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☆ 1,000-year-old Mayan 'scoreboard' for ancient soccer-like game discovered in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An ancient stone "scoreboard" was discovered at an archeological site in Mexico earlier this week. The stone depicts two figures playing an ancient soccer-like ball game, experts said. The circular relic was discovered at the Mayan Chichen Itza site in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. A worker shows a circular-shaped Mayan scoreboard used for a ball game found at Chichen Itza's archaeological site during a news conference, in Merida, Mexico April 11, 2023. Mesoamerican people played the ball game as a form of traditional practice, and it is thought to have had ritual connotations, per Reuters.

☆ At Mexico's Chichen Itza, archaeologists discover Mayan scoreboard
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Mexican archaeologists found a circular-shaped Mayan scoreboard used for a ball game at Chichen Itza's archaeological site, Mexican Anthropology and History Institute (INAH), in this handout picture released on April 10, 2023. INAH/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, April 11 (Reuters) - A stone scoreboard used in an ancient soccer-like ball game has been discovered at the famed Mayan Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, archaeologists said this week. "In this Mayan site, it is rare to find hieroglyphic writing, let alone a complete text," said Francisco Perez, one of the archaeologists coordinating the investigations in the Chichanchob complex, also called Casa Colorada. The ball game was a traditional practice of Mesoamerican peoples and is believed to have had ritual undertones. The Chichen Itza complex, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is one of the main archaeological centers of the Mayan civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula.

☆ A Developer Wanted His Bel-Air Mansion to Stand Out. So He Added Some ‘Razzle-Dazzle.’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Katherine Clarke | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Be the first to know about the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings by signing up for our Mansion Deals email alert. A Bel-Air mansion boasting a Mayan pyramid-inspired outdoor playground with cascading water features is coming on the market for $35.68 million.

Hop on the tramTo get to Santa Teresa, a picturesque, bohemian neighborhood on a hill, catch one of the iconic yellow street trams that provide a terrific tour on the way up. The tram passes over the famed Arches of Lapa, an 18th-century aqueduct that is a symbol of Rio. The tram leaves every 30 minutes from the downtown station (tickets available there, 20 reis), with the final ride at 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The trams seat just 16 people and can sell out on the weekends, so the earlier you ride, the better. Before you hop on, duck into the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio , which is next to the downtown station.

☆ Mexico's president is being mocked for sharing a photo that he claimed was of a woodland spirit creature similar to an elf
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mexico's president shared a photo on social media of what he said was an elf-like woodland creature. His widely viewed tweet sparked confused and mocking responses. Journalist Mauricio Schwarz responded to the tweet to debunk the sighting, telling the president that the image has actually circulated on social media since February 2021. López Obrador, who has been president since 2018, has previously expressed an interest in and respect for indigenous cultures. The tweet spread widely in Mexico, being viewed over three million times at the time of writing and sparking confused and mocking responses.

☆ At Mexico's Chichen Itza site, researchers discover ancient 'elite' residences
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Lorenzo Hernandez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A general view of "Casa de La Luna" during a media tour to Chichen Viejo at the archaeological site of Chichen Itza, in Piste, Mexico February 10, 2023. Archaeologist Francisco Perez Ruiz said there were no known residential groups in Chichen Itza, meaning the housing complex would represent "the first residential group where a ruler lived with his entire family." The area, known as Chichen Viejo, is expected to be integrated in the near future into the visitor area of the Chichen Itza archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "There must be more residential groups that have not been explored yet. Around 2 million people visit Chichen Itza site in southeast Mexico each year, according to official data.

☆ How the unlikely partnership between a VR startup cofounded by the former head of DreamWorks and Arizona State University has led to a mind-blowing student learning experience
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dreamscape Learn developed immersive, VR learning experiences for Arizona State University. Students learn STEM coursework using the VR experience, which has seen tremendous results. The company had been building immersive VR experiences, one of which was called the "Alien Zoo." Now, Dreamscape Learn has raised a $20 million in Series A funding to expand its curriculum offering and branch outside of ASU. An ASU student in the Dreamscape Learn pod interacts with the virtual lab.

Rita Moreno was hooked when she was tapped to play a ghost in the television comedy "Lopez vs. Lopez," starring comedian George Lopez and his daughter, Mayan Lopez. "I loved why she comes back from the dead," Moreno said about her character on the show, which airs on NBC (NBC News and NBC are part of NBCUniversal). George Lopez and Rita Moreno in "Lopez vs. In her view, "Lopez vs. Lopez" has “all the makings of a successful family comedy,” Moreno said. Brice Gonzalez and George Lopez in "Lopez vs.

☆ Collapse, contamination: Mexican scientists sound alarm at Mayan Train
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Anuja Jaiman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Luz Elba Damas Jimenez, 69, eats with her family, in the town of Xkuncheil, Tenabo, Campeche, Mexico, May 10, 2022. Jimenez owns a small store selling soda and snacks near the new Mayan Train route. Many of her neighbours, especially the young men,...moreLuz Elba Damas Jimenez, 69, eats with her family, in the town of Xkuncheil, Tenabo, Campeche, Mexico, May 10, 2022. Jimenez owns a small store selling soda and snacks near the new Mayan Train route. Many of her neighbours, especially the young men, are working on the project, she said.

☆ Mexico's Mayan Train a threat to ancient areas, scientists warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

MEXICO CITY — Parts of Mexico’s remote southern jungles have barely changed since the time of the ancient Maya. But the railway and its hasty construction also critically endanger pristine wilderness and ancient cave systems beneath the jungle floor, droves of scientists and environmental activists say. Construction costs are seen at up to $20 billion, López Obrador said in July. “The Mayan Train project is of course safe, monitored and regulated by the environmental authorities as has happened up to now,” the agency told Reuters. A spokesman for López Obrador did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Lasers revealed 5 ancient civilizations that were hiding in plain sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Archeologists beam lasers from the sky to unearth ancient settlements hiding in plain sight. State-of-the-art laser technology is transforming archaeology by creating 3D renderings of ruins. A hidden 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern GuatemalaResearchers found a 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern Guatemala using LiDAR. 61,000 previously unknown structures hidden under the dense Guatemalan jungleLiDAR laser technology found ancient cities with more than 60,000 structures in Guatemala. An overgrown ancient civilization buried in the Bolivian AmazonA LiDAR image of an ancient Amazonian urban network in what is now Bolivia.

This year's recognition is given to those who became "next-level, a shift triggering where-did-you-come-from vibes," the AP wrote in announcing the list. "You can't dream of something" that you can't see, Huerta told the AP in an interview, referring to the lack of "brown skin people" like him onscreen, in ads and in theater. Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor in Marvel's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." “When they decide to give this background to Namor, you know, this new background — Mesoamerican culture, especially Mayan culture — I think they nailed it,” Huerta told NBC News. “I try to create, as much as I can, a better place to live for them," Huerta told AP.

As the new network comedy "Lopez vs. Lopez" airs its midseason episode Friday, Afro Latina actor Selenis Leyva said she's excited about a TV series that wants to change the way Americans see Latinos. “Specifically during these times, we’re always talking about Latino representation.”“Lopez vs. Lopez,” which airs on NBC (NBC News and NBC are part of NBCUniversal), focuses on the generational tension between Mayan Lopez and her estranged father George Lopez — who's also her father in real life. “That connects with a lot of people.”Matt Shively, Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez and Mayan Lopez in "Lopez vs. She believes that “Lopez vs. Lopez” will do the same for other Latinos in TV and film. It feels like I’m representing a group of people that you don’t necessarily see in roles like this.”The midseason episode will feature cameos from the original cast of the "George Lopez" show.

☆ Golden Globe Awards 2023: See the full list of nominees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards were announced on Monday. Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva, two of the stars from “Lopez vs. Lopez,” announced the range of film and television nominees as selected by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Favored Oscars contender “The Banshees of Inisherin” led the film categories, with nominations including best musical or comedy film. It stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The ceremony, which was not broadcast last January over controversy surrounding the HFPA, will return to NBC on Jan. 10.

☆ Netherlands returns over 200 pre-Hispanic artifacts to Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Netherlands has returned 223 pre-Hispanic archaeological pieces to Mexico, Mexico's foreign ministry said on Thursday, as it looks to recover more of its cultural heritage held in foreign collections. The returns were the result of "active cooperation" between the two countries and showed a commitment to restore historical and cultural objects to their place of origin, the ministry said. The INAH this week denounced a Paris auction that included Mexican objects valued in the thousands or tens of thousands of euros. The Netherlands this year returned a collection of 343 pre-Hispanic era ceramics to Panama. Culture ministers from around the world have pledged to boost efforts to return stolen and illegally traded artifacts to countries of origin.

Morehouse CollegeWhen Morehouse College made history by launching its first class in the metaverse last spring, Hamilton was one of 11 professors to teach students using virtual reality technology. Partnering with the VR tech company VictoryXR, Hamilton is creating his first full course in the metaverse on Black history. Morehouse College history professor Ovell Hamilton. “You can do that in virtual reality.”Muhsinah Morris is the director of the Virtual Reality Project at Morehouse College. Morehouse College students attending a “Meditation Mondays” event in space within the metaverse.

☆ Analysis: First U.S. coral insurance marks the rise of the reef brigades
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Clare Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

On Monday, the global 'Reef Brigades' plan came closer to reality when it bought an insurance policy on behalf of the state of Hawaii, the first U.S. coral insurance contract, which will provide funds for repair work, building on similar policies taken out in the Caribbean. Apart from being a precious nursery for fish, coral reefs that fringe developed coastlines can limit flooding by providing a barrier against ocean storm surges, meaning insurers have every interest in protecting them. For the premium of $110,000 in Hawaii's contract announced on Monday, that state will get up to $2 million of insurance protection for its coral reefs until the end of December 2023. Just offshore from some of the country's most famous Mayan ruins, local tourism businesses and the government bought an insurance policy to cover their share of the Mesoamerican Reef. Willis Towers Watson, which worked on the MAR Fund policy and the Hawaii policy, said it is actively working on a coral reef policy for Fiji, and policies for coral reef bleaching, run-off due to excessive rainfall, and lost fishing days due to climate change-induced storms.

☆ Mayan Lopez and George Lopez use TV show to heal relationship
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Mayan Lopez’s co-star in her new NBC sitcom “ Lopez vs Lopez ” happens to be her real-life dad, George Lopez. As is the Lopez way, art imitates life: George’s previous TV roles in “The George Lopez Show” and “Lopez” were also based on his real life. After divorcing her mother, Ann, in 2012, Mayan Lopez says she felt resentment toward her dad and the two didn’t have much contact until they reconnected during the pandemic. I get to kind of have that (perspective) now.”The genesis of “Lopez vs Lopez” came about when TV producer Debby Wolfe stumbled upon Mayan’s TikTok account. “She was there for ‘The George Lopez Show’ that was based on (dad’s) life.

☆ Namor: Marvel's watertight efforts to make him different from Aquaman
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: The following contains minor spoilers about “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”CNN —In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the aquatic adversary known as Namor wastes no time establishing himself as one of those beguiling but strange characters that can polarize an audience: the ocean-dwelling deity uses conch shells like smartphones and has feathered wings on his ankles. (CNN, DC Films and Warner Bros, which produced “Aquaman,” are part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Also known as the Sub-Mariner, Namor first appeared in comics in 1939, while DC’s Aquaman debuted in 1941. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” also had the daunting task of presenting Namor’s origins in a way that swam clear of those seen in “Aquaman,” and of doing it a movie not meant to operate solely as an origin story. But before that happens, and thanks to Mejía’s nuanced performance in “Wakanda Forever,” Namor should be able to avoid many more comparisons to other oceanic demigods, and ride his own wave into the future.

☆ Gods and Kings in Mayan Art
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Peter Saenger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In 250, as the Roman Empire began to fall apart in Europe, Mayan civilization was steadily gaining in power and sophistication. “Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art,” opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Nov. 21, draws on recent archaeological finds to assemble nearly 100 artworks from the region, nearly half of which are on display in the U.S. for the first time. In the 9th century the Mayan population plummeted, for reasons that are still unclear, and much of Mayan culture was destroyed by the Spanish conquest in the early 1500s. Even today, however, many Mayans live near their ancestors’ homes and follow some of the ancient traditions. As co-curator Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos writes in the show’s catalog, much of what is known about the ceramic censers on display comes from contemporary Mayans.

A stunning tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” begins with the death of his character, T’Challa. While the trauma of the Talokans has bonded them together as a people, Shuri’s grief and rage have fueled self-isolation. Shuri also dismisses the Black Panther as a relic of the past. T’Challa’s death and Shuri’s anguished-filled reaction to the devastating loss, among others, are the catalysts upon which “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hinges. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” doesn’t ask Shuri, Namor or the audience to push past their anger and grief — it’s a constant in this film.

Black Panther fans nationwide will head to movie theaters this weekend for the much-awaited sequel and tribute to the iconic African superhero that had been embodied by the late Chadwick Boseman. But for many Latinos who want to see their own superhero epics on the silver screen, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a milestone that features Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, who is now poised to break into mainstream pop culture. The first Black Panther movie was a groundbreaking blockbuster in 2018 that not only focused primarily on Black characters, but also proved that mainstream audiences wanted to see more diversity in film. “Black Panther” grossed almost $1.35 billion worldwide, with 52% of that box office (just over $700 million) earned in the U.S. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” pits both kingdoms — Wakanda and Talokan — against each other as the outside world plots to tap into their exclusive reserves of vibranium.

☆ 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' review: Director Ryan Coogler pulls off a difficult dive after Chadwick Boseman's death
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In the parlance of Olympic diving – a good analogy for blockbuster movie-making – “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” faced an inordinate degree of difficulty, addressing the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. A scene from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." With other Marvel stalwarts having exited the universe post-“Endgame,” “Black Panther” appeared poised to become a focal point going forward. Whether “Wakanda Forever” can bridge that gap and position Marvel to fill that void remains to be seen. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” premieres November 11 in US theaters.

☆ Women lead Wakanda through turmoil in 'Black Panther' sequel
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, Nov 7 (Reuters) - At the start of the follow-up to 2018's groundbreaking Marvel movie "Black Panther," the kingdom of Wakanda is reeling. The beloved King T'Challa dies at the opening of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," a script change made after actor Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer in 2020 just before the sequel was due to start filming. "T'Challa surrounded himself with powerful women," actor Letitia Wright said in an interview ahead of the movie's global rollout that starts on Wednesday. "We see these women in this film step into another level of leadership, together." "Black Panther" broke ground as the first superhero movie with a predominantly Black cast.

☆ Could Mexico be on its way to electing its first woman president?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

MEXICO CITY — The most historic legacy of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a left-leaning resource nationalist who casts his administration as a turning point in the annals of Mexico, may be to pave the way for the country’s first woman leader. President Lopez Obrador’s popularity stems from his personal, austere, simple way of governing,” Sheinbaum said. Many of Lopez Obrador’s biggest public works look increasingly like they will not be completed on his watch. One cloud hanging over MORENA domination is Mexico City, a bastion of the Mexican left which unites the president, Sheinbaum and Ebrard, who succeeded Lopez Obrador as mayor. In May 2021, a Mexico City metro overpass collapsed, killing or injuring dozens of people.

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