Latest news with #Outliers
Winnipeg Free Press
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Notion of ‘genius' a fluid, ever-changing concept
Books about genius and geniuses abound. We are all fascinated by people who display otherworldly intellectual ability or whose creativity and inventiveness seem to exceed human limitations. However, this entertaining survey is not so much about individual geniuses themselves as it is about how society defines and regards those mental giants who walk among us. Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg Elon Musk gets plenty of ink in Helen Lewis' musings on the notion of genius. A key element in the thesis of British journalist and author Helen Lewis is that our notion of what constitutes genius changes given the time and place and yet there are also patterns that reappear throughout history. An observant reader will notice that the word 'Myth' on the book's cover is set in larger type than the word 'Genius.' This is not an accident. It is her central point. 'The argument over whether Elon Musk is a genius is really an argument about what our society values, and what it is prepared to tolerate,' Lewis writes. 'A suite of behaviours that would otherwise be inexcusable are forgiven when they are the price of greatness.' The South African-born electric vehicle and rocket ship entrepreneur gets a lot of ink here. As Lewis notes, this is because his talent for financial risk and organization control, not to mention his personal eccentricities, seem to be what the culture reveres at the moment. He also represents a 'poisonous' type of high achiever. This is a person, almost always male, who succeeds in one domain and begins to think of themselves as 'a superior sort of human' and an expert in everything (even government cost-cutting). With its conversational tone and often witty asides, The Genius Myth seems to take for its conceptual model Malcolm Gladwell's influential 2008 bestseller Outliers. She references it at several points, especially its idea that behind every brilliant person lie 10,000 hours of brute practice and hard work. She travels back to 19th-century England to examine 'the great age of classification,' in which its proponents, like the scientist Frances Galton, were obsessed with defining and measuring genius. Galton is credited today, or more accurately blamed, as being the father of eugenics, the terrible idea that the human species can be improved through selective breeding. The Genius Myth Lewis includes a fascinating chapter on the equally misguided work of Louis Terman, the early 20th-century American psychologist who led in the development of IQ testing. Mostly what Lewis finds is that genius is the eye of the beholder. It can't really be measured and it can't be predicted, though we do find similarities in types of geniuses. She devotes chapters to the so-called 'monsters' such as Pablo Picasso and Harvey Weinstein, who felt they had licence to abuse people around them, and 'rebels' such as Galileo and Monet, who broke new ground by rejecting previous orthodoxies. Currently on hiatus A review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe. Although she admits she is weak on the subject of musical genius — writers and painters being her stronger artistic suits — she includes two interesting chapters on the Beatles (and the degree to which their accomplishments can be separated from time and place). Of the hundreds of names dropped in this book, the astute local reader will notice, her fellow chronicler Gladwell aside, a complete absence of Canadians. Are we as a nation inhospitable to genius or even superior talent? (Admittedly, in a book that limits itself to a discussion of Western accomplishment, the Australians don't rate either.) We know this can't be the case. In this time of raised elbows, there is room for a great Canadian mythologizer of genius. Morley Walker is a retired Free Press editor and writer.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kling AI Flexes Its Muscles With New Anthology Series ‘Loading…'
Poster for Kling AI's new series, '' Kling AI, a generative video platform developed by Chinese tech company Kuaishou, is releasing a seven-part anthology series Loading…. which was created in partnership with the Beijing-based studio Outliers. The series is being distributed globally beginning July 2 on YouTube, where episodes will be released twice a week. Each film will be accompanied by a short behind-the-scenes interview with the creators. Chen Xiangyu, founder of Outliers and executive producer of the ne Kling AI series '' ... More spoke on a panel following the opening. Loading… is notable for its scale, technical polish, and artistic range. It has drawn comparisons to Netflix's Love, Death & Robots, for its diversity of styles and genres. Human creators wrote, directed all episodes, and produced at Outliers using Kling's AI video engine. Real actors were used in select episodes for facial capture. Human actors voiced dialogue and refined using licensed voice models. The series premiered theatrically in Beijing on June 25 at Emperor Cinemas using an IMAX screen. For those in the know, this is quite an achievement. AI films are not often shown on the big screen, especially an IMAX screen, since inaccuracies become larger than life. Clearly Kling AI is very confident in its platform and technology. Seven Films, One Pipeline Chen Xiangyu, founder of Outliers and executive producer of the series led the project. He directed some of the shorts and supervised all seven. While the core creative work was done in-house, Outliers brought in specialists like art directors and editors as needed. The episodes include: ● Martin Syndrome: A father gains the ability to transfer between bodies every 24 hours. His journey to save his daughter spans centuries. 'The Galactic Gut' is one of seven short films in the YouTube anthology series '' ● The Galactic Gut: A satirical sci-fi story about a recipe for intestines that is mistaken for high technology by an alien civilization. 'Sweet Dreams' is one of seven films in Kling AI's anthology series, '' ● Sweet Dreams: A former lab subject, once a pet dog and now a humanoid werewolf, sabotages a cyberpunk research facility and meets another test subject. 'The Utopia Taoyuan' is one of seven films in Kling's new anthology series, '' ● The Utopia Taoyuan: A group of refugees stumbles into a mystical village during a famine. A hidden master who reveals their true motivations tests them. 'Traveler and the Tiger' is one of seven films in Kling AI's anthology series '' ● Traveler and the Tiger: A fable about the bond between a young traveler and a tiger. Their story ends in betrayal when the tiger is exploited by a corrupt doctor. 'Unforgivable' is one of seven short films in Kling's anthology series '' ● Unforgivable: Set during World War II, this short follows a Japanese boy who becomes complicit in war crimes. The episode centers on indoctrination and guilt. ● Ambivalence: In a future dominated by AGI, humans face an alien invasion. A scientist activates a powerful AI named Vitas in a last attempt to defend the Earth. Each short uses a different visual approach, from claymation to photorealistic 3D. The team built custom workflows for each one, integrating Kling's AI tools at different points in the process. 'We chose an anthology format so we could test the full expressive range of Kling,' said Chen. 'We wanted to see how far we could push it in terms of style, continuity, performance, and genre.' How the Technology Works Kling AI's video model was first released in June 2024. It has since gone through over 20 major updates. The 2.1 version, released in May 2025, improved both image quality and animation speed. A five-second video in 1080p takes under a minute to generate, greatly lowering the time and cost of production. Li Yang, Head of Product & Operations at KLING AI, speaking at the premiere of '' 'Kling is at the top of my list because I get the most reliably consistent results with fewer attempts,' said Heather Cooper, who worked on the AI elements for Amazon's King David series. 'Kling follows prompts well and it can generate smooth static shots for LED walls and backgrounds, or high-speed, complex motion. I like the UI for organization and ease of use. I get great results from other models like Veo 2 & 3, but Kling is my go-to for professional work because I know what to expect.' Kling's development team says the model excels at maintaining character consistency across frames, syncing lips to dialogue, and generating complex motion sequences without visual artifacts. These features were key to making Loading… viable. Some episodes required scenes with large crowds, fast action, or long single takes. Others relied on subtle facial performances. A Broader Strategy While Loading… is the flagship production, Kling is positioning itself as more than a single-use creative tool. The company is building what it calls a 'creator ecosystem,' with campaigns and grant programs aimed at global users. Its 'Bring Your Vision to Screen' initiative, launched in April 2025, received more than 2,000 submissions from 60 countries. Winners were showcased on large public screens in cities including Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Toronto. Earlier this year, Kling also launched its 'NextGen Initiative,' which provides funding, promotional support, and personal branding assistance for independent creators. In late 2024, the company announced a co-creation program with directors including Jia Zhangke and Timmy Yip. Q & A with the filmmaker and Kling executives followed the premiere in Beijing. A Growing Presence Kling AI currently serves over 22 million users and has over 10,000 companies integrating its tools into products and services. While its footprint in the U.S. remains limited, Loading… and the upcoming YouTube release are likely to introduce the brand to a wider international audience. The company says interest from YouTube creators and indie animation studios is already growing. Outliers' team is continuing work on additional episodes. Kling says it may open up its proprietary AI production workflow later this year. 'We're still experimenting,' said Li Yang, Kling's Head of Product and Operations. 'But we're learning quickly. And we're not doing it alone.'
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams players reveal their summer reading lists ahead of 2025 season
Summer is a great time for catching up on books you've always wanted to read, and NFL players are no different. ESPN's Tim McManus asked a few NFL players what books they were reading this offseason, including Los Angeles Rams defensive backs Quentin Lake and Ahkello Witherspoon. While their answers weren't as ridiculous as some (Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams is reading "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy), the duo still offered interesting reads for the summer. Lake is reading two books: "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell and "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. "I like ['Outliers'] because it kind of shows you that if you grow up or if you're in a certain type of environment, it can really allow you to thrive," Lake told McManus. "Now, '48 Laws of Power,' I like that book a lot because it gives you rules. Now you don't take it literally, but there are certain things you can look at and it's like, 'Hey, how can I use my position that I'm in right now as an advantage to either elevate myself or get myself out of trouble?'" Witherspoon, meanwhile, is reading "James" by Percival Everett and "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr. Lake and Witherspoon will be two of the most important players in the Rams' secondary this season. L.A. didn't add any new pieces to the unit in the offseason so far between the draft and free agency and also didn't acquire Jalen Ramsey in a trade. Hopefully, the duo will learn enough from their reading to take their games to the next level in 2025.
Boston Globe
14-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Should boys start kindergarten a year later than girls?
Some districts, including New York City, have banned this practice (with exceptions), in part because these children already tend to be ahead in school, so it could contribute to a long-existing achievement gap by race and family income. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But a different way to address that issue, supporters of redshirting say, is to make it the national policy for all boys. That would make it accessible to more Black and Hispanic boys and those from low-income families -- the children least likely to be redshirted now but most likely to benefit, says Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. Advertisement Such a policy might sound far-fetched. The data is not clear that it helps in the long run. Children develop at different rates, and a universal policy is unlikely to serve them all. Crucially, kindergarten is usually the first year that parents have free child care, and without universal pre-K, this would force many parents of boys to pay for another year of private care. Advertisement But research shows that being a year older benefits children, especially boys, in one crucial way involving self-control -- and helps illuminate why many young children are struggling in the American school system. Redshirting has been happening in small numbers for decades. Malcolm Gladwell popularized it in his 2008 book 'Outliers,' noting that professional athletes were often old for their grade. The idea to redshirt all boys was proposed in 2022 by Reeves in his book, 'Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It.' It gained momentum because of two changes to education. First, parents have become more competitive about educating their children, and redshirting has been a way to give them an edge in academics or athletics. Also, school has become more academic earlier -- meaning more time spent preparing for tests and less time learning through play. That has been particularly difficult for boys, who on the whole mature later than girls. The result is a gender gap in kindergarten readiness that continues through high school, with boys going to college at lower rates. Shrinking the gap early on could help in adolescence, too. Girls go through puberty about a year and a half before boys do and tend to develop the executive function skills crucial to school, like time management and self-control, earlier. 'I think the main reason for giving more flexibility is not because of kindergarten; it's because of those later years,' Reeves said. 'I actually think adolescence is when the gaps are biggest, or at least the most consequential.' Advertisement Joe Strickland, who taught middle school outside Savannah, Georgia, for 25 years, said he thought the policy would be 'the smartest thing the schools ever did,' because in his experience, boys and girls at that age 'are completely different.' The girls, he said, tend to be focused and interested in school. Many boys? 'Just general silliness, horse playing with each other, anything but focusing and concentrating on their work,' he said. Nicole Appell started her son in kindergarten at age 6, after his preschool teacher suggested it. At first, Appell, also a preschool teacher, was taken aback. He was already reading, but he wasn't emotionally ready, becoming easily overwhelmed and crying a lot at school. 'In hindsight, I'm so glad she did that,' said Appell, who lives in Seattle. 'It was really important. Being a little more mature means being able to handle the situations that happen at school.' Studies of redshirting have found pros and cons. Some research has found that any boost in achievement fades away as children get older. Redshirting could increase high school dropout rates because older students would reach the legal age for quitting school earlier. It could also disadvantage men by delaying their entry into the job market. Yet several large studies -- of nearly all kindergartners in three states -- show clear benefits to being older. In Florida, where children start kindergarten if they have turned 5 by Sept. 1, researchers compared those with September birthdays, who were relatively old for their grade, and those with August birthdays, who were almost a year younger. The older students consistently scored higher on tests in third grade and, to a lesser extent, eighth grade. They were more likely to attend college and less likely to go to jail as juveniles. The findings were true for children of all backgrounds, but especially for boys and for children from low-income families. Advertisement Researchers in Tennessee and North Carolina found similar results, including that redshirting reduced the male-female achievement gap. Studies in other countries have also found that older children score higher and have more self-confidence in school. One line of research provides a clue as to what exactly is benefiting older children. They stood out in a key skill: their ability to sit still, concentrate, think before acting and see tasks through to the end, a study of Danish children found. These traits, which girls tend to develop earlier, have been shown to be crucial to academic success. Thomas Dee, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education and an author of the study, said children develop this kind of self-control through pretend play, and older children probably spent more time doing that in high-quality, play-based Danish preschools. (He cautioned that the potential benefits of redshirting might not be realized if the extra year were spent in a less enriching environment.) This idea -- that these attention skills are driving the differences between older and younger students -- is backed by studies showing that the youngest students in a grade are more likely to be diagnosed with attention disorders. A study of 400,000 children in every state found that those with birthdays just before the kindergarten cutoff were significantly likelier to be diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder than those with birthdays just after the cutoff. A study of 1 million children in Britain found a similar pattern. Advertisement 'Age really matters,' said David Figlio, professor of education and economics at the University of Rochester and an author of the Florida study. Yet he also didn't think universal redshirting for boys was the answer. A better alternative to redshirting all boys, some researchers said, would be to make it optional for any student so that parents could choose whether it was right for their child, with advice from teachers and the option to attend an extra year of public pre-K. An easier change, some said, would be to make the cutoff date for kindergarten earlier, so all children would turn 5 at least a few months before they start. Teachers could group classes by birth month, with the older kindergartners together in one class and the younger ones in another. Also, schools could restore more of the play-based learning -- like dress-up, art and nature exploration -- that was much more common in kindergarten before 2000. 'Boys are half the population, so if we're doing all these things in school that we think are disadvantaging them, the answer isn't to redshirt,' said Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, professor of education and social policy at Northwestern. 'We can do something cheaper and better, like not overintellectualizing kindergarten -- more circle time, fewer worksheets about circles.' This article originally appeared in
Business Mayor
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Warren Buffett doesn't believe in the '10,000-hour rule'—what he suggests you do instead to gain mastery
With an estimated net worth of $160 billion, Warren Buffett could easily be labeled an anomaly. But if you want to be good at investing, too, he says, you can — just know that 10,000 hours of practice won't necessarily get you there. 'I don't believe in that book that talked about spending 10,000 hours at something,' he said at Berkshire Hathaway's 2025 shareholder meeting. 'I could spend 10,000 hours at tap dancing and you'd throw up if you watched me,' he added. That appears to be a reference to Malcolm Gladwell's 2008 book 'Outliers' which helped popularize the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a talent or subject. CNBC Make It has reached out to Gladwell for comment. In 'Outliers,' Gladwell called 10,000 hours the 'magic number' in terms of the time needed to spend practicing a skill to become an expert. That could go for playing the violin, writing fiction or virtually any other field. The so-called '10,000-hour rule' has been oversimplified, however, Gladwell subsequently pointed out. 'Practice isn't a SUFFICIENT condition for success,' he said in 2014. 'I could play chess for 100 years and I'll never be a grandmaster. The point is simply that natural ability requires a huge investment of time in order to be made manifest.' At the shareholder meeting, Buffett underlined the importance of identifying what skills you already have and what you love doing, and then find people who can teach you to improve. Ideally that means spending time with instructors or mentors, though it may be just as valuable to read what experts in your field have written on the subject. Read More BUSINESS LIVE: Natwest profits hit £1.8bn; Deutsche to buy Numis 'If I spent 10 hours reading Ben Graham, I would be damn smart when I got through,' Buffett said, referring to one of his most impactful mentors. 'Find your own path and you will find the people in schooling that want to talk to you.' 'Look around at what really fascinates you' It may seem financially wise to pursue a career or trade that you're not too interested in because it pays well. But you may be more likely to succeed by pursuing the thing that you're good at and excited about. 'If my ambition had been to become a ventriloquist or whatever it might have been, it wouldn't have worked,' Buffett said at the shareholder meeting. 'I just spent hours and hours and hours on investing.' Lucky for him, the topic he was interested in happened to be a lucrative career path. But he was able to master investing in part because his teachers and mentors were impressed with his curiosity and excited to work with him. 'People that teach, in general, love having a young student who's actually really interested in the subject, and they'll spend extra time with you,' he said. Reflecting on his time at Columbia University, Buffett said his professors treated him 'like a son.' 'I was interested in what they were saying and they found it kind of entertaining that I was so interested, so I would look around at what really fascinates you. I wouldn't try and be somebody else,' he added. Career experts often agree that your interests and natural skills should guide your career decisions more than the potential starting salary. When you choose a college major, for example, it's better to pursue a field of study you're genuinely interested in, not just something you think will help you get paid well. Read More Gambling stocks hit by fears of UK Budget tax grab Doing so can help you be more successful in school — and it may still pay off down the line. 'Your interests may match with a job that can ultimately pay you a really good salary right out of the gate,' Kafui Kouakou, assistant vice president of career development and experiential learning at Quinnipiac University previously told CNBC Make It. 'Some others you may have to start a little bit slow, start to make some money and then over time, it continues to increase and grow from there.' Want a new career that's higher-paying, more flexible or fulfilling? Take CNBC's new online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work . Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career. Start today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+taxes and fees) through May 13, 2025. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life. READ SOURCE
