This week, a moderately famous Youtuber made waves with a plan to sue game developers for shutting down games. Ross Scott wants to fight the You Will Own Nothing future and he's starting with The Crew. He's taking a big step to securing consumer rights and we can't wait to see how it goes.

Soon, even factory workers will be able to work from home using virtual reality and robots. iCub has developed a remote control robot that lets anyone take control of a small humanoid and explore the world. Domo arigato, Mr Roboto.

The Oscar nominations are back, and there's almost as much drama as a Will Smith slap.

The Lawsuit Fighting for the Future of Games

- YouTuber plans lawsuit against Ubisoft for 'The Crew' server closure 

- Dead Game News: The Crew 

iCuB3 the next frontier

- iCub3 avatar system: Enabling remote fully immersive embodiment of humanoid robots 

Oscar Nominations 2024 highlights and snubs

- Oscar Nominations 2024: 'Oppenheimer' Dominates With 13 Nods, 'Poor Things' Follows With 11 

- The most shocking snubs and surprises of the 2024 Oscar nominations 

Show Notes Link - https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_mDGOLBrk08vqak3li11Ol2UrvpguKd46fP8Jkytts/edit?usp=sharing

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Ubisoft don't want you to feel comfortable owning games. We think we speak for all of us when we say we're already comfortable not owning Ubisoft games.

AI are coming for the translator's jobs. Is the human touch compatible with artistic integrity?

Scientists are always working on the next big thing, but sometimes it backfires. This time, the antivenom is a provenom.

Professor 

• SAG-AFTRA’s AI Deal, Explained: Is It Enough to Protect Actors? | Backstage 
• The new Ubisoft+ and getting gamers comfortable with not owning their games | GamesIndustry.biz  

DJ 

• AI replaces ‘woke’ TV translators who inserted liberal language into Japanese art, sparking online debate | Fox Business 

NA 

• A promising snakebite treatment seemed ready for prime time. Then, it backfired | Science

Show Notes in Google Doc : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRjdMxhDGEe6BLtSTWyZ8guW3QajjD0_WBaasOTd92Q/edit?usp=sharing

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The Nerds are back! This week on Nerds Amalgamated we're joined by our friend BPM to discuss the SAG-AFTRA AI deal, the Golden Globes and using magic as medicine.

DJ – Golden Globes 2024 Recap

- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-08/golden-globes-2024-winners-list/103291446

Professor – SAG-AFTRA AI Backflip

- https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/sag-aftra-ai-voiceover-studio-video-games-1235866313/

- https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-and-replica-studios-introduce-groundbreaking-ai-voice-agreement-ces

NA – Magic is now a science

- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623008985?via%3Dihub

Show Notes in Google Doc

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qL8GKRbPpHjzlxsCdyqdasN0tkggqqrdNJK7dJa-RTA/edit?usp=sharing

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It’s 2022. And since we’ve decided to use a recent, arbitrary date as the marker of the completion of a solar revolution, which is a specific period of time, it’s time to review everything that happened in the last 3.154e+7 seconds. We’ll cover the best and worst games, movies and science news from the last year. It wasn’t all bad, promise.

2021 in Gaming

Psychonauts 2

Wildermyth

Unpacking

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy

2021 in Media

Dune

Squid Game

Spiderman No Way Home

The Synder Cut

Daniel Craig final Bond movie : No Time To Die

Cowboy Bebop Live Action

2021 in Science

James Webb Telescope Launch

Ingenuity helicopter launch in Mars

Perseverance Rover deployed on Mars

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

NFT

Shout Outs

31st December 2021 – Betty White’s passed away at 99

Betty White, TV's perennial Golden Girl, has died. "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas told in a statement on Friday.

31st December 2021 – 10th anniversary of NASA succeeding in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was an American lunar science mission in NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure.

Wackiest movie

31st December 1931 – Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde premiered theatrically

On this day in 1931, the good people of New York City (U.S.) were treated to a limited theatrical premiere of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. Here's the plot summary: "Dr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde."

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

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The 13th Doctor has been incredibly controversial. Jodie Whittaker is worried that she's ruined the idea of a female Doctor. Whose fault is it really though? Is the concept really ruined forever?

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but the doctor teams up with rotten oranges to diagnose early stage cancer.

A New Challenger Joins The Mobile Gaming Battle. Qualcomm has paired with Razor to develop a new handheld gaming dev kit. It'll run on Android and they claim it'll run anything.

The 13th Doctor - A Legacy Of Failure?

- https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/dec/04/jodie-whittaker-on-saying-goodbye-to-doctor-who-i-thought-what-if-ive-ruined-this-for-actresses

Newest cancer tracker tool : Rancid Oranges

- https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2021/12/06/spoiled-oranges-shine-light-on-malignant-cells.html

Qualcomm Mobile Gaming Dev Kit

- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-12-02-qualcomm-announces-handheld-dev-kit-powered-by-its-first-gaming-chip

Shout Outs

4th December 2021 – Magnus Carlsen wins longest game in World Chess Championship history - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-04/magnus-carlsen-wins-longest-game-world-chess-history/100674464

7th December 2021 – 20th anniversary of Ocean’s 11 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/

8th December 2021 – 15th anniversary of the Wii being released in Europe - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii#Launch

Wacky movie

7th December 1979 – Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered theatrically - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079945/

That moment so, so many Trekkies, Trekkers, and general Trek enthusiasts had waited for -- had pined and prayed for -- finally arrived on this day in 1979 (well, at least for the people of Los Angeles) when Paramount Pictures proudly presented Star Trek: The Motion Picture for its theatrical premiere.

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NASA's DART mission has lifted off to protect humanity from rogue asteroids. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test will attempt to change the orbit of threatening asteroids by... hitting them with a rock. Hopefully that'll be enough to save Earth from future threats.

Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, wants console developers to preserve old games and avoid NFTs. Legal emulation will help bring classic games to a new audience, while Phil thinks NFTs will be exploitative. Professor agrees. HEAVILY. Is Phil once again the saviour of the console industry?

Amazon plans to expand their sci-fi stable with a Mass Effect show. Professor and DJ think this is an awful idea. Mass Effect, the story all about making your own decisions, probably won't translate well into a fixed story television show.

Go Go Planetary Defence System

- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-24/nasa-dart-mission-lift-off-space-x/100647884

Phil Spencer : Hero or Villian?

- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-18-phil-spencer-calls-for-industry-to-work-on-legal-emulation

- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-17-phil-spencer-says-nft-games-feel-more-exploitive-than-about-entertainment

Mass Defect the TV Show

- https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/11/24/amazon-reportedly-nearing-deal-to-produce-mass-effect-tv-series/

Wacky movie

25th November 1977 – Logan’s Run Sprinted Into Spanish Theatres

- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074812/

- https://ascmag.com/articles/logans-run-and-how-it-was-filmed

On this day in 1977 in Spain, audiences were treated to one of the best Dystopian thrillers from the 1970's when Logan's Run enjoyed its debut. Here's the plot summary: "A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth."

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Animal kidneys. Some people like them in pies, but pig kidneys go just as well as replacements for human kidneys. A new GMO pig can provide kidneys that are completely compatible with the human immune system. This could have a big impact on transplant waiting lists, and is also a new step in transhumanism. Half Man, Half Pig, He's Pig Man.

Facebook are rebranding their parent company as a Metaverse company, and this is a bad thing. Professor really doesn't think Facebook have our best interests in mind and will try to control the Metaverse when it should be federated and free. Facebook are going to be worse than IOI in Ready Player One.

David Zucker, who directed Airplane!, thinks the movie could only be made without jokes. Which is kinda funny considering Airplane is just a script from another movie with jokes stuffed in. Is Zucker right, or is he just being a boomer? I think the answer is clear.

Pigney

- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-20/us-surgeons-tests-pig-kidney-transplant-in-human-patient/100555282

The Zuckerverse

- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-10-20-facebook-reportedly-rebranding-around-metaverse

Airplane...now without jokes

- https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/10/19/director-david-zucker-says-airplane-could-only-be-made-today-without-the-jokes/

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Follow us on

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You'll want to pack your umbrella for a trip to TOI-3362b, it rains molten aluminium there. We discuss alien weather, and the reason why we're very unlikely to ever take a holiday there. Surprisingly, the molten aluminium isn't the biggest barrier to visiting TOI-3362b.

Microsoft have promised to do better with Right to Repair for Microsoft hardware after pressure from shareholder group As You Sow. They've made a commitment to provide training and replacement parts, along with easier to repair hardware. PAY ATTENTION APPLE. We know they won't, the iPhone 13 is deliberately crippled if you attempt to repair it yourself using genuine hardware.

Yet another Marvel writer has criticised the current state of the comics industry. Somewhere beneath the outrage, there are some really good points for why comics aren't as good as they could be.

The Metal Planet

- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-15/new-planet-toi3362b-extreme-seasons-rare-orbit/100539088

Microsoft Helps Right To Repair

- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-10-07-microsoft-expands-right-to-repair-options

Why Are Marvel & DC Comics Bad

- https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/10/14/chuck-dixon-diagnoses-why-dc-and-marvel-comic-books-suck/

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Follow us on

Facebook

- Page - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/

- Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/440485136816406/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamated

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrS

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nerds_amalgamated/

Email - [email protected]

Support via Podhero

- https://podhero.com/podcast/449127/nerds-amalgamated

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twitch got hacked. It's bad. Someone's learning a very important cybersecurity lesson right now. We now know a lot more about how they work on the inside, including payouts for top streamers and private chat messages. Let's hope nobody does anything malicious with this.

NFTs might be coming to gaming to help keep track of player owned items and let characters move between games. Yep, we've combined NFTs and the multiverse. There's still lots of implementation details to flesh out, but based on what we know, Professor still thinks it's a bad idea. Prepare for in depth technical explanations of how crypto and NFTs work.

This week brings us two major pieces of news about moons. First, that our own moon is significantly younger than we thought. Second, the first clear images of exoplanet moon formation have come in and they're looking pretty damn cool.

The Twitch Papers

- https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2021/10/06/updates-on-the-twitch-security-incident/?utm_referrer=https://www.google.com/

- https://www.wired.com/story/twitch-streamers-earnings-exposed-now-its-a-meme/

NFTs, gaming and the Multiverse. Buzzword Bingo!

- https://coingeek.com/the-possibilities-are-endless-as-nfts-bridge-gap-between-comics-gaming-and-character-universes/

Moon News

- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/moon-rocks-china-lunar-lander-sample-lava-volcano

- https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2111/

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the measure of a man? Is it the number of totally awesome robot body parts he has? We hope so. Transhumanism has reached another stride with a biomechanical replacement for kidneys that could eliminate the need for dialysis and transplants. What else can we replace? How long until we can be uploaded into the internet and send Von Neumann probes out to colonise the galaxy?

We're getting a new Mario movie, and the cast is absolutely ridiculous. The big question is: Does Chris Pratt do a bad Italian accent?

Marvel are getting sued again. The rights to Spider-man and Doctor Strange might go back to Steve Ditko's family, and Marvel are Not Happy. On the plus side, some of their other cases wrapped up so their lawyers should have some free time now.

Biokidney : The Next Level

- https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2021/09/kidney-project-successfully-tests-prototype-bioartificial-kidney

A New Mario Movie

- https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2021/09/23/super-mario-bros-movie-cast-chris-pratt-jack-black-anya-taylor-joy-lead-star-studded-cast/?sh=4ef2c06b69f2

Marvel Lawsuits Aplenty

- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/marvel-suing-avengers-copyright-termination-1235020110/

- https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/09/24/steve-ditko-estate-files-to-terminate-marvel-copyrights-over-spider-man-and-doctor-strange/

- https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/09/25/marvel-strikes-back-counter-sues-to-keep-rights-to-multiple-characters-including-avengers-and-spider-man/

- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/scarlett-johansson-disney-settle-black-widow-lawsuit-1235022598/

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.