Minority Report screen capture

 

Raskol in the meatspace forums “Tech News of the Day” thread, found this wonderful Minority Report Redux tidbit in the Guardian: A team of world-leading neuroscientists headed up by the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany claims to have developed a system that analyses brain activity that allows them to look deep inside a person’s brain and read their intentions before they act.

 

The team used high-resolution brain scans to identify patterns of activity before translating them into meaningful thoughts, revealing what a person planned to do in the near future. It is the first time scientists have succeeded in reading intentions in this way.

…The research builds on a series of recent studies in which brain imaging has been used to identify tell-tale activity linked to lying, violent behaviour and racial prejudice.

The latest work reveals the dramatic pace at which neuroscience is progressing, prompting the researchers to call for an urgent debate into the ethical issues surrounding future uses for the technology. If brain-reading can be refined, it could quickly be adopted to assist interrogations of criminals and terrorists, and even usher in a “Minority Report” era (as portrayed in the Steven Spielberg science fiction film of that name), where judgments are handed down before the law is broken on the strength of an incriminating brain scan.

 

Hmmm, OK, well, a cyberpunked future is on its way here perhaps faster than we imagined. Looking at the horizen, we have genetic engineering, nanobots, significant advances in cybernetic limbs, and now precog brainscanning machines. Since its a machine that does the precog, does mean we won’t have to force Somantha Morton to get nekid and sit in a pool of water for hours on end? Hopefully we still get the little red wooden balls the machine spits out - those were kinda cool. Seriously though, the potential impact of this technology is bizarre enough that even the “evil genius” scientists who created it are yearning for an ethical debate on its use:

 

Minority Report screen capture

 

“These techniques are emerging and we need an ethical debate about the implications, so that one day we’re not surprised and overwhelmed and caught on the wrong foot by what they can do. These things are going to come to us in the next few years and we should really be prepared,” Professor Haynes told the Guardian.

…”Do we want to become a ‘Minority Report’ society where we’re preventing crimes that might not happen?,” Barbara Sahakian, a professor of neuro-psychology at Cambridge University asked. “For some of these techniques, it’s just a matter of time. It is just another new technology that society has to come to terms with and use for the good, but we should discuss and debate it now because what we don’t want is for it to leak into use in court willy nilly without people having thought about the consequences.

 

In reading that, one is almost left wondering whether these scientists are struggling with the old SciFi cliché of the scientists, upon reaching the precipice of success, realize how truly detrimental this technology could be to society. Unfortunately, like most Sci-Fi stories, rarely is their last-second ethical awareness conversion sufficient to stop the tide. But like all technological innovations, this too may have a potentially positive impact on society:

 

The technology could also drive advances in brain-controlled computers and machinery to boost the quality of life for disabled people. Being able to read thoughts as they arise in a person’s mind could lead to computers that allow people to operate email and the internet using thought alone, and write with word processors that can predict which word or sentence you want to type. The technology is also expected to lead to improvements in thought-controlled wheelchairs and artificial limbs that respond when a person imagines moving.

 

Wow, I just hope this technology really works. In reading that last bit, all I can think about is “Microsoft Paperclip Gone Wild!” While the paperclip “tries” to be a precog, it tends to fall far short of that mark. Imagine the poor wheelchair bound dude who has these implants “paper-clipping” his supposed intentions every time he gets a random thought - “NO, I wanted the beer, not the milk, dammit!!!” Combine this technology with those studies that show that guys have like 100 sexual thoughts an hour, I can only imagine how the precog paperclip implant handles those random urges in a social setting. I eagerly await a YouTube video of this idea!

 

This post has been filed under News as Cyberpunk by SFAM.

February 6, 2007

Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us

 

zephyrin_xirdal on xirdalium posted this Youtube Video on Web 2.0 that’s currently sweeping the web. It’s truly the best short on understanding the evolution toward Web 2.0 that I’ve seen. While I would recommend Wikinomics to those looking for a deeper understanding of how mass collaboration is changing the way we create and manage knowledge, this Youtube video by Professor Michael Wesch of the Kansas State Digital Ethnography project is just terrific. It really hits home the notion that mass collaboration leads to an emergent global intelligence that is more incredible than anything we could have planned.

This post has been filed under Cyberpunked living by SFAM.

February 5, 2007

Magdalena’s Brain

Movie Review By: SFAM

Year: 2006

Directed by: Warren Amerman

Written by: Warren Amerman & Marty Langford

IMDB Reference

Degree of Cyberpunk Visuals: Low

Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes: Medium

Key Cast Members:

  • Magdalena: Amy Shelton-White
  • Jim: Robert Weingartner
  • Arthur: Sanjiban Sellew
  • Andrew: David Joseph
Rating: 6 out of 10

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

Overview: Rarely do we find low-budget horror movies aspiring to be as intelligent and ambitious as Magdalena’s Brain. Reportedly shot on a shoestring budget of $25 - $30K, Magdalena’s Brain is a professional looking film with some interesting man-machine interface ideas. To limit costs, most of the movie takes place in a single warehouse setting. Unfortunately, this psychological horror is probably a bit too slow for most, and doesn’t have enough gore for the average horror fan (although there are a few good freak-out scenes). But if you do stick with it, you get treated to a fascinating ending twist.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

The Story: Former brain surgeon, Magdalena (played wonderfully by Amy Shelton-White) is now a reclusive alcoholic, living in a warehouse, who continually changes out shrinks in the hopes of gaining some semblance of peace. Four years after a tragic accident that left her brilliant husband-scientist, Arthur (Sanjiban Sellew) a quadriplegic and their research in tatters, Magdalena has persevered in the fleeting hopes that things will improve. Magdalena has designed an implant that allows computer-assisted dialogue with her husband. With communication restored, they have been able to continue their research in developing a synthetic brain that processes information 1000 time faster than humans. While the last four years have been slow going, recent advances have shown promise. Currently a blank slate, the organic, crystalline brain structure appears ready memories implanting. Andrew (David Joseph), a love struck former patient of Magdalena (he has inoperable brain cancer), seems to be an obvious test subject, as he will do anything to win over Magdalena.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

Magdalena reluctantly takes Arthur’s advice and accepts the help of her creepy brother, Jim (Robert Weingartner), in working out how to kick-start the organic crystalline brain. First, they will download Arthur’s memories into the crystalline structure, then insert the structure into Andrew’s brain, and finally they will remove the tumor. As the story continues, Magdalena becomes more unstable. As everything comes to a head, it appears as if the same issues that led to the tragic accident four years ago might be recurring.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

The Pacing: The pacing in Magdalena’s Brain is problematic in places. The first half of the movie crawls at a snail’s pace. In part it’s due to the plot, but the editing decisions certainly contribute. Eventually, it picks up in the second half. The middle of the second half is really where Magdalena’s Brain hits its stride, both in plot and pacing. The movement is brisk and the scenes really tie together well. Unfortunately, the ending action sequence comes across a series of jumbled scenes (again, I’m blaming the editing here). Instead of the frantic chase, they would have been better served having their victim do the slow, bloody crawl, with Magdalena walking after while engaged in her personal struggle. The story would have worked the same either way, but the chosen course asks us to believe that a brain surgeon can’t determine if someone is dead, and that a guy who just had a hole drilled in his brain can run for his life.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

The Acting: If there’s one decision that Director Warren Amerman made that other extremely low budget film projects should consider emulating was hiring a real actor/actress to play the lead role. Even with having only a $25,000 budget, a large chunk of that went toward hiring Lost-Angeles based actress, Amy Shelton-White. Had they not done this, Magdalena’s Brain might have been a disaster. Shelton-White shines to the point that she single-handedly carries the project toward respectability, while adeptly displaying a wide range of talent and emotion. The script is problematic in places, the pacing is too slow, and the rest of the cast are role players at best, but in the end this film still works due to Shelton-White’s performance. Being in virtually every scene, she seems to bring out the best in the rest of the cast. I say this because the rest of the cast suffers when in monologue type situations, but generally hold up well when interacting with Amy. David Joseph (Andrew) in particular looks really shaky in places where he’s basically on his own, but gets lots better when interacting with Shelton-White. I haven’t seen Shelton-White in anything else, but clearly she has the chops to go places. Other the lead, the only performance with mentioning is Robert Weingartner – the “look” he generates as a creepy side-kick really worked well.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

The Cinematography: Often indie films that venture into the Science Fiction genre attempt to make up for low-budget effects with innovative cinematography and lighting. This definitely is the case for Magdalena’s Brain. The use of lighting and shadow always seems to be in the forefront of Amerman’s thinking when composing a shot. Some scenes, such as the bowling scene, really don’t seem to have a place in the film from a story standpoint, but are probably left there due to the wonderful lighting and composition. Throughout the film Amerman is able to take a truly dingy set and come up with some wonderful shots. Also interesting is the lighting and sound choices for the flashbacks, although the horror shots have a cheesy low-budget feel to them. This, along with Shelton-White’s performance is able to help get the viewer through some of the pacing and editing issues.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

Problems With Organic Brain Design: Magdalena’s Brain uses a different approach toward creating AI. Instead of building a set of programs that mimic some trait of humanity (referred to as the “brute force method), they attempt to replicate the operations of a brain. Through the creation of a “crystalline lattice work in a gel suspension” – the thought is to create a structure that supports the firing of electrodes in a way that allows it to build its own pathways and connections. This part of the techy “mumbo jumbo” was wonderfully thought out, sparking interesting thoughts on how one might go about connecting such a “blank slate” learning structure artificial senses so that it might interact with the outside environment. One can imagine that a structure such as this, once connected to sensory input could grow at an impressive rate

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

Unfortunately, this is where their science falls apart. They “solve” the blank slate problem by simply “downloading” Arthur’s memories into the crystalline brain. Worse, the brain will apparently make its own pathways using a “first-come, first-served” method of storage. Not only does this approach smack of a “miracle occurs here” scaffold, it also removes most of the innovativeness of the crystalline brain learning structure – as opposed to the pathways being organically grown based on ongoing input from its environment, they simply load a bundle of memories (which are apparently discrete chunks of data) up in sequential fashion. In doing so, they seem to be valuing the mass-storage view of the brain while discounting the interconnectedness of the pathways and concepts. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem accept that their synthetic brain seems based on creating its own connections based on organic growth.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

Integration of Synthetic Processing Structures with Human Brains: The most interesting cyberpunk thought in Magdalena’s Brain involves integrating synthetic processing structures with human brains. In the movie, the integrated structure will already have a sentient presence in it (see the downloading memories part above). This is an interesting approach toward building a cyborg with synthetic thinking capabilities, and is a somewhat different approach from say, the Ghost in the Shell method of increasing human capacity. In the GITS Cyborg model, computers are essentially integrated into the human mind, almost as a huge memory bank. The action thinking and decision making largely remain with the human portion of the brain (there are also fully AI processors like the Puppet Master, but they aren’t cyborgs). In the Magdalena’s Brain approach toward cyborgs, one wonders what happens when the two brain structures (synthetic and natural) occupy the same body – will they work in harmony; will one dominate the other; or will a type of schizophrenia emerge? This is all the more interesting when transposed against the psychological struggle Magdalena is undergoing.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

Is Magdalena’s Brain Cyberpunk? Magdalena’s Brain is one of those movies that I think barely makes it into the genre. It takes place in the present, not near future (at least that we can tell), and has no connections to evil corporations. Nor does it have much in the way of cyberpunk visuals. It does however have negative impact of technology down in spades, and an interesting take on the fusion of man and machine. For these reasons, I’ve decided to include it, but just barely.

 

Magdalena's Brain Screen Capture

 

The Bottom Line: Magdalena’s Brain puts forward a terrific production considering the virtually non-existent budget. It’s very difficult to do a convincing science fiction movie on that type of shoot. I would like discuss the psychological horror aspect of Magdalena’s Brain, but won’t for fear of ruining the ending. The high points are definitely Amy Shelton-White’s performance, and a good number of some well-shot scenes. The audio FX are also worth mentioning, but the score doesn’t always fit. That said, the pacing issues will significantly reduce the potential market for Magdalena’s Brain, as most horror (and many cyberpunk) fans won’t stick with it long enough to get to the fast-paced ending. While it certainly has its problems, Magdalena’s Brain gets a passing grade. There is enough here for indie fans to give it a go, and enough of a jolt at the end that many horror fans will enjoy as well.

 

This post has been filed under Horror, Man-machine Interface, 6 Star Movies, Good low-budget movies, Cyberpunk movies from 2000 - 2009 by SFAM.

Natural City Screencap

 

I’ve changed the navigation menu a bit. The major change is in the addition of the Cyberpunk Wiki. So far, we’ve only had updates to the Cyberpunk Websites page, but hopefully we can get lots more of you to start participating. If you have a band that plays cyberpunk-like music, list it. Same if you do cyberpunk art, make movies, etc.

The other changes involve adding a link to my “Movies by Star Ratings” page on the top - apparently many haven’t seen the movie category groupings on the right - hopefully this will help somewhat. Also, I’ve taken off the full name of the forums. Previously they were called the “Virtual Meatspace (forums)” but I’ve shortened this to just forums. We still refer to them as the Virtual Meatspace (Meatspace is NOT misspelled - this is a Neuromancer reference - either you get it or you don’t) but I don’t have enough room on top to list the full name anymore.

 

12 Monkeys Screencap

Finally, just an update on the site. Even with my lack of posts in December, CyberpunkReview has still been growing at a pretty steady rate, as has the Virtual Meatspace, which has become pretty active - better yet, it has a terrific international flavor to it, which I love. In January, Cyberpunkreview got over 33,000 unique visitors with almost 200,000 page views (not counting bots). I still have no advertising here, and don’t ever plan on doing so.

I’m also a big believer in the power of mass collaboration. If you have a desire to take part in doing reviews, or build out the Wiki however you see fit, climb on board! We’ll welcome you with open arms.

This post has been filed under Site Development by SFAM.

Biomimetic Technologies Project Screencap

 

The Livejournal Cyberpunk Collective member “ca91″ found a story about Tufts University Biomimetic Technologies Project’s creation of the first soft-bodied robots.

 

While robots have moved from the realm of science fiction to a myriad of real-life uses, the potential of the “hard-bodied” robots of the 21st century remains limited by their stiff construction and lack of flexibility. A group of researchers at Tufts University has launched a multidisciplinary initiative focused on the science and engineering of a new class of robots that are completely soft-bodied. These devices will make possible advances in such far flung arenas as medicine and space exploration.

…According to Kaplan, the project will bring together biology, bioengineering and micro/nano fabrication. “Our overall goal is to develop systems and devices–soft-bodied robots–based on biological materials and on the adaptive mechanisms found in living cells, tissues and whole organisms,” he explains. These devices, he notes, will have direct applications in robotics, such as manufacturing, emergency search and retrieval, and repair and maintenance of equipment in space; in medical diagnosis and treatment, including endoscopy, remote surgery, and prostheses design; and in novel electronics such as soft circuits and power supplies.

 

Biomimetic Technologies Project Screencap

 

While they are definitely working on technology destined for the betterment of mankind, and more specifically, appear to be experimenting with caterpillar prototypes to get soft-bodied locomotion, ca91 predicts a more profitable use of this technology achievement:

 

Yeah, right :) I’ll make a prediction now:

This technology will become popular for the same reason the internet did: porn! But in this case it’ll be sex toys :D

 

Masume Shirow Intron Depot Art

 

Considering the significant advances Japan and Korea and have been achieving in creating female androids, I gotta agree - it’s only a matter of a time before high-priced Cherry 2000s hit the assembly line. One can already imagine hoards of nerdy venture capitalists, fresh off of making millions in the tech industry, descending on Masume Shirow to offer contracts to design customized product lines. This industry is gonna be jumpin!

This post has been filed under News as Cyberpunk by SFAM.

February 3, 2007

Code 46

Movie Review By: SFAM

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Written by: Frank Cottrell Boyce

IMDB Reference

Degree of Cyberpunk Visuals: Low

Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes: High

Key Cast Members:

  • William Geld: Tim Robbins
  • Maria Gonzales: Samantha Morton
  • Rating: 6 out of 10

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    Overview: Code 46 is a movie that generates significant disagreement on ratings. The pacing is glacially slow, but there are enough interesting ideas that many viewers will really dig the final product. Viruses as transhuman upgrades, memory removal, and problems brought on by mass cloning all are mashed together to give an interesting, but somewhat incoherent view of a near-term dystopic future. The cinematography is interesting, and the story itself may end up working well enough for some to enjoy the final product.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    The Setting: Code 46 takes place in a non-specific near future, where overpopulation and degradation of the earth have led to a situation where cities have become protected entities. The population is now divided into those living in the outside and those citizens who have rights to live within. Each city has restricted access – a person is required to have “papelles” (a valid passport/visa) to enter. For some reason, even though there is massive overpopulation, cloning has been used in an overabundant fashion. There is even a law, Code 46, which restricts the relations between those who are genetically similar. Viruses have been genetically engineered to allow new capabilities for people, but also have become so deadly that people must have a valid insurance policy to stay in the city.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    The Story: William Geld, played by Time Robbins, is an insurance investigator imbued with an empathy virus, who’s been tasked to track down a forged papelle ring in Shanghai. Shortly after arriving, William quickly determines that the guilty party is a worker named Maria Gonzales (Samantha Morton), but he doesn’t turn her in. For some reason, even though he is happily married, he is strangely attracted to Maria, so he falsely implicates someone else. After following her home, Maria and William become fall for one another. William leaves the next day for home, but is brought back a few weeks later when the forged papelles continue to be produced. He decides to turn Maria in, but she has left. After investigating, he finds that she had incurred a code 46 violation. William fears that he is the genetically similar party and sets off to find her.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    The Acting: Director Michael Winterbottom seems to be going for a Lost in Translation type vibe, but this feel doesn’t really work very well. The leads both turn in believable performances, but something is missing. While the world certainly has an alienated feel, there’s never a sense that the chemistry William and Samantha is strong enough to support a “genetic attraction.” It’s all cerebral. Unfortunately, with the rediculously slow pacing of the movie, this merely adds disconnectedness with the audience.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    Viruses as Genetic Upgrades: In Code 46, custom made viruses are used for short to long term sensory upgrades. William has an “empathy” virus which allows him to read people’s thoughts. Other viruses allow skills to be developed. The weird thing about the use of viruses as an idea for genetic manipulation is that it causes all sorts of dangerous linkages. For instance, viruses can be passed on, and worse, can change over time. This, I think, is why insurance may play such a large role in Code 46, and why the cities are cordoned off (again, this isn’t really explored all that well). It does make you wonder though, how exactly will genetic manipulation be used in the future? If we are to look for transhuman-like upgrades, are we going to be purchasing an ensemble of cocktail viruses?

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    Futuristic Low-budget Worldbuilding: Without a large budget, and the absence of CG, director Winterbottom struggles to make his world look futuristic. Mostly based on locations, Winterbottom also emphasizes pastel florescent shades to indicate futurism. Pastel florescent pinks, greens, and blue tones are used in most of the otherwise normal looking city scenes. The outside world is mostly desert, apparently brought on by the effects of global warming, whereas the people all dress like they’re in New Dehli. The night scenes are generally neon shots of Shanghai, which sort of fit in the cyberpunk, near-future genre. Still, there are glaring problems which break suspension of disbelief, where the futuristic world looks identical in most places. The most obvious one deals with the liberal use of modern day cars - apparently the auto industry got laid off after 2003. A cheap solution would have been to jimmy up a few futuristic fiberglass bodies to stick on-top of a jeep or VW, but instead, we are almost left with an alternate view of the present.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    Cyberpunk Tower of Babel – the Creole Merging of Languages: In Code 46, English seems to be the only language used, but it has been “creoled” in that many of the words have been replaced with words from other languages. Boy and girl is now chico and chica; paper is now papelle; hello has been transformed to “meehow”; discontinued is now discontinuago. The cool part about this is how naturally the actors work the word changes into the dialogue. The problematic part of this is that within 50 years or less, the world (even if only the industrial parts) would transform into a single language. If there even is a trend toward this, I think we’d be looking more like 300-500 years for a place like Shanghai to do away with their native Chinese. The more interesting question this raises though is the issue of whether the human race is moving toward a reverse Tower of Babel, or whether the local cultures will become more entrenched as a defense against a globalized language and culture. The world is getting smaller all the time – the implications of this are far from understood right now.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    Cyberpunk Oedipus Complex: Harkening back to Freud, Code 46 explores the issue of a man in love with his mother. In Code 46, this connection is so strong that it exists even when the relationship itself is not known to the participants. Personally, I never bought into anything as generalized as Freud’s Oedipus complex, and I don’t know that it works all that well here. But the genetic/cloning slant to this question certainly raises some interesting thoughts. Still, with the advent of overpopulation, its hard to see why people would resort to making an abundance of clones. Perhaps for nefarious thoughts such as body replacement parts, but it would be a stretch for an overpopulated world to create massive versions of the same person. Based on the huge insurance slant in Code 46, we might assume it had something to do with contaminated bodies, but like so many other aspects of this future world, this is never really explained.

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    Removal of Memories: The idea of memory modification and their removal has been explored in other movies (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for instance), but the general question is probably similar. Are memories discrete entities that can be targeted and wiped out, or is something more organic going on? Also, if your spouse cheats on you, will a future option for conflict resolution be to simply have the memories of the offending person and the deed itself removed? If so, would you still think your spouse cheated?

     

    Code 46 Screen Capture

     

    The Bottom Line: Although the plot runs at a glacial pace, and the chemistry between the actors is stilted at best, the inclusion of interesting thoughts, however haphazard, potentially make Code 46 worth a watch. I would have liked to see a bit more clarity on the basis for the technology selections, and definitely would have liked to see more emotive chemistry between the leads. The “Lost in Translation” vibe just doesn’t work here all that well. Bottom line, if you’re someone who doesn’t mind watching interesting looking paint dry, you might end up liking Code 46.

     

    ~See movies similar to this one~

    This post has been filed under Utopia Surrounded by Poverty, Memory Modification, Dystopic Future Movies, 6 Star Movies, Cyberpunk movies from 2000 - 2009 by SFAM.

    Bladerunner Screencap

     

    After many requests, I’ve finally gotten a wiki up.

     

    I’m using TikiWiki as my engine, and am using a template called “Tikipedia” that mimics Wikipedia. I don’t know that I have everything structured the way it should be, but hopefully it works well enough to kick the tires. If you’re a regular here and are good at administering TikiWikis, PLEASE stop by and comment on what I may or may not need to change in the numerous admin pages.

     

    The hope is that the Cyberpunk Wiki will be used to list cyberpunk bands & artists, cyberpunk books, movies, graphic novels, and anything else you all want. It even has a nice place to upload articles, so have at it, and let me know what we need to change.

    This post has been filed under Site Development by SFAM.

    Vexille Screencap

     

    First reported on 24Framespersecond, Fumihiko Sori (Producer of Appleseed) directing a new cyberpunk anime called, Vexille for Shochiku Films. The description is as follows:

     

    From the creators of APPLESEED, comes a Full CG animation Sci-Fi Action film. 2077 - 10 years has passed since Japan had decided to leave the United Nations to go into isolation. They have completely blocked the islands with an ultra magnetic field which prevents anyone to see what is going inside, nor for people to travel in/out of the country. This was a result to opposing to a treaty which UN has passed, preventing the development of all bio and robot technology which has evolved drastically and has become a threat to the human beings. When Japan finally begins to move, the US government sends in a special force team SWORD, lead by a female commander Vexille, to investigate what is really happening inside the closed country.

     

    While this sounds interesting, I’m hoping to see projects that depict a more complex “robots and AI are taking over the world!” scenario - possibly ones which stress more individuality among a various groupings of AIs and sentient robots. One can imagine scenarios where competing interests are keeping some on humanity’s side, others fervently opposed, and more still somewhere in the middle.

    This post has been filed under Upcoming Movies by SFAM.

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