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"Woe's Hollow" is Severance's biggest swing to date.

SEE ALSO: Every time 'Severance' hinted at that huge Helly twist

The episode swaps Lumon's offices for a snowy trip through the Dieter Eagan National Forest, reveals that Helena Eagan (Britt Lower) was posing as her Innie Helly for the last four episodes, and brutally retires Irving (John Turturro). That's already a lot, and we haven't even talked about the strange "twins" Lumon made of the Innies! (Don't think of them as clones just yet: Severance credits them as "Shadow Mark," "Shadow Helly," and so on.)

At the center of all these game-changing moments lies a disconcerting tale from Lumon founder Kier Eagan's childhood. In the story, he and his twin brother Dieter venture out into the very same woods in which the Innies find themselves. What starts as a story of close brothers ends in tragedy, complete with tree-tinged body horror and some anti-masturbation messaging thrown in for good measure. But Kier and Dieter's journey isn't just more bizarre Eagan propaganda for the Innies to swallow — it also speaks to the Innies' plights as Severed individuals.

What happens in Severance's Dieter Eagan story?

The story of Dieter and Kier is part of the Fourth Appendix to Lumon's Compliance Handbook. (Hopefully Apple releases it in full like they did with The You You Are and The Lexington Letter.) According to Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman), Kier dictated the Fourth Appendix in the final hours before his death, and it is "a text of such sanctity that it is forbidden upon the Severed Floor."

In the first story from the Fourth Appendix, a young Dieter persuades Kier to run away to the woods and "live as paupers." During their time in the wilderness, Dieter would often hide in the woods at night to masturbate.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 4: What is the Glasgow Block?

One day, Kier tells Dieter they must return home and continue their work at their father's ether mill. (Child labor alert!) Dieter protests, then turns into a tree in a fairly gnarly sequence involving his eye popping out and sap pouring from the socket. Kier runs to Woe's Hollow's waterfall to drown out the sounds of Dieter's suffering. There, he meets the temper Woe (whom Irving later encounters in a dream sequence), described as "a gaunt bride, half the height of a natural woman."

Instead of allowing him a moment to grieve his brother, Woe tells Kier that "[his death] is your doing. You suffered his wantonness. Now he's no one's brother. Only chaos' whore." Comforting stuff!

Dieter Eagan's death is a parable about Lumon's views on work and sex.

Despite Mr. Milchick's claims that "every word is truth," Dieter and Kier's story is clearly a heightened parable meant to enforce Lumon's values of working diligently and serving the company.

Dieter and Kier's time in the woods highlights their different approaches to life, presenting one brother as a pinnacle of goodness, and the other as a cautionary tale. Whereas Kier wants to return to work with their father, Dieter just wants to continue shirking his family duty. Dieter is also often associated with filth. The Fourth Appendix describes him as "unwashed," criticizes his "wantonness," and labels him as a "whore." The masturbation is presented as sinful but also wasteful, with Dieter "spil[ling] his lineage upon the soil" a seeming reference to a lack of care for the Eagan family line. Apparently that and his disinclination for child labor are punishable by death by tree transformation, while Kier's need to return to work and family (which are one and the same for him) mean that he can live.

SEE ALSO: The 'Severance' cast dishes on how filming 'Woe's Hollow' was like 'doing a movie'

The masturbation passage in particular sheds light on Lumon's present-day views on sex and intimacy. The only time the Innies are permitted any kind of sex or intimacy is at the waffle party, but even that intimacy is dressed up in a Kier mask. It's sex, sure, but it's sex in service of Kier. Meanwhile, Dieter's "wanton" masturbation is sex in service of himself, which Kier and his world philosophy cannot abide by.

Now, if we're taking Kier and Dieter's story at face value, the two really are twin brothers. (In which case, I firmly believe Kier actually murdered his brother in the woods.) But what if Dieter was simply the name Kier gave a part of himself that he wanted to repress? What if Kier's journey to the woods ended with him pushing down any aspect of him that wanted freedom from work or that had any lustful thoughts? In that case, the story has an extra layer of a man battling, and ultimately winning, some kind of moral battle against his consciousness. Either way, though, the outcome of the story is the same. The virtuous Kier survives, but Dieter strays from Kier's path of goodness and "roil[s] nature's wrath," as Mr. Milchick would put it.

The relationship between Kier and Dieter speaks to the Innies' relationship with their Outies.

The story of Dieter's demise (whether he's a real twin or a symbol of Kier's repressed emotions) is a reminder to the Innies of the value of work and the perils of lust. But the twin factor of the story adds a new layer for the Innies as Severed individuals at war with their own consciousness.

The Fourth Appendix presents Kier and Dieter as two sides of the same coin. Both are Eagans working for their father, and they're so close that they're bosom friends. Yet they differ in terms of key values. Similarly, the Innies and their Outies are also two sides of the same coin. They're so close they share a body, but their personalities vary wildly. The inclusion of their shadow selves also serves as a visual representation of their twinship with their Outies.

With this in mind, the story seems to ask the Innies, "Which Eagan brother do you want to be?" Will they choose the diligent worker or the lustful pauper wannabe? Remember, the guy who chose the latter turned into a tree, so choose very carefully!

The parable puts Kier and Dieter — two halves of the same whole — in competition with each other, a move that may speak to conflict between the Innies and Outies down the line. It also highlights that one half of a pair could be struck down at any time for acting against Kier, a threat that becomes all too real after Irving's retirement and the reveal that the Glasgow Block has kept Helly R. locked away while Helena is on the Severed Floor.

Dieter Eagan's story has extra meaning for Helena.

For Mark (Adam Scott), Irving, and Dylan (Zach Cherry), their time in Woe's Hollow is the first time they've heard about Dieter Eagan even existing. But for Helena, who's grown up with Eagan propaganda, this story must have been with her for her whole life.

Like Kier in the story, Helena is expected to uphold the Eagan way. (Kier forbid her father call her a "fetid moppet" again!) Acting as Helly R., though, Helena has the opportunity to show disdain to the story, a moment that has to be freeing given Lumon's rigidity, and one that also feels like it skews far more towards Dieter Eagan's life philosophy than Kier's.

Another moment that feels like Dieter? Helena having sex with Mark in Woe's Hollow. Yes, maintaining Mark's trust and affection is all for Lumon, but Helena is specifically seeking out pleasure for herself — including the self-satisfaction that she's one-upped her own Innie when it comes to intimacy with Mark. She's embracing her inner Dieter, a comparison that Severance emphasizes by intercutting the sex scene with Irving's dream of Woe.

Like Dieter, Helena is punished for her actions in Woe's Hollow when Irving realizes she's not Helly at all. He brings her to the waterfall — the very same place where Kier drowned out the sounds of Dieter's pain — and attempts to kill her, bringing Helly back. It's a full circle moment for another Eagan who strayed from Kier's path. Thankfully, there was less tree sap and eye loss this time around.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

Severance's "Woe's Hollow" is nothing short of a showstopper — and not just because of its massive plot twist.

SEE ALSO: Every time 'Severance' hinted at that huge Helly twist

The fourth episode of Season 2 sees Innies Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry) return to the outside world for a Lumon-supervised field trip known as an Outdoor Retreat Team Building Occurrence, or ORTBO. Dressed in matching fur coats, the Innies hike through the snowy woods of Dieter Eagan National Forest, which is a far cry from the sterile labyrinth of Lumon's Severed Floor.

While every Innie actor has shot scenes as their Outie in the world beyond Lumon, filming "Woe's Hollow" was like nothing else on Severance.

"[The shoot] was over five weeks," Turturro told Mashable in a video call alongside Lower and Cherry. "It was something like doing a movie, like doing an independent film."

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 4: What is the Glasgow Block?

The new location for "Woe's Hollow" added new challenges for the Severence crew. "Just to get up [the mountain] took us a long time," Turturro said. "At night, when we came down in these little tractors, you're on the side of the road, and it's foggy and there's snow, you're thinking, 'we could go right off the side of that cliff over there!'"

"We had to work much more quickly," Lower said. "They would do our hair and makeup in the morning, and then we wouldn't have any touchups throughout the day because there wasn't time. Typically you have the hair and makeup team traveling, but we had to be really fleet-footed on the mountain, and we were racing against the sun setting."

"We won the race!" Cherry added. "We beat the sun every day."

With the snowy location came new outfits for the Innies, who we usually only see in office wear. "I really enjoyed not having to wear pantyhose and heels for the first time," Lower said.

Instead, costume designer Sarah Edwards dressed the Innies in long fur coats with matching hats, along with mountaineering boots and crampons to help with the extended hiking sequences.

"Those coats, they weighed around 30 pounds," Turturro said. "It was great, but it was really heavy. You were just soaked."

But there were some upsides to the constant hiking in heavy clothing. "By the end of the shoot, I'd put on quite a bit of calf muscle," Cherry said.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

Severance pulled off one of its biggest plot twists yet in "Woe's Hollow," the fourth episode of Season 2.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance's 'The You You Are' is now a real book. Here are 4 things we learned from it.

The episode brings Lumon's Innies back to the outside world for an Outdoor Retreat Team Building Occurrence, or ORTBO. It's basically a camping trip, with a healthy dose of Kier Eagan propaganda — and marshmallows! — thrown in for good measure. But the ORTBO ends in chaos when Irving (John Turturro) figures out that Helly (Britt Lower) is actually her Outie Helena, who has been posing as Helly since the start of Season 2.

Severance has been steadily building to this reveal since the first episode of Season 2, dropping hints (some subtle, some glaring) that something isn't right with Helly. So whether you called the Helena twist from episode 1 and want to revisit your detective work, or you were totally surprised and want to catch the clues you may have missed, we've got you covered. Here are the 10 biggest clues from Severance Season 2 that prove Helena was pretending to be Helly all along.

Helly's return to the Severed Floor was immediately suspicious. Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Right from the moment Helly reappears in Severance's Season 2 premiere, it's clear something is off. Innies like Irving and Mark (Adam Scott) return to the Severed Floor in the same state they were in when the Overtime Contingency ended: Mark is terrified and breathing hard following his revelation that Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is still alive, while Irving is banging on the elevator doors just as he was banging on Burt's (Christopher Walken) front door.

Helly, on the other hand, comes in running and out of breath, as if she'd been on the run for a long time. But she certainly wasn't running at the end of Season 1 — she'd been tackled to the ground. Between that discrepancy and her faked labored breathing, everything about her entrance feels performative.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 4: What is the Glasgow Block?

Helly's reaction to Mark's hug is also uncharacteristic of her. She seems more confused about seeing him than anything else. Of course, that could be read as Helly's discombobulation after a sudden return to the Severed Floor, but in hindsight, it's clear this is Helena trying to adjust to her new role as her Innie.

Helly was awfully focused on Lumon's lack of security cameras.

Every time the MDR Innies hesitate to tell each other what happened to them in the outside world, Helly brings up Lumon's seemingly relaxed surveillance tactics. One of her first lines back in the MDR office is "Where are the security cameras?" — a pointed attempt to prove the Innies aren't being surveilled.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most WTF moments from 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1

Later, in the new and improved break room, she reminds her co-workers that Lumon vowed that there would be no more cameras or microphones listening in on their conversations. But since when has Helly R. been one to trust Lumon propaganda at face value? No, these moments are actually all ploys from Helena to get the Innies talking. Lumon has been listening after all! Just not in the way it claimed.

Helly's lie about the Overtime Contingency was the clearest proof that she's Helena Eagan. Britt Lower and John Turturro in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

The alarm bells about Helly really begin when she lies to Mark, Irving, and Dylan about what she saw in the outside world. Sure, she could have been so ashamed about being an Eagan that she decided to keep it from the group, but that doesn't seem like something Helly would do. Remember, this is the woman who almost chopped off her own fingers and hanged herself to prove something to her Outie! She knows they're not the same, and it's more likely that she'd relish working with the rest of MDR to stick it to her Eagan Outie than cover it up.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1: Why does Helly lie about what she saw?

Helena's lie is also so blatant that Irving knows immediately that something is up. That raises the question: Helena had days to think of this lie, and the best she could think of was a night gardener? Surely Lumon has some copywriters who could have conjured up something better for her.

Helly wanted the group to stay together, no matter what.

The only way Helena can glean information from the other Innies is if they remain with each other at all times. That explains her panicked insistence that "we should all go" when Dylan volunteers to talk to an upset Irving. She doesn't want to support Irving, she just wants to eavesdrop on him! Wouldn't want to miss a thing happening on the Severed Floor — her father could call her a "fetid moppet" again.

Helly's reaction to Mark's search for Gemma was off-putting from the jump. Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Another Helly/Helena clue in the first episode is her subdued reaction to the reveal that Gemma is alive at Lumon — and that Mark wants to get her out. Instead of jumping at the chance to free someone else from Lumon's clutches, Helena-as-Helly prods Mark about why he owes Gemma anything. You could chalk this hesitance up to romantic complications between Helly, Innie Mark, Outie Mark, and Gemma, but again, do we really think Helly would miss out on an opportunity to stick it to Lumon? Of course not! Helena is just trying to dissuade Mark from acting on the information he learned during the Overtime Contingency, hoping she can get him back on track to finish Cold Harbor.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2: What is Cold Harbor?

Helena's true feelings about the Innie-Outie divide come to the fore in their conversation about Gemma, when she tells Mark, "We're not the same [as our Outies], actually." The intensity calls to mind Helena's video message to Helly in Season 1, when she tells her, "I am a person. You are not."

Helena does try to backtrack, saying, "I don't think we owe [the Outies] shit." But it's too late! The cracks in her Helly facade are showing, and Helena Eagan is coming through.

An Invasion of the Body Snatchers reference hinted at Helena replacing Helly.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted that the name of the file Helly is working on at the end of Severance's Season 2 premiere is Santa Mira, which is the fictional town where Invasion of the Body Snatchers takes place. Like the aliens in the film, Helena has replaced Helly, making the Santa Mira reference a fun, telling hint for movie lovers.

Helena's body language was all off as Helly. Britt Lower and Adam Scott in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Helena's first run out of the elevator and awkward hug of Mark aren't the only physical clues that she's posing as Helly. Elements like her walk, her hand placement, and more are evocative of the proper rigidity Helena exhibits. But the biggest body language discrepancy is how Helena fumbles with the switch to turn on her computer at the end of episode 1. All the other Innies are able to get it without looking, since this is a force of habit for them, so this small misstep is actually a pretty big red flag for Helena Eagan. I guess she should have studied her Innie better. Speaking of...

Helena watching Lumon's security footage was a dead giveaway that she would be taking Helly's place. Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

In Severance Season 2, episode 2, we don't see any of Helena-as-Helly. However, we get a sequence of Helena preparing to play her own Innie: the scene in which she watches and rewatches security footage of Helly's kiss with Mark from Season 1. It's like we're watching an actor preparing to go method for a biopic, but instead of an actor playing a famed musician or political figure, it's Helena Eagan preparing to play a version of herself she's subjected to endless torture. Oscar incoming!

Knowing that Helena is planning on impersonating Helly adds an extra layer to the sinister assertion from Lumon enforcer Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Somebody Somewhere) that "the board's going to give [Mark] what he wants. Including Helly R."

With that, Helena knows she's being expected to play up the intimacy between herself (as Helly) and Mark. It's another way of giving up her body to serve Lumon (although of course, that's what Lumon is doing to Innies in the first place).

The elevator doesn't ding when Helena heads to the Severed Floor. Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

When Helena takes the elevator down to the Severed Floor in Season 2, episode 2, we don't hear the trademark "ding" sound that's associated with the transition from Outie to Innie. That's fairly damning evidence on its own, but it's extra damning because Helena's entrance comes after Dylan and Irving's. You know what we hear when they take the elevator? The ding! The omission of a Helly ding right after these was a purposeful nod to Helena taking the reins on the Severed Floor — and it's proof that no detail on Severance is too small to be a coincidence.

SEE ALSO: The 14 most WTF moments from 'Severance' Season 2, episode 2 Helly's behavior on the entire "Woe's Hollow" field trip was a nail in the coffin for undercover Helena. Britt Lower, Adam Scott, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Helena's time on the Severed Floor already had its suspicious moments, but her behavior on the ORTBO is what truly blows her cover. Her cruelty to Irving about him losing Burt is what truly convinces Irving, but there are other moments that signal that Helly is really Helena as well.

For starters, she immediately understands that the story about Kier Eagan's twin brother Dieter in the Fourth Appendix is an anti-masturbation tale, suggesting this is a text she's familiar with, as an Eagan would be. Her derision about the story at the campfire could be an overly performative attempt to capture Helly's anti-Eagan sentiment — or it could also be a freeing moment for Helena to push back against her family's teachings, some of which she may view as outdated.

Later, in one of the only instances when Helena-as-Helly truly gets some time alone, she wanders over to the Woe's Hollow waterfall and stares at it with a mix of pride and affection. Since Woe's Hollow is such an important place in Kier's life, Helena's gazing at the waterfall feels like a moment of acknowledging her family and her place in it, including everything she's done this season in order to continue serving Kier. Coming the morning after she has sex with Mark — both the ultimate way to get revenge against Helly, and concrete proof that she's fully earned Mark's trust — Helena's stop by the waterfall feels like a mini victory lap. At least, until Irving calls her out.

The official reveal that Helena was Helly all along raises Severance Season 2's rewatch factor to new heights, with every one of Lower's performance choices gaining new depth and context. What other clues did you pick out?

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

"Woe's Hollow," the fourth episode of Severance Season 2, is one of the show's most jam-packed entries yet. Over the course of an hour, Severance revealed that Helena Eagan (Britt Lower) had been posing as her Innie for the whole season. It also retired Irving's (John Turturro) Innie and introduced some bizarre new Kier Eagan lore. And that's only scratching the surface!

SEE ALSO: 'Severance's 'The You You Are' is now a real book. Here are 4 things we learned from it.

But in the middle of these major plot points, Severance slyly answered one of our biggest questions from all the way back in Season 1 — and it all starts with Mr. Milchick's (Tramell Tillman) mention of something known as "the Glasgow Block."

What is the Glasgow Block in Severance? What could all these functions do? Credit: Screenshot: AppleTV+

When Irving figures out that Helly is really her Outie posing as an Innie, he attempts to drown her in order to get Helly back. His plan works. Mr. Milchick calls someone back at Lumon and demands that they "remove the Glasgow Block."

Eagle-eyed viewers may remember that this isn't the first time the word "Glasgow" has come up in Severance. In Season 1, episode 8, when Dylan (Zach Cherry) prepared to launch the Overtime Contingency, he also saw a list of several other functions the severed chips can perform. Among them are Beehive, Elephant, Freeze Frame, and Glasgow.

SEE ALSO: I went to the 'Severance' pop-up in Grand Central. It was wild.

Fans were quick to theorize about what each severed function could be. For Glasgow, they turned to the Glasgow Coma Scale, which measures levels of consciousness after brain trauma. Given that Severance is a show all about consciousness, the connection seemed like a perfect fit. Could Lumon use the Glasgow function to send its severed employees into a coma at a moment's notice?

After "Woe's Hollow," that theory doesn't sound too far off. It seems like the Glasgow function blocks an Innie persona from waking up entirely, allowing their Outie to be in control at all times, even on the Severed Floor.

What could the Glasgow Block mean for the rest of Severance Season 2?

The Glasgow Block's existence spells extra danger for the Innies. It's yet another way Lumon could snuff out their lives without warning, emphasizing once again how little autonomy they have and how little Lumon values them as actual people.

But could there be a flip side to the Innies learning about the Glasgow Block? If they rebel against Lumon again, could there be a way to reverse the block and make it so the Innies are the only active consciousness? That might be too similar to the Innies' triggering the Overtime Contingency in Season 1, but as tensions between the Innies and Outies escalate, anything could be possible.

Another reason the Glasgow Block's appearance here is so important is that it's proof that Severance is paying attention to the little bread crumbs it's dropped throughout its run, like the function menu in Season 1. Those functions weren't just random names — they had intention behind them, and at least one ended up being paid off in an immensely satisfying way. Who knows, maybe down the line we'll see the Beehive or Elephant function in action.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime device license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for just £44.19 (reg. £352.10) through 23 February.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle £44.19
£352.10 Save £307.91 Get Deal

Unlock an all-in-one productivity toolkit with The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows Lifetime License + a Windows 11 Pro bundle, currently available for just £44.19 for Mashable readers. This dynamic combination offers professional-grade tools for work, advanced operating system security, and a seamless experience across all your projects — forever.

Whether you're running a business, working remotely, or managing your daily tasks, this bundle is an ideal solution. With a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021, you’ll get access to essential apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. Pair that with the advanced features and enhanced security of Windows 11 Pro, and you're set up for long-term success without the recurring costs of subscriptions.

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Get the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Windows 11 Pro bundle while it's on sale for just £44.19 (reg. £352.10). Get this reduced pricing at the Mashable Shop through 23 February.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: A large bank of online courses from Harvard University are available to take for free on edX.

edX hosts a wide range of free online courses from some of the top educational institutions in the world, including Harvard University. Ever heard of it? Of course you have. And now you can become a student of this famous school without spending anything.

Harvard University offers free online courses on topics like AI, cybersecurity, game development, public speaking, and much more. We have checked out everything on offer and lined up a standout selection of online courses to get you started.

These are the best free online courses from Harvard University this month:

• American Government: Constitutional Foundations

• Ancient Masterpieces of World Literature

• Applications of TinyML

• Building Personal Resilience: Managing Anxiety and Mental Health

• Calculus Applied

• Cell Biology: Mitochondria

• Child Protection: Children's Rights in Theory and Practice

• CitiesX: The Past, Present and Future of Urban Life

• CS50's Computer Science for Business Professionals

• CS50's Computer Science for Lawyers

• CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python

• CS50's Introduction to Computer Science

• CS50's Introduction to Cybersecurity

• CS50's Introduction to Game Development

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with R

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with Scratch

• CS50's Understanding Technology

• CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript

• Data Science: Capstone

• Data Science: Inference and Modelling

• Data Science: Machine Learning

• Data Science: Probability

• Data Science: Productivity Tools

• Data Science: R Basics

• Data Science: Visualization

• Deploying TinyML

• Early Childhood Development: Global Strategies for Implementation

• Electrochemistry

• Energy and Thermodynamics

• Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies

• Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles

• Fat Chance: Probability from the Ground Up

• Fundamentals of Neuroscience Part 1

• Fundamentals of TinyML

• High-Dimensional Data Analysis

• Human Anatomy: Musculoskeletal Cases

• Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster

• Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health

• Introduction to Data Science with Python

• Introduction to Digital Humanities

• Introduction to Probability

• Islam Through Its Scriptures

• Justice

• Justice Today: Money, Markets, and Morals

• Leadership: Creating Public Value

• Leaders of Learning

• Machine Learning and AI with Python

• Managing Happiness

• Masterpieces of World Literature

• MLOps for Scaling TinyML

• Modern Masterpieces of World Literature

• PredictionX: Lost Without Longitude

• Principles of Biochemistry

• Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology

• Remote Work Revolution for Everyone

• Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

• Shakespeare's Life and Work

• Statistics and R

• Structure and Function of Argument: Introduction to Critical Thinking

• Super-Earths and Life

• Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market

• The Architectural Imagination

• The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches us about the Good Life

• Using Python for Research

The catch with these free courses is that they don't include certificate of completiona or graded assignments and exams. But you can still enroll at any time and start learning at your own pace, so there's nothing really standing in your way.

Find the best free online courses from Harvard University with edX.

Opens in a new window Credit: Harvard University Harvard University Courses Free at edX Get Deal

FREE SLURPEE: On Feb. 7, 7-Eleven is giving away a free Slurpee drink to customers. This special offer is valid for small drinks on every Friday in February. Check participating locations here.

Opens in a new window Credit: 7-Eleven 7-Eleven: Free Slurpee on Feb. 7 Learn More

We feel slightly silly.

On Jan. 31, we made a massive fuss about the fact that 7-Eleven was giving away free Slurpees for one day only. We really made some noise about this special giveaway, mainly because we thought this sort of thing was a rare chance to get something for nothing. We didn't think customers would get another opportunity like this anytime soon, but we were wrong.

SEE ALSO: Get a year of Peacock Premium for just $30

7-Eleven has made us look like absolute fools, but we can't be mad at them. 7-Eleven is continuing with the generosity by giving away free Slurpee drinks every Friday in February (starting on Feb. 7). Customers can pop in to get their hands on a small Slurpee at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores nationwide. Check participating locations here.

Feeling thirsty? Grab your free Slurpee from 7-Evelen on Feb. 7.

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 February 7 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 February 7, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A strip or belt of land.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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...

SWATH.

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 February 7

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 yesterday's Wordle.

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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 February 7 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: Taking the lead

• Green: Stretchy and flexible

• Blue: Magic and mystery

• Purple: Common phrases with a color

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: Be in Charge Of

• Green: Things Made of Rubber

• Blue: Associated with the Genie in Aladdin

• Purple: Red____

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 #607 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Be in Charge Of: DIRECT, HEAD, LEAD, RUN

• Things Made of Rubber: BALLOON, ERASER, GALOSH, TIRE

• Associated with the Genie in Aladdin: BLUE, EARRING, LAMP, WISHES

• Red____: BULL, CROSS, HERRING, VELVET

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 February 7

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 yesterday's Connections.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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 Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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 Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Parts of the big game you might want to watch

• Green: Ways your 'turn' might end in football

• Blue: Involves a receiver

• Purple: What you get when you're the last team standing

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

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

• Yellow: Parts of a Super Bowl broadcast

• Green: How football drives end

• Blue: Types of catches

• Purple: Rewards for winning a championship

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 Sports Edition #137 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Parts of a Super Bowl broadcast - COMMERCIALS, HALFTIME SHOW, POSTGAME, PREGAME

• How football drives end - DOWNS, PUNT, SCORE, TURNOVER

• Types of catches - CIRCUS, CONTESTED, DIVING, FAIR

• Rewards for winning a championship - BONUS, PARADE, RING, TROPHY

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.

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 yesterday's Connections.

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 preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 7 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 7 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A flair for fashion

These words are used to describe fashions more in-depth.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words add flair to clothing to give it a specific, potentially fashionable look.

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 ClothingAccents.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for February 7

• Sequins

• Tassel

• Fringe

• Lace

• Embroidery

• ClothingAccents

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 yesterday's Strands.

He was among the first backers of Apple Computer and 3Com, earning windfalls, but it was his humaneness that distinguished him from other venture capitalists.

The company’s cloud computing business showed strong growth, while a forecast for the current quarter disappointed investors.

TL;DR: This offer includes Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 and a 15-course learn-to-code bundle for just A$88.

Give the gift of code this month! Whether you’re shopping for an experienced developer or an aspiring coder ready to take on the tech world, this deal has it all. For just A$88, unlock Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 plus The 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle with 15 courses covering Python, JavaScript, C++, OpenAI, and more.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle A$88.00
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Amy Schumer is joined by the Kinda Pregnant cast (Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, Urzila Carlson, and Lizze Broadway) in playing around with a Paper Magic 8 Ball, which prompts them into talking about their favorite moments from the shooting their new film.

Kinda Pregnant is now streaming on Netflix.

The floodgates have opened for building AI reasoning models on the cheap.

Researchers at Stanford and the University of Washington have developed a model that performs comparably to OpenAI o1 and DeepSeek R1 models in math and coding — for less than $50 of cloud compute credits.

What's more, the model was trained on only 1,000 questions, and took just 26 minutes and 16 Nvidia H100 GPUs. Stanford researcher Niklas Muennighoff said in a email to Mashable that the cost is an estimate based on the GPU runtime and number of H100 GPUs used.

SEE ALSO: Meet Alibaba's Qwen 2.5, an AI model claiming to beat both DeepSeek and OpenAI's ChatGPT

The AI industry of late is all about how new approaches to the pre and post training process can massively save computing costs, as evidenced by DeepSeek's disruptive impact. On top of that, developers are now able to build on top of existing AI models at little or no cost, through APIs, open-source access, and even closed-source models by distilling their data, bringing the costs down even more.

According to the team's research paper which was published last Friday, s1 was trained on a dataset consisting of "1,000 carefully curated questions paired with reasoning traces and answers distilled from Gemini Thinking Experimental." Google's Gemini Thinking Experimental model is accessible with daily limits through AI Studio. While it's a closed-source model, that clearly hasn't stopped researchers from making use of its responses.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI launches 'deep research' AI agent for ChatGPT

Next, the researchers used an "off the shelf" pretrained model from Alibaba-owned lab, Qwen, and performed supervised fine-tuning of its curated dataset. Then, the team created a token budget to control the amount of compute time for testing the model. If s1 went over budget on thinking tokens, it was cut off and forced to generate whatever answer it came up with. If the researchers wanted the model to spend more "test-time compute" on a problem, they would simply tell the model to "wait," which extended its thinking time and led to more accurate results.

By controlling the amount of time and compute spent on a problem, the researchers were able to show how increased thinking team leads to improved performance.

S1 is one example of open-source reasoning models that have been developed for a fraction of the cost of flagship models from Google and OpenAI. In January, UC Berkeley researchers released an open-source reasoning model called Sky-T1 that cost $450, "demonstrating that it is possible to replicate high-level reasoning capabilities affordably and efficiently," per its blog post. There's also the open-source rStar-Math reasoning model from Microsoft Asia researchers, Tulu 3 from non profit research institute Ai2, and HuggingFace has its own initiative to replicate DeepSeek's R1.

As high-quality models become more accessible and cheaper, we're starting to see a power shift from the few AI heavy hitters, to the many.

Tinder has rolled out relationship goals and relationship types in the last few years, and now — right ahead of Valentine's Day — it's letting users search for matches based on what they're looking for.

SEE ALSO: 10 free dating apps worth trying in 2025

Daters can go to the Explore page on the app, which evokes a more Instagram or TikTok look. Explore already gave users options to search others by shared interests, like whether they're nature lovers or looking for a coffee date.

Now, you can select a tile of what type of relationship you're looking for, and you can see singles in your area who are seeking the same. Here are the tiles you can choose from:

• Serious Dater

• Long-Term Partner

• Short-Term Fun

• Non-Monogamy

• New Friends

In order to enter the Serious Dater tile, users must have a bio and at least four photos and set their relationship goals to one of the long-term partner options, Tinder announced in its press release. Tinder predicts this will be a top tile; in a recent survey of active daters, 41 percent were looking for marriage material, 39 percent for the "long game," and 27 percent for an "intentionship." (The survey of 4,000 18-30 year-old active daters in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia was conducted last fall).

In December, Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley said in the app's Year in Swipe announcement, "Singles are embracing intentionality in their dating lives — being upfront about what they want and refusing to settle."

Meanwhile, 14 percent of Tinder users who use relationship types choose options that fall under non-monogamy (like ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, and polyamory), and 22 percent are open to exploring, according to global internal Tinder data from January.

No matter what type of relationship you're into, Tinder is rolling out this feature globally.

President Donald Trump boasted that he would save the popular social media platform TikTok from a ban in the U.S. And that still could happen. However, according to those close to the talks, negotiations between the U.S. and TikTok's parent company, the China-based ByteDance, have stalled.

In a new report from the Washington Post, sources involved in the deal discussions say that it appears the Chinese government may still let it die unless it receives "larger concessions" from the Trump administration on other policies, such as trade. ByteDance requires approval from China's government before signing off on any sale, and Trump's new tariffs certainly haven't done a potential deal any favors.

SEE ALSO: Trump says U.S. government could buy TikTok

During his first term, Trump initiated the push to ban TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns. However, Trump left office without taking any action to shut TikTok down in the States. Congress later took up the mantle, passing legislation that then-President Joe Biden later signed into law. This required ByteDance to sell off TikTok in 90 days or face a ban in the U.S., which would mean those in the U.S. wouldn't be able to download or update the app, and it wouldn't appear in U.S. app stores.

That deadline came during Trump's inauguration weekend last month. TikTok temporarily blocked U.S. users from the platform. After discussions with Trump, during which Trump posed the issue of him "saving TikTok," TikTok opened its doors back to U.S. users less than a day later. A pop-up prompt in the app thanked Trump by name when users returned to the platform. TikTok even hosted an inauguration party for Trump, and CEO Shou Chew personally attended Trump's inauguration ceremony.

However, ByteDance is still being required to sell TikTok. Trump has been involved in negotiations with potential U.S. buyers and has even floated the idea of the U.S. government buying a stake in the company.

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

While TikTok technically can continue to run in the U.S. right now, app stores like those run by Apple and Google face fines if they list its app. Despite assurances from Trump that ByteDance's deadline to sell TikTok has been extended, TikTok remains MIA on the major mobile app stores in the U.S.

According to one analyst that the Washington Post spoke with, ByteDance is far from desperate to sell as the company makes billions of dollars. For China, the successful homegrown IP and algorithm may be worth more than whatever price ByteDance would get for TikTok. China could also sign off on the sale of TikTok, the app, but not the company's recommendation algorithm that powers the platform.

Will Trump make the necessary concessions to sweeten the deal? Will China even approve of any acquisition? Will TikTok be banned once again? Things can still go either way, but as of now, they're not moving in the direction needed to sell TikTok before the new looming ban deadline.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is allegedly altering publication dates on old press releases in order to skew Google results for mass deportations, according to an investigation by the Guardian.

First documented by an immigration lawyer who spoke to the publication under anonymity, first page Google results for state specific deportation searches have been surfacing outdated press releases from the immigration agency, exacerbating an environment of fear as federal officials threaten ICE incursions in spaces like schools and workplaces. Later confirmed by the Guardian, thousands of ICE press releases describing deportation operations across the 50 states have been manipulated with new publication timestamps, with the earliest going as far back as 2008.

While most of them are labeled as "archived content" on the ICE website itself, all of the press releases now bear the date of Jan. 24, 2025, implying, on first glance, a much broader immigration sweep touted by the Trump administration in its first 100 days.

SEE ALSO: Google scraps diverse hiring targets following Trump's crusade against DEI

"When people do these searches on Google, they’ll find a range of sources and information, including recent news articles" a Googles spokesperson told the Guardian when asked about the apparent SEO workaround. The company added that the search engine's results "reflect the last time a page was updated" and that its "systems are not designed to boost a page’s ranking simply because they update their timestamp."

Similar search results also appeared on Bing, according to a tech expert who evaluated the claim. "These are old articles that are now appearing at the top of the Google and Bing search results as recent headlines, where no other government agency is doing this. As someone in tech, I would interpret that as an intentional play to get more clicks, essentially on these misleading headlines," the expert told the Guardian.

President Donald Trump has pledged to crack down on immigration in what he hopes will be the "largest domestic deportation operation in the nation's history," including relocating migrant detainees to controversial military detention camp Guantanamo Bay.

Big Tech, meanwhile, has been bowing to many of Trump's demands, including the removal of content and policies related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Trump's new righthand man and leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, has forcibly taken over several government databases, laid off employees, and shut down entire agencies in the last week.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk killing USAID would hurt America's future. Here's why.

SAVE $85: As of Feb. 6, get the Amazon Echo Buds for $54.99, down from their usual price of $139.99, at Amazon. That's a discount of 61%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds $54.99 at Amazon
$139.99 Save $85.00 Get Deal

A good pair of earbuds doesn't have to cost an exorbitant amount of money. In fact, you can get a whole selection of great options for around $50 to $60 these days, and they'll do your ears a wealth of good. Amazon has its own lineup of great earbuds, and you can save big on one of its newest pairs right now.

As of Feb. 6, you can get a pair of Amazon Echo Buds for just $54.99, down from their usual price of $139.99. That's a discount of $85 and 61% off.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones in 2025

These earbuds may be affordable, but that doesn't make them anything less than great at what they do. They come with 12mm drivers for crystal clear sound, crispy treble, and booming bass. They also fit snugly in your ear so you can use them while out and about without having to worry about them falling out.

They also boast Alexa compatibility, so you can use them with your Alexa-enabled devices to stream music, make calls, add items to your shopping list, and more. You can even use them to swap between multiple devices thanks to their multipoint pairing. And with up to 15 hours of battery per charge with their charging case, they're down to play as long as you are.

This is an excellent price for a pair of earbuds that typically go for over $130, so if you're wanting to snag a pair of your own, now's a good time to do it.