CHICAGO (AFP) ― An IBM computer creamed two human champions on the popular U.S. television game show “Jeopardy!” Wednesday in a triumph of artificial intelligence.“I for one welcome our new computer overlords,” contestant Ken Jennings ― who holds the “Jeopardy!” record of 74 straight wins ― cheekily wrote on his answer screen at the conclusion of the much-hyped three-day showdown.“Watson” ― named

Television Feb. 17, 2011

BERLIN (AFP) ― A warmly applauded Iranian drama emerged Tuesday as a front-runner at the Berlin film festival, which is throwing the spotlight on the country’s embattled film-makers.“Nader and Simin: A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi, who won a best director prize for his haunting film “About Elly” at the 2009 festival, brings another fascinating portrait of contemporary Iranian urbanites to the scr

Film Feb. 16, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Layering is mostly just how we dress, a way to extend what’s in our closets and, bonus, stay warm and dry.Next fall, it may be more about how we feel.Sequins on sheers have surfaced OVER wool and New York Fashion Week runways are filled with mashups of soft bulk, rich color, vibrant prints and a variety of textures done in fresh ways.Eclectic layers were on Rachel Roy’s mind, on he

Arts & Design Feb. 16, 2011

Tibetan Buddhist monk visits Korea for first time before three-year retreatDubbed the “world’s happiest man,” best-selling author and master Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was in Korea for the first time last weekend, offering his take on how to be happy.The Tibetan monk participated in a groundbreaking study of brain activity in 2002, where scientists found that advanced meditation incr

People Feb. 16, 2011

They follow the stars and the moon when they travel, melt gigantic pieces of ice for drinking water, and use natural moss for baby diapers and dish washing ― all in minus-50 degree weather.SBS documentary “The Last Tundra ― Movie Edition” offers a very rare glimpse into the life of the Nenets, the last reindeer herding nomads living in Siberian tundra. Through a yearly migration of more than a tho

Film Feb. 13, 2011

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― A museum said Friday that its exhibit on the Silk Road, including a pair of ancient mummies, will go on after it resolved a dispute with the Chinese government that led to a pared-down event with fake mummies and life-sized photos of the artifacts.The exhibit will reopen Feb. 18 with a full complement of mummies and more ancient artifacts from the Tarim Basin in the autonomous

Performance Feb. 13, 2011

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP) ― Yale University announced Friday that it will send back to Peru thousands of Incan artifacts removed from the famed Machu Picchu citadel nearly a century ago.The agreement allowing for the return of the ceramic pieces, animal and human bones, and metal and stone objects came after Yale and Peru officials announced in November that they had resolved a long-running disp

Performance Feb. 13, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand join rising stars and seasoned chart-toppers Sunday at the music industry’s annual Grammys awards bash.Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and teen sensation Justin Bieber are also on a star-studded roster of performers at the show in Los Angeles, where rapper Eminem hopes to seal a comeback year with a brace of awards.While showcasing new talent,

Performance Feb. 13, 2011

Korean companies strive to foster English-speaking workforceKim Hyun-joo, an employee of Samsung Electronics’ marketing team, has fond memories of the 10 weeks she spent at Samsung’s foreign language institute, remembering the time as grueling but worthwhile. “Of course I can’t say I won’t need any more English training from now ever again, I can definitely say I’m good for now,” Kim told The Kore

People Feb. 11, 2011

HANOI (AP) ― Close your eyes in the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and you will experience two sensations. The first is the earsplitting cacophony of conversation, cars, clamor and chaos. The second is the realization that closing your eyes for very long in such a crowded place can be unwise, unless you enjoy being jostled, bumped, hustled, shouted at, or maybe even knocked down.Such is the Vietna

Travel Feb. 11, 2011

LAS VEGAS ― One of the hottest tickets in Las Vegas isn’t Cher or Celine, Blue Man Group or Cirque de Soleil. It’s a day trip to a gravel lot filled with scrap metal, miles from the Strip.There, on North Las Vegas Boulevard, surrounded by a chain-link fence, is the latest incarnation of the legendary Las Vegas neon “boneyard.” It’s the kind of place where great signs of long-gone casinos and bars,

Travel Feb. 11, 2011

WALNUT CREEK, California ― It sits on the plate, looking like a perfectly cooked, sunny side-up egg ― except the yolk tastes like spiced carrots and the white is made from coconut milk, with a side of sodium alginate and calcium chloride.This edible trompe l’oeil is not some practical joke. The faux egg is a perfect example of molecular gastronomy, the esoteric culinary trend associated with such

Food Feb. 11, 2011

PARIS (AP) ― Andree Chedid, an Egyptian-born French poet and writer known for giving lyrical expression to everyday experiences and celebrating cultural diversity, has died, her publisher said.She was 90.Chedid died in Sunday in Paris, where she settled after the end of World War II, the Flammarion publishing house said.The prolific Cairo-born writer of Lebanese descent wrote volumes of poetry, no

Books Feb. 8, 2011