Friendships aren't just about those you sit with on the school bus or play alongside on your childhood baseball team — they are a core component of the human experience, experts say. But making and retaining deep, meaningful friendships as an adult is hard, especially for men, according to research.

There's a scene in episode 7 of Andor that had me reeling. It starts out weird. Cassian Andor, our titular antihero, having pulled off an impossible heist on the Galactic Empire, was doing what any reasonable criminal would do in the aftermath: partying it up in what can only be described as "Space Ibiza." Getting boozed up by night, lounging off the hangover at the beach by day. A strange vibe for a universe usually dialed in on space wizards duking it out with laser swords.

Some people are perfectionists, going great lengths and through punishing routines to achieve the perfect figure, the perfect score, the inimitable performance. But there are cultures around the world that have learned to abandon this rigid and obsessive behavior, and embrace the concept of imperfection. Artists and craftsmen of such cultures would deliberately introduce flaws into their works to remind themselves that flaws are an integral part of being human.

A few months ago, I was infected by coronavirus and my first symptoms were bodily. But as the sore throat and cough receded, I was left feeling gloomy, lethargic and brain-foggy for about a week. An infection of my body had morphed into a short-lived experience of depressive and cognitive symptoms – there was no clear-cut distinction between my physical and mental health.

IN 2018, Instagram personality Lil Miquela joined the likes of Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, and Donald Trump on Time’s list of “25 Most Influential People on the Internet.” One of those four is not like the other. And we’re not talking about the FBI’s current person of interest, either.

Many remember the intensity and incredible spirit of the people of Hong Kong during the 2019 protests that went viral all over our screens. Thousands of everyday citizens took to the streets to protest Chinese use of excessive force and an aggressive legislative takeover that went against Hong Kong’s Basic Law. Beginning in March 2019 with a sit-in at government headquarters following an amendment to the extradition policy to mainland China, the demonstrations went on and on with mounting grievances.

To the outside world, few careers are as glamorous as modeling. Access to the hottest trends, a seemingly endless stream of perks and benefits, and the chance to hang with A-list celebrities (maybe even becoming a celebrity in your own right), is what aspiring fashionistas dream of.

When anyone mentions Brian Cox, the first question invariably asked is: which Brian Cox are you talking about? Do you mean Prof Brian Cox, physicist, or actor Brian Cox, from Succession? So imagine how annoying it must be for professor Brian and actor Brian Cox! Which got us thinking: what would happen if we invited both Brians to sit down together for a lengthy chat – something they’ve never done before?

Following an outcry, Disney announced Wednesday that they will allow political ads to run on their streaming service Hulu in the lead-up to the midterm elections. “After a thorough review of ad policies across its linear networks and streaming platforms over the last few months, Disney is now aligning Hulu’s political advertising policies to be consistent with the company’s general entertainment and sports cable networks and ESPN+,” Disney said in a statement released Wednesday (via Variety).

The creators behind the greatest fictional deaths of all time on the scenes they can’t forget.

Russia is looking into the possibility of developing a national video game engine to support the country’s developers should American companies like Unreal Engine creator Epic Games and Unity Technologies refuse to do business with them over the Russian government’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, Kommersant reports. (h/t eXputer)

When Robert G. Heft was 17, he made a flag. In March 1959, Heft was a high school junior in Lancaster, Ohio, and the standard United States flag still had 48 stars: Alaska had only recently joined the union, and Hawaii’s admission was several months away. As an assignment for his American history class, Heft decided to make a new U.S. flag with 50 stars, which he cut out of mending fabric, ironed onto a rectangle of blue cloth, and attached to the stripes of a flag that belonged to his grandparents.

Sausage is a favorite addition to grills during the summer months or sliced onto deli sandwiches. Here is why so many sausages are named after European cities.

With its highways and suburbs, modern America was built around the automobile and powered by fossil fuels. The oil crises of the 1970s provided an opportunity to change course and move to renewable energy, but any momentum achieved then proved to be very short-lived.

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, the self-stylized guru who gained attention for his turn in the popular Netflix docuseries Tiger King, was arrested by FBI agents in South Carolina Friday and remains jailed on unspecified charges, according to sheriff records.

Walkers change the world, Talkers simply comply by the new order.

Someday, when your commute or supermarket run gets interrupted by the collapse of society, there will be certain considerations to make. Jeff Smith seemed to know them all. Pacing under the sweeping metal roof of an open-air rodeo pavilion on the woodsy St. John’s County fairgrounds, Smith held the gaze of his sparse morning audience with a promise — that when catastrophe struck, his tips could get them home. Some two dozen people peered down from the bleachers at the 64-year-old Navy veteran in his “Everyday Prepper” polo. They scribbled copious notes.

A cartel of superstars has conquered culture. How did it happen, and what should we do about it?

The documentary, opening in 11 Texas cities including Austin, Dallas and Houston, includes interviews with several people who survived the crowd surge. The experiences of panicked concertgoers who couldn’t breathe and had no clear path to escape a massive crowd surge at last year’s deadly Astroworld music festival in Houston are featured in a documentary set for release Friday.