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Westworld is an American science fiction western thriller television series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO. It is based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by American novelist Michael Crichton, and to a lesser extent on the 1976 sequel Futureworld. It is the second TV series based on the two films, the first being the short-lived 1980 series Beyond Westworld. Nolan and Joy serve as executive producers along with J. J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub, and Bryan Burk, with Nolan directing the pilot. The first season premiered on October 2, 2016, concluded on December 4, 2016, and consisted of ten episodes.[3] In November 2016, HBO renewed the show for a ten-episode second season,[4] which is set to premiere on April 22, 2018.[5]

The story takes place in the fictional Westworld, a technologically advanced Wild West-themed amusement park populated by android hosts. Westworld caters to high-paying guests, who may indulge in whatever they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the hosts.

The series' debut on HBO garnered the network's highest viewership ratings for a premiere since the first episode of True Detective in 2014 and Westworld ranks as the most-watched first season of an HBO original series ever.[6] Westworld has received largely positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and performances.

In the future, the Westworld theme park offers its visitors the opportunity to experience the Wild West in a large area of land that includes the frontier town of Sweetwater. The town and land are occupied by "hosts", androids indistinguishable from humans, with advanced programming following a pre-defined set of intertwining narratives, with the ability to deviate from these narratives as visitors interact with them. The hosts repeat these narratives anew each day, having their memories wiped of the previous day, until they are repurposed for other narratives or put away in storage for reuse later. For the visitors' safety, hosts are unable to harm any other living life forms, allowing visitors nearly unlimited freedom to engage in whatever activities they want without retribution, including sex and simulated murder with the hosts. A staff oversees the park, develops new narratives, and performs repairs on hosts as necessary.

The series begins as a routine update in the hosts' programming causes unusual deviations in their behavior that concerns the park's staff, with some of the hosts learning the truth about themselves and their world.

Warner Bros. had been considering a remake of Westworld since the early 1990s and after the departure of studio executive Jessica Goodman in 2011, the project was again under consideration.[45] Jerry Weintraub had been pushing for a remake for years and, after his success with HBO's Behind the Candelabra, he convinced the network to greenlight a pilot. He took the project to Jonathan Nolan and co-writer Lisa Joy, who saw the potential in the concept to make something far more ambitious,[46] and on August 31, 2013, it was announced that premium cable channel HBO had ordered a pilot for a potential television series version of the story, with Nolan, Joy, J. J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub and Bryan Burk as executive producers.[47]

HBO later announced that Westworld had been taken to series and that it would premiere in 2015.[48] In August 2015, HBO released the first teaser, which revealed it would premiere in 2016.[49] It is the second series based on Crichton's original story after the 1980s Beyond Westworld, which aired only three episodes on CBS before being cancelled.[50]

Abrams suggested that the show be told with the perspective of the "hosts" in mind.[51] Nolan took inspiration from video games like BioShock Infinite, Red Dead Redemption and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to deal with the narrative's moral component on a spectrum.[52] During the research, the films of Sergio Leone provided reference points for the characters and visuals, novels by Philip K. Dick informed them about dilemmas concerning artificial intelligence, and for world-building and interlocking narrative, they consulted the Grand Theft Auto games.[53]

Nolan explained the show would explore why "violence is in most of the stories we like to watch, but it isn't part of what we like to do" through the characters known as guests, who give payment to satisfy those urges.[54] The autonomous existence of non-player characters in video games influenced the approach to the individual storylines in Westworld that are reset in a continuous loop.[55] A recitation from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet"These violent delights have violent ends"[56]is made part of the show as a virus trigger within the hosts that alters how they perceive their existence.[57] The series explores ideas about the bicameral mind by Julian Jaynes, about the existence of two separate mindsone that gives instructions and another that performs them, and how consciousness comes from breaking down the wall between them by exposing the individual to new kinds of stimuli.[58]

Costume designer Ane Crabtree approached her work by focusing upon the actual historical attire of the Wild West from the 1850s to 1890s for inspiration, rather than Western films. Fabrics were custom-woven, dyed and printed for any actor with a speaking role to capture the intricacies of the costumes (most of which were manufactured from scratch in Upstate New York and Los Angeles). Hat designs were described as the most challenging part of the process.[59]

The 1973 film also included a Roman World and Medieval World, but Nolan has counted these out.[60] Ed Brubaker served on the writing staff as supervising producer,[61] co-writing the fourth episode with Nolan.[62]

The story has been planned to last up to five seasons by the writers and producers.[63]

The ten episodes of the first season were reportedly produced on a budget of approximately $100 million, with per-episode budgets somewhere between $8 million to $10 million, and the pilot episode alone costing $25 million to produce. HBO and Warner Bros. Television shared the cost of producing the series; HBO reportedly also paid an undisclosed licensing fee to Warner Bros. Television for broadcast rights.[64]

Anthony Hopkins and Evan Rachel Wood were the first cast members formally announced, taking on the roles of Dr. Robert Ford and Dolores Abernathy, respectively.[7] Jeffrey Wright, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bols Berdal, Angela Sarafyan, and Simon Quarterman were all announced as cast members in August 2014.[12] James Marsden and Eddie Rouse were also added to the cast.[10] Ed Harris was cast in a key villain role, known only as the Man in Black.[16] Other roles were filled by Demetrius Grosse, Kyle Bornheimer, Currie Graham, Lena Georgas, Steven Ogg, Timothy Lee DePriest, Ptolemy Slocum, Thandie Newton, and Miranda Otto.[8][11][20][65]

In July 2015, it was announced that Otto had departed the show due to her commitments to the fifth season of Homeland and she was replaced by Sidse Babett Knudsen. Additionally, three others were cast; Eion Bailey, Jimmi Simpson and Clifton Collins Jr.[14] Bailey was later replaced by Ben Barnes.[17] Talulah Riley was revealed to have a role as one of the hosts after her ex-husband Elon Musk had stated so on Twitter;[66] Riley will be promoted to series regular for the second season.[19]

After the last episode of the first season was broadcast, Nolan and Joy revealed that they had operated on a strict need-to-know basis with most of the actors, in order to "keep the story as fresh and present for them as possible."[67] For example, in Wood's case, they gave her strange acting directions without explaining why, and it took a while for Wood to infer she was actually playing five distinct characters within the same host: four different behavioral modes for Dolores, plus Wyatt.[68] However, Hopkins was made aware of Ford's general story arc up front (at the time he was pitched the role) to ensure he could fully convey the complexity of the character in his performance.[67][69] Even with that foreknowledge, Hopkins was initially given heavily redacted scripts, and he had to insist on access to entire unredacted scripts.[69]

Early on it was decided that the series would be shot on 35 mm film with assistance from HD taps, despite increasing difficulties in acquiring film stocks from the remaining manufacturers.[70] For a softer look, the filmmakers used Arri Zeiss master prime lenses with their coatings removed.[71] The series was primarily shot on Kodak motion picture film, which was processed by FotoKem in Burbank and scanned by Encore Hollywood to create digital intermediates of all takes suitable for use as dailies. The final cut was delivered to HBO in 2K JPEG digital format for broadcast and to Warner Bros. Television as a cut negative for archival purposes.[72]

Since much of the series is seen from the hosts' point of view,[73] Steadicams were used to film the whole first season, except for a couple of scenes in the last episode, where a handheld camera was used as a metaphor for hosts who broke free from their programming and acted of their own free will.[74] Filming for the show's pilot episode took place during a 22-day period[75] in August 2014 in and around Los Angeles[76] as well as Moab, Utah.[77]

Filming locations in California included various soundstages, backlots at both Universal Studios and Warner Bros., the Paramount Ranch in Agoura,[78] the Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita,[75][79] the Skirball Cultural Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles,[72] and the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.[80] The Melody Ranch set used for the town of Sweetwater had been used previously for many western films, such as Django Unchained and The Magnificent Seven, but was significantly upgraded for Westworld by production designer Zack Grobler to portray an idealized version of the American frontier.[79] Green screens were placed around the California sets to block modern objects like parking lots, so that the California shots could be later merged digitally with exterior shots from Utah.[79] For scenes showing the arrival of guests, the filmmakers were able to arrange with the Fillmore and Western Railway for the use of a small train originally built for the 2013 film The Lone Ranger. F&W also provided a few hundred feet of track on which to place the train; then a pusher vehicle was used to propel the train into the Sweetwater set. The scenes in the underground laboratory levels of Westworld's operations center were filmed on a soundstage at Melody Ranch. The lab set used glass walls extensively, which meant the crew had to be vigilant to avoid walking through glass on the rather dark set, and they had to keep identifying and suppressing unwanted reflections. Hawthorne Plaza was used for filming the "cold storage" level where decommissioned hosts are stored.[72]

For the show's large-scale exterior look, the producers drew inspiration from the work of John Ford, who shot four of his Western films in Castle Valley, east of Moab.[78] In early 2014, Nolan visited southern Utah with key crew members and a location scout to explore the possibility of filming there, and promptly fell in love with the place.[77] Location shooting for the pilot episode later occurred over five days in southern Utah,[77] including Castle Valley.[78] Most Utah locations, like Dead Horse Point State Park, were "walk-in" areas where both cast and crew were required to hike in and out with all their gear.[77] Horseback riding scenes were filmed at a private ranch, where the filmmakers were not subject to as many restrictions as when working on public land.[80] To seamlessly blend California sets with Utah scenery, set walls were shipped to Utah so that they could be used to film reverse angles of scenes originally filmed in California.[80] For example, conversations on the exterior balcony of Westworld's operations center were shot on a balcony at the Skirball Center facing towards the center, then reverse angles over the shoulders of the cast members were shot at Dead Horse Point, to make it seem as if the operations center was located on top of the state park's steep cliffs.[77][80][72] The train interior scenes were created by mounting the entire train car set on the back of a flatbed truck and driving the truck back and forth along Utah State Route 128.[77]

The 3D printing of hosts was shot utilizing almost entirely practical effects, of which some were polished by the visual effects team.[81] The show used real guns, although they were usually unloaded.[68] Out of respect for the actors and extras involved, filming of nudity was conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, a sex consultant was used.[82]

Production was temporarily halted for a couple of months in early 2016 so that showrunners Nolan and Joy could complete the scripts for the last four episodes of the first season.[83] The climax of the first season's finale was filmed at Paramount Ranch in April 2016, with approximately 300 people on set.[84] The crew spent 10 days in May striking the set, which included having to modify structures installed by the filmmakers, such as the chapel, so that HBO's "intellectual property" would not be "violated."[84]

Production on the second season began in July 2017.[22]

The series' title sequence was created by production studio Elastic, which had previously created the title sequences for Rome, Carnivle and Game of Thrones for HBO. Patrick Clair acted as creative director for the title sequence,[85][86] which took about five weeks to conceptualize.[87]

Clair met with Nolan and Joy in February 2016 to discuss its development. He was interested in their decision to approach the show's point of view from that of the hosts, deeming the result an inherent psychological study. Upon its inception, the sequence would translate elements present in the series via computer-aided design. For example, once Clair was sent footage by composer Ramin Djawadi of a player piano in motion, its actual counterpart, situated in the Westworld production office, was photographed and then reconstructed in computer-generated imagery.[56][87] Nolan also applied the self-playing instrument in reference to Kurt Vonnegut's first novel Player Piano. It was meant to represent the first Rube Goldberg machine to evoke human motion.[57] Clair saw the metaphor behind the player piano"a primitive form of robot"as an exploration into the disparity between man and machine "being created to be made redundant." Hosts that were bathed in white liquid struck Clair as a juxtaposition of the grit and grain of the Western genre with its basis in science fiction. Motifs of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man came about from Clair's wish to convey Westworld's depiction of the naked human body.[56] The sequence also references Chris Cunningham's 1999 music video for the Bjrk song "All Is Full of Love", in a way that Clair called "a bit shameless... because I worship Chris Cunningham and ... it seemed like the perfect place to do it because it was dealing with all the right themes and all the right aesthetics."[87]

The sequence commences with the rib cage of a horse, along with a set of hosts manufactured by industrial robots. The skeletal horse is shown in mid-gallop to subvert the iconography of such a depiction.[87] As for Clair's efforts in exposing the Western landscapes in connection with a world of robotics, he thought it sensible that it be done inside a single eye; craters and valleys are formed as the simulacrum of an iris.[56]

The music is composed by Ramin Djawadi, who also worked with showrunner Nolan on the TV series Person of Interest.[88] The main theme blends the use of bass notes, light arpeggios and melody, all of which complement the idea of an amusement park.[89] The first season soundtrack was released on December 5, 2016.[90]

Djawadi spoke about the modern songs used in the show, stating, "The show has an anachronistic feel to it, it's a Western theme park, and yet it has robots in it, so why not have modern songs? And that's a metaphor in itself, wrapped up in the overall theme of the show",[91] but credited Nolan with coming up with the idea.[92]

Player piano and strings renditions featured in Westworld include Radiohead's "No Surprises",[93] "Fake Plastic Trees", "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and "Exit Music (For a Film)",[94] Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black",[57] Scott Joplin's "Pine Apple Rag"[95] and "Peacherine Rag", Claude Debussy's "Reverie L.68",[96] The Cure's "A Forest",[97] The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun", Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" and Nine Inch Nails' "Something I Can Never Have".[98] Licensing costs ranged from $15,000 to $55,000.[99]

The series premiered October 2, 2016 in North America and Australia,[100][101][102] and on October 4, 2016 in the UK and Ireland.[103] The series is broadcast on HBO in the United States, on HBO Canada in Canada, on HBO Latin America in Mexico, in Australia on Showcase,[104][102] and in the UK and Ireland on Sky Atlantic.[103]

The second episode was released on HBO in the US on October 7two days ahead of the episode's announced broadcast dateto avoid competing with the second U.S. presidential debate of 2016.[105][106]

Prior to the airing of Westworld, HBO held virtual reality exhibits at events like San Diego Comic-Con and Techcrunch Disrupt devoted to Westworld: A Delos Destination. Attendees were allowed to navigate the process by which guests would enter Westworld, and interact with the 3D environment.[57][107][108] Made to run on the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, the piece was conceived by showrunners Nolan and Joy. It was designed using Unreal Engine 4, combining computer-generated content and live action 360-degree video. Users received a binary code, permitting access to the website DiscoverWestworld.com as part of a viral marketing campaign. Visitors were shown a trailer of a fictional travel site, leading them to order a trip to Westworld. A chatbot featured on the website, named Aeden, is available as a Google Assistant action on the smart speaker Google Home.[109]

The first season of Westworld (subtitled The Maze) was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on November 7, 2017. It is the first scripted TV series to be released on 4K Blu-ray in the United States.[110]

Reception of the series has been largely positive, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and performances.[111][112][113] On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 88% based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 8.13/10, and an average episode score of 94%. The site's consensus reads "With an impressive level of quality that honors its source material, the brilliantly addictive Westworld balances intelligent, enthralling drama against outright insanity."[114] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[115]

The editors of TV Guide placed Westworld fifth among the top ten picks for the most anticipated new shows of the 201617 season. In writer Tim Surette's overall review, he notes the perfect concept of blending the western premise into a futuristic setting, saying, "Well, Westworld has both, ensuring that it will be an exciting mashup of genres that will disrupt a television landscape that typically says we can only have one or the other." He also added, "The look of the show and its fine cast swing open the saloon doors, but the real treat will be the intelligent discussion of whether or not robots will eventually kill us all. Thankfully, creator Jonathan Nolan already showed us he's the go-to guy for A.I. with Person of Interest."[116] Mary McNamara of Los Angeles Times wrote in a lauded review, "It isnt just great television, its vivid, thought-provoking television that entertains even as it examines the darker side of entertainment."[117] Writing for San Francisco Chronicle, David Wiegand said, "Westworld isnt easy to understand at first, but you will be hooked nonetheless by unusually intelligent storytelling, powerful visuals and exceptionally nuanced performances."[118] Time's chief critic Daniel D'Addario wrote, "Its carefully chosen details add up to a pulp spectacular thats more thoughtful than any other of this falls new dramas."[119]

Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly also lauded the series and said, "The depth of Westworld lies not in asking questions about memory, free will, and what makes us human, but in whether we can become more human than what we let ourselves to be, whether our stories can be richer and more meaningful than what the culture allows."[120] Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe quipped, "Westworld has fewer heroes than Game of Thrones, which makes it a bit harder to warm up to, but like a good, thought-provoking puzzle, it is compelling and addictive."[121] In a brief review from The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Goodman said, "Where Westworld is at its best is in the deeper issues that will unspool slowly, like a good mystery. Early episodes are adept at getting at the base attractions of the park and why people would come, but also in setting up a sense of confusion about motives. ... The series benefits from a number of standout performances."[122] Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote, "The reward, beyond the visual splendors youve come to expect from big-budget HBO productions, is a set of characters who grow ever more complex."[123] Several other publications wrote positive reviews, including Indiewire,[124] The A.V. Club,[125] RogerEbert.com,[126] The New Yorker,[127] and The Atlantic.[128]

However, in a moderate review for The New York Times, chief critic James Poniewozik said, "Its an ambitious, if not entirely coherent, sci-fi shoot-em-up that questions nihilistic entertainment impulses while indulging them."[129] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post also joins Poniewozik saying, "Westworld off as a dreary trot from start to finish; parts of it are as imaginative and intriguing as anything thats been on TV recently, particularly in the sci-fi realm," and further said, "Its definitely not the cyborg Deadwood, that some HBO fans were actively wishing for, nor does it roll out the welcome mat as a riveting, accessible adventure."[130] Chief journalist Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also critiqued the show less favorably saying, "It is the definition of a slow-burn series, a program that should be exciting rendered as kind of dull."[131] In a less enthusiastic review for Variety, Maureen Ryan said, "Westworld looks terrific; its directors have shot its Western locations to stunning effect. But its warmly saturated outdoor scenes and its surface slickness arent enough to mask the indecision, condescension, and hollowness at its core."[132]

The series premiere had viewership numbers slightly less than those for True Detective, but much better than Vinyl, that meant it was seen as "...off to a relatively promising start..."[142][143] Mandy Adams, of iTechPost noted that, "Emotional reactions on Twitter were estimated to be 545-percent greater compared to the debut of Vinyl and 326-percent higher than the latest The Leftovers season."[144] The U.S. series premiere attracted 1.96 million viewers, with 0.8 million in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic.[33] The premiere episode received 3.3 million viewers for its three Sunday night airings as well as on HBO's streaming platforms.[145] The season one finale received 2.2 million viewers for its initial broadcast, and increased to 3.5 million including replays and on-demand viewing. The first season had an average cumulative viewership of 12 million viewers, making it the most-watched first season of an HBO series,[6] and TorrentFreak gauged Westworld as the third most-torrented television show of 2016.[146]

Westworld has been nominated for 22 Emmy Awards,[147] 3 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Satellite Awards, 4 Critics' Choice Television Awards, and 2 Writers Guild of America Awards.

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Not to be confused with Capgras delusion, in which a person believes that a loved one has been replaced by an impostor.

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a concept describing individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud". The term was coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes.[1] Despite external evidence of their competence, those exhibiting the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they really are. While early research focused on the prevalence among high-achieving women,[1] impostor syndrome has been found to affect both men and women, in roughly equal numbers.[2][3]

The impostor syndrome tends to be studied as a reaction to certain stimuli and events. It is not perceived to be a mental disorder, but it has been the topic of research for many psychologists. Though traditionally perceived as an ingrained personality trait, impostor syndrome has more recently been studied as a reaction to certain situations. Under this interpretation, it is a response experienced by many different people to situations that prompt such feelings. Though certain people are more prone to impostor feelings, experience them more intensely than most, and can be identified through the use of personality scales, evidence does not support impostor syndrome to be a distinct personality trait.[4]

The term "impostor syndrome" first appeared in an article written by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes who observed many high-achieving women tended to believe they were not intelligent, and that they were over-evaluated by others.[1] Another framework for understanding impostor syndrome is to rename it "impostor experience". In the words of Clance, "If I could do it all over again, I would call it the impostor experience, because it's not a syndrome or a complex or a mental illness, it's something almost everyone experiences."[5] Reframing the vocabulary shifts one's perspective to help them understand they are not isolated in this experience.

Impostor experience can take form differently for everyone. Some common signs that someone may be feeling like an impostor are:[6]

Impostor experience can present itself through thoughts such as:[7]

Impostor experience may be accompanied by anxiety, stress, or depression.[1]

Psychological research done in the early 1980s estimated that two out of five successful people consider themselves frauds and other studies have found that 70 percent of all people feel like impostors at one time or another. It is not considered a psychological disorder, and is not among the conditions described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (commonly known as the DSM). The term was coined by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978.[1]

People who have reportedly experienced the syndrome include multiple-award-winning writer Maya Angelou,[8] Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks,[9] actress Michelle Pfeiffer,[10] screenwriter Chuck Lorre,[11] best-selling writer Neil Gaiman,[12][13] best-selling writer John Green, comedian Tommy Cooper,[14] business leader Sheryl Sandberg, US Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor,[15] actress Emma Watson,[16] and entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes.[17]

The impostor syndrome is particularly common among high-achievers. Another demographic group that often suffers from this phenomenon is African Americans. Being the beneficiary of affirmative action may cause a person who belongs to a visible minority to doubt their own abilities and suspect that their skills were not what allowed them to be hired.[20] Impostor syndrome has been commonly reported by graduate students and scientists beginning tenure track positions.[21]

Imes and Clance's theory suggests several behaviours of high-achieving women with impostor syndrome:[1]

While studies primarily focused on women, recent studies have suggested that men may also be prone to impostor syndrome on similar levels.[3][5] Clance, who coined the term while studying women, suggested that the syndrome may be equally prevalent in males, although she proposed that men process and act on it in different ways to women.[2]

A study by Queena Hoang suggested as example people of color may experience impostor syndrome as a result of suspecting they were given their position by affirmative action.[22] The research regarding impostor experience has traditionally highlighted groups who are excelling in areas that were not always readily accessible to them.[1] Likewise, said students have not always had access to institutions of higher education, which is another source that can create feelings of being an impostor.[23]

In 2013, a study conducted at the University of Texas at Austin revealed that Asian-American students are more likely than African-American or Latino students to experience feelings of being an impostor in college. This is potentially dangerous because correlational analyses showed that impostor feelings amongst underrepresented college students was a strong predictor of mental health issues.[24] It may be hard to outwardly identify these students because students who express feeling symptoms of impostor syndrome are "often the most energetic, bright, and hardworking students amongst their peers".[22]

Some scholars have argued that feelings of impostor experience are potentially healthy and beneficial for career trajectory. This belief stems from understanding that everyone has a comfort zone, and personal/professional growth is likely to occur when one steps out of their comfort zone.[25]

Impostor syndrome is not a formal mental disorder and does not have a standard definition, therefore there has not been a clear consensus as to treatment options available.[26] The syndrome has affected approximately 70% of the population worldwide;[27] however, it often goes unrecognized.[28] If it is not addressed, victims can develop anxiety, stress, low self-confidence, depression, shame and self-doubt.[26][29][30][31][32] People who suffer from impostor syndrome tend to reflect and dwell upon extreme failure, mistakes and negative feedback from others. If not addressed, impostor syndrome can limit exploration and the courage to delve into new experiences, in fear of exposing failure.[28][33]

A number of management options are available to ease impostor syndrome. The most prominent is to discuss the topic with other individuals early on in the career path.[28][22] Mentors can discuss experiences where impostor syndrome was prevalent.[28][30] Most people who experience impostor syndrome are unaware that others feel inadequate as well. Once the situation is addressed, victims no longer feel alone in their negative experience. It is also noted that reflecting upon impostor feelings is key to overcoming this burden.[34] Making a list of accomplishments, positive feedback and success stories will also aid to manage impostor syndrome.[22] Finally, developing a strong support system that provides feedback on performance and has discussions about impostor syndrome on a regular basis is imperative for those experiencing impostorship.[30][33]

Impostor experience can be addressed with many kinds of psychotherapy.[35][36][37] Group psychotherapy is an especially common and effective way of alleviating the impostor experience.[38][39]

Writing therapy allows the person to organize their thoughts in writing.[40] The written record of the person's objective accomplishments can enable the person to associate those accomplishments with reality, rather than simply dismissing the accomplishments internally. The written record can also remind the person of those accomplishments later. By these methods, writing therapy may alleviate the person's sense of inadequacy.[41]

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According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Bible, Armageddon (, from Ancient Greek: Harmagedn,[1][2] Late Latin: Armagedn,[3] from Hebrew: Har Megiddo) is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or a symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario.

"Mount" Tel Megiddo is not actually a mountain, but a tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot)[4] on which ancient forts were built to guard the Via Maris, an ancient trade route linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia. Megiddo was the location of various ancient battles, including one in the 15th century BC and one in 609 BC. Modern Megiddo is a town approximately 25 miles (40km) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee in the Kishon River area in Israel.[5]

The word Armageddon appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in Revelation 16:16. The word is translated to Greek from Hebrew har mgidd ( ), har (Strong H2022) meaning "a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively): - hill (country), mount (-ain), X promotion." This is a shortened form of Harar (Strong H2042) "to loom up; a mountain; -hill, mount". Megiddo (Strong H4023) /meg-id-do'/ "Megiddon or Megiddo, a place of crowds.")[6] The name refers to a fortification made by King Ahab (869-50 BC) that dominated the Plain of Jezreel.[7]

Megiddo is mentioned twelve times in the Old Testament, ten times in reference to the ancient city of Megiddo, and twice with reference to "the plain of Megiddo", most probably simply meaning "the plain next to the city".[8] None of these Old Testament passages describes the city of Megiddo as being associated with any particular prophetic beliefs. The one New Testament reference to the city of Armageddon found in Revelation 16:16 in fact also makes no specific mention of any armies being predicted to one day gather in this city, but instead seems to predict only that "they (will gather) the kings together to .... Armageddon".[9] The text does however seem to imply, based on the text from the earlier passage of Revelation 16:14, that the purpose of this gathering of kings in the "place called Armageddon" is "for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty". Because of the seemingly highly symbolic and even cryptic language of this one New Testament passage, some Christian scholars conclude that Mount Armageddon must be an idealized location.[10] Rushdoony says, "There are no mountains of Megiddo, only the Plains of Megiddo. This is a deliberate destruction of the vision of any literal reference to the place."[11] Other scholars, including C. C. Torrey, Kline and Jordan argue that the word is derived from the Hebrew moed (), meaning "assembly". Thus, "Armageddon" would mean "Mountain of Assembly," which Jordan says is "a reference to the assembly at Mount Sinai, and to its replacement, Mount Zion."[10]

The traditional viewpoint interprets this Bible prophecy to be symbolic of the progression of the world toward the "great day of God, the Almighty" in which the great looming mountain of God's just and holy wrath is poured out against unrepentant sinners, led by Satan, in a literal end-of-the-world final confrontation. Armageddon is the symbolic name given to this event based on scripture references regarding divine obliteration of God's enemies. The hermeneutical method supports this position by referencing Judges 4 and 5 where God miraculously destroys the enemy of His elect, Israel, at Megiddo, also called the Valley of Josaphat.[citation needed]

Christian scholar William Hendriksen says:

For this cause, Har Magedon is the symbol of every battle in which, when the need is greatest and believers are oppressed, the Lord suddenly reveals His power in the interest of His distressed people and defeats the enemy. When Sennacherib's 185,000 are slain by the Angel of Jehovah, that is a shadow of the final Har-Magedon. When God grants a little handful of Maccabees a glorious victory over an enemy which far outnumbers it, that is a type of Har-Magedon. But the real, the great, the final Har Magedon coincides with the time of Satans little season. Then the world, under the leadership of Satan, anti-Christian government, and anti-Christian religion the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet is gathered against the Church for the final battle, and the need is greatest; when God's children, oppressed on every side, cry for help; then suddenly, dramatically, Christ will appear on the clouds of glory to deliver his people; that is Har-Magedon.[12]

The Dispensational viewpoint interprets biblical prophecy literally and expects that the fulfillment of prophecy will also be literal, depending upon the context of scripture. In his discussion of Armageddon, J. Dwight Pentecost has devoted an entire chapter to the subject, titled "The Campaign of Armageddon", in which he discusses Armageddon as a campaign and not a specific battle, which will be fought in the Middle East. Pentecost writes:

It has been held commonly that the battle of Armageddon is an isolated event transpiring just prior to the second advent of Christ to the earth. The extent of this great movement in which God deals with "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" (Rev. 16:14) will not be seen unless it is realized that the "battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14)[13] is not an isolated battle, but rather a campaign that extends over the last half of the tribulation period. The Greek word "polemo", translated "battle" in Revelation 16:14, signifies a war or campaign, while "mach" signifies a battle, and sometimes even single combat. This distinction is observed by Trench, (see Richard C. Trench, New Testament Synonyms, pp.301-2) and is followed by Thayer (see Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 528) and Vincent (see Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, II, 541). The use of the word polemos (campaign) in Revelation 16:14 would signify that the events that culminate in the gathering at Armageddon at the second advent are viewed by God as one connected campaign.

Pentecost, p.340

Pentecost then discusses the location of this campaign, and mentions the "hill of Megiddo" and other geographic locations such as "the valley of Jehoshaphat"[14] and "the valley of the passengers",[15] "Lord coming from Edom or Idumea, south of Jerusalem, when He returns from the judgment"; and Jerusalem itself.[16][17]

Pentecost further describes the area involved:

This wide area would cover the entire land of Israel and this campaign, with all its parts, would confirm what Ezekiel pictures when he says the invaders will 'cover the land'.[18] This area would conform to the extent pictured by John in Revelation 14:20."[19]

Pentecost then outlines the biblical time period for this campaign to occur and with further arguments concludes that it must take place with the 70th week of Daniel. The invasion of Israel by the Northern Confederacy "will bring the Beast and his armies to the defense of Israel as her protector". He then uses Daniel to further clarify his thinking: (Dan. 11:40b-45).[20]

Again, events are listed by Pentecost in his book:

After the destruction of the Beast at the Second Coming of Jesus, the promised Kingdom is set up, in which Jesus and the Saints will rule for a thousand years. Satan is then loosed "for a season" and goes out to deceive the nations, specifically, Gog and Magog.[27] The army mentioned attacks the Saints in the New Jerusalem, they are defeated by a judgment of fire coming down from Heaven, and then comes the Great White Throne judgment, which includes all of those through the ages[28] and these are cast into the Lake of Fire, which event is also known as the "second death" and Gehenna, not to be confused with Hell, which is Satan's domain. Pentecost describes this as follows:

The destiny of the lost is a place in the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8). This lake of fire is described as everlasting fire (Matt. 25:41)[29] (Matt. 18:8)[30] and as unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43-44),[31] 46-48,[32] emphasizing the eternal character of retribution of the lost.

Pentecost, p. 555

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Armageddon is the means by which God will fulfill his purpose for the Earth to be populated with happy healthy humans free of sin and death.[33] They teach that the armies of heaven will eradicate all who oppose the Kingdom of God, wiping out all wicked humans on Earth, leaving only righteous mankind.[34]

They believe that the gathering of all the nations of the earth refers to the uniting of the world's political powers, as a gradual process beginning in 1914 and seen later in manifestations such as the League of Nations and the United Nations following the First and Second World Wars.[35] These political powers are said to be influenced by Satan and his demons in opposition to God's kingdom.[33] Babylon the Great is interpreted as the world empire of false religion, and that it will be destroyed by the beast just prior to Armageddon.[36][37] Witnesses believe that after all other religions have been destroyed, the governments will turn to persecute them, and that God will then intervene, precipitating Armageddon.[38]

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the armies of heaven, led by Jesus, will then destroy all forms of human government and then Jesus, along with a selected 144,000 humans, will rule Earth for 1,000 years.[39] They believe that Satan and his demons will be bound for that period, unable to influence mankind. After the 1,000 years are ended, and the second resurrection has taken place, Satan is released and allowed to tempt the perfect human race one last time. Those who follow Satan are destroyed, along with him, leaving the earth, and humankind at peace with God forever, free of sin and death.[40]

The religion's current teaching on Armageddon originated in 1925 with former Watch Tower Society president J. F. Rutherford, who based his interpretations on the books of Exodus, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Psalms as well as additional material from the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. The doctrine marked a further break from the teachings of Watch Tower Society founder Charles Taze Russell, who for decades had taught that the final war would be an anarchistic struggle for domination on earth.[41] Tony Wills, author of a historical study of Jehovah's Witnesses, claimed that Rutherford seemed to relish his descriptions of how completely the wicked would be destroyed at Armageddon, dwelling at great length on prophecies of destruction. He stated that towards the close of his ministry Rutherford allocated about half the space available in The Watchtower magazines to discussion of Armageddon.[42]

The teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church state that the terms "Armageddon", "Day of the Lord" and "The Second Coming of Christ" all describe the same event.[43] Seventh-day Adventists further teach that the current religious movements taking place in the world are setting the stage for Armageddon, and they are concerned by an anticipated unity between spiritualism, American Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. A further significant difference in Seventh-day Adventist theology is the teaching that the events of Armageddon will leave the earth desolate for the duration of the millennium.[44] They teach that the righteous will be taken to heaven while the rest of humanity will be destroyed, leaving Satan with no one to tempt and effectively "bound."[45] The final re-creation of a "new heaven and a new earth."[46] then follows the millennium.

For Christadelphians, Armageddon marks the "great climax of history when the nations would be gathered together 'into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon', and the judgment on them would herald the setting up of the Kingdom of God." [47]

In Islam, Armageddon is viewed as a spiritual battle or struggle in the present age between the forces of good, i.e. righteousness, purity and virtue, and the forces of evil. The final struggle between the two comes as satanic influence is let loose with the emergence of Gog and Magog. Satan gathers all his powers, and uses all his methods to mislead people, introducing an age where iniquity, promiscuity, atheism, and materialism abound.

Muslims believe that God appointed Promised Messiah and Mahdi for the spiritual reformation and moral direction of mankind. A brief time of serenity (before the final Day of Judgement) will follow; it is characterized by the assembling of mankind under one faith, Islam.

From Bah' literature a number of interpretations of the expectations surrounding the Battle of Armageddon may be inferred, three of them being associated with events surrounding the World Wars.[48]

The first interpretation deals with a series of tablets written by Bah'u'llh, founder of the Bah' Faith, to be sent to various kings and rulers.[48] The second, and best-known one, relates to events near the end of World War I involving General Allenby and the Battle of Megiddo (1918) wherein World Powers are said to have drawn soldiers from many parts of the world to engage in battle at Megiddo. In winning this battle Allenby also prevented the Turks from killing 'Abdu'l-Baha, then head of the Baha'i Faith, whom they had intended to crucify.[49] A third interpretation reviews the overall progress of the World Wars, and the situation in the world before and after.[48]

The idea that a final Battle of Armageddon will be fought at Tel Megiddo has had a wide influence, especially in the US. According to Donald E. Wagner, Professor of Religion and Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at North Park University, Ronald Reagan was an adherent of "Armageddon theology," and "seemed to blend his political analysis with his Armageddon theology quite naturally."[50]

An American militia group called Hutaree, based on the idea that it will soon defend itself from the Antichrist's armies, received wide attention in 2010, when several members were indicted for plotting to kill a police officer and plant roadside bombs along the funeral procession.[51] The charges were dismissed.

Coordinates: 32354.64N 35110.58E / 32.5846222N 35.1834944E / 32.5846222; 35.1834944]

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http://www.wikipedia.org

M.2, formerly known as the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), is a specification for internally mounted computer expansion cards and associated connectors. It replaces the mSATA standard, which uses the PCI Express Mini Card physical card layout and connectors. M.2's more flexible physical specification allows different module widths and lengths, and, paired with the availability of more advanced interfacing features, makes the M.2 more suitable than mSATA for solid-state storage applications in general and particularly for the use in small devices such as ultrabooks or tablets.[1][2][3]

Computer bus interfaces provided through the M.2 connector are PCI Express3.0 (up to four lanes), Serial ATA3.0, and USB3.0 (a single logical port for each of the latter two). It is up to the manufacturer of the M.2 host or device to select which interfaces are to be supported, depending on the desired level of host support and device type. The M.2 connector has different keying notches that denote various purposes and capabilities of M.2 hosts and modules, preventing plugging of M.2 modules into feature-incompatible host connectors.[1][2][4]

In addition to supporting legacy Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) at the logical interface level, M.2 specification also supports NVM Express (NVMe) as the logical device interface for M.2 PCI Express SSDs. While the support for AHCI ensures software-level backward compatibility with legacy SATA devices and legacy operating systems, NVM Express is designed to fully utilize the capability of high-speed PCI Express storage devices to perform many I/O operations in parallel.[1]:14[5]

Buses exposed through the M.2 connector are PCI Express3.0, Serial ATA (SATA)3.0 and USB3.0, which is backward compatible with USB2.0. As a result, M.2 modules can integrate multiple functions, including the following device classes: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, satellite navigation, near field communication (NFC), digital radio, Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), wireless WAN (WWAN), and solid-state drives (SSDs).[6] The SATA revision 3.2 specification, in its gold revision as of August2013[update], standardizes the M.2 as a new format for storage devices and specifies its hardware layout.[1]:12[7]

The M.2 specification provides up to four PCI Express lanes and one logical SATA3.0 (6Gbit/s) port, and exposes them through the same connector so both PCI Express and SATA storage devices may exist in the form of M.2 modules. Exposed PCI Express lanes provide a pure PCI Express connection between the host and storage device, with no additional layers of bus abstraction.[8]PCI-SIG M.2 specification, in its revision 1.0 as of December2013[update], provides detailed M.2 specifications.[1]:12[9]

There are three options available for the logical device interfaces and command sets used for interfacing with M.2 storage devices, which may be used depending on the type of M.2 storage device and available operating system support:[1]:14[5][8]

The M.2 standard has been designed as a revision and improvement to the mSATA standard, with the possibility of larger printed circuit boards (PCBs) as one of its primary incentives. While the mSATA took advantage of the existing PCI Express Mini Card (Mini PCIe) form factor and connector, M.2 has been designed from the ground up to maximize usage of the PCB space while minimizing the module footprint. As the result of the M.2 standard allowing longer modules and double-sided component population, M.2 SSD devices can provide larger storage capacities and can also double the storage capacity within the footprints of mSATA devices.[1]:20,2223[3][10]

M.2 modules are rectangular, with an edge connector on one side (75 positions with up to 67 pins, 0.5mm pitch, pins overlap on different sides of the PCB), and a semicircular mounting hole at the center of the opposite edge. Each pin on the connector is rated for up to 50V and 0.5A, while the connector itself is specified to endure up to 60 mating cycles.[citation needed] The M.2 standard allows module widths of 12, 16, 22 and 30mm, and lengths of 16, 26, 30, 38, 42, 60, 80 and 110mm. Initial line-up of the commercially available M.2 expansion cards is 22mm wide, with varying lengths of 30, 42, 60, 80 and 110mm.[2][4][11][12]

Example codes: 2242 22mm wide, 42mm long, 2280 22mm wide, 80mm long.

An M.2 module is installed into a mating connector provided by the host's circuit board, and a single mounting screw secures the module into place. Usually suitable screws are provided with the hardware component on which the M.2 module is mounted (circuit board, M.2 to PCI-E adapter, etc.). The screw specifications for thread, length, and head-type can vary depending on the hardware manufacturer. Most commonly M2x3 screws with flat-head are used for this purpose (Thread diameter 2.0mm, length 3.0mm, thread-pitch 0.4mm). Components may be mounted on either side of the module, with the actual module type limiting how thick the components can be; the maximum allowable thickness of components is 1.5mm per side. Different host-side connectors are used for single- and double-sided M.2 modules, providing different amounts of space between the M.2 expansion card and the host's PCB.[3][4][11] Circuit boards on the hosts are usually designed to accept multiple lengths of M.2 modules, which means that the sockets capable of accepting longer M.2 modules usually also accept shorter ones by providing different positions for the mounting screw.[13][14]

PCB of an M.2 module provides a 75-position edge connector; depending on the type of module, certain pin positions are removed to present one or more keying notches. Host-side M.2 connectors (sockets) may populate one or more mating key positions, determining the type of modules accepted by the host; as of April2014[update], host-side connectors are available with only one mating key position populated (either B or M).[4][11][16] Furthermore, M.2 sockets keyed for SATA or two PCI Express lanes (PCIe2) are referred to as "socket2 configuration" or "socket2", while the sockets keyed for four PCI Express lanes (PCIe4) are referred to as "socket3 configuration" or "socket3".[1]:15[17]

For example, M.2 modules with two notches in B and M positions use up to two PCI Express lanes and provide broader compatibility at the same time, while the M.2 modules with only one notch in the M position use up to four PCI Express lanes; both examples may also provide SATA storage devices. Similar keying applies to M.2 modules that utilize provided USB3.0 connectivity.[4][16][18]

Various types of M.2 devices are denoted using the "WWLL-HH-K-K" or "WWLL-HH-K" naming schemes, in which "WW" and "LL" specify the module width and length in millimeters, respectively. The "HH" part specifies, in an encoded form, whether a module is single- or double-sided, and the maximum allowed thickness of mounted components; possible values are listed in the right table above. Module keying is specified by the "K-K" part, in an encoded form using the key IDs from the left table above; it can also be specified as "K" only, if a module has only one keying notch.[4][11]

Beside socketed modules, the M.2 standard also includes the option for having permanently soldered single-sided modules.[11]

M.2 sockets with an "E" slot support Dual-Band Wireless LAN/Bluetooth cards (2230 or 1216).[19]

Link:
M.2 - Wikipedia

The Channel 5 shows plan was to send whoever had received the lowest number of votes home in the last hurdle before the final, after presenter Emma Willis shared the news earlier this week.

But unfortunately, the person in charge of updating the reality shows page is believed to have put up an announcement that revealed the star who had gone.

The statement read that Jemma Lucy was the eighth housemate to be evicted on Day 23, but it has since been deleted.

The news may come as a huge disappointment for producers of the series, as they were keeping extremely tightlipped over the reveal.

CHANNEL 5

CHANNEL 5

CHANNEL 5

Jemma Lucy is the eighth housemate to be evicted on Day 23

Wikipedia

As well as keeping any information of the twist off of press releases, they have been trying to ensure a social media blackout so that fans can experience the shock firsthand, according to reports.

But if its true, fans still have more of the Ex on the Beach star to come, as the star will be seen enjoying a cheeky kiss with Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding in tonights episode.

While it appears the smooch is part of another one of the housemates games, viewers will be surprised given the notorious amount of fiery arguments between the pair.

In one recent altercation, the brunette slammed her rival and claimed her singing was out of tune.

Channel 5

1 of 18

Sarah Harding and Chad Johnson kiss in the kitchen

CHANNEL 5

Sarah was singing loudly on the sofas when Jemma asked: Is it just me, or is that out of tune?

But while ex-EastEnders star Shaun Williamson attempted to play peacekeeper by saying it was actually the fault of the air-con, it only made a brief respite in the womens constant feuding.

Express.co.uk has contacted a representative for Channel 5 asking for comment.

Celebrity Big Brothercontinues tonight at pm on Channel 5, with the finale airing tomorrow.

Continued here:
Celebrity Big Brother 2017: Wikipedia RUINS final eviction twist by 'REVEALING' who leaves - Express.co.uk