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The U.S. is slashing funding for scientific research, after decades of deep investment. Here’s some of what those taxpayer dollars created.

The titans of the tech industry say artificial intelligence will soon match the powers of humans’ brains. Are they underestimating us?

Scientists have had a hunch that a distant moon experiences weather like Earth's, forming clouds that douse its craggy surface with rain.

If that's the case, it would make Titan the only other world in the solar system that has that in common with our home planet. Now researchers have one more clue that Titan, the largest of 274 known Saturn moons, has a climate cycle similar to what occurs on Earth. 

The catch: Instead of evaporating and filling Titan's lakes and oceans with water, it's likely showering the moon with cold, oily methane. 

Using two powerful telescopes — the James Webb Space Telescope and the Keck II telescope in Hawaii — astronomers watched clouds emerge and then climb higher in the sky over Titan, which is about 880 million miles away in space. For the first time, they saw clouds hovering in the north, where most of the moon's lakes and seas exist, at the tail end of its summer. 

The discovery of cloud convection bolsters the theory that these bodies of surface liquid, comparable in size to the Great Lakes in the United States, are getting replenished through rain, perhaps like how summer storms work on Earth. The team's research appears in the journal Nature Astronomy.

"We were able to see methane clouds evolving and changing close to Titan’s north pole over multiple days, in the region where large seas and lakes of methane were discovered by the Cassini spacecraft," said Conor Nixon, a NASA research scientist and the paper's lead author, in a statement. 

SEE ALSO: NASA rover captures an aurora from Mars surface for the first time Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is brutally cold and shrouded in a jaundiced smog. Credit: NASA / ESA / IPGP / Labex UnivEarthS / University Paris Diderot illustration

Titan is a strange world, at -300 degrees Fahrenheit, and shrouded in a jaundiced smog. Similar to Earth, the atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. 

Scientists are interested in Titan because, despite its brutally cold temperatures, it appears to have the organic ingredients for life — the kinds that humans know about, at least. Whether the moon harbors any microbial aliens has become a top exploration priority, helping to spur NASA's $3.35 billion Dragonfly. The mission just passed its critical design review, a milestone that means engineers can begin constructing the spacecraft. The helicopter-like robot is expected to visit the moon in the 2030s.

The new Webb observations show that during summer in Titan’s northern hemisphere, clouds can rise higher and may be fueled by heat from the sun — sort of like Earth storms.

Scientists had seen this kind of cloud activity before, but never in the north. That's key because it suggests the northern methane and ethane seas are part of a process that maintains Titan’s atmosphere. On Earth, those chemicals are gases, but on freezing Titan, they are liquid like gasoline on Earth.

The Dragonfly mission has advanced to the stage when engineers can begin constructing the helicopter-like spacecraft. Credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL / Steve Gribben illustration

By using different kinds of light filters, the two telescopes helped astronomers determine how high the clouds were drifting. On Earth, the lowest part of the sky — the troposphere — goes up about 7.5 miles, but that same layer on Titan soars up to 28 miles, thanks to the moon’s lower gravity. 

Webb found something else new: a tiny, fast-moving molecule, called the methyl radical, in Titan's atmosphere. This molecule is ephemeral, so its detection indicates that chemical reactions are ongoing in the moon's skies. Similar molecules are associated with the chemical origins of life on Earth.

"It’s possible that (methane) is being constantly resupplied and fizzing out of the crust and interior over billions of years," Nixon said. "If not, eventually it will all be gone, and Titan will become a mostly airless world of dust and dunes."

The two telescopes, Webb and Keck II, helped astronomers determine how high the clouds were drifting. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Keck Observatory

Though the discovered rising clouds suggest it could rain on Titan, no precipitation was actually observed. The team is planning follow-up studies to see how the weather patterns change, especially in the period after the equinox this month.

Over time, the methane in Titan’s air could vanish if it isn’t being replaced somehow from within the moon. If that happens, Titan could lose its atmosphere and become something more akin to Mars.

"For the first time we can see the chemical cake while it’s rising in the oven," said coauthor Stefanie Milam in a statement, "instead of just the starting ingredients of flour and sugar, and then the final, iced cake."

It's been 25 years since we first watched Death wind its wicked design around the throats of the young and old with nasty efficiency in the first Final Destination film. Built upon a series of ruthless Rube-Goldbergian traps that methodically ensnared the survivors of a plane crash after they eluded their fate thanks to the prophetic vision of one Cassandra-like figure among them, its mix of goofiness and gore was immediately embraced. Five hit films in 11 brief years, from 2000 to 2011, ensued. Each entry in the massively successful franchise somehow upped the ante with more outrageous and elaborate spectacles — the Aughts belonged to Death, baby! 

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: Every film you oughta know

Now, after a 14-year break, the dark spectre has returned with Final Destination: Bloodlines, a riotous zap-in-the-pants of "Looney Tunes by Tom Savini" entertainment that needs to be enjoyed with as large a crowd of like-minded cinematic sadists as you can scrounge up. If watching all of the ways the human body can get exploded is your cuppa, then have I got the hehe-sicko movie for you. You'll cringe, hoot, and holler. You'll wipe the phantom viscera off your face. And you'll spend the entire ride home convinced everything's out to kill you. It's horror movie nirvana. 

The writers (Jon Watts, Guy Busick, and Lori Evans Taylor) and directors (Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein) went out of their way to find some creative ways to upend the formula, now on its sixth spin through the multiplex. You will get some genuine sideways revelations served up alongside your innards-soaked slapstick. No worries, though – this film delivers heavily, sloppily, on exactly what we keep coming back for. (Guts. We've come for guts.)

Since it's been 14 years, here's a quick Final Destination catch-up. Credit: Eric Milner / Warner Bros. Pictures

Writer Jeffrey Reddick, who came up with the concept in the late ‘90s as the plot for an episode of The X-Files, quickly realized it demanded the feature-presentation treatment. The Final Destination franchise is exquisite in its simplicity – why bother with the lumbering backstory of another nerd wronged by his classmates who returns looking for revenge while wearing a big bunny mask when we've had the ultimate boogeyman skulking in the shadows all along? Fearing the chaotic abstraction of the Grim Reaper is so cave-wall ancient, it's scorched into our genetics. 

The lynchpin innovation from Reddick was that we weren't dealing with the black-hooded Death figure we typically imagine thanks to Peter Paul Rubens, Ingmar Bergman, and the Bill & Ted movies. Instead, we have an invisible but deeply malevolent presence that gently coaxes shampoo bottles and coffee mugs into position as Mouse-Trap-esque weapons of mass destruction. The Final Destination movies did what M. Night Shyamalan failed to do with The Happening — they make a light breeze spooky. Wind is the real villain here! Always knocking things over, the dominos of our horrific demise. 

The fun in these films has been in watching the clever ways the screenwriters manage to turn everyday ordinary objects — ceiling fans, hairspray, pigeons — into diabolical murder traps. These movies are Saw sans Jigsaw, just the giddy force of Fate doing a jig and pissing on our graves. 

SEE ALSO: 'Final Destination Bloodlines' teaser is just 1 hilariously brutal scene

Make no mistake. For good or evil, these films (excuse the pun) live or die by their death scenes. (Some people take umbrage with this admittedly unhinged form of nihilism, and those people should probably just stay home with their Downton Abbey.) What Psycho did for showers and Jaws did for a peaceful swim at the beach the Final Destination movies have done for logging trucks and tanning beds, for gymnastics and pool drains and the friendly neighborhood bus. An encyclopedia of How Not to Die's could be sourced entirely from the screenplays.

Nowhere does the franchise routinely go bigger than it does with each chapter's epic opening set piece. From the plane crash in the original movie to the (still unmatched) highway pile-up in the second, on to rollercoasters and bridge collapses and careening race cars, oh my. These introductory disasters introduce us to all of our characters (aka the victims-to-be) while setting the stage, the table, and the mood for all of the mortal mayhem to come. 

And Final Destination: Bloodlines has the franchise's biggest and boldest opener to date. 

Please place your acrophobia with your things at the door. Credit: Eric Milner / Warner Bros. Pictures

While the series has mucked about with time jumps before (hello, Part 5), it still comes as a shock a minute into Final Destination: Bloodlines when we find ourselves in the company of a bubblegum bobby-soxer type named Iris (Brec Bassinger) who's hitting the town with her slick-haired beau Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) in the year that was 1969. And it's not just any ordinary day-of-the-week Italian dinner that Iris and Paul have their sights set upon — it's the opening night for a Space-Needle-looking tower called The SkyView that's hoisted a circular restaurant way up to its top among the clouds. Nothing ominous to see there, wink wink. (Less wink wink than it is a hammer to the head, but I digress.)

Sure enough, Iris soon starts taking note of unfriendly omens. The overloaded elevator. The bratty kid stealing coins from the wishing fountain. An ominous (you guessed it) breeze. (Suck it, M. Night!) What starts off as a teen dream between squeaky clean young lovers quickly starts sinking Iris' stomach with nerves… and then with extreme structural damage. (Seriously, though — why would anyone do The Twist on a glass floor suspended hundreds of feet in the air? It's like you've never watched a Final Destination movie, people of 1969.) 

But before Iris can even scream "teenage pregnancy" to her date, it's not just a baby she has bouncing around in her belly. It's the metal beams and cracking cement and walls of searing singing flames suddenly swirling all around her.

Yes, Iris is pregnant. And Iris' pregnancy is indeed important, because the filmmakers weren't just subtitling this movie "Bloodlines" as an homage to the terrible Pet Sematary movie from a couple of years back. The Final Destination mythology has always touched upon the idea of babies as being important — their births disrupting the count that Death is such a damn stickler about. 

And so Iris, in having her premonition of the SkyView's collapse and then rescuing a shit-ton of people by warning them away from it, sets in motion something that echoes through the decades like the infamous butterfly flapping its wings in Peking. (Thank you, Dr. Ian Malcom.) Iris' baby was never meant to be born — much less grow to adulthood and branch out an entire family tree that reaches to the present day! 

Bifurcated down the middle like, well, Seann William Scott's skull in the first movie, this story extends its bony fingertip toward the future (which is to say the present) where it introduces us to Iris' granddaughter Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana). Flunking out of college, Stefani is besieged by a recurring nightmare involving a collapsing building and the perky blonde girl who dies horrifically amongst its rubble. 

From there, Final Destination: Bloodlines becomes a tale of passed-on familial trauma and fears — unto each generation is born a new set of neuroses. And the offspring of Iris and Paul find themselves particularly accursed on that front. 

Call it Back to the Future directed by Eli Roth.

Don't go worrying that this will be more of the "Laurie Strode wallowing in 12-step chicanery" type of horror that's gotten played out over the last decade or so. Final Destination: Bloodlines only takes its traumas as far as it can throw them. And oh, it loves to throw things! Most especially if they contain shards of glass, metal chains, peanut butter cups, the recycling, and a Prince Albert piercing. Perhaps not in that order. Anyway, it's clear that everybody involved spent the 14 years since the last movie thinking up twisty sick-headed scenarios involving wildly unexpected objects of doom — there are new weapons hiding around every corner. Not since Sideshow Bob has a rake in the yard taken on such fiendish significance.

SEE ALSO: 'Final Destination' star Devon Sawa boards flight on the film's anniversary. Seriously.

As fate sneaks toward Stefani and her cursed family, including her sweet younger brother Charlie (Teo Briones), her estranged mom (Rya Kihlstedt), and her myriad aunts, uncles, and varying-degrees-of-annoying cousins, it becomes a battle against time. (And vending machines.) Can Stefani connect the dots to understand the riddle of her doomed heritage and save those she loves? Or will a lawn mower sit on their faces one by inexorable one? 

As you can probably tell, Final Destination: Bloodlines isn't taking any of this bloodbath seriously. It knows the score: We're here to grapple with our own mortality in the goofiest way imaginable. Hamlet's wish to see his too-solid flesh melt meets a cartoon mallet here, with everybody on Death's List one misstep away from being a big splat of intestines. That deep unseriousness toward life's most pressing topic is this franchise's greatest feast. And we feed well once more.

RIP Tony Todd, Candyman and forever horror icon. Credit: Eric Milner / Warner Bros. Pictures

There is one notable exception to Final Destination: Bloodlines’ deep and delicious unseriousness though, and it makes for a shockingly moving one. Tony Todd, the actor best known for playing Candyman, has been the only stalwart presence in the survivor-less Final Destination franchise since the first outing in 2000. Five times he's previously played the coroner William Bludworth, always on the scene first to scoop up those intestines and then to warn the doomed of their imminent doom. 

Thankfully Todd managed to shoot his role one last time for Final Destination: Bloodlines before he passed away in November of 2024. Looking frail but with not a whit of that immediately recognizable bass of his weakened, Todd seizes straight onto the series' formidable undercurrent. Delivering a scene for the ages, he tells us (still with that playful twinkle in his eye that we've come to know and love so well) how every second of life is precious. And that we shouldn't let even the obscene absurdity that is Death rob us of those moments. Not even if it wants to stick a great big rebar through our eye socket, dammit. And ain't that the real meat of it, in the end?

Final Destination: Bloodlines premieres May 16.

TL;DR: Give your old car a major upgrade with this PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Adapter, now $74.97 through June 1.

It’s 2025 — it’s time to cut the cord. If your car has wired Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, or you’ve yet to make the switch, the PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Adapter gives your car’s entertainment system a total upgrade. And right now it’s just $74.97 (reg. $129.99) until June 1.

Elevate your car’s entertainment system for just $75

It’s almost road trip season, and you can make sure your rides aren't boring with help from the PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Adapter. It elevates your driving experience with wireless connectivity for calls, music, navigation, and voice assistance, all using your smartphone without needing a cable.

YouTube and Netflix are already built-in to provide endless entertainment for your family and friends right on the display. Looking for more options, like Hulu and Disney+? You can download more apps right from the Google Store. (Just make sure you’re always adhering to local laws regarding video playback when the vehicle is in motion.)

If you ever need more room, you can store media on external SD cards of up to 128GB (not included with purchase). And if you’re worried about potential lag time, don’t be. The PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Adapter is equipped with an Allwinner A133 chip that lets you use multiple apps at once without lagging.

The PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Adapter is compatible with 98% of car models from 2016 until today with OEM wired CarPlay and touchscreen, but may not work with cars that have built-in wireless CarPlay or Android Auto support or select BMW, Tesla, Mazda, and Nissan models.

Make your car an entertainment destination with the PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Adapter, now $74.97 through June 1.

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TL;DR: Make your binge sessions feel productive with a lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream, now $149.97 (reg. $399.99) through August 1, no coupon code required.

Feeling guilty about all the reality TV you’ve been devouring? If you want to change up your TV routine, Curiosity Stream is a documentary streaming service that serves up content that’s both entertaining and educational. And right now, you can score a lifetime subscription for just $149.97 (reg. $399.99) until August 1.

Learn new things while you lounge

Elevate your usual Netflix binge with something smarter from Curiosity Stream. This documentary streaming service was founded by John Hendricks, the mastermind behind Discovery Communications, and offers a wide variety of educational entertainment content on topics like art, nature, history, science, technology, and more.

This streaming service is filled with documentary films and series, featuring high-quality films and series with impressive production values and informative topics. Curiosity Stream has even won an Emmy Award for its show Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places. They also have shows like Planet of Treasures, Engineering the Future, and The History of Home.

You don’t have to worry about running out of content with this lifetime subscription — new content is added weekly.

The Curiosity Stream app lets you watch educational content anywhere. There are also options to download content for offline viewing when you’re traveling or have limited internet access. If you’re browsing and see something you’d like to watch later, a bookmark feature is available.

Learn something while you sit back and relax thanks to this lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream, now $149.97 (reg. $399.99) through August 1, with no coupon code needed.

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TL;DR: Gift your kids an educational, low-stimulation app with the Montessori-inspired Pok Pok, now $49.99 with code SAVE10 through June 1.

If you’re a parent of little ones, you’ve heard a lot of pros and cons for screen time. For those looking for a calm way to introduce toddlers to the concept, Pok Pok can help. This gentle, Montessori-inspired app is geared towards kids 2-8, and right now, a lifetime subscription can be yours for just $49.99 (reg. $250) with code SAVE10 through June 1.

Let your kids enjoy award-winning educational games, guilt-free

While most apps for kids are brightly colored and super stimulating, Pok Pok aims to be the opposite. Their app is filled with award-winning educational games that give your kids a foundation in STEM, numbers, cause and effect, problem-solving, and language. And you can rest easy with no guilt, knowing they’re enjoying an ad-free, low-stimulation educational experience.

This app is Montessori-inspired, which means it takes cues from Montessori’s child-centered educational approach, which focuses on hands-on learning, independence, and children’s natural development. That allows Pok Pok to provide a calming app experience that can grow with your child through open-ended play. All animations are hand-drawn, and sound effects and music are created in-house to ensure they’re calm, gentle, and not overly stimulating.

Pok Pok is COPPA-certified, which means you won’t see any advertisements to trick kids into buying things. There’s also an option for offline play when you’re traveling, or if you prefer, your child isn’t connected to the internet.

This lifetime subscription provides unlimited learning games and regular updates with new seasonal and cultural updates, so the app stays fresh and exciting. You’ll also receive a surprise gift mailed to you with your purchase.

Introduce little ones to screen time with the gentle, low-stimulation app, Pok Pok, now $49.99 with code SAVE10 until June 1.

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TL;DR: Bring home a power-packed MacBook Air for only $514.99 (reg. $1,299) while supplies last.

Looking for a work computer you can really rely on? Whether your old device frequently runs out of storage or just isn’t speedy enough to handle all your multitasking, today’s jobs need a powerful, yet portable device.

This MacBook Air fits the bill, offering all the bells and whistles you’ve come to expect from Apple in its sleekest size and shape, and right now, one can be yours for just $514.99 (reg. $1,299) — a price cheaper than both Amazon and Walmart.

Don’t be deceived by the size — this MacBook Air is powerful

Need a computer that can keep up with all that you do? This MacBook Air is up for the job thanks to its M1 chip. It offers serious efficiency, so you can tackle even your lengthiest to-do lists and more demanding tasks like video editing. It’s faster than Intel-based laptops, with 3.5x faster performance and 5x faster graphics for apps and games.

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A 16-core Neural Engine allows this MacBook Air to handle more advanced tasks like AI and machine learning. And while you’d think all that power could make for a noisy work experience, the fanless design allows for silent operation.

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If you’re curious why you’re securing such a steep discount, it’s due to this model’s grade A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition, while you score a low price.

Get your own MacBook Air for just $514.99 (reg. $1,299) while supplies last.

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The Brutalist is a towering paean to the American dream, in all its force and folly. Set over several decades, Brady Corbet's post-World War II immigrant saga is — like the architectural achievements of its protagonist — constructed with meticulous consideration, resulting in a work of multifaceted technique and piercing humanity.

The film, arresting from its first frames, spends three-and-a-half engrossing hours on the tale of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a fictitious Jewish Hungarian architect and survivor of the Holocaust, whose arrival in America yields both rigorous struggle and tempting opportunity. It embodies the kind of American epics no longer really made by Hollywood studios. Comparisons to The Godfather have abounded since its Venice International Film Festival premiere (though as a vast immigrant saga, a more fitting analogy might be The Godfather Part II). Time will tell whether these are hyperbole, but while watching The Brutalist, it's hard not to think of the truly great American stories of the 20th century, like Once Upon a Time In America, and on occasion, even Citizen Kane.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2024, and where to watch them

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The latter is the loftiest possible invocation, but it's a comparison of scale and subject matter, not of technical innovation. The Brutalist, for all its splendor, is not a forward-thinking film like Orson Welles' Kane — but this is, in fact, a key piece of its aesthetic and thematic puzzle. The immediacy with which it conjures past masterpieces is part of its enormous thesis on the purpose of art, which it smuggles beneath a soul-stirring saga of survival, one that exists in conversation with, of all things, Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. The film is both a densely-packed text, filled with rich thought on the world at large, as well as an excitingly rhythmic work of cinema that moves with a fearsome passion. It's hard not to think of it as a new American masterpiece.

What is The Brutalist about?

Written by Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist begins in 1947, in a time of reconstruction and uncertainty. When László arrives on Ellis Island — an intimate, disorienting scene that begins in his darkened ship bunk and moves above deck — his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy), from whom he was separated during the war, remain stuck in the Soviet Union.

Taken in by his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola) in Philadelphia and working in his furniture shop, László begins proposing unique Modernist designs, until he's commissioned to build a library for a wealthy family, the Van Burens. Over the years, these aristocratic, old-money magnates — the boastful Harrison Lee (Guy Pearce) and his slimy son Harry (Joe Alwyn) — become a vital part of László's story. The film is novelistic in its unfurling, occasionally taking the form of an epistolary, via the letters sent between László and Erzsébet, but to borrow a phrase from a fellow critic, it's also "Great American Novel-istic." László's architectural passions, and his desperation to be reunited with his family, become deeply entwined with his personal and artistic ambitions. To put it simply, money is the solution at every turn, even if it corrodes his soul — but The Brutalist isn't quite so didactic.

While it spends several hours chronicling the way László changes, and is changed by the United States, the temptations of wealth and power are a small subset of the larger forces that mold him into a much angrier and bitter person. A party scene in Harrison's mansion diverts its focus from conversations to slow-motion shots of champagne and expensive jewelry, just as László is about to sign a long-term contract with the family to construct a community center. However, at no point does Corbet cut to reaction shots of László noticing these trinkets. They represent the fabric of the world he's about to enter, though as his chat with Harrison proceeds, he continues to speak of architecture with poetic adoration. ("I always find our conversations intellectually stimulating!" Harrison rasps, disguising the knowledge that he'll never be László's intellectual equal.) Wealth may not change László’s passions, but it might change how he approaches them.

All the while, the film also explores the fraught corners of post-World War II Jewish identity in the West. From the moment László arrives on America's shores, he's presented with questions of assimilation. His cousin Attila has married a Catholic woman, Audrey (Emma Laird), and has converted. The store he runs is called Miller and Sons, even though his last name is (or was) Molnár, the Hungarian equivalent — and as László quips, "You have no sons!" Before long, news of the infant state of Israel reaches him, leading to other Jewish characters in his vicinity wrestling with their rights and obligations.

Filming on The Brutalist was completed in May of last year, before the events of Oct. 7 led to a more widespread discussion on understanding of the colonial aspects of Israel's founding. The film doesn't get into granular detail — László himself may not be aware of the U.N.'s plans for the region, or how they might displace local Arabs — but the looming specter of this conversation imbues the movie with a tragic dilemma. László's options, as a refugee, are to bring other people harm through displacement, or to continue bringing harm to his own soul, through his immersion in American capitalism.

As the film proceeds, it centers a key question that applies to every facet of its construction: "What is strength?"

László's vision for the Van Burens' building — a blocky, pyramidic structure few others seem to understand — is uncompromising to a fault, even if it means pushing other people away in the process. But as the film proceeds, it centers a key question that applies to every facet of its construction: "What is strength?" What is its nature? Is it the materials and the deep concrete foundation László builds? If so, must this come at the cost of the shakier foundation of his roots in a new country? He is always seen as an outsider, whether because of his Jewish-ness, his foreign-ness, or both. Does strength involve living with the physical and psychological pain he's endured, and the strain it puts on his marriage? Or does it involve numbing that pain at any cost?

This thematic exclamation point would mark the end of discussions on most modern American films. But in the case of The Brutalist, it's merely the beginning, thanks in large part to Corbet's multifaceted, referential, and at times reverential use of form.

Every aspect of The Brutalist is finely tuned

What stands out first and foremost about The Brutalist is Adrien Brody's lead performance. It's funny, and stirring, and risible. However, there's not a single moment where the Hungarian-American actor isn't reaching into the depths of his soul, mining some corner of either his previous roles (such as in The Pianist) or of his mother's experience as a Hungarian woman of Jewish descent forced to flee her country in the 1950s. There's an awkwardness to László too, given the way he interacts with the world around him — which is to say, the country around him. To the untrained ear, his Hungarian dialogue (and his Hungarian accent while speaking English) seem just fine, but the Queens-born actor also purges himself of any remotely American intonation or idiosyncrasy. Whether or not he nails Hungarian specificities, he plays "foreigner" to a tee, between the way he gesticulates, to the way he enters and leaves both rooms and conversations. He is, first and foremost, an outsider.

While Brody's work is magnificently pained, let it not go unsaid: Guy Pearce is the movie's secret weapon, as the actor charged with creating the in-groups and inner circles which tacitly reject László in the first place. As Harrison, the Australian actor channels an air of arrogance that the character often smarmily re-frames as benevolence, leading to moments of shockingly casual cruelty towards László, usually played off as jokes. This dynamic is a key part of the story, and of the America in which László starts to assimilate, taking on Harrison's traits in turn.

Corbet's camera helps these performances shine, especially in the moments that The Brutalist takes dark and dour turns. Cinematographer Lol Crawley bathes certain scenes in darkness; his palette's contrasting warmth and shadow may have led to some of the Godfather comparisons, but the film isn’t interested in mere imitation, even though it conjures old-world styles as though they were forgotten spirits.

SEE ALSO: Where to watch the best holiday movies

The Brutalist was shot on VistaVision, an IMAX-like technique first developed in the 1950s, in which 35-millimeter film stock was run sideways through a camera, increasing the surface area of the frame (the movie was subsequently projected on 70-millimeter at its premiere). This results in a crisper, sharper image than results from most modern digital workflows, but The Brutalist also appears to employ older lenses with numerous flaws, and razor-thin margin for what is or isn't in focus, revealing new dimensions to spaces and even people. Between its use of era-appropriate techniques and withered tools, The Brutalist ends up existing in a liminal space between past and present; it's simultaneously of an older era, as well as a window to that era, revealing a complicated relationship to the past.

'The Brutalist' ends up existing in a liminal space between past and present; it's simultaneously of an older era, as well as a window to that era, revealing a complicated relationship to the past.

For László, this relationship manifests as a pull-and-push between art and industry, and a struggle to preserve the forms his buildings take under capitalist constraints. However, the film itself takes intriguing form as well, wielding a litany of techniques owed to numerous different film movements over the years (that they even remotely gel together is something miraculous). The Brutalist is, in large part, shot with the classical composition of old Hollywood, with controlled framing and movement, but it often breaks from this norm.

On occasion, one might find the pronounced jump cuts of the French New Wave (created, ironically, as a response to the classic Hollywood studios), alongside the use of Soviet montage, accompanied — equally ironically — by voiceover and spliced footage from American propaganda newsreels about industrial innovation. The stark and careful shadows of Godfather cinematographer Gordon Willis, of New Hollywood, find themselves alongside techniques from contemporary independent movements in New York, like the freewheeling, improvisational, up-close-and-personal style of John Cassavetes. You might even find some Hungarian influence if you look closely enough (certain shots are owed to Béla Tarr, while others to László Nemes), and as the film moves forward through time, it even pulls from Lynchian surrealism, and techniques developed during the early video revolution.

Corbet's use of these contrasting techniques isn't just pronounced, but powerful and purposeful. He employs them to create jolting moments of narrative impact, but he also seems to pay homage to the history of the cinematic medium (and its development) as a means to embody the very story he's telling, about the complicated ways in which people hold on to the past. And, as a film that's as much about László's painful history as it is about America's past, it makes for an aesthetic refutation of one of its biggest influences: Ayn Rand.

The Brutalist remixes and transforms The Fountainhead

The Brutalist owes much of its story and structure to Rand's The Fountainhead, from its basic premise of an uncompromising architect, to plot developments like László being plucked from toil and obscurity to create something lasting; he shovels coal for a period, the same way Rand's hero Howard Roark worked in a granite quarry. But as visualized in King Vidor's much-maligned 1949 film version of the book — which stars Gary Cooper, and for which Rand herself wrote the screenplay — Modernist and Brutalist architecture take on a fascistic tone in The Fountainhead. They become about leaving the past behind, and shaking off the influences of Graeco-Roman styles, in favor of a "form flows from function" approach. This function-first belief, though it has older origins, was notably espoused by Adolf Hitler, who abhorred "stupid imitations of the past."

Brutalism, though it has more egalitarian origins like low-income social housing, does have a stylistic and philosophical overlap with totalitarian architecture. Both come to similar aesthetic conclusions — the angular, the monochrome, the display of materials — albeit for very different reasons. Vidor's The Fountainhead, in which Roark creates in a Modernist style verging on Brutalist, arguably does a disservice to form, both as an architectural concept, and a filmic one. In Vidor’s story, the influence of the past is framed as a cloying, constraining force intent on snuffing out individuality, and the way that story is told is similarly functional (the film has its charms, but it's straightforward in its presentation, and rote in its delivery of dialogue).

Vidor's film is hardly a defining pillar of modern American politics, but Rand's Objectivist philosophies certainly are. Her rejection of collectivism both tapped into and subsequently clarified the heart of American capitalism — the very same heart Corbet puts on display, and presents as a magnetic force for László, pulling him toward more autocratic ideals. The Brutalist never expands on László’s political outlook, or that of his wife, because the movie's immigrant characters tend to tiptoe around these questions, from poor and wealthy Americans alike, at a time when foreigners (and communists) were looked upon with suspicion. However, Corbet leaves plenty by way of breadcrumbs to figure out what their beliefs might be, and how those beliefs come into immediate conflict with the ideals of their adopted home.

'The Brutalist' is, deep in its bones, a collectivist film that not only places immense emotional value on people and their history, but creates and embodies that value too.

Though he puts on an uncompromising front when it comes to his designs, László is always found compromising when it comes to belief, and the way he conducts himself. These are tensions The Brutalist works into every scene, making its gargantuan runtime seem like a piece of cake. It's a film from which you cannot look away, and wouldn't want to — even when it takes dark and dour turns, whose presentation verges on the phantasmagorical.

As much as The Brutalist is a film of steel and concrete, it's a film of the spirit too, and the way the soul is built and constructed from local materials. It's about all the things that make America, and make American stories. Ultimately, when the movie reveals a previously obscured detail about László's work, it makes for a devastating cinematic mic drop that elucidates its meaning in complicated ways, while exposing the risk of having that meaning distorted and re-appropriated. It reclaims even the Randian notion that Modernism, Brutalism, and progress at large are ideals that must be cut off from the past, and from connections to other human beings. The Brutalist is, deep in its bones, a collectivist film that not only places immense emotional value on people and their history, but creates and embodies that value too.

The Brutalist is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Dec. 19, 2024, 2:10 p.m. EST "The Brutalist" was reviewed on Sept. 2, 2024 out of its World Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. This post has been updated to include the most current streaming options.

Apple's new CarPlay Ultra is only available on Aston Martin cars right now, but at least you can check it out on video.

Two videos, actually. Aston Martin posted a short teaser showing what the CarPlay Ultra, integrated into an Aston Martin DBX, looks like. The video shows Apple's UI integrated not only into the main, center display, but also into the instrument cluster in front of the driver, which we've never seen before.

For much more detail, check out Top Gear's overview of the system in an actual Aston Martin car (which, by the way, starts at about $250,000, meaning most of us won't be trying it out for ourselves).

The 18-minute video below is well worth watching, but there are a few key takeaways that should be pointed out. First of all, while the new Ultra system is similar to Apple CarPlay of old, it is basically a full takeover of the car's infotainment system. You'll see familiar Apple user interface details everywhere, be it in the climate controls, navigation, or the instrument cluster.

SEE ALSO: Apple finally rolls out CarPlay Ultra, but not for you

Various themes are on offer, allowing you to customize the UI's look; for example, you can completely do away with the round speedometer and instead have a colorful set of lines giving you info on the speed you're traveling at, and how much fuel you've got left. You can also set up some widgets, much as you would on your phone or tablet.

Very important: Once the system is set up, it doesn't require any additional setting up if you just want to sit into the car and drive, though it looks like some features will require your phone to connect.

While some of Aston Martin's own design does show up occasionally, it's all wrapped into a familiar Apple interface, and it all looks fairly polished. Given how bad car manufacturers sometimes are at designing their own interface, Apple CarPlay Ultra is a very neat alternative. Now, if only other manufacturers would hurry up and integrate this, we'd be much obliged.

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.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Seen on the diamond

• Green: Needed on the course

• Blue: England's best

  Purple: Texas teams

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: In front of

• Green: Found in a golf bag

• Blue: Premier League team nicknames

• Purple: Dallas ___

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 #235 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• In front of - AHEAD, LEADING, ON TOP, UP

• ACC schools - DUKE, LOUISVILLE, PITTSBURGH, VIRGINIA

• French star athletes, past and present - HENRY, PARKER, WEMBANYAMA, ZIDANE

• Last four WNBA No. 1 picks - BOSTON, BUECKERS, CLARK, HOWARD

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.

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 Friday, May 16, 2025:

AcrossUnit of distance that can precede "stone" and "age"

• The answer is Mile.

Kind of powder used for hot chocolate

• The answer is Cocoa.

On the button

• The answer is Exact.

Connections

• The answer is Links.

"___ not and say we did!"

• The answer is Lets.

DownGutsy determination

• The answer is Moxie.

"That's not gonna work for me"

• The answer is ICant.

Strands

• The answer is Locks.

Has a bite

• The answer is Eats.

Spreadsheet unit

• The answer is Cell.

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 yesterday's Mini Crossword.

Following the sell-out success of their heavenly first collaboration, Casetify and cult-favorite collectible Sonny Angel are teaming up once again, and the result is pure serotonin.

Dubbed Wild Haven, the duo’s second collection is a technicolor dreamscape filled with cheeky forest creatures, nostalgic charm, and just the right amount of kitsch.

This time around, Casetify leans even deeper into Sonny Angel’s whimsical universe, turning your everyday tech accessories into a pocket-sized utopia. Think vibrant phone cases covered in leafy motifs and pastel cherubic critters, collectible iPad cases, trendy phone charms, and MagSafe wallets that might just make you smile every time you reach for your device.

Credit: Courtesy of CASETiFY

At the heart of the collection is the Sonny Angel HIPPERS Series of mini dolls, reimagined on Casetify's signature customizable phone cases. Fans can now add up to nine characters of text, a playful nod to the hyper-personalization trend dominating Gen Z style right now.

Also launching in limited quantities: the Sonny Angel Wild Dreams Set, a collectible drop that’s expected to fly off shelves as quickly as the first.

Credit: Courtesy of CASETiFY

But the magic doesn’t stop online. From May 16 to 18, Casetify and Sonny Angel are bringing Wild Haven to life with a surreal, immersive pop-up in the heart of New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.

Located at 21 Spring Street, the space will transform into a lush animal sanctuary-meets-retail fantasy, complete with photo ops, exclusive merch, and first access to the collection. It's part shop, part Instagram playground — and if the previous drop is anything to go by, expect lines and limited-edition chaos.

The aesthetic? Picture this: cottagecore with a Y2K twist, filtered through the rose-tinted lens of collectible culture. It’s the kind of universe where tech meets fantasy, and where your phone case can double as a conversation starter. And while the collection is undeniably cute, it also speaks to something larger happening in fashion and design: a return to joy, to play, and to the little things that make us smile.

Credit: Courtesy of CASETiFY Credit: Courtesy of CASETiFY

The Sonny Angel x Casetify: Wild Haven collection is available starting today, May 16, at casetify.com/co-lab, in the Co-Lab app, and at Casetify Studio locations globally.

So, whether you're deep in your Sonny Angel era or just looking to give your phone a glow-up, Wild Haven is your next serotonin boost in accessory form.

TL;DR: Through April 27, Koofr’s lifetime cloud storage deal is at an all-time low price with code KOOFR at checkout: $119.97 (reg. $159.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $119.97
$810 Save $690.03 with code KOOFR Get Deal

You know that quiet dread when the monthly cloud storage fee hits your card — again? It’s not huge, but it adds up. And for what? A few PDFs, some photos you forgot to organize, and maybe that video project you swear you’ll finish someday. 

If you're tired of renting space in the digital void, here’s your chance to escape. Rather than paying each month, Koofr will give you 1TB of cloud storage for a one-time fee. You also caught this deal at just the right time, because you can use code KOOFR at checkout to take the price from $159.99 to $119.97 for a limited time.

Here’s why we love this deal

Koofr takes your privacy seriously with top-notch encryption for your files, both when they're being transferred and while they're stored. They also don’t track your activity, so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure and private.

What really stands out about Koofr’s cloud storage is how flexible and user-friendly it is. Whether you're on your smartphone, desktop, or using WebDAV, you can easily access and manage your files from anywhere. The interface is straightforward, so even if you're new to cloud storage, you’ll find it easy to use.

Plus, if you’re already using other cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, or OneDrive, Koofr integrates smoothly, letting you handle everything from one place.

And for keeping your digital space in order, Koofr has some neat features. The duplicate file finder helps you eliminate unnecessary repeats, while advanced renaming options let you customize file links. This way, you can keep your files organized and your digital space clutter-free.

Keep your files safe and sound with a Koofr 1TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for $119.97 with promo code KOOFR. StackSocial prices subject to change. 

TL;DR: Live stream the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free on discovery+. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Following any sport can be really expensive, but following football is getting out of hand. There are a bunch of different subscription services offering coverage of select tournaments, meaning you need to shell out for multiple plans to get access to everything. It's a cold, dark world out there in the land of sports streaming, but every now and then we get a little treat to keep us coming back for more.

It is possible to live stream the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free this year. Want to know how to access these free live streams from anywhere in the world? We have all the information you need.

When are the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals?

The full schedule for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals is as follows:

• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United (Europa League Final) — 3 p.m. ET on May 21

• Real Betis vs. Chelsea (Conference League Final) — 3 p.m. ET on May 28

• PSG vs. Inter Milan (Champions League Final) — 3 p.m. ET on May 31

Make a note of these dates and times and commit them to memory, because you can watch every game without spending anything.

How to watch the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free

Fans can live stream the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free on discovery+. All you need to do is sign up for a free account to watch these finals on discovery+.

These free live streams are not available all around the world, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream these finals for free on discovery+ from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Sign up for a free account on discovery+

5. Stream Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can gain access to discovery+ without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals (plus the French Open) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Discovery+?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport from around the world, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live streamthe Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals for free with ExpressVPN.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.98 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

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

To stop by.

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

VISIT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

How to have a cafe.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 16, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DECAF

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A lump in the body.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 16, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TUMOR

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Overly sentimental.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 16 Hurdle Word 4 answer

SAPPY

Final Hurdle hint

Where one might find an alligator.

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

SWAMP

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

It's no exaggeration to say that portable chargers and power banks are one of life's essentials in the 21st Century. OK, it’s not quite the end of the world if your phone runs out of juice, but we pretty much live our lives through smart devices, so it will impact your working day and social life — until you can find a power point.

Carrying a portable charger removes the need for power points, allowing you to top up your smart device battery as and when required. It just makes sense to have one tucked away in your bag or pocket.

When it comes to buying a portable charger, you have a lot of choice, with plenty of different brands, configurations, and price points available. It also depends on what device you'll be charging, where you'll be doing the charging, and how much charge you'll need. Fortunately, we can help steer you in the right, fully-powered direction.

Here's some useful information and a roundup of the best power banks and chargers.

How do portable chargers work?

It's not complicated. Pop the charger in your bag and connect to your device when you’re low on juice. For added convenience, try a portable wireless charger. You don’t even need to bother connecting your device to the charger with a cable — just pop your device on top of the wireless charger and it charges automatically.

How much power does a portable charger provide?

We’ve noted the milliampere hour (mAh) of each charger. This refers to the capacity of the charger’s battery — the amount of electric charge it can deliver. Ultimately, the higher the mAh, the more charge you’ll get. More powerful chargers may give your phone around three full charges before you need to top up the charger itself (or more if they’re super powerful). Budget chargers will give you just one top-up. Think about your lifestyle and power needs before you purchase a portable charger.

What devices do portable chargers work with?

That’s the beauty of a standard portable charger: They’re pretty much universal. As long as your device has a USB connection, or another kind of widely-used port, you can connect it and start charging. There are exceptions, such as brand specific technology (see the MagSafe charger below) but most of the chargers on this list are universal.

Which USB connections to portable chargers use? 

It’s worth noting what connections a portable charger uses before parting with your cash. It seems like USB trends are constantly changing and upgrading, with your classic USB-A no longer the standard. Still, the most common connection ports you’ll find on chargers are USB-A, USB-C, and Lightning. You can always buy a cable that converts from one to another if needs be.

What is MagSafe charging?

This is Apple-designed technology that uses magnets to hold your device in an optimum charging position, ensuring safe and fast charging. You'll recognise it as a big circle that keeps your iPhone in place. But make sure your phone has a compatible MagSafe case, otherwise the charging won't work. MagSafe is a good option for anyone who has an up-to-date Apple phone, AirPods, or Apple Watch.

What is the best portable charger?

We have searched high and low for the best devices on the market, and carefully looked into all these vital questions to help you make an informed, well-charged decision.

These are the best portable chargers and power banks in 2025.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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 May 16 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: Greenery

• Green: Termination

• Blue: Stubborn as a ____

• Purple: What a structure could be made of

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: Kinds of plants

• Green: Discontinue

• Blue: Associated with bulls

• Purple: Ending with building materials

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 #705 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Kinds of plants: HERB, SHRUB, TREE, VINE

• Discontinue: DISSOLVE, END, SCRAP, SUNSET

• Associated with bulls: MICHAEL JORDAN, RODEO, TAURUS, WALL STREET

• Ending with building materials: HOLLYWOOD, HOURGLASS, KUBRICK, NEUROPLASTIC

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 May 16

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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 16 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: To a degree

The words are education-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are things found at an educational ceremony.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Graduation

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 16

• Speech

• Diploma

• Photo

• Graduation

• Procession

• Tassel

• Gown

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.

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 May 16 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 May 16, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

After the fourth.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter F appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.

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...

FIFTH.

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 May 16

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.