Mannerism

Is Hercule Poirot autistic? Here are seven clues that he might be

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective with the flamboyant moustache and keen eye for detail, is one of the most beloved characters in crime fiction.

Key Points: 
  • Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective with the flamboyant moustache and keen eye for detail, is one of the most beloved characters in crime fiction.
  • He was created by British writer Agatha Christie and first arrived on our bookshelves in 1920.

Headcanon and autistic representation

    • As media portrayals of autistic people are rare and often unrealistic, the autistic and wider neurodivergent communities sometimes headcanon characters who aren’t explicitly confirmed as neurodivergent (ND).
    • However, creating a headcanon can cause controversy.

The detective

    • Their actions and diverse thought patterns are typically not understood by those around them.
    • Some are explicitly ND, such as Adrian Monk in the US series Monk and Saga Norén in the nordic noir series The Bridge.

1. Social exclusion


    Poirot is regularly seen as “different” by those around him. Often, this is attributed to him being Belgian, with other characters drawing attention to his “odd” behaviours. He is also described as “positively exotic” in 1937’s Dumb Witness, and is regularly referred to as being French, something which angers Poirot.

2. Scripting


    Poirot scripts conversations prior to having them, planning out what he will say and how he will act towards people, much like autistic people often do.

3. Masking


    He also masks, which is a phenomenon frequently reported by autistic people, in which they hide or reduce elements of themselves to fit in. Poirot does this by putting on his “foreign shield of exaggerated mannerisms” – sometimes taking advantage of his uniqueness, knowing how others will see him and behaving accordingly.

4. Psychology


    Poirot is interested in psychology, a common special interest for autistic people, who often wish to have an in-depth understanding of people. He states that his brain and mind work differently to those around him, and arguably values his enduring companion Hastings for his “neurotypical” insights, telling him: “In you, Hastings, I find the normal mind almost perfectly illustrated.”

5. Interaction

    • Poirot also displays a unique interaction style which other characters often do not understand, or label peculiar.
    • This mirrors the differences in communication preferences, and misunderstandings this can lead to, between neurotypical and ND people.

6. Routine


    Poirot is very particular in the way he solves crimes, through order and method. He enjoys keeping a routine, typically revolving around his meals, which he is also very particular about: “For my breakfast, I have only toast which is cut into neat little squares.” Autistic people often find comfort in familiarity and in eating the same or safe foods.

7. Sensory regulation

    • Poirot requires a particular sensory environment to think properly, and values his alone time to process what he has learnt.
    • He also likes to keep his immediate surroundings, including his friend Hastings, neat and orderly.

AI clones made from user data pose uncanny risks

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, June 4, 2023

This mirror image of an individual created by artificial intelligence is referred to as an “AI clone.” Our study dives into the murky waters of what these AI clones could mean for our self-perception, relationships and society.

Key Points: 
  • This mirror image of an individual created by artificial intelligence is referred to as an “AI clone.” Our study dives into the murky waters of what these AI clones could mean for our self-perception, relationships and society.
  • We identified three types of risks posed by AI replicas: doppelgänger-phobia, identity fragmentation and living memories.
  • AI clones are also interactive technologies, designed to interpret user and environmental input, conduct internal processing and produce perceptible output.
  • As the volume of personal data we generate continues to grow, so too does the fidelity of these AI clones in replicating our behaviour.

Remembering Barry Humphries, the man who enriched the culture, reimagined the one man show and upended the cultural cringe

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, April 22, 2023

His street performances around Melbourne in the early 1950s foreshadowed performance art in Australia.

Key Points: 
  • His street performances around Melbourne in the early 1950s foreshadowed performance art in Australia.
  • He was the most daring student prankster Melbourne University had ever known.
  • Years later, academic Peter Conrad accurately described Humphries’ adolescence as a “one man modern movement”.
  • It also gave him his first taste of the power of an audience to determine what happens in the theatre.

The birth of Edna

    • Edna was a composite portrait of various women whose mannerisms had imprinted themselves in his brain as a boy, growing up in staid Camberwell.
    • Wearing a massive hat sculpted to resemble the Sydney Opera House, Edna stopped the crowds at Royal Ascot that year.
    • The image of her in that sumptuous creation (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum) launched Edna and Humphries around the world.

Conquering the world

    • She skewered dozens of politicians, pop stars, singers and actors who graced the program every week.
    • Her appearance with Jerry Hall singing Stand by your Man remains one of the most hilarious television moments of that time.
    • Humphries’ success on British television in the 1980s and 1990s were among the major achievements of his career.

The early years

    • Eric ran a flourishing building business (he might be called a developer nowadays) and Louisa was a homemaker.
    • He loved dressing up and accompanying his mother on trips to the city or out for lunch with other ladies.
    • At Melbourne Grammar, Humphries found the boys who excelled in sports rewarded and praised for their achievements.
    • An interest in art or music was considered by the headmaster to be suspicious, a disappointment for Humphries, passionate about art.

A transformational artist

    • With his mask off he was as witty as when he wore it.
    • Manning Clark called him one of the “mythmakers and prophets of Australia […] enriching the culture which had been dominated by the straiteners”.
    • Read more:
      Friday essay: Barry Humphries' humour is now history – that's the fate of topical, satirical comedy

iQIYI-presented Series The Knockout Achieves Record-breaking Popularity in China

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 8, 2023

The show enjoyed a peak iQIYI content popularity index of 11,800, which broke the two-year record previously held by My Heroic Husband and makes the crime series the show with the highest popularity index in the history of iQIYI.

Key Points: 
  • The show enjoyed a peak iQIYI content popularity index of 11,800, which broke the two-year record previously held by My Heroic Husband and makes the crime series the show with the highest popularity index in the history of iQIYI.
  • According to data released by iQIYI Research Centre, during the CNY holiday, the popularity of The Knockout drove a 33% increase in users' viewing hours on iQIYI's drama channel.
  • On Jan. 29, iQIYI app topped the App Store rankings in multiple categories, outperforming other popular apps such as WeChat and Douyin.
  • Capturing the audience with its thrilling story, tight plotlines, well-developed characters, and high production quality, The Knockout breaks the conventional perception typically associated with crime dramas.

THE NEW LANCÔME GLOBAL AMBASSADOR EMMA CHAMBERLAIN

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 19, 2023

PARIS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lancôme is thrilled to announce the appointment of the new face of the brand, the American Gen Zer, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and girl of the 21st century, Emma Chamberlain.

Key Points: 
  • Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme International President adds: "I am proud to welcome Emma to the Lancôme family.
  • Together with Lancôme, Emma will further spread the brand's values of positive and powerful beauty to invite a whole generation to shine inside out.
  • Being the voice of a generation, Emma runs her own podcast "Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain" where she remains unfiltered.
  • Watch now how Lancôme gave Emma the keys to their entire office, and be warned, she can do whatever she wants!

THE NEW LANCÔME GLOBAL AMBASSADOR EMMA CHAMBERLAIN

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 19, 2023

PARIS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lancôme is thrilled to announce the appointment of the new face of the brand, the American Gen Zer, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and girl of the 21st century, Emma Chamberlain.

Key Points: 
  • Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme International President adds: "I am proud to welcome Emma to the Lancôme family.
  • Together with Lancôme, Emma will further spread the brand's values of positive and powerful beauty to invite a whole generation to shine inside out.
  • Being the voice of a generation, Emma runs her own podcast "Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain" where she remains unfiltered.
  • Watch now how Lancôme gave Emma the keys to their entire office, and be warned, she can do whatever she wants!

NICKLAUS COMPANIES AND SOUL MACHINES TO RELEASE FIRST NFT COLLECTION CELEBRATING THE GOLF LEGEND'S RECORD 18 MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORIES

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 12, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicklaus Companies and Soul Machines have announced the historic first release of an exclusive NFT collection celebrating the legacy of Jack Nicklaus, reborn in web3. The collection consists of 18 tokens, each featuring a 30 second video of Digital Jack recounting the story of one of Jack Nicklaus' 18 championship wins. Owners have the opportunity to become founding members of the Golden Bear Club: an NFT initiative connecting superfans to exclusive digital and real-world experiences, with Digital Jack at its center. Owners can register for the NFT via the official Golden Bear website and Premint. Through the Digital Jack NFT, fans can unlock and own memories of Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time, and the first athlete in the world with an autonomously animated, AI-driven Digital Twin using state of the art technology from Soul Machines.

Key Points: 
  • SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicklaus Companies and Soul Machines have announced the historic first release of an exclusive NFT collection celebrating the legacy of Jack Nicklaus, reborn in web3.
  • The collection consists of 18 tokens, each featuring a 30 second video of Digital Jack recounting the story of one of Jack Nicklaus' 18 championship wins.
  • The NFT collection, maintained by Nicklaus Companies in perpetuity, will launch on Aspen NFT Marketplace with transferable, on-chain terms and conditions.
  • Beginning in 2021, in partnership with Nicklaus Companies, Soul Machines created Digital Jack, an autonomously animated digital version of Jack Nicklaus, reimagined as a 38-year-old man at the championship peak of his record golf career.

Digital Domain Brings Photorealistic, AI-Powered Character Creation Tools to Supermassive Games’ ‘The Quarry’

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 15, 2022

With its history of award-winning VFX and pioneering digital human work, Digital Domain was the best choice for this.

Key Points: 
  • With its history of award-winning VFX and pioneering digital human work, Digital Domain was the best choice for this.
  • The data was then sent on to the artists at Supermassive Games, who created the looks for the in-game characters.
  • Founded in 2008, Supermassive Games is a BAFTA-winning, independent game developer with a reputation for innovation in both storytelling and VR.
  • Supermassive Games is best known for the critically acclaimed PS4 hit Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology.

Danny Trejo Jumps Into the Action in Gamepires’ SCUM, Powered by Epik

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 12, 2022

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220512005163/en/
    Actor Danny Trejo is becoming his own playable video game character in Gamepires' prison riot survival game SCUM, in collaboration with Epik.
  • Coinciding with SCUMs upcoming downloadable content (DLC), Danny Trejo is also launching his first ever NFT collection, titled The Many Faces of Danny Trejo, soon to be available on the Epik Prime Marketplace .
  • The in-game avatar is modeled after Danny Trejo in the 1990s and is voiced by Trejo himself.
  • Gamepires has reimagined the survival genre with SCUM, and no one better reflects the look, feel and excitement of the game than the iconic Danny Trejo.

Digital Domain Gives a Face to AI with ‘Zoey,’ the Most Advanced Autonomous Human Ever Created

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 6, 2022

STUTTGART, Germany, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today at FMX, Oscar-winning VFX studio and leaders in digital human technology, Digital Domain , announces Zoey, the worlds most advanced autonomous human.

Key Points: 
  • STUTTGART, Germany, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today at FMX, Oscar-winning VFX studio and leaders in digital human technology, Digital Domain , announces Zoey, the worlds most advanced autonomous human.
  • For decades, Digital Domain has been pioneering digital human technology, and Zoey takes the concepts of virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri several steps further, creating a digital helper you can truly interact with.
  • In 2018, Digital Domain acquired one of Chinas VR hardware equipment pioneers and leaders - VR Technology Holdings Ltd, Shenzhen (3Glasses).
  • Digital Domain has locations in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taipei and Hyderabad.