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Discovery takes ‘Atlas’ into the 3D realm
MUMBAI: Discovery has announced that its show Atlas 4D will return for a new season later this year in 3D for the first time.
Atlas 4D transports viewers through millions of years of evolving geology and climate – past, present and future. In this three hour special event, dynamic regions are featured and explained, including the African Great Rift Valley, the Mediterranean and the islands of Hawaii. Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) is producing the original three-part special for Discovery.
Atlas 4D travels across time to tell the science and history of each locale, uncovering connections between the landscape, natural history and indigenous peoples. Previously unknown connections include how the spread of Islam sparked the Italian Renaissance, how an ancient ice age provided Polynesian settlers in Hawaii with a breakthrough technology and how the formation of the Rift Valley forced a crucial evolutionary step for humankind.
Discovery Channel president, GM Clark Bunting says, “Atlas 4D is going to amaze viewers as they see the ‘how‘ and ‘why‘ of some of the globe‘s most riveting locales. We believe that ‘discovery‘ is not just our name, it is our overarching mission. “The 4D time-machine is an extremely innovative filmmaking technique and Darlow Smithson is leading the pack in this field. This type of creative tool enables us to tell science and history stories and enhances John Hendrick‘s vision of telling the world‘s stories in a new and riveting way.”
Atlas first premiered in 2006. The brainchild of Discovery founder and chairman John Hendricks, the broadcaster says that the show was the most ambitious high-definition television project ever to go into production.
The special event series combined photography and special effects to paint a record of civilizations and geographies. Hendricks‘ on-air vision grew into robust educational offerings with teaching materials and resources still being used in classrooms around the world.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
