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TL;DR: Shrink your screen time with this limited-time deal on the NanoPhone miniaturized smartphone, now just $89.97 (reg. $199.99) through April 27.

Sometimes, less really is more. The NanoPhone is a miniaturized smartphone that strips away the bulk without sacrificing the essentials of your phone, giving you a sleek, credit-card-sized device that keeps you connected without the distractions.

Right now, the NanoPhone is only $89.97 (regularly $199) through April 27.

This shrunken smartphone doesn't skimp on features

Looking to simplify your screen time? The NanoPhone offers all the basics you use on your phone — a touchscreen, important apps, and a camera — all in a shrunken, pocket-friendly design.

You don't need to pay for an extra data plan, just pop in your current SIM card, and you’re ready to roll with most 4G carriers.

There is a 2MP front camera and a 5MP rear camera, so you can video chat and snap photos just like on your usual phone. Plus, Bluetooth capabilities make it easy to connect to wireless headphones or a smartwatch for seamless integration. 

The battery life didn't shrink on this device: the NanoPhone has enough juice to last through the day. 

Measuring just 3.5 by 1.8 inches, the NanoPhone is a great option to stay in touch when you want to travel light. Take it to the gym, on a run, on date night, anywhere you don't want to be weighed down by a phone as big as your face. It's also great to keep for emergencies. 

Score a NanoPhone for just $89.97 (reg. $199.99) now through April 27 with no coupon needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mutant Design Lab NanoPhone - A Miniaturized Smartphone Packed with Mega Features! $89.97
$199.99 Save $110.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Lock down access to your favorite Microsoft Office programs with a single payment of $49.97 for MS Office 2021.

The technology world is built around pushing 'newer, better, faster' products. But if you're old school and just like to stick with what you know, consider locking down access to your favorite Microsoft Office programs when you buy MS Office 2021 for just $49.97 (reg. $219.99).

What's Included in Microsoft Office 2021?

Microsoft Office 2021 includes all your favorite programs:

• Word

• Excel

• PowerPoint

• Outlook

• Access

• Teams

• OneNote

• Publisher

Home and business users rely on the basic suite of productivity tools they use daily to create documents, develop spreadsheets, manage emails, and stay in touch with contacts.

When you own these programs outright, you can access them offline and store all your documents locally on your computer. Users who want a reliable, widely compatible set of programs to perform basic computing will benefit from snagging this deal.

How does Office 2021 stand up to Microsoft 365 or Office 2024?

Office 2021 is a software suite perpetual license, unlike Microsoft 365, an ongoing subscription for cloud-based access to storage and Microsoft programs. When you purchase Office 2021, you make a single payment that indefinitely buys ownership of these programs. Microsoft 365 operates on recurrent monthly fees, which can change at any time; in fact, Microsoft just upped the fees for the consumer version of 365 for the first time in 12 years.

Office 2021 retains access to programs you won't see anymore in all Office 2024 purchases, including Access, Publisher, and Outlook. Office 2021 also has familiar layouts. Office 2024 has modernized the look of the programs and integrated AI tools throughout, so if you want to stay with something familiar, the 2021 version is best.

One technical note: Before buying, verify that your Mac is running Monterey or newer or your PC is Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Skip subscriptions and hyped modern programs when you stick with what you know and get Microsoft Office 2021 for just $49.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $49.97
$219.99 Save $170.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: This Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator and Streaming Console is fun for the whole family, and now it's just $89.97 (reg. $159) with free shipping until April 27.

Ready to give family game night a serious upgrade? Put the board games back in the closet and get a gaming console that bridges generations — the Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro.

This retro gaming console is packed with over 70,000 classic games from Atari, Nintendo, Playstation and more, and you can get them all for just $89.97 (reg. $159) through April 27. 

This console is fun for the whole family

Ready to feel nostalgic? Whether you're introducing your kiddos to your favorite '90s games or you're taking it home to mom and dad to let them enjoy some classics from the '70s and '80s, the Kinhank Super Console unites Boomers, Gen Zs, and Millennials alike. 

This retro console covers decades of gaming history, all in one compact system. And you don't need any cartridges or disks — it's all loaded right on the device, from Pac-Man to StreetFighter II to Sonic the Hedgehog.

You don't have to worry about subscription fees or purchasing extra games. Just plug the console into a TV, projector, computer, or laptop, and you'll be ready to play. 

The Kinhank Super Console comes with two controllers, but you can also connect wired and Bluetooth controllers to add players to the action. 

If you manage to run through the thousands of games that are included, you can also access another 20,000 3D games at no extra cost. And if you're tired of gaming, this console turns into a streaming device if you sign into the native apps. 

This one low price includes the Kinhank Super Console, two controllers, a 4GB TF card, a 256GB game card, a USB receiver, a power adapter, an HD cable, and a remote, so you'll have everything you need to game.

Liven up game nights with the Kinhank Super Console, now $89.97 with free shipping through April 27. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kinhank Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator & Streaming Console $89.97
$159.99 Save $70.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Master up to 14 languages at your own speed with this lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning. Right now, it's only $129.99, exclusively on StackSocial, using the code LEARN40 through May 4.

Vacation season is upon us. If you'd like to get even more out of traveling, learning the native language lets you see cities in a whole new light.

Whether you're looking to master Italian before spending the summer in Rome, or you'd like to be fluent in Spanish before a weekend in Cancun, you can learn these languages and 12 more with a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning. 

Learn languages at your own pace for life

If you're not into deadlines and testing, taking a language learning course can be tough. Babbel lets you learn at your own pace, on your own time. And a lifetime subscription lets you continue to learn for years to come.

Learning new languages has been proven to help your brain form new neural connections and to strengthen existing ones. Give your brain a boost by taking the first step towards learning Dutch, Danish, French, with Babbel's unique 10-15 minute sessions. 

These manageable lessons can fit into a lunch break, a lengthy line, or before bedtime. And don't assume you're learning less with this method — researchers at City University of New York discovered that novice learners picked up the equivalent of one semester of Spanish after 15 hours of Babbel's learning strategy. 

Babbel syncs across all your devices, so you can always pick up where you left off. Start a lesson on your smartphone and finish up later on your desktop. Their advanced speech recognition technology helps you with your pronunciation skills. And you can get practice in real-time with Babbel's AI conversation partner. 

Choose between beginner, intermediate, and advanced level courses so you can continuously improve and keep your skills sharp over time.

Get this lifetime subscription to all languages with Babbel Language Learning for just $129.99, exclusively on StackSocial, using the code LEARN40 through May 4.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $129.99
$599 Save $469.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: Score a MacBook Pro for just $329.97 (reg. $1,499) through April 30, while supplies last.

You don’t always have to splurge to get a quality laptop. The MacBook Pro is one of Apple's priciest laptops, due to its powerful performance. But if you act fast, you can get one for under $350.

This 13-inch MacBook Pro can be yours for only $329.97 (reg. $1,499) through April 30, while supplies last.

Experience the power of a MacBook Pro for under $350

This MacBook Pro proves that good technology doesn't have to cost a fortune. It has a powerful 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB memory to keep up with your multi-tasking and lengthy to-do lists. And if you need to tackle heavier tasks like video editing, coding, or gaming, it has Turbo Boost technology that ramps speeds up to 3.5GHz. 

Hoping to store files right on the device? That's easy thanks to the 512GB of flash storage on this MacBook Pro.

With all this power and storage, you might think this must be a heavier model. But all these features fit into a sleek and portable casing that weighs only 3.02 pounds. 

Four Thunderbolt 3 ports are available for your charging and connecting needs. And it includes the Apple Touch Bar, a limited-edition tool that offers help via spelling suggestions, shortcuts, and customization depending on the app you're running. 

There's also a Force Touch tool on the trackpad that allows for precise cursor control and gesture recognition. It includes a backlit keyboard that lets you type away in low light.

Wondering why you're getting this MacBook Pro at such a steal? It's grade A refurbished, which means it will show up at your door in near-mint condition while you still secure the deeply discounted price. 

Snag your own 13-inch MacBook Pro for just $329.97 (reg. $1,499) now through April 30.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 13" Touchbar (2017) 3.1GHz i5 8GB RAM 512GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) $329.97
$1,499 Save $1,169.03 Get Deal

Hey there, pal! If you're currently melting into your couch cushions and/or becoming one with your mattress, just scrolling for something cool to watch before you come down, then, wow, you are in the right place.

You want a recommendation? We love giving recommendations. What a totally awesome and fortuitous situation we all are in right now.

Netflix has a ton of shows and movies perfect for watching when you're chilling out and getting high. Soothing, colorful, trippy, profound — you name the vibe, and the streaming service has something for you. To get you started, we've combed through some of our favorite titles to enjoy while vegging out. In our list, you'll also find descriptions of the mood they're perfect for.

Have an awesome time, buddy. You deserve a list of the best things to watch on Netflix while high.

30. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Credit: Aardman / Netflix

It took Aardman Animation a hot second to cook up Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, but don't let that stop you. This sequel to 2000's Chicken Run (which is still the highest-grossing stop-motion movie ever made!) is nearly as much of a blast as the original. And that's really no surprise given Aardman's portfolio of delightfully animated films, including modern classics like Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

True, the plot here is ultimately a bit of a rehash of the first movie, although there are some fun Squid Game shout-outs and the like. But what really makes Nugget essential stoner viewing is its stop-motion animation — the textural gorgeousness of every frame, every piece of putty that these artists' fingers have sprung to such vivid life. It's a Technicolor circus of delicious chicken mania. — Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is now streaming on Netflix.

29. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

The more the Godzilla movies coming out of Japan have turned into smart, sweeping epics like Godzilla Minus One (which is also streaming on Netflix), the more their American counterparts have taken the opposite route, becoming kaiju-sized mountains of unbridled lunacy. And we love them for it, with their extraordinarily tangled plot-lines that stretch back decades and continents — above and below ground, mind you (Hollow Earth represent!).

Then add on a cast of characters so wide and so loony that you wonder how the studio can even keep writing all the checks, and we're cooking with gas. What can I tell you about the plot Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire? Well, Dan Stevens is doing a ridiculous accent. There's an army of evil monkeys that live inside a volcano. Kong gets a robot arm with which to kick (or rather punch) monkey butt. Oh, and the sight of Godzilla curled up taking a nap in the Colosseum like a good kitty is worth the price of admission alone. — J.A.

How to watch: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is now streaming on Netflix.

28. Barbie

Could Greta Gerwig's Oscar-winning box-office-stomping plastic-doll-updating pop blockbuster actually be a stealth stoner classic-to-be? All the Day-Glo brights of Barbieland, the surreal twists of plot, the Technicolor musical interludes… this is a movie made for knocking back a big bag of potato chips and vegging out if ever there was one. 

Barbie tells the tale of, funny enough, Barbie (Margot Robbie). Plus her simp male companion doll friend Ken (Ryan Gosling), and how their wanderings out into the real world to learn what it's like for real girls and boys only confuses them further, ultimately turning Barbieland upside-down in the process. It's all hella goofy, way over-the-top — it's got Kate McKinnon doing wackadoo splits up the side of a Dream House, dang it! Really the line between what makes a 12-year-old and what makes a really stoned adult laugh is at its thinnest here, so break on through to the other candy-colored side. — J.A.

How to watch: Barbie is now streaming on Netflix.

27. Burlesque

A good old-fashioned nonsense musical about putting on a show to save the club and, uhh, air rights? The gaudy Burlesque embraces its cheesiness in such an enthusiastic fashion that it's hard not to fall under its ridiculous spell. Starring Christina Aguilera as a small-town waitress who moves to Los Angeles to fulfill her big singing dreams, and starring Cher — Cher!!! — as the owner of a burlesque club who takes the dreamin' lil songbird under her wing, Burlesque (like Cher) knows exactly what it is and exactly why we’re here. And those things are bright colors and absolute silliness. If we just happen to get to watch Cam Gigandet wiggle his cute little butt, too, then so be it. — J.A.

How to watch: Burlesque is now streaming on Netflix.

26. Pretend It's a City Credit: Netflix

Depending on what kind of high it is you're rocking, you may just want to get lost in conversation or listen as someone else regales you with tall tales. We've all been there! Well, lucky for you, author and iconic New York City personality Fran Lebowitz has made getting lost in conversation her career, and this seven-part docu-series directed by Martin Scorsese himself captures that freewheeling and funny conversation brilliantly. 

A rambling portrait of Lebowitz's life and the city she's loved slash contended with for several decades, she and Marty (who often appears on-screen chatting directly with her) have a warm and hilarious rapport, and he draws out all her best material. Add the fact that Scorsese spends half the doc cackling so hard at Fran's jokes that he seems to have imbibed a little himself, and it's high times in the Big Apple indeed. — J.A.

How to watch: Pretend It's a City is now streaming on Netflix.

25. Ma

Directed by The Help's Tate Taylor, Ma tells the tale of a gang of annoying teenagers who ask the exact wrong middle-aged veterinary assistant to help buy them beer. Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) tells the kids to call her Ma, buys their beer, and then invites them back to her place where she says they can party and drink in her basement. What's the catch? They just have to let Ma party some with them, is all. Is that really too much to ask? Well…

When under the influence you probably want to avoid a horror movie that's too scary, but Ma hits the sweet spot — pot-boiling camp where the mischievous twinkle in Spencer's eye lets you know we're here to have some fun. Much like her character, she's inviting you into her basement good-timery. And if she happens to run down some floozies with her pick-up truck or threaten a little castration on the side, so be it. Ma just wants to be loved, dammit! — J.A.

How to watch: Ma is now streaming on Netflix.

24. Kraven the Hunter

Superhero stories can be metaphors for all sorts of real-world serious issues. But when they fail spectacularly at doing that, I find them to be the perfect companions for being blitzed out of one's head. Enter Kraven the Hunter, a big bag of furry nonsense that stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the son of a Russian game hunter (Russell Crowe, devouring the safari scenery) who gets dosed with a magical potion after being attacked by a lion, becoming one with the apex predators. 

There are like 10 villains that make Kraven's mane-draped life a living heck, with each one of them bringing their own kinda wacky. Christopher Abbott plays some kind of debonair time-warping assassin; Fred Hechinger is a piano-playing chameleon geek; and best of all is Alessandro Nivola as the thick-hided Rhino always sporting a fashionable little backpack. What they – alongside Ariano DeBose as the potion-wielding Calypso – are up to is, not to put too fine a point on it, a bunch of gobbledegook. And yet a good time can be had if you just let go and embrace the furrier side of life. — J.A.

How to watch: Kraven the Hunter is now streaming on Netflix.

23. Cooked with Cannabis

Who among us hasn't lost an afternoon staring at a cooking show, imagining what every dish tastes like? Netflix's Cooked with Cannabis, hosted by "Milkshake" singer-turned-chef Kelis and cannabis cuisine expert Leather Storrs, adds a competitive edge to the art of weed cuisine as three guest chefs compete for a $10,000 prize. It's a little low on stakes at times, but is a generally enjoyable watch with plenty of mouth-watering creations to gaze at. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Cooked with Cannabis is now streaming on Netflix.

22. Blown Away Credit: Netflix

If you think glassblowing is mesmeric when you're sober, then hold on to your couch cushions for this title. Blown Away, the surprise hit reality competition series centered on professional glass artists, combines the satisfaction of a How It's Made segment with the fun and format of Top Chef. (Did we mention molten glass kind of looks like food?) It's a killer binge you'll knock out in no time. — A.F.

How to watch: Blown Away Seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix.

21. Kubo and the Two Strings

The reach-out-and-touch-it tactility of Laika's brand of stop-motion animation is enough to make any person feel high as a kite, even while stone cold sober. So it only stands to reason that any of their movies — Coraline, ParaNorman, et al — would make for perfect zone-out entertainment. Lose yourself among the undulating surfaces, y'all. 

And none of the Laika movies have felt as luxurious as 2016's Kubo and the Two Strings, which tells the tale of a Samurai Junior setting out on a quest where he must face down his diabolical aunties and the creepy-ass Moon King. With music! It's all surging seas, rocky cliffs, and red lanterns, with the art of feudal Japan guiding its gorgeous abstractions. Featuring the voices of Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, and Matthew McConaughey, every frame is a moving work of art. — J.A.  

How to watch: Kubo and the Two Strings is now streaming on Netflix. 

20. Absurd Planet

Nature documentaries are always strong contenders for when you want viewing that's both relaxing and awe-inspiring. But Netflix's Absurd Planet is an especially good choice for when you're high. It blends absurdist comedy with pretty visuals, the occasional cartoon, and mind-blowing facts. (Fair warning, though, this show can be kind of cringe-inducing if you're not high. Prep accordingly.) — A.F.

How to watch: Absurd Planet Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

19. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

We're blazing back across the wastelands of George Miller's maniacal mind for a fifth go at his Mad Max franchise in this prequel to 2015's Fury Road —swapping Charlize Theron out for Anya Taylor-Joy (plus Alyla Browne in the earlier portions) — and we're here to find out what made that bald-headed bad-ass Furiosa tick. Following her kidnapping from the "Green Place" and the rough tutelage under a never-wilder Chris Hemsworth's Dementus that follows, we get to see it all: Furiosa's epic back-story with the wife-hoarding Immortan Joe; the loss of her arm; everything right up to the very first second we met her on the Fury Road.

Although the reaction to Furiosa was generally a muted one — a comparatively small box office haul, a mixed reception from critics, and not a single Oscar nomination — there's no doubt that Furiosa will sprout legs and eventually end up as beloved a piece as the rest. So now's the time to jump onboard. There are definitely things to adjust to. Anya Taylor-Joy is good but Charlize is missed, and there's a lot more unconvincing CG employed than Fury Road messed about with. But Miller's imagination is still the fiery special-effect we keep coming back for, and it continues to singe our brows off. — J.A.

How to watch: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now streaming on Netflix.

18. Floor Is Lava Credit: Netflix

Witness strangers yeeting themselves into oblivion with one of Netflix's best reality shows. Floor Is Lava is exactly what it sounds like, turning the beloved living room game into a full-scale obstacle course with a cash prize at the finish line. Great casting, fun set decoration, and the warm presence of host Rutledge Wood make this a fun binge to fall into while relaxing. — A.F.

How to watch: Floor Is Lava Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix.

17. The Mind, Explained

Explore the nooks and crannies of your head's ooey-gooey center (too much?) with The Mind, Explained. In this 10-part docu-series narrated by Emma Stone and Julianne Moore, psychologists, doctors, and other experts discuss the mysteries surrounding our academic and practical understandings of consciousness. From dreams to drugs, this series is a great primer on all sorts of fascinating areas. — A.F.

How to watch: The Mind, Explained Seasons 1-2 are now streaming on Netflix.

16. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Who could have predicted that a Dungeons & Dragons movie would land in 2023 and… actually be good? Audiences didn't turn out in droves, but critics sure loved it, and it will no doubt have a very long life on streaming platforms as people discover the red hot news that, hey, this extremely weird movie actually doesn't suck. 

Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves follows a gang of unlikely heroes who must quest their way across the Medieval-ish kingdom while dropping all sorts of familiar nerd nuggets for the RPG-heads along the way. But, no worries. Even if you've never touched a six-sided die in your life, you'll be able to keep up just fine, and be enthralled to boot. Good clean goblin-ensconced fun will be had! — J.A. 

How to watch: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is now streaming on Netflix.

15. My Octopus Teacher Credit: Netflix

Dive into one of South Africa's bustling kelp forests with documentarian Craig Foster in the Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher. Following Foster's relationship with a wild octopus he befriended while swimming along the coast, this captivating movie examines humans' connection to and responsibility for nature. — A.F.

How to watch: My Octopus Teacher is now streaming on Netflix.

14. Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics

Let's be honest: The best time to hear someone talk about being high is when you are also high. Sting, Sarah Silverman, Nick Offerman, A$AP Rocky, and more share their experiences with psychedelics in this bizarre documentary from Donick Cary. Funny and thoughtful, Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics offers equal parts entertainment and insight. As Sting puts it, "I don't think psychedelics are the answer to the world's problems. But they could be a start." — A.F.

How to watch: Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics is now streaming on Netflix.

13. Nailed It! Credit: Netflix

I don't know about you, but competition shows tend to stress me out — even when sober. That's why Nailed It!, now seven seasons strong, has always been more my speed. The baking contestants are brought onto the show specifically because of how outrageously untalented they are, and in the good spirit of camaraderie, we're all invited to openly mock their trainwreck concoctions once they’re unceremoniously unveiled. But it’s never mean-spirited. Everybody is in on the joke. And hosts Nicole Byer and the ever-grinning chocolatier Jacques Torres, along with a delicious variety of guest judges, foster an environment of effervescent goofiness, one hot mess at a time. — J.A.

How to watch: Nailed It! Season 1-7 are now streaming on Netflix.

12. The Lost City

It seems the only way we get rom-coms these days is if they promise lots of globe-hopping and action-antics – I guess that's to keep the restless boys in the audience, bored by kissy parts, interested. 2022's The Lost City does this better than most, feeling like an engorged redo of the 1984 classic Romancing the Stone. Sandra Bullock stars as a romance novelist whose stories turn out to be all tangled with real world events, which culminates with her getting dragged onto a tropical jungle adventure with her Fabio-esque cover model (Channing Tatum). 

Bullock and Tatum have super chemistry and look hot together. Brad Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe show up in two outrageously over-the-top turns as a mercenary and an uber-rich supervillain, respectively. The Lost City is fast food for the brain that won't leave you feeling worse for wear the next day. —J.A.

How to watch: The Lost City is now streaming on Netflix. 

11. Maniac

Patrick Somerville's limited series is without question the most thematically heavy title on this list. So if you want to keep things on the lighter side, make Maniac your last choice. That said, this compelling story of a friendship forged from an interdimensional drug trial is an excellent pick if you're seeking something visually complex and narratively mind-bendy. Jonah Hill and Emma Stone give astounding performances that are both multidimensional and captivating. — A.F.

How to watch: Maniac is now streaming on Netflix.

10. The Speed Cubers Credit: Netflix

Few things are as charming as watching hobbyists celebrate their unique interests and tremendous talents. In just 40 minutes, Netflix's The Speed Cubers introduces its audience to the mind-blowing world of competitive speed-cubing and finds a compelling, character-driven narrative at its core. Inspirational yet goofy, this short film offers an excellent bit of comfort content. — A.F.

How to watch: The Speed Cubers is now streaming on Netflix.

9. RRR

Kick-dancing off with an Oscar for Best Song for its show-stopping "Naatu Naatu" number, this Telugu historical action epic from director S.S. Rajamouli is three hours of nonstop, big-budget awesomeness that will grab you about the collar from its opening scene and not let go 'til the final credit has rolled. In between, you’ll see a man swing a motorcycle like a baseball bat and a riot of fierce zoo animals weaponized against the enemy army, among many, many such spectacular visions. And it’s all in the name of making best friends-turned-enemies (Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) turn back into best friends again. The things some men will do to avoid intimacy! — J.A.

How to watch: RRR is now streaming on Netflix.

8. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Credit: Netflix

Yes, there's a lot of antifa going on in Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, it's true. Set in WWII-era Italy, our favorite puppet-maker Geppetto is suicidally depressed after his son's death in a bombing, so he creates the little wooden boy with the lie-sniffing nose to fill the emptiness in his life. Del Toro's stop-motion masterpiece takes perfect aim at fascist forces, just as he did with the dark fairy tale Pan's Labyrinth back in 2006. Walt Disney's 2D-animated version of this story has been infamous for decades for giving kid's nightmares — the donkeys, the donkeys! — and yet del Toro's movie makes that cartoon seem positively sunny in comparison. 

Sometimes there is nothing more transfixing when you're totally and completely baked than the sight of elaborately hand-crafted magic tricks, and as such, the stop-motion wizardry on display here in this monstrously detailed movie will truly blow your mind. The craftspeople who built this world were at the top of their game. The "Monstro the Whale" sequence alone, my God! Your eyes will feast well on this beauty. — J.A.

How to watch: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is now streaming on Netflix.

7. The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience

A celebration of rap, comedy, and the Oakland Athletics, The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience is the surprise short film Lonely Island fans didn't know they needed. Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, portraying MLB players Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, unceasingly commit to the bit in a 30-minute tribute to the limits of sanity, reason, and acceptability.* — A.F.

How to watch: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience is now streaming on Netflix.

6. The Midnight Gospel Credit: Netflix

Duncan Trussell and Pendleton Ward's The Midnight Gospel is one of many stellar adult cartoons to enjoy while high. Tuca and Bertie, Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, they're all great. Still, The Midnight Gospel goes further, farther, and faster in terms of visual interest, existential themes, and hypnotizing soundscapes. If you haven't watched it yet, buckle up and prepare to be changed. — A.F.

How to watch: The Midnight Gospel is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Delicious in Dungeon Credit: Netflix

If you like fantasy adventures and food, you'll appreciate this offbeat but delectable animated series. Based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ryōko Kui, Delicious in Dungeon follows Elven mage Marcille and Halfling thief Chilchuck, who are on a quest to rescue their friend from the belly of a dragon before she is digested. This means traveling deep into a foreboding dungeon, where they will have to not only have to battle monsters, but also find nourishment in their grim environment. Lucky for them, they fatefully cross paths with a cook, who considers monster meat cuisine! Each episode of this anime offers bite-sized comedy and cartoony food porn, so while you watch, have snacks handy. — K.P.

How to watch: Delicious in Dungeon is now streaming on Netflix.

4. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

It's tempting to say "sixth time's a charm" for the sixth adventure with our favorite claymation inventor Wallace and his best dog bud Gromit, but that would deny the fact that every single time with these characters has been a charm since their first adventure together way back in 1989. The folks at Aardman Animations might wander off to make movies about chickens on the run or rats living in toilet cities in between, but their W&G pictures are their crown jewels, and they always bring their best.

And so Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is as good as any forebears, expanding on old gags and bringing an army of new ones to the front. An actual army this time, as Wallace's latest invention — a robotic home-helper garden gnome called Norbot — gets its circuits hijacked by an old foe (the diabolical Feathers McGraw from 1993's classic The Wrong Trousers). Norbot then sets about building itself an army of red-eyed clones to do the villain's bidding, and cracking hijinks ensue. Packed with an endless barrage of low- and high-brow humor, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is another 82 minutes of putty-sculpted perfection. — J.A.

How to watch: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is now streaming on Netflix.

3. John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City Credit: Netflix

Watching any comedy special you love is a great option for entertaining yourself while high — and Netflix does have a mountain of options to choose from on that front. (Seriously, here's 27 of the best comedy specials.) That said, John Mulaney's 2018 special, Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, will always hold the #1 spot in our humor-loving hearts. "There's a HORSE. In the HOSPITAL." — A.F.

How to watch: John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City is now streaming on Netflix.

2. A Trip to Infinity

If I’ve learned anything from watching Richard Linklater movies, it’s that some people, whilst stoned, like to wax real deep on real big thoughts and jazz. Well, Jonathan Halperin and Drew Takahashi’s 2022 documentary about the search for the meaning of that really, really, really big number known as infinity (plus one!) is tailor-made to blow such minds. With insights from some of the greatest modern thinkers in mathematics, physics, and philosophy, the film goes even one step further, illustrating their concepts of enormity with trippy animations. It all adds up to one smoky after-hours-at-grad-school haze to groove on, man. — J.A.

How to watch: A Trip to Infinity is now streaming on Netflix.

1. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend Credit: Eric Liebowitz / Netflix

If you're up for a more active viewing experience, consider diving into the delightfully weird Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend. This interactive Netflix special adds Daniel Radcliffe to the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt family, as Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane, and Jon Hamm return for another killer Kimmy adventure. — A.F.

How to watch: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend is now streaming on Netflix.

Asterisks (*) indicate the entry comes from a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Apr. 2, 2025, 3:24 p.m. EDT This article was updated to reflect the latest streaming options.

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Warm weather.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

BALMY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To brandish a weapon.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 20, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

WIELD

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Lacking flavor.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 20, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BLAND

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Something you stick on an envelope.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for April 20 Hurdle Word 4 answer

STAMP

Final Hurdle hint

Rugged.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

ROUGH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 20 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: On the hunt

The words are often purchased for this spring holiday.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are found in Easter gifts.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is EasterBasket.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for April 20

• Toys

• Bunny

• Eggs

• Candy

• Book

• Chocolate

• Peeps

• EasterBasket

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games 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 today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 20 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: To catch sight of

• Green: Used when coloring clothing

• Blue: Can be split open

• Purple: They share a second word

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: Glimpse

• Green: Needs for tie-dyeing a shirt

• Blue: Things you can crack

• Purple: Words before "Hop"

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 today's Connections #679 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Glimpse: GANDER, GLANCE, LOOK, PEEP

• Needs for tie-dyeing a shirt: BASIN, DYE, RUBBER BANDS, SHIRT

• Things you can crack: CODE, EGG, JOKE, WHIP

• Words before "Hop": BAR, BUNNY, HIP, SOCK

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 20

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for April 20 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 20, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To repair.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

PATCH.

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 20

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

By OpenAI's own testing, its newest reasoning models, o3 and o4-mini, hallucinate significantly higher than o1.

First reported by TechCrunch, OpenAI's system card detailed the PersonQA evaluation results, designed to test for hallucinations. From the results of this evaluation, o3's hallucination rate is 33 percent, and o4-mini's hallucination rate is 48 percent — almost half of the time. By comparison, o1's hallucination rate is 16 percent, meaning o3 hallucinated about twice as often.

SEE ALSO: All the AI news of the week: ChatGPT debuts o3 and o4-mini, Gemini talks to dolphins

The system card noted how o3 "tends to make more claims overall, leading to more accurate claims as well as more inaccurate/hallucinated claims." But OpenAI doesn't know the underlying cause, simply saying, "More research is needed to understand the cause of this result."

OpenAI's reasoning models are billed as more accurate than its non-reasoning models like GPT-4o and GPT-4.5 because they use more computation to "spend more time thinking before they respond," as described in the o1 announcement. Rather than largely relying on stochastic methods to provide an answer, the o-series models are trained to "refine their thinking process, try different strategies, and recognize their mistakes."

However, the system card for GPT-4.5, which was released in February, shows a 19 percent hallucination rate on the PersonQA evaluation. The same card also compares it to GPT-4o, which had a 30 percent hallucination rate.

Evaluation benchmarks are tricky. They can be subjective, especially if developed in-house, and research has found flaws in their datasets and even how they evaluate models.

Plus, some rely on different benchmarks and methods to test accuracy and hallucinations. HuggingFace's hallucination benchmark evaluates models on the "occurrence of hallucinations in generated summaries" from around 1,000 public documents and found much lower hallucination rates across the board for major models on the market than OpenAI's evaluations. GPT-4o scored 1.5 percent, GPT-4.5 preview 1.2 percent, and o3-mini-high with reasoning scored 0.8 percent. It's worth noting o3 and o4-mini weren't included in the current leaderboard.

That's all to say; even industry standard benchmarks make it difficult to assess hallucination rates.

Then there's the added complexity that models tend to be more accurate when tapping into web search to source their answers. But in order to use ChatGPT search, OpenAI shares data with third-party search providers, and Enterprise customers using OpenAI models internally might not be willing to expose their prompts to that.

Regardless, if OpenAI is saying their brand-new o3 and o4-mini models hallucinate higher than their non-reasoning models, that might be a problem for its users. Mashable reached out to OpenAI and will update this story with a response.

His LeapPad tablets, which helped children read, found their way into tens of millions of homes beginning in 1999.

Over the weekend, humans running as fast as they could were chased by robots through the streets of Beijing, China.

To be more specific, it was a half-marathon race, and the robots lagged far behind the humans.

On Saturday, China held what it's calling the world's first humanoid half-marathon. Over 20 two-legged humanoid robots competed alongside real human runners, according to state-run news outlet Beijing Daily, via CNN World. The teams were from Chinese universities and companies publicizing their humanoid robotics advancements, which China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has dubbed a critical area for competing with the U.S.

Tiangong Ultra was the robot winner with a time of two hours and 40 minutes. Credit: Kevin Frayer / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images

As CNN reports, local governments in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen have invested an estimated $10 billion in developing humanoid robotics to compete with humanoids from U.S. rivals like Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, and Elon Musk's Tesla.

China may be closing the gap on developing humanoid robotics, but the robots competing in the half-marathon couldn't keep up with the human racers. The first humanoid, Tiangong Ultra from the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, crossed the finish line in two hours and 40 minutes. That was far behind the human winner in the men's category, who completed the half-marathon in one hour and two minutes, the outlet reported.

Some robots wore sun hats and running shoes. Credit: Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty Images

Robotics teams could re-up their humanoids with new battery packs and swap in replacement robots for a 10-minute penalty. Tiangong Ultra needed three battery changes and required handlers to run alongside it in case it fell along the zig-zagging route with mild elevations of less than nine degrees, said Beijing Daily.

Other robot competitors needed the same kind of human supervision, with some relying on leashes or remote controls. As evidenced in press photos from the event, some robots took a tumble. Others wore running shoes, sun hats, pinnies, and windbreakers. One humanoid robot sported a slightly terrifying human-looking head and face, with a chic bob, eyelashes, and makeup.

This humanoid has an unsettlingly human face. Credit: Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty Images

The robots didn't win the race this time, but China is looking to prove it's a serious competitor in humanoid robotics. Its eyes are on the prize for the future.

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: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, April 19, 2025:

AcrossSubject of a song that ends "Next time won't you sing with me?"

• The answer is ABCs.

Play at a loud volume

• The answer is Blare.

Totally convinced of

• The answer is Sold on.

It wrote this clue: "Virtual assistant with the gift of gab (4, 3). Let me know if you'd like any tweaks!"

• The answer is ChatGPT.

Mascara targets

• The answer is Lashes.

Place to make a lifelong promise

• The answer is Altar.

Best coast for sunsets

• The answer is West.

DownThe whole package, so to speak

• The answer is All That.

Honey ___, animal that "don't care" in a meme

• The answer is Badger.

Makes smaller, as a photo

• The answer is Crops.

Like emails you can't take back

• The answer is Sent.

Acts like a braggart

• The answer is Boasts.

Rock that easily fractures

• The answer is Shale.

Grabber of stuffed animals in an arcade

• The answer is Claw.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

A team of scientists is doubling down on its claims that a world 124 light-years away in space is likely covered in oceans and full of aquatic life, with new data to support the findings. 

The research, led by astronomers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, kicked off a fervent debate in 2023 when it suggested K2-18b, an exoplanet in the constellation Leo, gave a chemical signal for dimethyl sulfide gas. On Earth, that molecule is only known to be made by living things — primarily phytoplankton, a type of microscopic algae.

The initial report was based on observations from the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration of NASA and its European and Canadian counterparts. But the results created a lot of hubbub among habitable world experts. Skeptics criticized the weakness of the signal and other aspects of the study, such as the belief that the planet, about nine times heavier than Earth and 2.5 times wider, is indeed a water world. 

Other scientists continue to feel frustrated with the way the work is being described to the public, with news headlines that suggest the group is closer to discovering life beyond Earth than it really is.

Now the team has put forward a follow-up study, using a different instrument on Webb, that offers a fresh view of the planet and more evidence for either dimethyl sulfide or a similar life-related compound, dimethyl disulfide, in its atmosphere. 

"The signal came through, strong and clear," said Nikku Madhusudhan, lead author of the new paper, published this week in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

SEE ALSO: Scientists haven't found a rocky exoplanet with air. But now they have a plan. Further studies of exoplanet K2-18b, which orbits a cool dwarf star in its so-called "habitable zone," continue to incite controversy over whether it hosts life. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Joseph Olmsted (STScI) illustration

K2-18b orbits a red dwarf star, cooler than the sun, in its so-called "habitable zone," the region around a host star where it's not too hot or cold for liquid water to exist on the surface of a planet. In our solar system, that sweet spot encompasses Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Based on the new analysis, the scientists seem more confident that K2-18b is a Hycean world, a type of planet predicted to exist in the galaxy, combining the words "hydrogen" and "ocean." These theorized exoplanets, a subset of worlds that can't be found in our own solar system, are called mini Neptunes: smaller than Neptune but larger than Earth. 

Such planets could be covered in water and surrounded by thick atmospheres full of hydrogen gas, unlike Earth's nitrogen-based atmosphere. If they exist, Hycean worlds are expected to be easier to see and study with telescopes than Earth-like rocky worlds, because they’re bigger and have puffier atmospheres.

"Given everything we know about this planet, a Hycean world with an ocean that is teeming with life is the scenario that best fits the data we have," Madhusudhan said in a statement. He did not respond to questions from Mashable earlier this week. 

Meanwhile, other scientists are offering counter arguments to explain the planet, such as the possibility that K2-18b is a big rock wrapped in a magma ocean, with little likelihood of being habitable. Some also have attempted to apply different computer models to the 2023 data and could not pick out dimethyl sulfide, or DMS for short, from other signals. 

The latest Webb data focused on mid-infrared light, a different part of the light spectrum, where DMS and dimethyl disulfide, or DMDS, leave stronger chemical fingerprints. 

The way they analyzed the planet's atmosphere is called transmission spectroscopy. When planets cross in front of their host star, starlight shines through their atmospheres. Molecules within the atmosphere absorb certain light wavelengths, or colors, so by splitting the star’s light into its basic parts — a rainbow — astronomers can look for which light segments are missing to figure out the makeup of an atmosphere.

While Earth has relatively tiny amounts of DMS and DMDS, K2-18b appears to have much more — perhaps thousands of times more, according to the paper, fitting with theories for Hycean planets. The observations reached "three-sigma" significance, the team said, meaning there's only a 0.3 percent chance the results happened by accident. Their findings could qualify as a formal scientific discovery with just 16 to 24 more hours of Webb telescope observations, they said.

Regardless of the way the Cambridge team has talked about its next steps, there doesn't appear to be consensus among scientists on the right time to claim a detection of extraterrestrial life. That may be one reason why their work is raising hackles, said Michaela Leung, a planetary scientist at the University of California in Riverside. 

Despite the James Webb Space Telescope's power, scientists question whether it's capable of definitively identifying specific life-produced gases in exoplanet atmospheres. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration

She recently wrote a paper on other molecules researchers could look for with Webb that are linked to biology on Earth. 

"Look for another gas," Leung told Mashable. "A strong claim of life detection here is going to report more than one potential biosignature. Even if what is in that atmosphere is DMS, which I think is not clear at this time, I think we would also have to robustly eliminate all abiotic possibilities."

The Cambridge team considered how the two gases might form without organisms, such as through starlight or from comets, giant snowballs hurtling through space. Still, they believe a biological explanation is the more likely scenario.  

No matter how much more time they spend measuring the chemical composition of K2-18b's atmosphere, that data alone won't be enough to convince some scientists, said Sarah Hörst, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who specializes in planetary atmospheres.

"We have many examples in our own solar system of molecules that could be considered to be signs of life but have eventually been shown to have other explanations," Hörst told Mashable. "The search for life is quite challenging and will require extraordinary evidence."

The U.S. still has its sights on winning the global AI race. First stop: Commandeering AI manufacturing.

Announced just last week, a $500 billion infrastructure investment from artificial intelligence giant Nvidia will bring domestic AI manufacturing to the U.S. — that's half a trillion dollars going toward mass production of the the country's own AI supercomputers as well as NVIDIA's Blackwell chips.

The AI supercomputers will take over a million square feet of manufacturing space in Texas, while factories and manufacturing partners across Arizona — operated by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which landed a similar deal in March — will be tasked with building and testing chips. Proponents say it's a welcome investment in the country's growing AI economy, potentially boosting jobs and aiding in the development of an AI workforce. In the words of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time."

But while the investment may bode well for the country's position in the AI race, a recent report from Greenpeace suggests an additional worry for such hardware manufacturing chains and AI data centers, at large: Their voracious consumption of electricity.

AI manufacturing eats away at power supply

According to research from Greenpeace East Asia, electricity consumption linked to AI hardware manufacturing increased by more than 350 percent between 2023 and 2024 — It's expected to increase another 170-fold in the next five years, according to Greenpeace, exceeding the total amount of power consumed by the population of Ireland.

Global hubs for AI manufacturing in East Asia, including Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, are the largest consumers of electricity and are increasingly reliant on climate destructive fossil fuels, the report finds. Unlike other similarly foreboding reports, these figures apply to the early lifecycle of an AI-powered product, including the creation and testing of chips, and not just the processing power used by AI supercomputers like those built by Nvidia.

"While fabless hardware companies like Nvidia and AMD are reaping billions from the AI boom, they are neglecting the climate impact of their supply chains in East Asia," said Katrin Wu, Greenpeace East Asia supply chain project lead. "AI chipmaking is being leveraged to justify new fossil fuel capacity in Taiwan and South Korea – demand that could, and should, be met by renewable energy sources. Across East Asia, there are many opportunities for companies to invest directly in wind and solar energy, yet chipmakers have failed to do so on a meaningful scale."

The need for more and more energy sources

As enthusiasm for AI has exploded over the last several years, so too has its demands on the globe's already strained energy sources. In the words of experts, AI is an energy hog.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), "the U.S. economy is set to consume more electricity in 2030 for processing data than for manufacturing all energy-intensive goods combined, including aluminium, steel, cement, and chemicals."

Half of the growth in U.S. electricity demand between now and 2030, which is expected to at least double, will be due to AI — currently, around 40 percent of data centers in the U.S. are supplied by gas power plants. Renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, won't be able to match the need, says the IEA, necessitating a further reliance on large scale fossil fuels like gas and coal and potentially bottlenecking states' emissions goals.

The issue doesn't just pertain to AI's immense processing power. "The rapidly rising energy costs of AI data centers have captured global headlines, yet the environmental implications of other parts of the hardware lifecycle are often overlooked," said Greenpeace report author Alex de Vries.

On April 14, President Donald Trump announced a plan to revitalize the U.S. coal industry, including protecting coal-fired power plants and expediting leases for domestic coal mining that would also supply hungry AI data centers. But while coal power is remarkably cleaner than it was in generations past, it's not a viable path toward reducing carbon emissions.

Similar to other manufacturing sectors, such power demands are inequitably shared among global regions, as well. "The manufacturing process of AI hardware is energy intensive and carries a significant environmental footprint, especially considering the concentration of this manufacturing in East Asia, where power grids still rely heavily on fossil fuels, and chipmakers have taken few steps to procure renewable energy," de Vries warns.

Consumer demand also exacerbates energy costs. Some researchers have said just a single AI chatbot query consumes the same amount of electricity as what's required to light a bulb for 20 minutes, while others point to the growing water footprint created by cooling systems for AI servers. According to researchers at the University of California, Riverside, a user asking between 10-50 ChatGPT queries per day uses up about two liters of water.

How AI proponents are tackling sustainability

Even so, AI has the potential to revitalize the need for renewable energy. According to the IEA, the continued AI boom could spur investment in diverse energy sources and cement the importance of renewables and natural gas sources. AI could also accelerate "innovation in energy technologies," the IEA contends.

For example, some AI manufacturers have sought nuclear power options in response to growing grid demands. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have announced plans to secure nuclear energy deals to power their in-house AI products, including reopening the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. Bipartisan lawmakers are seeking exemptions on nuclear power to support a cleaner energy option, too. The relationship is reciprocal: Nuclear power facilities help supply energy to AI processing demands, while AI-powered technology may offer a solution to the complicated maintenance of nuclear reactors.

Other companies, including controversial claims by Chinese-owned OpenAI competitor DeepSeek, are finding ways to reduce the amount of processing power needed to feed their models.

But such energy alternatives need continued investment from AI's major players, from the companies selling AI products to the manufacturers and politicians aiding in their creation. And as the Trump administration and other U.S. political leadership have struck down its commitments to climate and environmental stewardship, and slashed at the country's climate science infrastructure, concern over the technology's environmental strain remains.

SAVE 50%: As of April 19, you can get a six-pack magnetic cord organizer kit for just $7.89, down from $15.89, at Amazon. That's a 50% discount, saving you $8.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rocoren Rocoren magnetic cable clips cord organizer (6-pack) $7.89 at Amazon
$15.89 Save $8 Get Deal

Cables snaking up the wall or sprawling across the floor are neither aesthetic or functional. They're just annoying, and the bane of robot vacuums everywhere.

If you’re looking for an affordable way to get the mess under control without sacrificing desk space, a cord organizer might be the way to go. Right now, you can get the Rocoren six-pack magnetic cable organizer kit for just $7.89, down from $15.89, at Amazon. 

SEE ALSO: I added these AI rope lights to my wall for $45, and my office looks like a streaming setup

This set includes six individual clips that feature an innovative magnetic spring-locking mechanism (for easy one-handed cable insertion/removal and a secure hold). They also have an upgraded acrylic adhesive (which Rocoren says is much stronger than standard tape). They stick firmly to flat surfaces like wood desks, wood laminate, and glass without leaving behind residue, and the 7.5mm slot fits most common cable types (USB, charger, and HDMI).

These clips work even better when paired with a multi-port USB-C charging dock or hub, like the Rocoren 10-port USB dock, which is also on sale. By consolidating your bulky power adapters into one charging station, you can use these inexpensive clips to manage the few remaining cables. It keeps everything accessible and prevents your cords from ending up in a tangled mess behind the desk.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rocoren Rocoren 10-port USB Dock $55.91 at Amazon
$69.89 Save $13.98 Get Deal

SAVE 38%: As of April 18, you can get the Renpho Eyeris 2 eye massager for just $49.99, down from $79.99, at Amazon. That's a 38% discount and $30 in savings. It's also just one cent away from its all-time low price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Renpho Renpho Eyeris 2 $49.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or sleep-deprived and need a quick fix, a heated eye massager is an affordable solution that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

While Therabody’s SmartGoggles ($200 MSRP) may look tempting when you see them on TikTok or Instagram, but there are a few budget-friendly options that’ll give you comparable results for much less. The Renpho Eyeris 2, for example, is currently on sale for $49.99 at Amazon — that's 38% off its usual price. Plus, it saves you about $150 compared to the Therabody device.

And just like Therabody's trendy eye mask, it offers heat therapy, massage, and compression.

Credit: Renpho SEE ALSO: Does the Renpho Eyeris face massager pass the hype test?

The Renpho Eyeris 2 is designed to reduce eye fatigue, relieve eye strain, and improve sleep quality by combining heat, vibration, and kneading massage. This model features two adjustable compression intensity settings and can reach a temperature of up to 113℉. There’s also a built-in Bluetooth speaker, so you can listen to your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks while you relax.

Although the Renpho Eyeris 2 doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Therabody SmartGoggles, it's a great option for anyone looking for a basic eye massager on a budget. It has a 4.3-star rating on Amazon, with over 2,000 reviews.

You can also opt for the slightly pricier, Mashable-tested Renpho Eyeris 3 ($75.99), which has similar features but a more futuristic-looking design.

Opens in a new window Credit: Renpho Renpho Eyeris 3 $75.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $54.00 Get Deal

SAVE 10%: Just in time for allergy season, you can get the GoveeLife smart air quality monitor for $41.39, down from $45.99, at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: GoveeLife GoveeLife Smart Air Quality Monitor $41.39 at Amazon
$45.99 Save $4.60 Get Deal

If you live in an area that’s prone to pollen, smoke, or smog, then you might want to consider investing in an air quality monitor. Better yet, get a smart monitor that sends air quality alerts right to your phone.

These little gadgets can help you understand what's really going on in your home by tracking particulate matter (PM2.5), temperature, and humidity.

SEE ALSO: How to use Google Maps to check the air quality where you live

If you're not familiar with the Govee brand yet, it's become popular among Amazon shoppers in recent years for its smart lights and home appliances. And right now, you can get the GoveeLife smart air quality monitor for $41.39, down from $45.99, at Amazon. It’s not a crazy discount, but 10% off is better than nothing. It’s also a far better price than you’ll see for competing air quality monitors from Amazon ($69.99), Ecobee ($249.99), and Airthings ($184.99).

The GoveeLife smart air quality monitor measures PM2.5, temperature, and humidity. It features an LED display with night and day modes and is compatible with the GoveeLife app, where you can view a 13-day data graph and receive alerts. At $41.39, it's an affordable tool to help you breathe a little easier this spring.