Latest news with #Synthesis
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Evanescence Guitarist, Jen Majura, Announces Decision to ‘Step Away' From Music Industry
Jen Majura, a seasoned guitarist who has performed with bands such as Equilibrium, Knorkator and Evanescence, has announced her decision to 'step away' from the music industry. Majura's plans were shared on her Instagram account on Tuesday (June 10), explaining that she had come to the decision after 'careful consideration, observing what's going on in the music industry, AI related developments and change in society.' More from Billboard Woman Arrested for Attempted Break-In at BTS Jung Kook's Residence on the Day of His Military Discharge Carín León Is Ready to Prove He's The 'Missing Link' Between Regional Mexican and Country Music The Grammys Add New Country Category for 2026 'Instead of wasting another year of my life constantly hoping for new energy, drive and creativity, I've reached a point in my life where I can confidentially lean back in peace,' she wrote. 'While time allowed me, I was able to collect an amazing amount of beautiful experiences, tours, shows, travels and moments! I am grateful for every bit of that, but the world has changed. I can confidently make up my mind to stop. 'I am not saying that I will never create any music again, whether recorded or live – but for now I feel there are healthier and better things to fill my life with good vibes and not deal with the overwhelming amount of ridiculousness that comes with the music industry now days. I just can't identify with today's attitude and values anymore.' As Majura continued she shared her well wishes to 'all the ambitious and remaining 'creators', young and old,' before offering four singles to her fans as something of a parting gift. 'As a final musical endeavor I wanna share 4 tracks with you,' she wrote. 'Songs that were written over a decade ago together with the great guitarist Dennis Hormes. I found these old demo recordings while cleaning out stuff from my computer and thought they are too good to not be shared.' A musician from an early age, Majura has performed professionally since 2000, with work as a guitarist and bassist in bands such as Equilibrium, Knorkator and Black Thunder Ladies, and a handful of solo albums to her name. Majura came to widespread attention in 2015 when she took over from Terry Balsamo as the lead guitarist of Arkansas rockers Evanescence. Performing on the band's most recent two albums (2017's Synthesis and 2021's The Bitter Truth), Majura's exit from the band was announced in May 2022. 'It has been a very special chapter in the band with our dear friend Jen Majura, but we have decided it's time to go our separate ways,' the group said at the time. 'We will always love her and support her, and can't wait to see what she does next! We are so grateful for the good times and great music we made all around the world together.' Following her departure from Evanescence, Majura co-founded 'crossover metal band' How We End, and also performed vocals on the track 'Deep Inside,' from former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini's Invisible Signs albums. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Business Insider
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian says he wants his 7-year-old to use AI every day, calling it a 'superpower'
Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian says he's all in on AI — especially when it comes to his 7-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. "I wholeheartedly want Olympia using it every day," he said on an episode of the podcast "Possible" published Wednesday. "I genuinely am so awed by the fact that super intelligence will be a commodity for her," he added. Ohanian, who is married to tennis superstar Serena Williams, described how he's already using AI to fuel their daughter's creativity. The investor and entrepreneur dug up some of his own childhood pencil sketches — even half-finished ones — and ran them through ChatGPT with Olympia to bring them to life. The AI turned his drawings into "full-color illustrations." "It was just so wild to see her reaction to it," said Ohanian. He and Williams also have a one-year-old daughter, Adira River Ohanian. Olympia still draws the old-fashioned way — with markers on paper — but now, they can "level up" that art together using AI. The pair can "make it fly through space," he said. "I want her to understand that this is a superpower that she should have," he added. The founder of VC firm Seven Seven Six also said he encourages parents to use educational AI tools like Synthesis to help with homework, which has been "going pretty well" for Olympia. "I still need her to know the fundamentals of reading and writing and arithmetic," he said. "But I want her to know that the raw intelligence part has been solved for her." "Now, it's going to be about her agency and her grit and her creativity," he added. AI for children Not every tech exec shares Ohanian's tech enthusiasm for their kids. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, for one, has said he doesn't want his baby son to form a best-friend bond with an AI chatbot. He said earlier this month that children should have "a much higher level of protection" than adults when it comes to using AI tools. Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt also said last year that AI could shape a child's identity and culture. He called on tech leaders to set safety standards. Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, has said he doesn't want his three young kids "sitting in front of a TV or a computer for a long period of time." Still, AI is quickly becoming part of everyday life — even for children. Companies are rushing to add AI chat elements to their consumer apps and services, including ones for kids and teens. Tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google have also promoted how their AI tools can support learning. Some educators told Business Insider last year that they welcome the use of AI in classrooms. "Children in the future will only know a world with AI in it," Altman said in January.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
BioHarvest Secures New CDMO Contract to Develop Plant-based Fragrance Compound
First CDMO Project to Utilize In-house AI Tools for Discovery of Plant Cell Targets for the Botanical Synthesis Process Rehovot, Israel--(Newsfile Corp. - May 21, 2025) - BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: BHST) (FSE: 8MV0) ('BioHarvest' or the 'Company'), a company pioneering its patented Botanical Synthesis technology platform, today announced that the Company's Botanical Synthesis CDMO Services division has secured a new contract to develop a plant-based fragrance compound derived from a plant that is under significant threat due to over harvesting and habitat loss. This agreement is with a new commercial partner targeting the multi-billion-dollar fragrance and scents market. Ahead of the signing of this Stage 1 contract, BioHarvest leveraged its advanced AI-assisted research capabilities to identify the specific plant species most likely to develop into the required cell bank for future efficient production of the targeted fragrance and scent molecules. Stage 1 of the contract utilizes the Company's proprietary Botanical Synthesis platform to mirror, magnify and multiply the plant's targeted cells in petri dishes. A successful outcome of Stage 1 would be a customer decision to advance the compound to Stage 2, which involves production of the compound in liquid media, a necessary step towards potential future volume manufacturing. The agreement is structured with milestone-based payments and includes a non-disclosure agreement covering Stage 1. This new contract builds on BioHarvest's growing CDMO portfolio and demonstrates the versatility of its platform to address new verticals, including the multi-billion-dollar fragrance and scents market. Ilan Sobel, CEO of BioHarvest, commented: 'This agreement expands the reach of our Botanical Synthesis platform into the high-value fragrance space, adding to our growing pipeline of pharmaceutical and nutrition-focused CDMO projects. Fragrance compounds like these drive billions in global sales, and this contract is further validation of BioHarvest's ability to deliver scalable, high-impact solutions across industries whilst playing an important role in conserving threatened rare plant species and protecting the planet for generations to come. Combined with the strong commercial performance of our nutraceutical division, it is clear that our Botanical Synthesis platform has matured into a transformative technology reshaping access to the world's most valuable plant-based compounds.' Dr. Zaki Rakib, Chairman and President of the CDMO Services Division, concluded: 'The successful commercialization of these fragrance compounds could represent a breakthrough in how highly sought-after botanical products are produced. Every CDMO engagement strengthens our AI-driven discovery capabilities, and we are excited to launch this Stage 1 partnership with such a respected partner. This marks an exciting first step for BioHarvest into the global fragrance and scents market.' About BioHarvest Sciences Inc. BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: BHST) (FSE: 8MV) is a leader in Botanical Synthesis, leveraging its patented technology platform to grow plant-based compounds, without the need to grow the underlying plant. BioHarvest is leveraging its botanical synthesis technology to develop the next generation of science-based and clinically proven therapeutic solutions within two major business verticals; as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) on behalf of customers seeking novel plant-based compounds, and as a creator of proprietary nutraceutical health and wellness products, which includes dietary supplements. To learn more, please visit Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release might include forward-looking statements that are based on management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. For the CDMO Services Business Unit, there is no assurance of additional future contracts, and readers are cautioned that increased revenue is not necessarily an increase in net income or profitability as costs will likely increase as well. There is no assurance that signed research agreements will proceed past a contracted stage, or that a developed molecule or compound will be commercialized. Successful commercialization of any compound developed will be subject to consumer preferences, advertising budgets and other factors affecting market acceptance of new products which are uncertain and cannot be assured. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and actual results may be affected by a number of material factors beyond our control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. BHST does not intend to update forward-looking statement disclosures other than through our regular management discussion and analysis disclosures. BioHarvest Corporate Contact: Dave Ryan, VP Investor Relations +1 (604) 622-1186 [email protected] Investor Relations Contact: Lucas A. Zimmerman Managing Director MZ Group - MZ North America +1 (949) 259-4987 [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Euronews
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Eurovision: The contest's strongest geopolitical alliances
Politics is everywhere, including music New research on the past nine editions of the Eurovision Song Contest has revealed interesting voting patterns that reflect cultural and geographical proximity, with some notable surprises. The tightest bonds are among Mediterranean countries. Cyprus and Greece have had the strongest bilateral relationship, exchanging a whopping 267 points since 2016. Italy and Albania also showed steadfast mutual support, with 187 points, followed by the Malta-Italy relationship at 172 points. The report also breaks down the most common themes in Eurovision lyrics by region since 1956, revealing a diverse emotional map of Europe. Emotional turmoil - longing, nostalgia, heartbreak - runs deep in the Balkans, featuring in nearly 18% of their entries, while the strongest topic among Caucasian and central European countries was resilience (17% and 9.4% respectively). Western Europe leans into resilience too (7.8%) but also places notable emphasis on connection (9.0%), while in southern Europe it's all about love and connection (10%). The report also shows how prominent the topics were in the lyrics across the decades. "Love" remains the hottest theme, but has been steadily declining since the Nineties. The last 25 years saw the growth of "identity", "emotional turmoil" and "resilience", while hope collapsed to almost zero after the 2010s. "As emotional turmoil takes centre stage, unity, love, connection, and hope reach their lowest point—yet resilience and empowerment begin to emerge", says the Synthesis analysis. A further look at voting indicates that Baltic states have a spot for their Nordic neighbours, handing them 590 points, nearly double what they give each other (306). Sweden, in particular, tends to receive consistent support across Europe, as well as from its Scandinavian pals. Ukraine too has been consistently supported, particularly by Baltic states. On the other hand, Germany has been giving its votes widely among Nordic countries and major Western European nations, but receives relatively modest support from others. In terms of all-time winners, Sweden and Ireland lead with 7 editions each, followed by the UK, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (5 each).
