My Science School

A newly identified portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci, was displayed in London as the world marked the 500th anniversary of the death of the artist and inventor.

The sketch was made by an unidentified assistant shortly before the master’s death in 1519. Only one other portrait has survived from the artist’s lifetime, aside from self-portraits.

The film, like the book, was considered controversial. It was met with especially harsh criticism by the Catholic Church for the accusation that it is behind a two-thousand-year-old cover-up concerning what the Holy Grail really is and the concept that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married and that the union produced a daughter, as well as its treatment of the organizations Priory of Sion and Opus Dei. Many members urged the laity to boycott the film. In the book, Dan Brown states that the Priory of Sion and "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."

The film grossed $224 million in its worldwide opening weekend and a total of $758 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2006, as well as Howard’s highest-grossing film to date. However, the film received generally negative reviews from critics. It was followed by two sequels, Angels & Demons (2009) and Inferno (2016).

 

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If the 2000s were about Harry Potter, then the 2010s were all about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The MCU, which includes 22 films, beginning with 2008’s Iron Man, became the most successful film franchise of all time, making more than $18.2bn to date.

Avengers: Endgame, released on April 26, 2019, spelt the end of phase three of the MCU and the infinitely Saga. There was so much buzz around the film that multiplexes held special early-morning and post-midnight screenings, which ran to packed houses.

Endgame made an estimated $1.19 million at the domestic box office this weekend to push its total worldwide tally to $2.79 billion. Avatar’s haul stands at $2.789 billion. The record is the newest jewel in Marvel’s crown — or Infinity Stone in its gauntlet, if we want to stay on theme with the Marvel cinematic mythology. When the movie came out in April, it set the record ($1.2 billion) for the biggest worldwide opening weekend in history and the biggest domestic opening weekend in history; it also holds the fastest-to-$1 billion title (it only took five days).

 

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England paid tribute to the early-19th century novelist, Jane Austen by printing her image on the new 10-pound note, which replaced the image of naturalist Charles Darwin. It was issued on September 14, 2017.

The £10 note will be made of the same material as the £5 note, which means it also contains some traces of animal fat - an issue which caused concern for vegans and some religious groups when it was launched last September.

A petition to ban the note attracted more than 100,000 signatures but the new £10 will again contain some tallow, which is derived from meat products.

The Jane Austen quote on the note from Pride and Prejudice has also attracted some unfavourable comment.

The quotation: "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!" is uttered by a character called Caroline Bingley who in fact has no interest in books and is merely trying to impress Mr Darcy, a potential suitor.

But Mr Carney defended the choice.

"It captures much of her [Jane Austen's] spirit, at least in my mind," he said. "It draws out some of the essence of some of her social satire and her insight into people's character. So it works on multiple levels."

A new polymer £20 featuring artist JMW Turner is due to be issued by 2020, but there are no plans to replace the current £50 note, which was released in 2011.

The Bank of England says the new £10 notes contain sophisticated security features and are expected to last five years, which is two-and-a-half times longer than the current note.

 

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The first songwriter to receive the Nobel Prize, Bob Dylan courted controversy over his win. Firstly, he did not accept the award till 2017. Then, he was criticized for plagiarizing parts of his lecture from an online study guide. The lecture is the only requirement to claim the 8m kronor prize money.

The Academy praised him for “creating new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. Despite this, Dylan failed initially to acknowledge the honour, and was branded “impolite and arrogant” by one member of the Academy for failing to respond.

Dylan finally spoke about being awarded the Nobel Prize over two weeks after it was announced he was receiving the honour.

“It’s hard to believe,” he told the Daily Telegraph in an interview.

Asked why he chose to stay silent about it for so long, Dylan only replied: “Well, I’m right here.”

 

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Another incident in 2017 showed how the awards platform can be used for doing well. Actress Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award during the Golden Globes to call out the then President-elect Donald Trump for trampling on the freedom of the press and reminded those in Hollywood of the responsibility of empathy.

Streep voiced her heartbreak at Trump’s mocking of a disabled reporter. “And this instinct to humiliate when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing,” she said. “Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence.” Indeed, Streep’s speech remains relevant even today.

 

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On April 23, 2016, the world paid tribute to the Bard of England, William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent playwright. From around 1590 to 1613, he wrote about 37 plays, which continue to be performed around the globe to this day. He is believed to have been born in 1564, and died on his 52nd birthday.

William Shakespeare had a tremendous influence on the art of drama and the English language. His writings presented compelling plots, complex characters, in different genre. His use of the soliloquy went beyond the conventional plot description to explore his characters’ thinking and state of mind. His writing influenced many playwrights and novelists that followed such as Charles Dickens, Herman Melville, Patricia Highsmith, Tom Stoppard, and William Faulkner. And he brought forth many new words and phrases into the English language that is commonly used today.

 

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The 2010s revolutionized how we watch television shows and films. Online streaming services replaced DVDs and download. Binge-watching our favourite shows -both old and new – back-to-back on smartphone and laptops became the new norm. This also marked the birth of web series. Believe it or not, India first started watching web series in 2015 in the form of back-to-back short fiction stories such as Permanent Roommates and Little Things on YouTube. And when the U.S.-based video streaming services, Netflix and Amazon Prime launched in 2016, it took our viewing experience to a whole new level Stranger Things, a sci-fi series, had us on the edge of our seats with Millie Bob Brown’s Eleven or El and the rest of the gang from Hawkins, Indiana.

 Netflix is choosing to focus resources on developing its Hindi and English offerings, producing original Netflix series such as Sacred Games, centered on the Mumbai underworld, and Lust Stories, a film anthology exploring love, sex, and relationships. In contrast, India’s video streaming giant Hotstar provides programming Malyalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, in addition to Hindi and English.

 

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The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was awarded jointly to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” Malala, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, became the youngest person to receive the prize. She published her autobiography, I am Malala in 2013.

Similarly , Satyarthi has led the crusade against child labour in India. His books Every Child Matters (2018) and Will For Children (2017) elaborates on his four-decade-long struggle to abolish child trafficking, child labour, slavery and exploitation.

 

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In April 2013, a somber-looking, detective novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling hit the stands quietly.

Written by a British author, Robert Galbraith, who was said to have previously served in the army, there was no hype surrounding the book. It would’ve continued to live on as just another mystery book. Then four months later, a tweet divulging the true identity of the author sent the world in a tizzy. Galbraith was a pseudonym used by none other than J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame.

Within days, the book shot from obscurity to number one on the sales charts. Despite the surge in sales, Rowling filed a law suit against the people who uncovered her nom-de-plume.

 

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The Hunger games books by Suzanne Collins, which came out in 2009 and 2010, sold about 10 million copies globally. The popularity of the books also spilled over into the films, which several box office records. The trilogy – Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay is set in a post-apocalyptic Panem, where the dystopian government forces children to fight in a gladiatorial match and broadcasts it on the television. The series shot Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen in the films to mega stardom.

Collins says she drew inspiration for the series from both classical and contemporary sources. Her main classical source of inspiration is the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, in which, as a punishment for past crimes, Minos forces Athens to sacrifice seven youths and seven maidens to the Minotaur, which kills them in a vast labyrinth. Collins says that even as a child, she was stunned by the idea since "it was just so cruel" to force Athens to sacrifice its own children.

Collins also cites as a classical inspiration the Roman gladiator games. She feels three key elements create a good game: an all powerful and ruthless government, people forced to fight to the death, and the game's role as a source of popular entertainment.

A contemporary source of inspiration was Collins' recent fascination with reality television programs. She says they are like The Hunger Games because the Games are not just entertainment but also a reminder to the districts of their rebellion. On a tired night, Collins says that while she was channel-surfing the television, she saw people competing for some prize and then saw footage of the Iraq War. She described how the two combined in an "unsettling way" to create her first ideas for the series.

 

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The year 2012 spelt the best of times for Charles Dickens fans. Celebrations were held across the world in honour of the 200th anniversary of the author’s birth on February 7. Legacy projects, festivals and exhibitions commemorated the author’s life and works were scheduled throughout the year. The Museum of London showcased rarely seen manuscripts including Bleak House and David Copperfield – written in the author’s own hand.

The Museum of London will showcase paintings, photographs, costumes and objects that “illustrate themes that Dickens wove into his works, while rarely seen manuscripts including Bleak House and David Copperfield – written in the author’s own hand – will offer clues to his creative genius,” the museum’s Web site states. The exhibit details how Dickens's childhood experiences in London, “working in a blacking factory while his father was locked away in a debtor's prison, were introduced into the stories he wrote. The great social questions of the 19th century, including wealth and poverty, prostitution, childhood mortality and philanthropy, will also be examined.” Also featured will be an audio-visual experience and a commissioned documentary film that explores similarities between London after dark today and during Dickens’s day over 150 years ago.

 

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The potter saga ended with the final confrontation between Voldemort and our young bespectacled hero. And so did the eight-part film series, which it inspired. The last installment of one of the most successful film franchise in history, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II released on July 15, 2011 in India to packed houses and teary-eyed audiences. While most of the fans had already bid adieu to Hogwarts when the seventh book by J.K. Rowling came out in July 21, 2007, they couldn’t resist meeting their magical friends – the faithful companions of their childhood – one last time on the silver screen.

Voldemort, thinking Snape is the master of the Elder Wand because he killed Dumbledore, kills Snape. While viewing Snape's memories, Harry comes across the stunning realization that Harry himself is an unintended Horcrux and that he must die for Voldemort to die. Voldemort "kills" Harry, but he only destroyed the Horcrux in Harry. Harry and Voldemort have a fight, during which Neville kills Nagini, also a Horcrux. Harry uses Malfoy's wand in the duel against Voldemort, and since Malfoy is the true master of the Elder Wand (he disarmed Dumbledore before he was killed by Snape), Harry is now the Elder Wand's master. When Voldermort tries to kill Harry with the Elder Wand, it backfires and kills Voldemort. Harry snaps the Elder Wand in two. We then cut to nineteen years later where an adult Harry and Ginny, along with Ron and Hermione, are sending their kids off to Hogwarts.

 

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Based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels, Game of Thrones, a HBO series, cemented its place as one of the most popular television series this decade. Here’s a brief timeline to jog your memory: The first season came out in April, 2011. The swordfights, the intrigue and the edgy plot twists, including Jon Snow’s death and swift resurrection, kept the fans hooked for eight seasons. But the show’s finale, which aired on May 19, 2019, was admittedly disappointing.

The fact that the well-crafted and complex character of Martin’s work is brought to the screen in HBO’s Game of Thrones undoubtedly accounts for its popularity to some degree. The writing is intelligent as a rule and the acting is also at a high level: sometimes it is excellent as in the case of performances by Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf outcast from the powerful ruling Lannister clan, and Lena Headey, who plays Tyrion’s sister, the scheming queen Cersei Lannister.

There are also supernatural and mystical elements. Daenerys Targaryen has fire-breathing dragons at her command. An invasion by telepathically manipulated undead from the frozen north threatens the more civilized lands to the south. Assassinations may be carried out by evoking evil spirits. A boy merges with animal and tree spirits and becomes clairvoyant. The dead come back to life.

These features, cast within a generally medieval social order, fit into the popular artistic genre known as high fantasy or epic fantasy, pioneered in the late 19th and early 20th century by writers such as William Morris and Lord Dunsany. Its most popular and gifted exponents in the aftermath of World War I were J. R. R. Tolkien and T. H. White. High fantasy has an appeal to many viewers, although there are many people who avoid the genre because of its non-rational and semi-religious elements.

 

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Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore Justin Bieber. The Canadian singer rules the pop world for most of the decade. And it all began in 2010 when he became the youngest solo male to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 album My World 2.0, helped him climb to the top.

And when his first concert in India, was held in Mumbai, all hell broke loose! On May 10, 2017, over 56,000 fans crammed into Mumbai’s D.Y. Patil Stadium to watch the singing sensation. However, hearts were broken when Bieber seemed unenergetic and lip-synced for most of the performance.

To promote the album, Bieber appeared on several live programs including The View, the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards, Nightline, Late Show with David Letterman, The Dome and 106 & Park. Sean Kingston appeared on the album's next single, "Eenie Meenie". The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the top-twenty of most other markets. On April 10, 2010, Bieber was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. On July 4, 2010, Bieber performed at the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City. The following single from My World 2.0, "Somebody to Love", was released in April 2010, and a remix was released featuring Bieber's mentor Usher. On June 23, 2010, Bieber went on his first official headlining tour, the My World Tour, starting in Hartford, Connecticut, to promote My World and My World 2.0. In May 2010, Bieber featured in Soulja Boy's song "Rich Girl". In July 2010, it was reported that Bieber was the most searched-for celebrity on the Internet. That same month, his music video for "Baby" surpassed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" (2009) as the most viewed, and also the most disliked, YouTube video ever. However, Taylor Swift's video for her single "Blank Space" (2014) surpassed its number of views in 2015. In September 2010, it was reported that Bieber accounted for 3% of all traffic on Twitter, according to an employee of the social-networking site.

 

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James Cameron’s 3-D spectacle Avatar, featuring the blue-skinned inhabitants of the spectacular Pandora, won big at the Golden Globes in 2010 with three Oscars for Cinematography, Visual Effects and Art Direction. A seamless blend of live action and computer-generated images, the film was meant to be viewed on the biggest screen possible – and for most of us it was our first introduction to IMAX. Following its release in December 2009, it became the highest-grossing movie in the world till it was surpassed by Avengers: Endgame.

Innovations include a new system for lighting massive areas like Pandora's jungle, a motion-capture stage or "volume" six times larger than any previously used, and an improved method of capturing facial expressions, enabling full performance capture. To achieve the face capturing, actors wore individually made skull caps fitted with a tiny camera positioned in front of the actors' faces; the information collected about their facial expressions and eyes is then transmitted to computers. According to Cameron, the method allows the filmmakers to transfer 100% of the actors' physical performances to their digital counterparts. Besides the performance capture data which were transferred directly to the computers, numerous reference cameras gave the digital artists multiple angles of each performance. A technically challenging scene was near the end of the film when the computer-generated Neytiri held the live action Jake in human form, and attention was given to the details of the shadows and reflected light between them.

 

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