A Universe from Nothing

Why there is Something rather than Nothing.

I have seen Lawrence Krauss in action at Het Denkgelag in Gent, Belgium about the limits of science as proposed as the subject of that night's debate. I even let him sign off the latest book he has written called A Universe from Nothing from the copy I bought, and I managed to have a good shot with him.

Het Denkgelag

The debate was focusing on philosophy, how it relates to science and how science can benefit from it. Before this was happening, I wasn't really sure how the two could work together, but at the end it became clear that we need both in present times to face the current problems and mysteries.

Daniel Dennett and Massimo Pigliucci were also present, and they were able to let Krauss reconsider his opinion about their specialism, which is philosophy. But the topic of today is about Krauss's latest book, which is about nothing.

"Nothing" in this case refers most of all to the "empty" space that is all found around the universe, between stars, planets, galaxies, nebula's, clusters and possibly extraterrestials. Krauss is explaining to the mainstream how empty space currently works with it's hidden agenda.

Also known as dark energy, Krauss explains that nothing is actually space where things are happening. It is one of the biggest fundamental mysteries that has had a role in both the Big Bang and the expanding and acceleration of the universe.

The cosmic background radiation lets science track down how energy and matter came closely to being next to the Big Bang, but then there is this unknown phenomenon called dark energy that seems to be everywhere and is much larger than matter or energy.

Not to be confused with dark matter, this is the main topic Krauss is addressing in his latest book. He explains his current thoughts, theories, reasons and facts towards it and formulates it all into a considerable convenient way, while occasionally making fun of creationists or the American Congress.

References to Einstein, Hubble, Newton, Heisenberg, Bohr and more gifted reputations from other scientists complete A Universe from Nothing with an abundance of large interest for these large topics.

Especially his chapter about how the future might look like completely baffled me as to imagining that once our neighbor galaxies get fused with ours billions of years in the future, our future species might not see anything else out there but massive amounts of emptiness(dark energy).

And all that is observable today might not even be relevant or worse, completely disappear in the future, because of how the universe is expanding and accelerating. And then there is the topic that so much is happening on a microscopic level, including quantum mechanics.

It is all thought provoking. And with that food for thought in mind, I would like to wish you all a strong, willing and inspiring 2014!

Rating: ***

Ace Attorney

Before I discovered Capcom's courtroom drama's, I didn't think deeply about how the world of the law works subsequently of crimes committed. My only concern and indirect thoughts were always that if I did something wrong, the law would take the matter in hands, officially.

Once I stumbled upon Ace Attorney, my view and interest of courtroom trials skyrocketed. Never before did I manage to understand how the legal system works, even though the one mainly shown in the series is based upon the Japanese legal system.

With Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, I never thought of the legal system the same. Suddenly I was much more interested in real cases happening, and the laws that get the green light in countries around the world.

Ace Attorney itself is a fictional representation of all this I talk about and more. The gameplay is first and foremost point and click related in the way that you will have to read through a lot of clever writing.

The trials and cases are most of all humoristic with ridiculous and stereotypical characters appearing in court to tell their stories. From witnesses to defendants, you will have to defend your clients as an ace attorney and confront the truth each and every time during the case chapters.

Specifically, there are 2 main phases of Ace Attorney. First is the investigation phase, where you will travel to the crime scenes, talk to people, examine clues and collect evidence in order to prepare for the next phase, which are trial sessions.

Inside the courtroom, you must "battle" with the prosecutor who usually claims that your client is guilty before all of the facts and perspectives are dealt with. You do this by discussing away the claims that have been made, and by coming up with theories provided with conclusive evidence to get to the bottom of each case.

Thinking outside the box is regularly present, because many cases feature an unexpected twist that continues to keep the series interesting. "Whodunit" is a recognized feature where it sometimes is fun to guess the true murderer, but at other times, especially with the first chapters, it is plain obvious as to who is the criminal.

Intriguing mysteries combined with the clever writing and adorable characters make the Ace Attorney games very entertaining, but their only weakness is that they have low replay value, unless you replay them in several years.

The thought provoking final turnabouts are the highlight of each title, where as they are always the best chapter with the most intense courtroom proceedings, dramatic outcomes and unforgettable actions done by individuals.

Perhaps the core gameplay of it all is cross-examining people who present their testimonies to the court, and it is up to you to either uncover the contradictions found in the statements, press for more information or present evidence to overthrow or progress the case.

Ace Attorney features fantasy elements such as spirit mediums and ridiculous events in certain cases, but that's part of the fun that it provides. It is also the franchise that popularized the phrase "Objection" into the gaming culture.

So far, 5 core entries have been released, which are Ace Attorney, Justice for All, Trials and Tribulations, Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies. There's also the Investigations sub-series, where you play as Phoenix's friend and rival Miles Edgeworth and the main difference is that the gameplay of the trial sessions happens during investigations now.

A spin-off title called Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has been released and will come soon to the west in early 2014. Seeming as I haven't touched Professor Layton yet, that title will have to get postponed from me personally.

In any case, Capcom's Ace Attorney is one of the very few current successful IP's that despite lower sales has seen an enormous rise regarding cult status and it hopefully will continue to receive new entries and enjoy the fans that have discovered this unusual approach towards video games.

Mario & Luigi Tetralogy

AlphaDream's Mario & Luigi, a sub RPG series, has seen moderative success onto the various handhelds in the last ten years. It's basic template is Super Mario RPG, but adds comical effects, interesting cooperative combinations and new lands to explore.

Using comedy to progress and develop the story, Super Star Saga is about the Beanbean Kingdom and their bean citizens who are in danger because of an evil witch called Cackletta and her underdog Fawful.

It's up to Mario & Luigi to stop them and Bowser as well, who plays a comical side role and is fought occassionally. The gameplay is a mixture of Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, but is entirely new when it comes towards the special Bros. Attacks during battles and using special techniques on the overworld to overcome puzzles and uncover secrets.

Personally as with some other games, the middle part of the game wasn't that exciting for me. It wasn't until 2005 that I beat this game and that spicy final boss after obtaining the game for 2.5 years already.

Rating: 7.9

While Partners in Time is an improvement over Super Star Saga, something about it makes it feel very bland, it's kind of the same with The Wind Waker because I don't feel like replaying these games any time soon.

This time, Mario & Luigi will have to travel through time in order to stop an alien invasion from taking over the Mushroom Kingdom, initiated by the Shroobs. Our heroes are accompanied by none other than their baby counterparts.

The Nintendo Dual Screen is used creatively here, as the second screen allows for interesting new battles, counterattacks and Bros. Attacks to be used simultaneously on both screens. Partners in Time is also a more colorful entry.

It's easy to point the critical finger at the babies for being bland or annoying, but I gotta choose for the Shroobs here that made PiT somehow lesser likeable. So while it is a solid and easy RPG, it won't be a memorable one for me.

The pacing largely shaped the final score for this one, as some sections dragged on for too long.

Rating: 7.5

There's plenty of original content to be found here, surpassing the original M&L and its sequel as well. Bowser's Inside Story features a cool plot because of the way the game is played in several segments, and RPG mechanics are still simple but well executed.

New features include traversing through Bowser's organs coming with their own unique ways of getting further, playing as Bowser with his own moves and the Giant Bosses, where you will have to fight enormous opponents while you switch the DS to a vertical position similar to Brain Training.

Its simplicity is both its lifesaver and disaster. I wish that the world of the M&L games would be a bit more deep, like Mario's other RPG's. Certainly yet another very solid Mario RPG on its own though for it's gameplay, music, comedy and lore. Plus Fawful makes up for an impressive villain.

Rating: 8.4

To end the Year of Luigi when speaking of video games and putting the green plumber into considerable perspective, Dream Team is the last of 3 featured Luigi titles. The latest Mario platformer on Wii U doesn't really count despite him having a distinct ability there. But Dr.Luigi got announced for 2014 then, so the celebration is not over yet.

A new context of dream features is introduced, as Luigi takes a featured role as an avid dreamer while Mario must travel through his subconscious to rescue Pi'illo's and ultimately Peach from the wretched hands of Bowser and Antasma, a nightmarish dream manipulator.

Using Luiginary Works, Luigi will transform into various backgrounds objects in the dream world in order for Mario to progress further, such as manipulating gravity, time, air and more. The dream battles feature special Luiginary attacks which have their own special charm to them considering the vast amount of Dreamy Luigi's that were constantly present.

The Giant Bosses return and this time it's Luigi who will do the fighting instead of Bowser. Pi'illo Island is a pretty fun new location with plenty of secrets and collectables to uncover. My favorite new characters are the Massif Bros. because of their beef and muscle references, and I enjoyed Somnom Woods most of all because of it's quite different tone from the rest of the locations regarding the music.

Unfortunately, Dream Team also suffers from repetitive manoeuvres, long tutorials and not the most exciting pacing. Luckily, there's enough to keep the fans of the sub-series happy, and AlphaDream has done a fine job in general designing all four of them.

Rating: 8.0

Gone Home

Received a lot of buzz and fuzz and even got awarded GOTY as far as indies go on several sites, I decided to check this out before closing the year. Gone Home is a first person point and click adventure where you explore your home where your parents and sister usually live, but because of certain reasons they are not there right now.

As you search your house for clues regarding what happened while you arrived earlier than expected, you will start to discover secrets that have to do with your family and the house. Gone Home is a very short emotional journey that has been claimed as being a nostalgic ride back to the 90's.

For having a satisfying discovery about your sister turning out to be lesbian, her feelings with the person in question and then having to say painfully goodbye while love is chained upon them. As for me, I gotta say the experience was alright, I slightly felt compassion towards the ending, but this isn't GOTY even regarding indies.

Nor would I consider it a prime example of the pseudo argument that video games can or cannot be art(they already are). Still, that doesn't mean someone else would be completely engrossed by this, even though I was raised in the 90's as well.

Rating: 6.4

Christmas Spirit

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!

This will be the first time in years when grandma won't be present with us on Christmas Eve or the two days afterwards. She used to spoil me and my older brother so much, this year has been a weird and sad feeling knowing that our family became smaller.

So I wanted to type a special Christmas blog this year, but had a hard time thinking of a specific subject. It's the most famous holiday in the West, has a long history of religious themes, and it's usually the most wonderful time of the year.

I can really enjoy the mood Christmas brings with us, especially when snow is falling down and building up, traditional songs are playing out and celebrations are all over including the trees, the bells, Santa Claus and of course the presents.

There is a vague coined term called Christmas Spirit where many people try to become better humans and show their good behaviour. It's also a time where family and love are highly important, and we would like to think that no one needs to celebrate it alone.

The Christmas Spirit, or however you would like to call it, is perhaps the best reason and excuse why this holiday exists in the first place. But maybe it's even better as a reminder that people are the happiest when good things happen to them.

Whether by love, a fairy tale or general kindness, Christmas can be considered an innocent celebration of events nowadays. I'm sure that it was celebrated way different in the past, the same goes for Halloween.

In any case I wish you all a happy time with your families, for as long as they can last.

Arkham Origins

In this prequel, Batman admittedly gets way too much partygoers being uninvited for the corruption sandbox of Gotham City on Christmas Eve, where every place and corner is filled with criminal activities and our hero's to do list seems to be endless.

Folks around the pipe tubes of the world's largest community have described the caped crusader's latest adventure as repetitive, unrealistic, uninspiring and more of the same. Yet I can only agree with one critical point pointing out at the bugs and glitches that have been reported by anonymous individuals.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's the deal with Arkham Origins, but what makes this different from the likes of Call of Duty sequels? The content actually matters. Unlike the hidden intel reports scattered around the battlefields, I would rather hunt for Enigma's extortion datapacks instead.

What's that? Are you saying that the fluent combat has become tedious? Then why won't you differentiate between your tactical choices and consider spicing up the experience by oh I don't know, using your surroundings?

Doesn't that invitational anthem for the Bat's fearful entrance pump and strike your auditory channels as the unseen citizens but mainly the criminals are confounded by the major events that are playing out here and there?

Don't you see the beauty of the chaos that the most wanted quirkies provide on the night of Christmas Eve? Are you not feeling the excitement of the trash that needs to be cleaned up from the streets? DON'T YOU FEEL LIKE A DARK COMPLEX VIGILANTE WITH HONORABLE IDEALS?

No? Then I am sorry to inform that this game is not made for you. Go ahead, make fun of the presentation, nitpick about empty complaints and close it off with a "not an average" rating. Do yourself the worst and get on with living.

For the rest of us that do enjoy Batman media with quality design, this is for you. Enhancing and unexpected boss battles, a long grocery list for the dark knight, an exciting main plot and a more elegant Gotham City than the rusty and dirty Arkham City.

The rogue gallery's list is frankly overwhelming for a single night, but the same excuse can be said for the absence of normal Gotham citizens almost never found in Old or New Gotham. Must I remind you that Toads do not usually casually walk around near Goomba's and Koopa Troopa's?

Do you understand that these are still premature times before the time comes that supposedly every videogame must have innocent NPC's? This will never hapen, and that is why Arkham Origins's decision making is tolerable and entertaining.

Bring it on Anarky, with your critical judgment against capitalism. Take control of the power Black Mask, with your vast resourcefulness. Continue to harness your reputation Deathstroke, but eventually accept defeat.

Admittedly, Arkham Origins is essentialy more of the same content and gameplay wise, but it's story is strongly represented, Joker and Bane were outstanding for their introductions, character developments are tight and boss fights are challenging, diverse and unpredictable.

If Origins is considered to be filler when speaking of the big Rocksteady rumor, then it must be the best filler game I have ever played. Do not dismiss this prequel folks, do not shy away from the critics. I had a ton of fun with this one, and it can easily sit together with City and Asylum.

Rating:8.7

Gravity

Looking at the cast before Gravity's release felt like a picture that would be mediocre to average at best, but once the reviews and rating came in, my expectations were shattered and rejuvenated with hope. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney have made a memorable drama drifting in space.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón of Children of Men(2006) fame, it depicts a survival story where emotions flush through the character's veins, and they are easily reflected back towards us. Even the use of 3D here helped, especially when Ryan and Matt were hung together and they crashed with impact upon artificial objects.

The score felt both empty and heroic, and the writing and direction are very simple but well shown. Interactions are at first professional, but once the debris storm from a Russian satellite flies over with the use of gravity, the drama enters, and emotional and primal instincts galore.

There is a little twist awaiting, and Ryan is talking too much to herself at one point in my opinion, but considering her situation, I would revoke my statement. Gravity is all about feeling the journey of this medical engineer and astronaut.

Some movies out there have the grandest epic tales awaiting you with tons of showdowns, explosions, chaos and more. Here, it is most of all silence and loneliness ruling, but because they are shown in a terrific and dramatic way, it adds to the film's value.

Fundamental themes of survival, hope, death, family and progression complete Gravity, making it into a well recommendable drama flick happening in outer space, with a simple premise but a strong execution of actually feeling like you are living their moment.

Rating: 7.5

Iceland

Ólafur Liljurós

As for my third and final vacation of 2013, I visited Iceland with my buddy Eric, the land famous for it's ice as well as it's fire. It is relatively still a very young island compared to the rest of the world and is regarding nature and peace a top country to visit for anyone!

We hired a Hyundai Tucson 4X4 in order to do a Fly and Drive session, making a full circle around Iceland's main road simply named as "1". As my first Scandinavian country, we were constantly surprised of nature's different landscapes every single day.

From glaciers to lava fields, from black beaches to mountains, Iceland's picturesque visuals are constantly stunning, even during winter, the lesser popular time to visit, but in our minds arguably the best time to do so.

As we started in Reykjavik, we drove to Akureyri in the north and along the way stopped at Þingvellir National Park,where we saw a waterfall, cliffs, fissures and it's home to the world's longest running Parliament.

When it became dark, which happened around 16.00 PM every day, driving to the north turned out to be challenging, when a snowstorm occured and the roads became slippery while occassionally cars would pass us by. Cars would usually only pass us by once per hour.

Iceland is indeed very small regarding population, actually the city of Utrecht could fit into it. Arriving in the north at Akureyri, we liked the town more than the capital, but there was not much time for citytrips, our next course lay ahead!

Departing from the north, we went to Lake Mývatn after hearing about lava fields, birds and more being situated there. Passing by Egilsstaðir, we stopped at our next location in Fáskrúðsfjörður, at an Icelandic family's guesthouse(Elin and Hermann), who were exceptionally friendly, helpful and social.

We had another day here in the east, so we decided to explore the fjords, see some interesting spots and take a look at Henkifoss, one of many beautiful waterfalls being active here in Iceland. After an evening of discussing Iceland's current actual topics including economics, trade, history, religion and culture, we embarked towards the south the next day.

Going through more eastern fjords, we stopped at Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, one of the highlights for anyone travelling here. At this place, I foolishly made some pictures while my right hand was naked and exposed to the very cold air sweeping here, which resulted in excruciating pain and I almost had the first symptoms of frostbite upon me.

Having my lesson learned, I never packed in colder for the rest of the journey. Stopping by at Vatnajökull National Park, we learned of what was available to do here. Our main interest was the ice cave, but we had to travel further south towards Vík í Mýrdal before returning here for this specific tour.

We would stay in the south for 3 nights. On the second day, we explored the Falljökull ice cave, translated as Glacier Fall. As another of our personal favorites, we were astonished by nature's magic working here through the thick ice laying around.

The next day, a very heavy blizzard was happening only in our area, which resulted into cancelling our activities for this particular day, as snow had already fallen down as high as 1 meter, and it was impossible to move even with a 4x4.

Luckily we anticipated this, calling it a buffer day. After this, we left the south and along the way stopped at many terrific waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss and Faxafoss before we experienced the most famous tourist attractions of Iceland, which are Geysir and Gullfoss.

Gullfoss was mesmerizing, while Geysir wasn't showing much at this geothermal field. It's little brother called Strokkur on the other hand was the main show around here, erupting roughly every 5 minutes, but the field was nevertheless interesting for smelling like rotten eggs and having bizarre land growing around.

Staying at Selfoss inside a lovely cottage, we were very impressed by the owner's kindness and this was frankly my favorite night of them all. On our final day, we wanted to visit another cave, but this turned out be stuck with a lot of snow fallen inside, rendering it unable to explore it.

Instead, we went to the famous Blue Lagoon spot where normal tourists would first go to after landing in Iceland, but we decided to save it for the last. After that, we visited Reykjavik one more time, and then it was time to fly home after a long roadtrip.

With remarkable everchanging landscapes, unbelievable friendly people, memorable landmarks and unpredictable weather including hail, snowstorms, blizzards, mist and sunshine, Iceland is ideal for anyone who loves nature and wants to have a quiet yet warmful adventure.