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Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for March 10's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Go get it boy!

• Green: Hide and seek

• Blue: Mac keyboard

• Purple: Deja vu

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Things a Dog Can Fetch

• Green: Conceal

• Blue: Mac Keyboard Keys

• Purple: Experience A Memory Lapse

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #273 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things a Dog Can Fetch: BALL, BONE, FRISBEE, STICK

• Conceal: BLOCK, COVER, HIDE, OBSCURE

• Mac Keyboard Keys: COMMAND, CONTROL, OPTION, SHIFT

• Experience a Memory Lapse: BLANK, FLAKE, FORGET, SPACE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Mashable film editor Kristy Puchko sits down with DeWanda Wise and Pyper Braun for a game of Slash or Pass.

If there's one good thing you can say about Amazon Prime's Ricky Stanicky (which isn't a lot), it's that John Cena is the best part of the film. In it, Cena stars as Rod, a washed-up actor who performs X-rated song parodies and is then hired to play the role of Ricky Stanicky, an imaginary best friend that Zac Efron (The Iron Claw) and his two friends created to take the blame for their bad behavior.

As Belen Edwards wrote in her review, it's one of the worst comedies of the year so far. It epitomizes the low-brow, regressively juvenile humor that, while possibly a hit in the DVD golden era of 2009, feels starkly out of place today. Throughout the movie, Cena does his best to turn shit into sugar — like his charming earnestness when he refuses to take line reads, or his hilariously incongruous flinch when a significantly shorter Efron threatens him. Even then, some Cena charm can't save scenes like the montage of dirty parody jokes that went on for way too long.

The saving grace of Ricky Stanicky is Cena's willingness to fully commit to the bit and it's what I consider the perfect representation of the path that John Cena has taken since leaving the WWE to further pursue his acting career.

SEE ALSO: 5 wildest things about Max canceling John Cena's Wile E. Coyote movie The Smackdown to Hollywood Pipeline

Pro wrestling is a weirdly transferrable skill for getting into acting; while physically demanding, the wrestlers in the ring are still acting — performing characters on live TV week after week. Of the most notable pro wrestlers gone Hollywood there lies a spectrum: At one end lies Dave Bautista, who has embraced character acting with commendable versatility, from the literal-minded Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy to more nuanced roles like the spiritual Sapper Morton or the savage Glossu Rabban in Blade Runner: 2049 and Dune respectively.

On the other end, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Hulk Hogan epitomize the action hero archetype, often leveraging their muscular physiques for roles that lack depth or complexity. From high-octane dramas to action comedies like Black Adam or Red Notice to even family-friendly adventures like Moana or The Game Plan, these are the usual places you'd spot a pro wrestler who is pursuing acting.

This highlights Cena's deliberate choice to carve out a niche in raunchy comedies, a genre that allows him to shed the heroic facade he donned in WWE in favor of more flawed, relatable characters. It's also, in a way, a return to some of his early character work in WWE as the "Doctor of Thuganomics" a battle rapper who'd insult his opponents with some less-than-PC bars.

From Peacemaker, Blockers, Daddy's Home, Vacation Friends, and Sisters, Cena has built an acting career on being an absolutely jacked specimen of a man who says the most insane shit ever.

Look at some bits in Ricky Stanicky, where one moment has him telling his new boss at the firm Efron works at that he's not closing on any deals because the way he talks with his hands makes him look like he's jerking someone off. Or the scene where Cena, dressed as Brittney Spears, licks whiskey off the ground by the dumpster. Or when he pisses his pants while being picked up at the airport – having committed to going sober to get into character for his role as Ricky. It's truly a testament to his willingness to leave his ego at the door.

This transition should be of no surprise to anyone who's been following his career. In a 2015 featurette for Train Wreck, Judd Apatow said that during the filming of some improv scenes, Cena said "some of the strangest things I've ever heard." And if you can get Apatow, who is no stranger to saying some weird shit, to say that, you're on the right track.

Cena's approach to comedy — marked by a willingness to embrace embarrassment and a refusal to take himself too seriously — sets him apart from his contemporaries. This humility, combined with his comedic timing, enhances even truly awful films like Ricky Stanicky and promises great things for his future projects, including the highly anticipated season 2 of Peacemaker.

In reflecting on Cena's journey from the WWE ring to the forefront of raunchy comedy, it's evident that he has not only found his niche but has also redefined what it means to transition from wrestling to acting. By embracing roles that challenge conventions and showcase his unique brand of humor, Cena continues to entertain and surprise, proving that there's much more to him than just muscle and might.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 9 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 9

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, March 9, 2024:

AcrossFirst full month of spring

• The answer is April.

Big cost for a working parent

• The answer is Daycare.

Affectionate toward

• The answer is Sweet on.

Pb, on the periodic table

• The answer is Lead.

Washington NBA team

• The answer is Wizards.

Company that created ChatGPT

• The answer is OpenAI.

Walk like a duck

• The answer is Waddle.

DownTargets of Internet blockers

• The answer is Ads.

Bear hand

• The answer is Paw.

What "them good old boys were drinkin'," in Don McLean's "American Pie"

• The answer is Rye.

Country with a renowned "Ring Road"

• The answer is Iceland.

Like a career move that doesn't improve salary or title

• The answer is Lateral.

Band assistant

• The answer is Roadie.

Conclusions

• The answer is Ends.

Knock the socks off

• The answer is Wow.

Hoppy brew, for short

• The answer is IPA.

British "Z"

• The answer is Zed.

Super Tuesday went about as expected this year as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump unsurprisingly grabbed huge leads for their respective primaries. However, things did not go as planned for Biden in American Samoa, where the incumbent lost to Jason Palmer, a businessman from Maryland who says artificial intelligence was crucial to his win.

Having tried Palmer's AI campaign tool ourselves, this claim is eyebrow-raising to say the least.

SEE ALSO: AI shows clear racial bias when used for job recruiting, new tests reveal

A tech venture capitalist, Palmer beat Biden by a significant margin — but also by just 11 votes out of 91 cast — to shockingly win the American Samoa presidential caucus. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, he credits his generative AI, known as PalmerAI, for helping with outreach in the territory; allowing him to campaign in Samoa with a full-time staff of only five.

Despite never having set foot in the small South Pacific island, Palmer credits his chatbot for helping him campaign virtually in a region he and his staff knew was not the target of much campaign effort from Biden. Palmer opined to the WSJ that people in Samoa felt like he was there, "because I did these virtual meetings, and I engaged with them using AI." 

The PalmerAI, which cost him $25,000 to create, was built in collaboration with Conversica, a software company based in California. Its CEO told WSJ that the chatbot he helped create for Palmer has reached 44,000 voters across the US.

The AI itself is nothing special. It's a conversational AI that uses Palmer's voice and likeness to speak to voters about his campaign stances. There are heavy restrictions and safeguards on the AI, only allowing it to speak on the specific dataset it has been trained on such as "his policies, things he has stated publicly, his professional history, or topics related to his campaign and the presidential election."

When trying it out for ourselves, we asked the AI questions about Palmer's stances on hot-button political issues that matter to Americans like Israel/Palestine, reproductive rights, and systemic inequality — which the AI had answers and stances for. However, the AI gave non-answers on topics outside its purview like its stance on sex work, or less serious topics like "waffles or pancakes."

Jason Palmer does indeed support reparations. Credit: Jason Palmer/Conversica

The conversation on what spaces should allow generative AI to be used is a contentious one. Its use in elections is a new phenomenon, especially with concerns about deepfakes and how that could influence presidential races. Earlier in January, the FCC banned AI robocalls after thousands of voters were told by a deepfake of Biden's voice not to vote in the New Hampshire primary.

If anything, Palmer's shocking win in American Samoa has less to do with his AI and more to do with voter's dissatisfaction with President Biden. From his age to his handling of the war in Gaza, voters are making known their displeasure with the president's policies. For Samoa specifically, since the island is not a state but a territory whose residents can't vote in federal elections — this is the one time its people's voices can be heard.

Look. It's not like the original Road House was some untouchable relic. The 1989 Patrick Swayze vehicle was a horny, violent drama with a plot that was as clumsy as its leading man was devastatingly hot. It shouldn't be impossible to remake it into something freshly fun. But my god do director Doug Liman and leading man Jake Gyllenhaal make it look difficult. 

Premiering at SXSW 2024's opening night ahead of its debut on Prime Video, Road House re-imagines the story of a cool-as-a-cucumber yet capable of throat-ripping bouncer James Dalton for a new age and a new locale. And while screenwriters Anothony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry ditched dusty and dilapidated Missouri for a tropical island in the Florida Keys, this remake lacks the heat of the original. 

Road House is now about a disgraced UFC fighter.  Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor in "Road House." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Gyllenhaal stars as Elwood Dalton, a former UFC middleweight running from a grim incident that ended his career and made him notorious. On a vague mission of self-imposed penance, he now bangs around in a beater car seeking shady boxing events to make some quick cash. His power to intimidate through reputation alone (though the muscles on display when he's topless don't hurt) attracts the attention of Frankie (Jessica Williams), who owns a road house called "The Road House" that's being terrorized by a biker gang. She offers Dalton $20k for a month of beating back the bad guys, and he reluctantly accepts. 

Rolling into Glass Key, he swiftly befriends an adolescent bookworm called Charlie (Hannah Lanier), a plucky bartender named Laurel (the charismatic B.K. Cannon), and the bruised and scrawny (by comparison) bouncer Billy (Euphoria's Lukas Gage). Slapping the shit out of the biker gang is no problem for Dalton — and makes for a comically fun sequence as tough guys get cut down to size like grade school bullies. But soon he realizes that there's a bigger foe to fight: local real estate tycoon Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen doing the most with a lazily written villain role). You know Brandt is unhinged because he demands to be shaved by a barber with a straight razor while on a yacht racing through choppy waters. Why? I don't know man, he's so extreme or convinced everything will go his way or something. 

As the local police force has been corrupted by Brandt and his offscreen criminal father (who seems like he'd be a bigger plot point and then just isn't), it's up to Dalton to not only clean up the Road House but save Glass Key from those who would gentrify it through force. Also he falls in love with a local doctor (a moody Daniela Melchior), who chides him about his violent ways, because Road House.  

Straight to streaming was the right choice for Road House.  Daniela Melchior in "Road House." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Director Doug Liman made headlines when he proclaimed he'd boycott the film's world premiere over Amazon MGM Studos' decision to skip a theatrical release and go straight to streaming. (He did in fact attend.) As Liman has seen success with action hits like The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith and the critically heralded Edge of Tomorrow, this initially seemed a blunder by the distributor. But now having seen Road House, I get it. 

Sure, the original Road House had as convoluted a plotline. But as it was hardly its most praised asset. (That'd be Sam Elliott's glorious ponytail, probably.) So it's bizarre that Bagarozzi and Mondry so thoroughly retread that territory, especially as their version lacks a satisfying number of fight scenes. Or maybe it's just that the fight scenes themselves are not satisfying. Considering Liman's filmography, that's frankly shocking. But there's an off-putting disconnect between the film's action aesthetic and its content. 

This is a movie about a guy who doesn't like guns or knives, and favors his fists for beating the hell out of any takers. It's a raw, primal violence that played well in the '80s era of machismo and big hair. But such bravado might be frowned upon today without some tweaks. So this Dalton extolls detailed knowledge about the damage he's done, showing a self-awareness and even a kind streak as he drives his victims to the hospital. (Shout out to comedic actor Arturo Castro, who makes the most of every beat and beating, stealing scenes with his wide-eyed naïveté.) 

Fun slapping aside, Road House's combat is largely underwhelming in its staging. To enhance the impact of blows, Liman relies on whip-pans intended to inject momentum into movement and speed ramps that essentially speed up the edit of a punch to make it look faster. The result though is a movie that is certainly flashier than the original but looks clearly manipulated, which detracts from the gritty fantasy of one guy against the world. 

Liman also gives in to modern action demands of more more more. So the violence swiftly moves from slapping to bone-snapping, to arson, explosions, and a boat chase that sure is long, though not enthralling. It becomes just another action movie. In a packed theater, some of these moments earned cheers from the enthusiastic opening night crowd. Others were met with dull silence. Perhaps because the pacing between plot, action, and comedy ranges from off-balance to inexplicable, or maybe because Gyllenhaal is not landing the beats of this role. 

Jake Gyllenhaal is no Patrick Swayze.  Jake Gyllenhaal and Lukas Gage in "Road House." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

In the original Road House as iconic as the throat rip that echoes across decades of action movies was Swayze's attitude. A cool rebellion against glowering action heroes, Dalton was almost breezy when he wasn't punching dudes out. "I thought you'd be bigger," some might sneer, because he wasn't as instantly intimidating as his reputation would suggest. But the threat of his violence was enhanced by how calm he was before the storm. "Be nice" was not a request, it was a threat. 

Gyllenhaal cannot replicate this zen-like calm, so the balance is lost. He lacquers on a crooked grin and sips coffee coolly as things begin to get rowdy. But he exudes a high energy onscreen that reads either as anxious (Zodiac), arrogant (Velvet Buzzsaw, Spider-Man: Far From Home), manic (Okja), or tightly wound (Nightcrawler). So, we as an audience cannot luxuriate in the vicarious pleasure of feeling calm in the face of bar brawl chaos. Instead, we can sense the tension under this Dalton's thin veneer of chill. Not only does it bleed out the fun of senseless violence, but also it telegraphs the reveal of what Dalton did, which is predictable enough and tediously repeatedly. 

This Road House lacks balls.  Jake Gyllenhaal and Billy Magnussen in "Road House." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

There is violence and some shocking showdowns in Liman's version. But the film's dedication to keeping Dalton a good guy makes for some deeply stupid storytelling choices. There will be no throat rip, but a flashy speed boat chase scene, and an alligator attack that looks as scary as a beer-bellied dad splashing around an above ground swimming pool. The sweat and dirt and animal magnetism of the original is replaced with gloss and sunshine and an actual animal. 

So the action is underwhelming. But how's the sex appeal? To Liman's credit, he pulls a Michael Bay, shooting Gyllenhaal from a low angle that makes him tower in frame, his ripped torso glistening under the sun or confoundingly bright bar lighting. The leading man is sexy. His romantic lead is beautiful. They have one single kiss that's titillating. And that's it. Has the online discourse over too much sex in cinema infected the Road House remake? Or is it just this tame of its own accord? Either way, the riskiest move this movie makes is casting Conor McGregor as an eccentric goon. 

The Irish MMA fighter makes his on-screen acting debut in Road House. (He lent his voice to the video game Call of Duty: Infinite War in 2016). And outside of his lack of experience, considering McGregor has so many controversies that his wiki page has a whole section dedicated to them, it's an eyebrow-raising casting choice. To his credit, the pro-fighter storms onto screen with major charisma and a bare-ass, wreaking havoc in a bustling marketplace while taking a phone call. It's a moment so outrageous that it has Fast X Jason Momoa vibes. But in every scene after, McGregor proves one-note. His character is a caricature of a brash and boisterous tough guy. He strides around with his arms arched wide like Popeye. His face is stuck in a perpetual threatening grin…actually also like Popeye. Like Magnussen, he is perpetually keyed up, giving the character nowhere to go. And so even this merciless mercenary becomes a bit of a bore. It's a stunt casting ploy that doesn't play. 

On the technical end, there are bewildering choices as well. The color correct is inconsistent, with Dalton looking like a tanned god in some scenes and a washed out man on the brink of collapse in others. The sound design is confounding, as much of the film takes place outside or in open-air venues, yet all of it sounds like it was recorded on a stage. Wind, birds, and life don't seem to exist here, just the canned audio — some of which may have been created by AI. The best thing about the audio in this Road House is the array of musical performances, which range from rock to zydeco to alt-pop, but all bop. In these, there's an energy that feels grounded and enticing. But elsewhere, this remake is leaning on tired action cliches (innocent kid needs defending, pouting but smart love interest, requisite chase scene, idiotic post-cred scene) without making a mark of its own. 

In the end, Road House is a wreck. While there are enough goodies to make for a compelling trailer, Liman and company fail to deliver a remake worth streaming, much less a theatrical release. 

Road House was reviewed out the world premiere at SXSW 2024; the film will hit Prime Video on March 21.

Elon Musk lost his claim as having the most powerful space-worthy rocket when NASA blasted its mega rocket to the moon in 2022.

But the SpaceX founder could win back the title with his company's next big project: Starship.

Though the company was unsuccessful during its first two tests in April and November of last year — the skyscraping rocket and spacecraft blasted off only to explode minutes later — SpaceX is confident Starship will complete an orbital flight soon, breaking records and making history.

UPDATE: Mar. 8, 2024, 12:04 p.m. EST SpaceX will target a launch for its third Starship test flight as early as March 14, according to the company.

During its next test flight, the colossal booster needs to separate about three minutes after liftoff and drop into the Gulf of Mexico. The rocket should then fly in space around Earth before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. The whole journey should last a little more than one hour.

This is a crucial demonstration of hardware that NASA is depending on to get humans back on the moon in the next few years. And, if successful, it'll mean Musk is one small step closer to realizing his personal dream of building a city on Mars.

The billionaire business magnate has oversold timelines in the past. Here's what we know so far about when SpaceX will try this daunting feat again.

SEE ALSO: SpaceX says refueling its Starship in space won't be scary Tweet may have been deleted What is the SpaceX Starship?

Starship is a super-heavy-lift rocket and spacecraft, built to carry immense cargo and numerous astronauts into deep space.

The 400-foot-tall stainless steel tower looms over NASA's rocket, the Space Launch System. It would take about five billboards stacked on top of the latter to measure up to Musk's space vehicle. SpaceX estimates its rocket also has about twice as much thrust.

The rocket is made of stainless steel, a material Musk is particularly fond of due to its relatively low price. Unlike NASA's mega moon rocket, which flies on super-chilled liquid hydrogen and oxygen, this beast is fueled with 10 million pounds of liquid methane and oxygen. The new fuel can be stored at more manageable temperatures than liquid hydrogen, meaning it doesn't need as much insulation and is less prone to leaks, a problem that often stymies NASA launches.

SpaceX's Starship is made of stainless steel and runs on liquid methane. Credit: SpaceX

Starship is intended to eventually evolve into a fully reusable launch and landing system, designed for trips to the moon, Mars, and perhaps other destinations. Its reusability is "the holy grail of space," Musk said at a company event in South Texas in 2022, because it will make spaceflight more affordable to the average person.

"It's a very hard thing to do," he said. "It's only barely possible with the physics of Earth."

"It's only barely possible with the physics of Earth." NASA tapped SpaceX to develop a human landing system version of Starship. Credit: SpaceX How will NASA use Starship?

NASA plans to use Starship to land astronauts on the moon during Artemis III and IV, two upcoming missions which could come as early as 2026 and 2028, respectively.

The space agency has tapped SpaceX to develop a human landing system version of Starship with a $4 billion contract. As part of the deal, the company will need to demonstrate an uncrewed test flight to the moon beforehand.

During Artemis III, Starship is expected to transport astronauts from NASA's Orion spacecraft to the lunar south pole and back. It would be the first human moon-landing since 1972. The U.S. space agency also has promised the mission will see a woman and person of color walk on the moon for the first time. In the fourth mission, Starship might dock at a moon-orbiting space station, the yet-to-be-built Gateway, and ferry astronauts back and forth to the moon from there.

NASA announced in January it was pushing back Artemis III at least a year to 2026, in large part because of Starship's lag in progress. For the SpaceX spacecraft to reach the moon, it will need to refuel in low-Earth orbit from a space tanker, something never done before.

NASA's confidence in Starship seems to have waned somewhat over the past year. During an Artemis news conference in August 2023, the space agency's Jim Free, then associate administrator of exploration systems, told reporters NASA may end up changing the Artemis III mission objectives if slips in the schedule keep occurring.

When is Starship's next launch?

SpaceX is targeting March 14 for its third orbital test flight. A specific time for liftoff has not been provided, though, as the launch is still pending license approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

This test will be different from the plans for the first two, which sought to reach orbit and splashdown off the Hawaiian coast. This time the company will send the spacecraft on a different trajectory for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX selected this path to attempt new techniques, such as in-space engine burns "while maximizing public safety," according to an update on its website.

SpaceX also plans to conduct a preliminary test of a fuel transfer. The craft will attempt moving 11 tons, or 10 metric tons, of liquid oxygen between tanks contained within Starship. It's a first step toward the eventual goal of transferring propellant between two separate ships in space.

"The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives," SpaceX said.

Tweet may have been deleted What happened to Starship during its previous test flights?

The company has already tried to fly Starship twice but hasn't completed the space journey without exploding yet.

The rocket first launched on April 20, exploding 24 miles above the Gulf of Mexico about four minutes later. The rocket didn't separate from its colossal booster and flipped as it fell in the air back toward Earth. The self-destruct system was commanded for both the booster and ship after several of the engines didn’t fire, though aerodynamic pressure ultimately caused the ship to break apart.

SpaceX later said the booster had caught fire from leaking fuel, which severed connection to the primary flight computer. Following those problems, the company made improvements to the fire suppression system, launchpad, and self-destruct system, as well as installed a flame deflector.

SpaceX's Starship didn't make it to orbit during its first attempt to fly in space on April 20, 2023. It appeared to explode on its descent about four minutes after liftoff. Credit: SpaceX

During the second flight test on Nov. 18, Starship exploded about eight minutes into the flight, after successfully demonstrating a new method of separating the booster from the spacecraft in the air, known as "hot-staging." The procedure should increase Starship's lift capacity and help prevent gravity from slowing it down.

The booster, however, broke apart, likely due to a fuel blockage to the engines. And, as Starship’s upper stage separated, a leak in the craft sparked fires, causing a communication loss and triggering of the flight termination system. Since the flight, which successfully reached space but not orbit, the company has made hardware changes to reduce leaking and improve fire protection.

Where will Starship launch?

Perhaps surprisingly, Starship won't lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where most space fans are accustomed to watching historically significant launches.

Instead, it will take off from Boca Chica, Texas, at SpaceX's own spaceport, known as Starbase. Eventually, the company will launch the rocket from a site under construction in the outer perimeter of the famous Florida pad that shot Apollo 11 to the moon.

"Their plan is that they're going to do a few test flights there" in South Texas, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. "Once they have the confidence, they will bring the missions to the Cape."

Tweet may have been deleted How can I watch the Starship launch?

If you're not on the list to get onto SpaceX's private Starbase but you're in the South Texas area, you could try viewing future flight tests from a public beach on South Padre Island, such as Cameron County Amphitheater at Isla Blanca Park or Port Isabel. Locals are known to host watch parties.

For viewers at home, SpaceX will start a live broadcast of the launch countdown about a half-hour before liftoff. The livestream feed will be available on SpaceX's website, and live updates will be posted on X, the social platform owned by Musk.

You can watch Starship's second test flight below:

How likely is Starship to succeed?

Well, SpaceX already struck out on the first and second flight attempt, and that wasn't entirely unexpected.

After the first flight test, Kate Tice, a quality systems engineering manager for the company, said Starship's clearing of the launch tower was the team's main hope. Prior to the second flight, Tice managed public expectations for the test, saying there was "a good chance" the booster would incur damage.

Even Musk, who doesn't parse words when it comes to the realities of spaceflight, once said Starship's test in space wasn't likely to succeed on the first try.

"Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test," SpaceX said on its website in March. "They aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to maximize learning."

"Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test."

Administrator Nelson has congratulated SpaceX on the team's bold efforts, stating that great achievements through history have demanded "some level of calculated risk."

Tweet may have been deleted What is SpaceX's plan for Mars?

The SpaceX founder's ultimate vision is to use a fleet of Starships to send 1 million humans to Mars by 2050.

To be clear, Musk doesn't just want to establish a place for people to visit but a self-sustaining city. He imagines that, with a bit of warming, humans could restore a thick atmosphere and oceans on Mars, making it a more hospitable environment, even able to grow crops.

"There's a fundamental juncture in the history of really any civilization on a single planet, which is, do you get to the second planet, or do you not?" Musk told the National Academies in 2021. "I propose we do, and I think we should as soon as possible."

SpaceX test fired a Starship prototype spacecraft on the ground in December. Credit: SpaceX "There's a fundamental juncture in the history of really any civilization on a single planet, which is, do you get to the second planet, or do you not?"

The spacecraft would be spacious enough for 100 passengers, along with their luggage, plus the materials to build homes, businesses, rocket fuel stations, and iron foundries.

The journey getting there would be long, Musk said, but the Starship would have entertainment, such as zero-gravity games, movies, lectures, and a restaurant.

"It can't feel cramped or boring," he said at the International Astronautical Congress in 2016, in Guadalajara, Mexico. "It'll be really fun to go. You'll have a great time."

Note: A version of this article was originally published on Feb. 4, 2023. It has been updated periodically over the past year to reflect progress in Starship's launch campaign.

Well folks, it's still not aliens.

It's common for speeding rocks from space to blow up in our atmosphere, events called "fireballs." In 2014, such a meteor exploded over the Pacific Ocean, somewhere near Papua New Guinea. An intrigued group of scientists led by Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb — who to the chagrin of the astronomical community makes dubious extraterrestrial claims — followed a seismometer ping to the region and then searched the nearby seafloor in 2023. They plucked up some tiny metallic spheres (which are found on seafloors globally), and concluded the material could have come from another solar system, or might have an "extraterrestrial technological origin."

Now, a group of seismologists, who are experts in analyzing vibrations picked up by seismometers, have thrown cold water on that conclusion.

The seismic reading that attracted Loeb and company almost certainly wasn't an exploding meteor. Instead, the seismometer on the ground in Papua New Guinea had picked up a far more mundane event.

"The most likely explanation is probably a truck dropping someone off or picking someone up — not an interstellar meteor or aliens," Benjamin Fernando, a planetary seismologist at Johns Hopkins University who led the research, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: If a scary asteroid will actually strike Earth, here's how you'll know

That means the tiny round objects the fireball-hunters found, called "spherules," almost certainly weren't from the meteor that exploded over the expansive Pacific Ocean. These tiny objects are likely just normal cosmic material found all over Earth. You can even commonly find these tiny meteorites on your roof.

"They look very similar to things we see at the bottom of the ocean all over the world," Fernando said.

The new seismology research, which has been submitted for peer-reviewed publication in a science journal, will be presented on March 12 at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas.

"The most likely explanation is probably a truck dropping someone off or picking someone up — not an interstellar meteor or aliens."

The results underscore the particular seismometer reading in Papua New Guinea — that the meteorite-hunters used to pinpoint the trajectory of their suspected interstellar fireball — wasn't unusual or unique. In fact, for months that specific seismometer had recorded hundreds of similar signals.

These vibration signals weren't happening randomly, Fernando emphasized. They were specifically happening during daytime, just like the purported fireball reading. "That's a strong indicator of something caused by humans," he said.

Indeed, as the satellite images below show, a road travels right by the seismometer. What's more, the seismometer signal follows the direction of the road. And the waves reflect the activity of a rumbling truck; not an exploding meteor.

An image showing the truck road traveling right by the seismometer. This seismometer regularly detects vibration signals, likely from passing trucks, during the daytime. Credit: Google Earth / CNES / Airbus The truck road shown in yellow. The seismometer is at center. Credit: Google Earth / CNES / Airbus / Johns Hopkins University

As for the fireball that did indeed explode over the Western Pacific Ocean in 2014, the seismologists found that other seismometer detections, located in Australia and Palau, show the blast likely happened over 100 miles from where the supposedly interstellar spherules were taken.

"The fireball location was actually very far away from where the oceanographic expedition went to retrieve these meteor fragments," Fernando added in a statement. "Not only did they use the wrong signal, they were looking in the wrong place."

To further buttress their argument, Fernando said the team would like the opportunity to test the seismometer readings when a truck was actually driving by — but haven't found someone with the capacity to work with them, yet.

In August 2014, a NASA camera spotted a bright fireball exploding over Tennessee. Credit: NASA

There remains zero evidence that life exists anywhere beyond our planet. And claims about evidence of life or that some material was produced unnaturally in the deep cosmos demand an extremely high-bar of proof — or more accurately, many lines of proof.

Astronomers, planetary scientists, and astrobiologists, however, are carefully scrutinizing objects in our solar system and beyond for places that might support life as we know it. These include ocean worlds in our own solar system, like Enceladus and Europa, and planets many light-years away in our Milky Way galaxy. There are likely trillions of planets beyond our solar system (called "exoplanets") in just our galaxy alone, NASA explains. Perhaps, for example, there might be suitable conditions for life on a distant "super-Earth" that harbors the right temperatures for liquid water to exist.

"So far, the only life we know of is right here on our planet Earth," the space agency said. "But we’re looking."

On Wednesday, TikTok users across the U.S. opening the app — perhaps to watch people practice their hot dog-vendor scream or learn about their face's visual weight — were shown a screen all but begging them to call their congressional representative.

"Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok," the pop-up read. "Speak up now — before your government strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression."

SEE ALSO: Why TikTok wants you to call your representatives

The plea focused on the effect a ban would have on creators, specifically how it would "damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience." It's a touching sentiment and a laudable attempt at masking TikTok's true objective of self-preservation.

This is the fourth time in as many years that American politicians have attempted to limit TikTok's reach in the United States, and it may be the messiest yet.

In 2020, an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump that would have completely banned TikTok and WeChat from the U.S. was blocked by the courts, then revoked by President Joe Biden. The app has since been banned from all federal devices. Last year, a Montana-specific ban on the app was eventually blocked by a federal judge. Biden also demanded that China divest from the app or face a nationwide ban.

But this most recent attempt to curtail China's access in the U.S. is an even more strange amalgamation of sloppy politics and hypocrisy.

We'll begin with the public misrepresentation of the bill in question. Known as the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," the bill would require parent company ByteDance to sell subsidiary TikTok in six months or be removed from U.S. app stores. It is not an outright ban on the platform, despite TikTok's insistent use of the word.

Next comes the political backpedaling. "If they pass it, I'll sign it," President Biden told reporters unequivocally on Fri. March 8. less than a month after joining TikTok himself in an attempt to reach young voters ahead of this year's election. At a press briefing on Wed. March 6, when asked how Biden could support a ban while actively using the app, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre distanced the White House from the campaign for Biden's re-election, noting that President's TikTok account "is [the campaign's] strategy." As for the bill itself, Jean-Pierre said. "This is about our national security... And we would want to see this bill get done so it can get to the President’s desk."

Former President Donald Trump is also flip-flopping on his support of TikTok. Once vehemently against it (he did attempt to ban the app, after all), Trump took to Truth Social to proclaim that he was against the bill. "If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business," he wrote, "I don’t want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!"

And at the constituent level, chaos reigns. As a result of TikTok's pop-up stunt, Congressional staffer told Mashable's Matt Binder that thousands of constituents of all ages had contacted the office to protest the "ban," but that "the calls are OVERWHELMINGLY from children... Kids literally told our office they were calling from recess earlier today."

SEE ALSO: TikTok users bombard Congress with phone calls to save their favorite app

Other TikTok users are burnt out on empty threats to the app's sovereignty and doubt the new bill will have any real effect on the app at all. One hyperbolic tweet read, "every week the US government tries to ban tiktok and they always fail…someone has to remind them 24/7 that they have bigger issues than that clock app that need to be taken care of asap."

It's time for a good ol' M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro face-off in our versus ring.

With the new 15-inch MacBook Air being equipped with the M3 chip, the question is, how does it differ from the 14-inch MacBook Pro?

Don't worry, dear reader. We're going to dispel your confusion and help you make an informed about which M3 MacBook — Air or Pro — is right for you.

SEE ALSO: 15-inch M3 MacBook Air review: Read this before you even think about buying M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Price

The M3 MacBook Air is the cheapest and it comes in two flavors: 13-inch and 15-inch models.

The new M3 MacBook Air line Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The 13-inch variant has a starting price of $1,099 and comes with the following specs:

• 8-Core CPU

• 8-Core GPU

• 8GB of RAM

• 256GB of SSD storage

I'd warn you, though, that 8GB of RAM is scant, particularly if you love juggling a lot of apps and Google Chrome tabs simultaneously. To be on the safe side, I'd recommend upgrading your memory to 16GB of RAM, which is an additional $200 for a total of $1,299.

The M3 MacBook Pro only comes in a 14-inch model. It has a starting price of $1,599 and features the following specs:

• 8-Core CPU

• 10-Core GPU

• 8GB of RAM

• 512GB of SSD storage

Again, the entry-level 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro only comes with 8GB of RAM, which isn't ideal if you don't want to stomach slowdowns while hopping between numerous apps and tabs. I suggest tacking on an extra $200 for 16GB of memory.

Winner: M3 MacBook Air

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable 15-inch M3 MacBook Air
Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro
Get Deal M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Display

As mentioned, the M3 MacBook Air comes in two display sizes: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches.

13-inch M3 MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The 15-inch display is the sweet spot: not too small (like the 13-inch model), but not to large. There's a chance that the 13.6-inch model may be too cramped for you.

The M3-based MacBook Pro only comes in a 14-inch variant, but if you don't mind spending the extra money, you can nab the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which comes with processor upgrades, too (e.g., the more powerful M3 Pro or M3 Max instead of the entry-level M3 chip).

Check out the resolution and brightness of each laptop across both the M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro models:

• 13-inch M3 MacBook Air: 2,560 x 1,664-pixel resolution, 500 nits of brightness

• 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 2,800 x 1,864-pixel resolution, 500 nits of brightness

• 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 3,024 x 1,964-pixel resolution, up to 1,600 nits of brightness

To put it succinctly, if you want a bright display (a must if you use your laptop outdoors often) and a crisp, high-res screen (ideal for graphics and video editing), the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is your best bet.

Winner: M3 MacBook Pro

M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Design

Design-wise, let's start with what's the same. If you're not a fan of the notch (e.g., the webcam-housing, rectangular thingamajig that dips into the display), too bad! It's a feature across both the Air and Pro models.

15-inch M3 Macbook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Diving into the differences, the M3 MacBook Air offers the following colors, including Midnight Black, which is designed to fend off fingerprints better than the others:

• Starlight

• Space Gray

• Silver

• Midnight Black (with a fingerprint-resistant anodized seal)

The MacBook Pro line also features a colorway with a fingerprint-resistant seal; it's called Space Black. However, there's a catch. You can only get Space Black for MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. In other words, you'll have to spend at least $2,000 (e.g., the 14-inch M3 Pro-based MacBook Pro variant) to get it.

That being said, the only colors you can get for the M3-based 14-inch MacBook Pro are the following:

• Space Gray

• Silver

A bit boring, I know. I'd opt for Silver, if I were you; fingerprints and scratches are less noticeable on it.

14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

I'd also add that, unsurprisingly, the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is the heaviest:

• 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 3.4 pounds, 0.6 inches thick

• 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 3.3 pounds, 0.45 inches thick

• 13-inch M3 MacBook Air: 2.7 pounds, 0.44 inches thick

If you need a travel companion that won't put to much stress on your back and shoulders, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is ideal.

Finally, another striking difference between Air and Pro is the presence of speaker grilles that flank the keyboard on the latter. As you'll see in the next section, the Pro is unmatched when it comes to delivering ear-soothing sounds.

Winner: M3 MacBook Air

M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Audio

There's no contest. Not only does the MacBook Pro have better audio than the MacBook Air, but it arguably has the best speaker system on the market.

• 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 6-speaker sound system

• 13-inch, 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 4-speaker sound system

Don't get me wrong; the M3 MacBook Air's audio is still divine.

15-inch M3 MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Whether you choose the 13-inch or 15-inch variant, it comes with a four-speaker sound system that is crisp, loud, and smooth. However, when you play music on the MacBook Pro's six-speaker sound system, equipped with force-cancelling woofers, it sounds absolutely angelic.

It's worth noting that both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have a three-mic array, but Apple boasts that the latter has a "studio-quality" setup.

M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Ports

If you're a content creator, I'd recommend grabbing the Pro model. The problem with the Air is that it only features the following I/O options:

• Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C) ports

• A headset jack

• MagSafe 3

The M3 MacBook Pro, on the other hand, adds two more ports: HDMI, SDXC card slot.

Winner: M3 MacBook Pro

M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: External display support

The M3 MacBook Air, unlike its predecessor, supports two external displays. However, the catch is that you can only use those displays while the lid is closed. In other words, no, you can't use the panel on the laptop – just the two external monitors.

14-inch M3 MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

This means you’ll have to rely on peripherals like the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse to enjoy the multi-screen experience.

Apple recently announced that the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, like the new M3 MacBook Air, will support the same external display function (including the exclusion of the laptop panel while using multiple screens) in the near future.

Winner: Draw

M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Performance

Yes, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in this versus have the same chip – the M3 – but there are some differences that affect the performance of both models.

14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Before we get into that, allow us to share our scores from Geekbench 6, which tested the 8-core CPUs inside our M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro review units.

• 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 11,998

• 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 12,057

Again, both models we tested on Geekbench 6 have the same 8-core CPU, so the processing prowess is quite similar. As such, the delta between the two scores are too negligible to be significant.

However, the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro offers more graphics oomph with its base model, thanks to its 10-core GPU (as opposed to 8-core GPU configuration the Air line starts with). If you want to upgrade your Air to a 10-Core GPU, you'll have to shell out an extra $100.

In other words, configurations with the 10-Core GPU should offer a slight edge for anyone who is interested in video and photo editing — or macOS gaming.

14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

It's also worth noting that the M3 MacBook Pro, thanks to being packed with fans (the M3 MacBook Air has a fanless design), can sustain workloads that stress the CPU and GPU better than the Air model.

If you do any serious, intensive work with graphics, opt for the Pro.

Winner: M3 MacBook Pro

M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Battery life

According to Apple, both the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air models are rated for up to 18 hours of battery life. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, on the other hand, lasts for up to 22 hours on a charge.

Winner: M3 MacBook Air

If you absolutely, positively need a ultra-bright, high-res display, an SDXC card slot, and an industry-leading laptop sound system, grab the M3 MacBook Pro.

However, consider that the M3 MacBook Air isn't too much of a downgrade from the M3 MacBook Pro. Plus, with the M3 MacBook Air, you can snag the Midnight Black colorway, which is designed to reduce fingerprint smudges — a perk the M3 MacBook Pro doesn't offer.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable 15-inch M3 MacBook Air
Get Deal

One of the biggest challenges of Dune: Part Two was always going to be adapting the character of Alia Atreides, daughter of Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), to the big screen.

SEE ALSO: 'Dune: Part Two' review: Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi masterpiece soars, then screams to a halt

In Frank Herbert's Dune, Alia is born with the full abilities of a Reverend Mother due to exposure to the Water of Life while in the womb. Her powers earns her the title of "abomination" from the Bene Gesserit and cause great discomfort among the Fremen. Basically, just imagine a 2-year-old speaking and acting like Jessica, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling), or Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and you'll have a pretty solid idea of the bizarro toddler we're dealing with in the book.

However, that toddler is not present in Dune: Part Two. Instead, we catch glimpses of Alia as a growing fetus who communicates telepathically with Jessica. Later, in one of Paul's (Timothée Chalamet) visions of the future, we see a grown-up Alia, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Why did Dune: Part Two choose to leave out Alia as a child? For co-writers Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, the reasons were twofold.

Can Dune: Part Two make a believable Bene Gesserit toddler?

"We talked a lot about [Alia], and in some ways, I think these were some of the most important decisions we made as a creative team," Spaihts told Mashable over a video call.

For starters, there was the practical challenge of bringing a child with the mannerisms of a fully grown adult to the screen in a convincing way. Prior adaptations of Dune used child actors: Alicia Witt took on the role in David Lynch's Dune, while Laura Burton played Alia in the 2000 miniseries. But given technological advancements since then, could toddler Alia have been achieved with an older actor in motion capture for Dune: Part Two?

SEE ALSO: What excites 'Dune: Part Two' co-writer Jon Spaihts most about 'Dune Messiah'?

"These days, digital tools exist to allow you to map an actor's performance on anything, even a talking banana," said Spaihts. "So you could definitely make a toddler-looking entity talk with an adult voice. But I think that's still fraught with peril. You could find yourself creating something that was unintentionally funny or off-putting."

Alongside the threat of the uncanny valley and the inevitable memes about a talking toddler, Spaihts worried that the introduction of Alia as a toddler would be too much of a distraction so late in the game. "It would pull focus from what I think the real headline drama is, which is the interplay between the adult characters that we've been watching now for two epic films," he explained.

Alia's absence also means the absence of Dune's time jump. Rebecca Ferguson in "Dune: Part Two." Credit: Niko Tavernise

The second motivator behind cutting toddler Alia had less to do with Alia as a character, and more to do with the years-long time jump that pops up around two-thirds of the way through Dune. The jump occurs not long after Paul and Jessica join the Fremen, and when we catch back up with them, Alia is two years old, and Paul is a more established leader figure.

"That long interval has a cooling effect," Spaihts said of the decision to cut the time jump entirely. "If Duke Leto died years ago, how much are Jessica and Paul feeling that death? They will have metabolized it to a certain extent. If the Baron launched his push against the Atreides on Arrakis with the Emperor's help years ago, it's beginning to be eclipsed by other news."

Featured Video For You 'Dune: Part Two': Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and the cast discuss their physical transformations and learning the Fremen language SEE ALSO: Fan who has seen 'Dune: Part Two' 10 times breaks his silence

To solve the potential for cooling, Dune: Part Two condenses the events of years into a few months. "[A shorter time jump] lets everyone get set up in new positions and meet on new ground, but all of their wounds are still fresh," Spaihts said. Of course, the shorter timeline also means that we don't see the end of Jessica's pregnancy. Alia remains in the womb the whole time.

Alia in utero offers new visuals and explorations of character.

Once Villeneuve and Spaihts landed on the idea of Alia being sentient in the womb, it opened a whole new way to explore some of Dune: Part Two's core themes. Take, for example, her interactions with Jessica, who is the only person who can hear her.

"Suddenly, [Alia speaking to Jessica in utero] gives you a Jessica who's talking to a ghost that no one else can see. She's talking to a being who isn't there, and it makes her look a little mad," said Spaihts. "We love that as an evolution of Jessica's character, because it dramatizes the madness of giving herself over to this ancient Bene Gesserit program and to its prophecies and to the project of manipulating entire societies."

Alia also only being present in the womb created opportunities for striking new visuals, including the scene in which the vibrant blue Water of Life suffuses the amniotic fluid cushioning her. "Denis became very interested, as the extraordinary visualist he is, in that representation of the fetus Alia before her birth," Spaihts said. "The notion of sunlight penetrating the wall of Jessica's womb as she walks through a sunbeam and casting a red light on Alia was one of the earliest images that Denis got excited about."

The image of Alia as a fetus also puts Dune: Part Two in conversation with another sci-fi great: Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film concludes with astronaut David Bowman (Keir Dullea) reborn as a massive, otherworldly fetus known as the Star Child, which observes Earth from space. Somewhat similarly, Alia spends her time in the womb observing Arrakis, although with the added wrinkle of helping manipulate it from afar.

The parallels between the Star Child and Dune: Part Two's version of Alia Atreides place the latter in great company when it comes to iconic sci-fi imagery. Spaihts acknowledged this, saying, "it's impossible to avoid the Star Child if you're doing a looming fetus in a sci-fi film. People are going to draw that connection."

Still, while Villeneuve and Spaihts were aware of the unavoidable comparisons, the ultimate goal with Alia in utero was to reimagine a tricky character in the manner that would best complement their version of Dune.

"Ultimately," Spaihts said, "it was just about finding the visual language that let us tell the story of this transfigured child in a new way."

Dune: Part Two is now in theaters.

Have you ever put on some legendary porn and masturbated for hours, never allowing yourself to orgasm, until you went into a trancelike state and lost all sense of space and time? 

No? Well, you clearly haven't tried gooning.

Gooning is a kind of extreme form of edging — wherein you continuously stimulate yourself for hours on end, without reaching a climax, in order to experience the "goon state" — a deeply meditative experience akin to meditation. Gooning has become a bit of an internet phenomenon, with countless videos emerging on TikTok and streaming sites like Twitch. According to data from Sensuali, searches for Gooning are up 435 percent, and up 314 percent in the last year alone on Google Trends. 

SEE ALSO: 'Hamstering' is a spicy TikTok trend people may actually be trying

Dr. Ty David Lerman, Ph.D., a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and certified sex therapist, tells us that gooning gets its name from our favorite spinach-eating sailor of yesteryear. "The term is a nod to the 'Goons' of early Popeye the Sailor cartoons, which depicted henchmen who were not very smart and seemingly single-task oriented." And modern day gooners certainly are single-task oriented…with that task being beating their meat. 

In all likelihood, gooning has made it into the mainstream narrative because of the funny and silly faces that a person makes while gooning. Zachary Zane, author of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto and sex expert for Archer, a new dating app for queer men, describes the "goon face" as possession-like. Your face slackens and you look zoned out in a way that certainly makes for watchable video content.

Yet, while gooning's popularity has seen quite a significant uptick in recent years, it isn't anything new. Far from it, actually. Relevant definitions of "gooning" popped up in 2005 on Urban Dictionary. Zane tells us that gooning forums on Reddit can be traced back at least three years — making it quite the digital phenomenon. Lerman adds that gooning has been around as long as porn has existed — and possibly longer, though no such documentation exists. Today, there are plenty of dedicated websites, communities, subreddits, forums, and media designed for gooning. We are all gooners here.

What is new, relatively speaking, is the gooning community: The ability to find like-minded folx who are just as interested in stroking their peens for hours as you are. It's really about the friends we make along the way, eh?

So, how does gooning work? When you're in ~the goon state~ what is going on in your brain and body? And, possibly most importantly, can gooning become problematic or should we go off and goon on in peace?

Let's investigate.

What is gooning?

Gooning is masturbating for a prolonged period of time, usually hours, without ever climaxing. Lerman says this is usually in conjunction with porn and sometimes with poppers — a legal liquid substance that is inhaled causing a euphoric high and enhanced sexual pleasure.

The "goon state" is actually pretty similar to subspace in BDSM — in that you experience so much sensation that you wind up on a different mental level. It feels euphoric because of all the endorphins our brain releases during such intense play. These include neuro-chemicals like dopamine, adrenaline, and oxytocin. This cocktail of hormones impact the way a person experiences sensation, pleasure, and even themselves.   

Lerman says that as a hypnotherapist, he'd categorize the goon state as a trance. "I loosely define a trance state as 'the focus of attention on one thing to the exclusion of all else.' This definition is intentionally a bit vague, as we go into and out of trances all the time," he says. "Daydreaming, staring into a fire, 'zoning out,' getting lost in the TV and not hearing our spouse yelling at us are all forms of trances — and we all do it. [Gooning] is just a very specific type of trance, accompanied with physical sensation." 

Research has shown that deep meditative states such as this can be intensely therapeutic and can have a lot of benefits for psychological healing.

Of course, not all gooners are blasting a hardcore gangbang scene on a tube site with their dicks out in order to heal emotionally or whatever, but the psychological positives do paint a picture of its appeal. Namely, that it feels freakin' amazing.

The members of the Goon Collective

Who is doing all this relentless gooning? And furthermore, is gooning a purely solo activity or are groups of buddies getting together to goon out in groups?

While gooning is usually a solo activity paired with porn, gooners (or bators, as they are sometimes called), may goon alone or with others — either in-person or on video. 

From the outside, the idea that a couple of dudes would get together to masturbate might sound inherently queer, but Lerman advises us against labeling. "There are certainly cases of heterosexual 'bate buds' who will get together and do their own thing separately, but together," he says. "This def sounds a bit queer to the outsider, but in these cases, there is no sexual interest in each other. Rather, the attraction is simply being present with someone who 'gets it' and is part of the tribe." Humans just want to belong. 

Of course, gay men can goon, too. Dr. Lee Phillips, Ed.D., a psychotherapist and certified sex and couples therapist, says that gooning is very popular in the gay male community, but it may look a bit different than the gooning of their straight counterparts. "They will have circle-jerk parties but will call them 'goon parties' because they will edge for long periods of time as they hit the hypnotic-trance-like state," Phillips says. All in all, anyone can goon!

Zane adds that gooners may also choose to engage solo and then seek out community support. Many gooners enjoy "sharing what porn they're watching with other gooners and how intense their masturbatory experience was," he says. Sharing is caring, after all.

Some gooners even have dedicated "Goon Caves,'' which are spaces designed specifically for their gooning activities. A Goon Cave may include one or more large flat screen TVs for porn, sexual enhancements like toys, lube, and poppers, and anything else a gooner might need to ensure optimal goon time.

SEE ALSO: The best alternatives to Pornhub and XVideos When to check your gooner habits

To goon or not to goon, that is the question. If you're super into slipping into the darkness of your room, door locked, porn on, and dick out — can these habits ever become problematic? 

Here's the skinny: While some folx would be quick to hop on their soapbox and call someone who engages in masturbation for hours at a time a "porn addict" or "sex addict," this boils down to misunderstanding. (Also: Sex addiction is not recognized by science). 

Gooning is only a problem if it's negatively impacting your life, leading you to shirk responsibilities at work, neglect your social group, or prevent you from developing IRL sexual and/or romantic attachments. "If you have healthy platonic and sexual/romantic relationships, if you're never late to work due to this kink, and if all your responsibilities are being addressed, 'these aren't the droids you're looking for,'" Lerman says.

Phillips says we should accept gooning, as it's just as normal as any other kink. Don't go yucking anyone else's yum. 

As with all fun things, take stock of your habits and be sure gooning isn't taking over your life. It's really that simple, folx. Go forth, be sure you're using lots (like lots) of lube, and goon on.

TL;DR: Through March 10, get Rosetta Stone and StackSkills lifetime subscriptions together for $151.99 with the sitewide coupon ENJOY20.

When you think about learning, your mind likely goes back to school days of homework and tests — not exactly happy memories. But, now that you’re an adult, learning something new can come in many other forms, like studying a new language with Rosetta Stone or taking self-paced online courses with StackSkills.

Redefining your learning experience is exactly why this bundle includes lifetime access to them both. Plus, you can use this 20% off sitewide coupon to get the bundle for $151.99 (reg. $189.99) for a limited time.

StackSkills: 1,000+ self-paced online courses

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You might find courses in software development, art, marketing, small business, self-growth, IT certifications, fitness, and many other subjects. Plus, around 50 new courses are added each month, so you almost always have something new to learn.

Rosetta Stone: 25 available languages

The other half of your lifetime learning bundle is Rosetta Stone, an award-winning language-learning app with 25 available dialects. This wide selection includes text-based languages like French, Italian, and German, and logographic languages like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. 

Rosetta Stone’s lessons help you build conversational skills like understanding and speaking, as well as reading and writing for full comprehension. You can even practice your accent with a native speaker search engine that allows you to listen and mimic their voices, and speech-recognition software that tests your pronunciation.

Create new and happy learning experiences with StackSkills and Rosetta Stone lifetime access for $151.99 (reg. $189.99) with code ENJOY20 at checkout, valid until March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rosetta Stone The Unlimited Lifetime Learning Subscription Bundle ft. Rosetta Stone $189.99
$849.00 Save $659.01 with code ENJOY20 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through March 10, get Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 for $35.99 with code ENJOY20 — That's 20% off the sale price.

Coding: A form of technological witchcraft or the key to building your own websites, apps, and games? While it may feel like the former if you’re new to development, it’s really the latter once you have your bearings on the art form. If you could use a little help getting there, you might want to try Microsoft Visual Studio. 

It’s a development environment with tools that are kind to beginners and pros, and it’s only $35.99 for Windows devices when you use code ENJOY20 through March 10. This sitewide coupon saves you 20% on our usual deal price of $44.99, bringing the price to $35.99.

A fully featured environment for your coding projects

Think of Microsoft Visual Studio as the sketchbook for your websites, apps, games, or other projects — write code, experiment with new functions, debug, and test your programs, all within one environment. Start with your preferred programming language with support for C#, F#, C++, Python, Visual Basic, .NET MAUI, JavaScript, and more.

As you type, Visual Studio’s IntelliSense helps you understand code context with highlighted and named variables. It might also help you decide which section to write next, auto-complete lines or blocks of code, and spot bugs so you can crush them right away.

The Windows tool is also loaded with collaboration features like real-time sharing, recent changes, authors, tests, and commit history. You could also create editing or debugging cycles for collaborators with personalized sessions, access controls, and custom editor settings.

Just make sure your Windows PC is compatible 

Before purchasing, we recommend reviewing software and hardware requirements to make sure your PC is equipped for the job. Most notably, your computer should have Windows 10 or 11, a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and at least 850MB of hard disk space.

Use our 20% off sitewide coupon to get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows for $35.99 (reg. $44.99) until March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows $44.99
$499.00 Save $454.01 with code ENJOY20 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through March 10, get lifetime access to all Babbel languages for $159.99 with coupon code ENJOY20.

Have you ever wished you could understand a conversation in a foreign language that you overheard at the grocery store or work? It’s not about eavesdropping, but rather being jealous that others in your community are part of a multilingual world that you just aren’t. But, with a little motivation and an app like Babbel, you could also become a polyglot. 

Intrigued? Keep on reading, because we have a limited-time discount on lifetime access to Babbel. Our usual deal price is $199.99 (reg. $599), but you can use our 20% off sitewide coupon ENJOY20 to get it for $159.99 through March 10.

Join the ranks of polyglots in your community

Babbel offers lessons in some of the most commonly used languages in the United States like Spanish, French, Russian, and German, plus ten others. You might research which are dominantly used in your area, or try your hand at them all — after all, you’ll have a lifetime to learn with Babbel.

Each lesson is designed to take around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, but that small chunk of time will soar by as you match new words with pictures, listen to spoken phrases, and practice conversational skills. Babbel aims to teach you the most useful topics straight away, like travel, family, and food, so you can start applying your skills to real-world contexts as soon as possible.

Along with lessons that build off of one another, you could also…

• Practice sentence structure and verb conjugation with mini-games.

• Take a review lesson to reinforce previous materials in your memory.

• Listen to podcasts in your new language to build listening comprehension.

• Browse grammar guides to build technical skills.

Become a polyglot with Babbel lifetime access for just $159.99 (reg. $599) when you use sitewide coupon code ENJOY20 at checkout until March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $199.99
$599.99 Save $400.00 with code ENJOY20 Get Deal

TL;DR: As of March 9, get this refurbished iPad Pro for only $315.99 — that's a savings of 53%.

This is your sign to make your childhood dream of getting an iPad come true. Don’t worry, they don’t cost as much as they used to, if you’re willing to consider a refurbished model. This grade “B” refurbished iPad Pro 10.5-inch upgrades to the current iPadOS and comes with a case, glass screen protector, and OEM charger for $315.99, normally a $679 value.

Refurbished devices explained

What the heck is refurbished? We’re so glad you asked. These pre-owned devices still have a lot of life left to give, so they’re been tested, inspected, and cleaned to be resold and put into new hands.

This iPad Pro is in grade “B” condition, so you might notice normal to light signs of cosmetic wear. However, you can expect no scratches on its screen and a minimum of 70 percent battery health. Your purchase also comes with a 30-day parts and labor warranty.

This iPad has so many features that we had to make a list

Now that we’ve got the boring stuff out of the way, let’s talk about the exciting features of this iPad Pro:

• 10.5-inch LED-backlit display for roomy reading, streaming, or drawing.

• Apple A10X Fusion processor and 4GB of RAM for smooth use of apps like Procreate, Notability, and photo editors.

• 2017 model year updates to current iPadOS 17 and likely upcoming versions.

• 256GB of storage for your favorite tools and media.

• 12MP rear iSight camera and 7MP FaceTime camera.

Don’t forget that your purchase includes a case, glass screen protector, and OEM charger. This bundle offers more bang for your buck than you’d find on Apple’s shelves.

Make your childhood dream come true with this refurbished iPad Pro 10.5-inch and accessories bundle for $315.99 (reg. $679).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro 10.5-inch 256GB (Refurbished: WiFi Only) + Accessories Bundle $315.99 at the Mashable Shop
$679.00 Save $363.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through March 10, get this 6.8-inch Foldable Touchscreen Car Display with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Support for just $76.79 with code ENJOY20.

You may love your old car, but some of the amenities of a newer vehicle are pretty nice. From dashboard navigation to easier access to music and voice control for a connected phone, there's a lot to make you want a new car. And most of it is controlled by a display you can get without buying a whole new vehicle. 

This 6.8-inch Foldable Touchscreen Car Display is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it can do a whole lot more than just play some music. Get this versatile car display for just $76.79 with sitewide coupon ENJOY20 through March 10. 

Android- and iPhone-compatible

Bring your car into the future with a car display that only takes a moment to set up, and add a little bit of modern comfort to your old faithful ride with features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. That means you can connect your phone for easy dashboard navigation, playing some tunes, or just using your apps while you're parked. Activating voice commands is effortless with a simple push button, so you can keep your eyes on the road while still operating your screen. 

There's a wide variety of cars on the road, but don't worry if you're wondering whether your vehicle is compatible. This display works with a range of power supplies from 7-32V DC power, so it could plug into a truck, bus, RV, or even a tractor. 

Get ready for long road trips by loading a memory card with movies for the back seat to watch. This display works with memory cards up to 128GB, which means you might actually be able to get some miles behind you before anyone starts asking if you're there yet. 

Modernize your vehicle

Bring your old-school car into the future with a plug-and-play car display that's marked down 20%. 

Until March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get the 6.8-inch Foldable Touchscreen Car Display for $76.79 with code ENJOY20. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mesay 6.8-inch Foldable Touchscreen Car Display with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Support $95.99
$159.99 Save $64.00 with code ENJOY20 Get Deal

NASA's Voyager spacecraft zoomed by our solar system's planets decades ago and are now traveling through interstellar space, ultimate destination unknown.

Yet the final transmissions from the two deep space craft loom increasingly closer. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, both launched in 1977, were built to last five years. They've now beamed back cosmic information for well over four decades, a feat made possible by hardy spacecraft and a clever group of NASA engineers.

Particular trouble now looms for Voyager 1, which is more than a whopping 15 billion miles away. In February 2024, NASA reported that engineers were still working to fix a worrying problem that the agency identified in December: They can send messages to the distant craft, but "no science or engineering data is being sent back to Earth." There's a stubborn issue with a critical onboard computer, the flight data system, or FDS. It's a serious anomaly.

"Space is hard. Interstellar space is harder," NASA tweeted from its Voyager account.

SEE ALSO: NASA found a super-Earth. It's in a tantalizing place.

Overall, the Voyagers' nuclear power supply (Plutonium-238) is running low. To preserve fuel, NASA turned off the probes' cameras and half of their science instruments. Now over 12 billion miles away, Voyager 2 is still beaming back unprecedented information about its far-off environs, where only Voyager 1 has ventured before. It's returning data about the radiation in interstellar space and how far the sun's protective bubble of energy and particles extends into the cosmos.

"The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the Sun they go, so we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible," Linda Spilker, Voyager’s project scientist, said last year.

Tweet may have been deleted

Unsurprisingly for aging spacecraft at such great distances away — it takes around two days to send and receive a message — the Voyagers have experienced a number of glitches, including an inadvertent maneuver that recently caused a communication disruption on Voyager 2. (In early August 2023, NASA successfully "reestablished full communications with Voyager 2" after the accidental maneuver pointed the probe's antenna slightly away from Earth.)

So as a half-century of Voyager operations approaches, you may wonder, as many in the space community do, how much longer will the legendary mission last?

How much longer will NASA's Voyager mission last?

This simple question has several answers.

Voyager's science mission: There remains limited energy to collect scientific data from the spacecraft, such as from the Cosmic Ray Subsystem, which measures particles (emitted by objects like stars) that pass through the instrument. To keep five instruments alive, engineers have turned off heaters and other elements. In 2022, NASA hoped such energy preservation could "keep the two spacecraft operating and returning unique science beyond 2025." As of 2023, the space agency announced more power-saving efforts: "The move will enable the mission to postpone shutting down a science instrument until 2026, rather than this year."

NASA is squeezing out all the juice possible, but it's reasonable to expect more science instruments to start shutting down by 2025 or 2026 — although some may last to around the end of the decade.

Voyager's last message to Earth: Sometime in the mid-2030s, we'll likely receive our final Voyager message. Transmissions from Voyager are picked up by the Deep Space Network, which includes the 230-foot-wide radio antenna dish located in Canberra, Australia. But even these large dishes have their limits. "The two Voyager spacecraft could remain in the range of the Deep Space Network through about 2036, depending on how much power the spacecraft still have to transmit a signal back to Earth," NASA explained.

Mission as an interstellar messenger: The Voyager mission set out to explore the outer planets (like Jupiter and Neptune) and some of the deepest realms of the solar system. Now in interstellar space, science data is regularly sent back home. (Both Voyager spacecraft have passed the "heliosphere," the region of space around the sun beyond which interstellar space begins, NASA said.)

Yet even when the final Voyager message reaches Earth, informing us of a spacecraft's final location, the mission continues. It's a mission of spacefaring communication. Both Voyager craft carry "a kind of time capsule, intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials," the space agency explained. "The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth." Included on the record is Chuck Berry's scintillating single, "Johnny B. Goode."

The Voyagers' golden record along with instructions. Credit: NASA Two of the three "Multi-Hundred Watt Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators" as they're prepared for a Voyager spacecraft. Credit: NASA

"The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space," said the great astronomer and thinker Carl Sagan. Sagan led the NASA committee that picked the records' globe-spanning content.

It's unknown if this final portion of the mission will be fruitless or fruitful. But it promises to be a profoundly long endeavor: Voyager 1 won't pass near another solar system for another 40,000 years.

This story has been updated to include the latest information about Voyager 1.

Oddity begins with an impossible choice. A woman alone in a remote country house hears a knock at the door. There, a strange man with panic in his stare declares she must let him in. He claims to have seen someone sneak into her home, and tells her she is not safe. She doesn't have her phone with her. And was the creak upstairs an intruder? Or just an old house settling? Dare she stay inside with an unknown threat? Or go outside with a disheveled stranger whose presence is as alarming as his appearance? 

Writer/director Damian McCarthy hooks viewers from the start with this scary scenario. But then he takes a radical turn. Instead of following this poor woman named Dani (Carolyn Bracken) through a night of terror and threat, he leaps to a full year later, where her sister Darcy (also played by Bracken), a blind medium who owns an oddity shop, is seeking to understand exactly what did go down that terrible night. (Spoiler: It was nothing good.) 

This nonchalant temporal leap pitches viewers off-balance, like when a roller coaster abruptly tilts to the side, precise and perturbing. As he did with his stellar feature directorial debut, 2021's Caveat, McCarthy doesn't play by the cliched rules of horror. So, a slasher setup spins into a tale of ghosts, witchcraft, a murder investigation, and grim vengeance. Atmospheric and unpredictable, Oddity is a rare treasure. 

What's Oddity about? 

The main thrust of the plot follows Darcy as she intrudes on the renovated home of her sister and the renovated life of Dani's uptight widower, Ted (Gwilym Lee), and his new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menton). On the one-year anniversary of Dani's death, Darcy pays an unexpected visit and brings an unusual family heirloom. As in Caveat, a creepy handmade figure plays a central role in McCarthy's haunted house tale. There, it was a festering rabbit toy that banged cymbals. (Eagle-eyed viewers might spot it on display in Darcy's shop!) In Oddity, the creepy craft is a full-sized man, carved out of wood, his mouth agape in a silent scream.

Understandably, Ted isn't keen to keep this eerie thing around. But he's got work at the asylum to get back to, so he awkwardly excuses himself, leaving his flustered girlfriend home alone with Darcy and her demented bauble. It's not long before unnerving things begin to happen around the house. Is Dani's ghost haunting the place? Is Darcy toying with this surviving couple out of a twisted sense of retribution for so swiftly moving on? Is the wooden man really moving on his own? As magic and mental illness play a part of the story, anything is possible, which is precisely what makes Oddity so thrilling. 

Damian McCarthy builds an expanding horror universe with Oddity. 

Nods to Caveat aside, the stranger at the door is named Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), a fellow with a prosthetic eye and a tragic backstory that was unfurled in McCarthy's short film "How Olin Lost His Eye." Beyond a crossover of props and characters that may not be explicitly bound, McCarthy is brewing a brand of horror that's mind-bending, menacing, and so putrid with decay you can practically smell the rot. Like poor Dani, the hero of Caveat (played by Jonathan French, who also pops up in Oddity) was also put in a curious position at the film's start: a job offer that might seem bizarre, but is desperately needed. So what's a set of shackles between paychecks? 

In Oddity, rather than a house in ruins, Dani's home is a historic old home being carefully renovated. A collision of coarse stone walls and modern paintings pinned upon them shows not only the contrast of old and new, but also the past of Dani colliding with the present of Yana, her youthful, smirking replacement. McCarthy smartly accentuates this dynamic in his use of color. Cool tones like the blue-grey stone or Yana's shiny navy blouse present a world of seeming civility, entitlement, and order. But splashes of stark red blood or the bright yellow of the pup tent in which Dani once slept stand out, driving home the dissonance of random acts of violence in this supposedly reasonable world. There's an elegance amid this eeriness, even in the design of the wooden golem, plugged up with bobs of blood, hair, and family photos. He is at once gorgeous and horrific; clearly static, yet so lifelike that when Yana irreverently pokes her hand into his open mouth, your body may well rattle with the anticipatory fear of a gnarly bite!

Every twisted turn is smoothly made, thanks not only to McCarthy's skill in honing tone, but also courtesy of an ensemble cast that delivers performances grounded yet edged with intensity. Pulling double duty, Bracken gracefully switches from the easy-breezy Dani to the dubious Darcy, her physicality growing tighter as her broad smile tightens to sharp grin. Lee brings surly irritation as the widower, playing Ted like a pretentious schoolmaster tired of lecturing children that there are no monsters under their beds. Murphy and French fold in layers of fear and panic in small but pivotal roles, while Menton delivers a sophisticated snottiness that makes her a sharp foil to the scheming Darcy. All in all, it's a cast of characters at each others' throats, and utterly mesmerizing. 

Oddity is a savage original.

Incredibly, McCarthy weaves in elements of many horror genres. The remote setting and ghostly possibilities lean into haunted house territory. But Darcy's wooden man was made by a witch (so she says), skewing the plot into dark magic. Dani's sequence, with its isolation, intrusion, and bloody result, plays out like a slasher. Then, the central conflict between the could-be newlyweds and Darcy strums at the core of folk horror, in which educated city folk come to a rural village and sneer at believers (Darcy) and superstition to their detriment. Yet Oddity does not feel like a pastiche. Instead, McCarthy takes each of these elements and uses them as a hue in his distinctive palette of horror. He blends them beautifully and harrowingly, pulling us in with their mystique and making us howl with their darkest revelations. 

Watching Oddity, I briefly worried there's no way the movie could maintain this ferocious momentum. It's not that the film is frantically paced, more that it strides. When McCarthy sets up a familiar beat, he knows you know what will come next. A woman alone in a big, spooky house will be attacked. A sister-in-law discouraged from dropping by absolutely will at a most inopportune time. And by moving to these beats so quickly, McCarthy leaves us no room to breathe or anticipate where the story will swerve next.

Other filmmakers might have us slog through a trilogy for all the story he weaves into one 98-minute film. Soon, the focus is not so much about who killed Dani, but how Darcy's quest for understanding will play out for anyone remotely involved. And the ending — I'm elated to report — is as sick as it is satisfying. Not just because of how this plot unravels, but also because of how McCarthy, after racing us around timelines and subgenres, takes his time to deliver a final beat that brings a major blow. 

In a word, Oddity is awesome. 

Oddity was reviewed out of its premiere at SXSW 2024.

TL;DR: A wide range of online ChatGPT courses are available to take for free on Udemy.

ChatGPT clearly has enormous potential, but most people still don't know how to really squeeze everything out of this chatbot. If you would like to better understand how to make ChatGPT work for you, an online course could help out in a big way.

Fortunately, platforms like Udemy are offering a wide range of free online courses on ChatGPT. And we've checked everything out to bring you a standout selection of free courses to get you started.

These are the best online ChatGPT courses you can take for free this month:

• Basics of ChatGPT and Generative AI for Software Engineers

• Become an AI-Powered Engineer: ChatGPT, Github Copilot

• ChatGPT 101: The Complete Beginner's Guide and Masterclass

• ChatGPT CV and Cover Letter Writing Crash Course

• ChatGPT for Beginners: The Ultimate Use Cases for Everyone

• ChatGPT in 30 Minutes: Prompt Engineering and AI Skills

• ChatGPT, Midjourney, Firefly, Bard, DALL-E, AI Crash Course

• ChatGPT/OpenAI Development for PHP Developers

• ChatGPT Plugins: Unleash the Power of Integration

• ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Beginners

• ChatGPT Quick Guide: Prompt Engineering, Plugins, and More

• ChatGPT SEO Mastery: How to Rank with AI SEO Content

• Exploring ChatGPT in 2 Hours: Practical Guide for Beginners

• Learn How to Use ChatGPT to Make Money

• Make Teaching Easier with Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT)

• Master Basics of ChatGPT and OpenAI API

• Master ChatGPT, Midjourney, GPT-4, and More

• Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation

• Prompt Engineering Principles: ChatGPT and DALL-E

• Revolutionise Your Business With ChatGPT

• SEO Fundamentals: Post AI and ChatGPT World

These free online courses do not include certificates of completion or direct messaging with the instructor, but you still get unrestricted access to all the video content. A certificate would be nice, but we're sure you can get over it.

Find the best free ChatGPT courses on Udemy.

Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy ChatGPT Courses Get Deal