the essence of what makes Lecter so scary. Its not the threat of physical violenceLecter is a small man with thinning hair and a high-pitched, nasally voice; hes not even the most physically imposing serial killer in his own movie. And in Silence, Starling talks to Lecter through bars, or a plexiglass wall, or a telephone. At no point is she in physical danger.

But there are worse things than being eaten.

The challengeacross Silence of the Lambs, Manhunter, Red Dragon, and the NBC TV series Hannibalis for the hero to understand the killer without cracking under the weight of that understanding. To learn from the murderous Hannibal without getting close enough to let him inflict further damage.

The Lecterverse, if you will, comprises a series of appallingly gory and violent films and TV shows, but the physical action comes only in short bursts. These are fairly talky movies, in which most of the drama comes not from running, jumping, and shooting, but from characters sitting around and thinking.

The interior machinations of an unsound or traumatized mind are a tough thing for a director to capture. The task tripped up no less skilled a filmmaker than Ridley Scott, whose 2001 film Hannibal was one of the most forgettable offerings for both the series and director. But this stage also offers tremendous potential. 1986s Manhunter, the first film adaptation of Harriss books, was only moderately successful on first release but is now viewed as Michael Manns first masterwork. NBCs Hannibal might be the most visually striking network TV show of the past decade, and despite its short three-season run, it has reemerged as a cult classic. And of course theres The Silence of the Lambs, one of just three films to sweep the big five categories at the Academy Awards, including a Best Director win for Jonathan Demme.

On Thursday, the Lecterverses latest offering debuts on CBS: Clarice. Set a year after the events of Silence, Clarice centers on the titular Agent Starling and faces a bigger challenge than any other title in the series. Because of the same kind of IP balkanization that kept Spider-Man out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years, Clarice cannot legally mention Hannibal Lecter.

In the opening minutes of the pilot, an FBI therapist muses that Starlings last therapist was an inmate in the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane and ate his patients. That Lecter can be invoked so clearly without using his name speaks to the enormous challenge the show faces. Not only does Australian actress Rebecca Breeds have to pick up where one of the half-dozen or so greatest living actresses left off, she has to do so without most of the series other memorable characters: Lecter, Crawford, Will Graham, Dr. Chilton, and so on.

The mind on display in Clarice will not be that of Hannibal Lecter, or another serial killer like Buffalo Bill or the Tooth Fairy. Instead, it will be Clarices own. But how does a director get inside, as such esteemed filmmakers as Demme and Mann once did?

It was about portraying her duality with the way that we shot it, Maja Vrvilo, who directed the Clarice pilot, told me over Zoom. The scene with the therapist is a good example because its shot in two ways. Its regular footage that shows Clarice the way she presents herself to the world. And then there are all those macro shots and flashes to Buffalo Bills basement that explain the state of her inner mind.

Anyone whos seen The Silence of the Lambs even once will recognize these flashes: the stone-lined well, Buffalo Bill at his sewing machine, Precious the dog, and moths flurrying around an overhead lampall accompanied by a bar or two of Q Lazzaruss Goodbye Horses.

At this point, Buffalo Bills elements are not flashbacks, because she did not witness any of it, Vrvilo said. Its really trauma caused by the whole experience that comes back to her in her dreams, and its haunting her.

Stories about heroic cops and serial killers often gloss over the mental toll that witnessing violence and depravity can cause, but Harriss stories look that cost straight in the face. In fact, some of the very first lines uttered in the Lecterverse films are about trauma. In Manhunter, Crawford (played by Dennis Farina) has to coax Graham (William Petersen) out of retirementa retirement necessitated by Grahams inability to cope with the weight of previous cases, not least among them his own near death at Hannibals hands.

Later in the film, Petersens Graham tries to articulate why his gift of being able to think like a serial killer is also a curse. I tried to build feelings in my imagination like the killer had, so that I would know why he did what he did. Because that would help me find him, he said, before going on to describe the encounter in which Lecktor (as it was spelled in Manhunter) attacked him. After my body got OK, I still had his thoughts going around in my head. Theyre the ugliest thoughts in the world.

No two people experience trauma the same way, even people who have been through similar events, and there are many ways a director can portray it. The conversation in Manhunter takes place in a brightly lit grocery store, in one of the quietest and calmest scenes of any of the Lecterverse films. Vrvilo, on the other hand, focused on sights and sounds that might be triggering to Clarice. One of the shots showcased in the opening scene is set on the steps of the Department of Justice building as Clarice faces the press after the Buffalo Bill case. This sequence, Vrvilo said, was inspired by Wong Kar-wais The Grandmaster.

He loves all those slow-motion shots and close-ups and black-and-white details, she said. Thats the imagery that, to me, represented Clarices trauma. The loud sound effects, the popping flashes of the cameras. Thats what the scene was about.

Even when we see Clarice projecting a calm demeanor externally, Vrvilo wanted to emphasize her isolation. Even though she is a part of the team, I tried to keep her either surrounded or just a little away from the rest of the team, Vrvilo said. Inside the bullpen, often its her against everybody else. At the crime scene by the river, its her against everybody else. Theres also a little bit of male gaze that Jonathan Demme did wonderfully in the movieevery time she walks by you see men looking after her, and the camera stays on them just a touch too long.

That extends to emphasizing Clarices smallnessanother detail Vrvilo carried over from The Silence of the Lambs. The film has multiple scenes in which Starling is the only woman in a room full of tall, imposing men. Vrvilo pointed out one shot in particular, in which Jodie Foster boards an elevator full of older, bigger FBI agents. Breeds, the new Clarice Starling, is almost a foot shorter than Michael Cudlitz, who plays Paul Krendler, Starlings boss. (Krendler is one of the few legacy characters Clarice gets to play with; moviegoing audiences last saw him in Hannibal, played by an open-skulled Ray Liotta.) Rather than try to close the distance between the characters, Vrvilo emphasized it, dressing Breeds in flats rather than heels and shooting point-of-view shots from extremely high or low angles to show Starlings physical vulnerability and isolation.

What Vrvilo didnt do is ape Demmes most famous directorial technique. When Clarice and Lecter have their famous first meeting in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, both Foster and Anthony Hopkins deliver their lines directly to camera. Demme used this shot in other films, like Philadelphia and The Manchurian Candidate, but its become synonymous with The Silence of the Lambs.

Demme, who died in 2017, explained the logic behind the shot to Rob Feld in a 2015 interview for DGA Quarterly:

The most powerful shot of all is when you put the viewer right in the shoes of one of the characters so that they are seeing exactly what the character is seeing and, ideally, having the same response that the character is having because theyre so identified with them. Of course, you dont want your audience to realize your actors are staring into the camera. You want them to be so immersed in the moment that its their reality, so you need that tight, tight over the shoulder to get in and out of the subjective camera. We felt like that shot was made for The Silence of the Lambs because, in their confrontations with each other, Dr. Lecter and Clarice are going deep inside each others heads. The more you back off and loosen the over-the-shoulders, youre just moving away from the goal of the intensity of the sequence, becoming more and more objective. I love pushing the subjective side of things whenever possible for the viewer.

Vrvilo used that type of framing only briefly, at the very end of the pilot.

I wanted to do this at the end of the pilot as she finds her confidence, Vrvilo said. As she stands up to the press for the first time, and this time the flashbulbs do not make her walk away. Thats really the only time I shot her looking straight to camera being very calm. But any other time it just felt inappropriate. It felt like an hour imitating Silence just wasnt the right thing to do.

Its also not necessary. Harriss works offer a fascinating variety of avenues into characters complex and tortured psyches. NBCs Hannibal, for instance, is known for its rich, deep color palette and its time spent inside Will Grahams imagination. Clarice is shot with somewhat more conventional colors and offers only fleeting glances into its heroines mind.

The first two films of the series, Manhunter and Silence of the Lambs, could not have taken more different routes through similar terrain. Manhunter, set in the Southeastern U.S. and directed by Mann at his Miami Viceiest, looks like Dire Straits Brothers in Arms soundsits quiet and slow-developing, but with bright white and neon background coloration. The Silence of the Lambs is darker, with colder, earthier colors appropriate for its mid-Atlantic winter setting.

One could explain those distinctions away by noting the changing fashions of the times: Even between 1986 and 1991, design and artistic sensibilities changed, and Manhunter looked a little dated even five years after its release. But its also illustrative of the points of view of the films respective heroes. Starling is afraid because shes traveling into uncharted territory; Will Graham is afraidprobably even more so than Starlingbecause he knows exactly what hes getting into.

Red Dragon, the 2002 Silence of the Lambs prequel, offers another interesting visual contrast to Manhunter. Red Dragon replaced Demme with Brett Ratner but brought back Hopkins and Silence screenwriter Ted Tally. The film adopted a similar visual style to Silence, but some of its scenes and dialogue are almost identical to Manhunter. Through this, were offered the opportunity to see Manhunters Graham and Hannibal in an austere, stark-white prison facility, with Petersen and Brian Cox playing the conversation fairly down-the-middle:

Versus the same scene in the dark, earthen Silence of the Lambsstyle set of Red Dragon, with Hopkins dialing his cannibalistic menace up to 11.

Both approaches are effective, but Id argue Manhunter is more so, because the primary focus is not on Hannibal, but on Graham.

Ever since Manhunter debuted in 1986, the actors whove donned Hannibal Lecters white prison jumpsuit or bespoke European suitswhether its Cox, Hopkins, or Hannibals Mads Mikkelsenhave spent most of their screen time throwing 100 mph heat. And why not? Hannibal is a terrifying, weird, cool character who owns every room hes in and gets all the best lines. Hopkins in particular turned Lecter from a memorable secondary character into a national nightmare. That Hopkins won Best Actor for Silence of the Lambs despite having just 16 minutes of screen time has become a legendary bit of movie trivia.

Clarice is a direct sequel to Silence, and as a network drama, it will inevitably draw comparisons to Hannibal. Yet Ive devoted a lot of space in this story to Manhunter, the oldest and by far lowest-grossing movie in the series. Manhunter has zero character overlap with Clarice and not much more in common stylistically. But its the closest thing to a spiritual progenitor to Clarice because its the only other work in the series that isnt mostly about a serial killer. Cox gets even less screen time in Manhunter than Hopkins does in Silence. Francis Dollarhyde, the films proximate villain, doesnt get much more. Manhunters focus is mostly on Will Grahams struggle to work through his own emotional trauma; the serial killers are little more than plot machinations.

The drama in Clarice is similarly internalized; as viewers, were not gawking at the derangement of a murderer but rather empathizing with a person who narrowly escaped one. Clarice wont try to replace Hannibal Lecter with another similarly sinister nemesis; which is probably smart, since any Lecter proxy would draw unflattering comparisons to the genuine article.

But its also part of a deliberate shift in focus. Starlings big speech at the end of the pilot comes after shes just apprehended her bad guy, and when reporters ask about the killer, she responds by listing the names of his victims. In this show, the killers mind is not the one most worthy of exploration.

Serial killers became celebrities through movies and television, said Vrvilo, who cited that monologue as one of the highlights of her time on set. Movies are made about them, television shows are made about them, and its exciting. The audience craves that. But Clarice is not about that. Its not a story about Hannibal Lecter. Its not a story about the new serial killer. Its a story about her, and she doesnt need any of those people.

Nor does the series. For 35 years, filmmakers have used Harriss books as a way to explore the human mind, and what happens when its strained, damaged, or pan-fried to be served with a dollop of caviar. That explorationand the creative opportunities it presentsis the true draw of the Hannibal Lecter films.

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