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

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

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

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

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

Skin and bones.

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

WEEDY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

One of the seven dwarves.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 30, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DOPEY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To arrange.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 30 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 30, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ALIGN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A cloudy liquid.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 30 Hurdle Word 4 answer

MILKY

Final Hurdle hint

A fantasy.

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

IMAGO

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

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: For your feet

• Green: Baseball stats

• Blue: Mascots for Canadian football

• Purple: Geography-related

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: Running shoe brands

• Green: Seen on a baseball scoreboard

• Blue: CFL teams

• Purple: Teams whose names begin with a geographical feature

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 #188 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Running shoe brands - ADIDAS, ASICS, HOKA, SAUCONY

• Seen on a baseball scoreboard - ERRORS, HITS, INNING, RUNS

• CFL teams - ARGONAUTS, ELKS, LIONS, TIGER-CATS

• Teams whose names begin with a geographical feature - ISLANDERS, SEAHAWKS, LAKERS, MOUNTAINEERS

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 March 30 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 30 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Join the chorus

The words are related to singing.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are roles in a singing group.

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 ChoirPart.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 30

• Alto

• Mezzo

• Soprano

• Treble

• Bass

• ChoirPart

• Tenor

• Baritone

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.

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 March 30 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: Not out of the ordinary

• Green: Parts of our nation's emblem

• Blue: Seen on a NYC theater marquee

• Purple: The second half of the word is the same

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: Average

• Green: Pictured on the U.S. Great Seal

• Blue: Proper nouns in Broadway musical titles that are spoken phrases

• Purple: ___ Man

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 #657 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Average: MEAN, NORM, PAR, STANDARD

• Pictured on the U.S. Great Seal: ARROWS, EAGLE, OLIVE BRANCH, SHIELD

• Proper nouns in Broadway musical titles that are spoken phrases: BIRDIE, DOLLY, KATE, YANKEES

• ___ Man: BOGEY, CRAFTS, GENTLE, SPOKES

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 March 30

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.

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 March 30 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 March 30, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A share or allocation.

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 Q.

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...

QUOTA.

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 March 30

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.

SAVE $50: As of March 29, the brand-new 2025 MacBook Air with M4 chip is available for $949 at Amazon. That’s $50 off its regular price of $999.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 2025 MacBook Air with M4 chip $949 at Amazon
$999 Save $50 Get Deal

I don’t know who’s asleep at the wheel over at Amazon, but they’ve got the just-released 2025 MacBook Air with the M4 chip sitting pretty at $949. Yes, already. Yes, somehow still in stock. This is the kind of deal that feels like it should come with a countdown timer and dramatic music.

Apple just announced the M4 chip, and we’re already getting a discount on a MacBook that has it baked in. This version comes with 16GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage—aka the sweet spot for anyone who wants a laptop that won’t flinch when you open five apps and 28 tabs at once. It’s fast, smooth, and just obnoxiously good at everything.

SEE ALSO: The best Apple deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale: New iPads and M4 MacBook Airs are already on sale

The design hasn’t changed much from last year’s MacBook Air, but when something already looks this sleek and weighs practically nothing, I’m not complaining. The Midnight finish? Gorgeous. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display? Still serving up a billion colors like it’s trying to show off.

Apple also upgraded the webcam to a 12MP Center Stage camera, which is perfect for video calls where you want to look like you have your life together. Add in three mics, four speakers, and Spatial Audio, and you’re basically set to produce a podcast without trying.

• Price: $949.00 (Was $999.00)

• Retailer: Amazon

• Model: 2025 MacBook Air (M4)

• Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina

• Memory: 16GB Unified Memory

• Storage: 256GB SSD

• Processor: Apple M4

• Battery Life: Up to 18 hours

• Extras: Touch ID, 12MP Center Stage camera, Spatial Audio

What really gets me is that the M4 chip is supposed to make this laptop even more efficient, with up to 18 hours of battery life and full support for Apple’s new Intelligence features. I can barely make it through a day with my current setup without needing a charger and a nap.

This is a brand-new laptop. It should be sold out. It should definitely not be on sale. And yet, here it is. Sitting in my cart. Waiting for me to make one slightly irresponsible (but entirely justified) purchase.

SAVE $70: As of March 29, 2024 MacBook Air with M3 chip, 24GB RAM, and 512GB SSD is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That’s $400 off its usual $1,499 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 13.6 MacBook Air M3 2024 $1,099 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $400 Get Deal

I thought this one would vanish from Amazon faster than a Lightning cable port. 2024 MacBook Air with the M3 chip is not only the newest kid on the block, but this particular config (24GB RAM and 512GB storage) is a power user’s dream. And yet, somehow, it’s still up for grabs for $1,099. That’s $400 off. I checked twice.

This is the kind of laptop that makes my current one look like a potato with a keyboard. The new M3 chip boasts an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, which is Apple’s way of saying, “Go ahead, open 43 Chrome tabs and Photoshop at the same time. We can take it.” I genuinely think this MacBook is overqualified for my Google Docs and occasional Netflix, but that’s not stopping me.

SEE ALSO: The best Apple deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale: New iPads and M4 MacBook Airs are already on sale

What makes this deal even more ridiculous is the 24GB of unified memory. That’s the kind of RAM you usually only see in developer builds or MacBook Pros that cost as much as rent. Pair that with 512GB of SSD and you’ve got a machine that keeps up with your ambition, or your TikTok editing habit. No judgment here.

It’s also stunning. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display supports a billion colors, which sounds excessive until you see your desktop background and suddenly feel something. The Starlight finish is classy without screaming “look at me,” and it’s absurdly light at under half an inch thick. Toss it in a tote bag and go pretend you work at a café like the rest of us.

Price: $1,099.00 (Was $1,499.00)

Retailer: Amazon

Model: 2024 MacBook Air (M3)

Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina

Memory: 24GB Unified Memory

Storage: 512GB SSD

Processor: Apple M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU

Battery Life: Up to 18 hours

Extras: Touch ID, Spatial Audio, 1080p camera

Battery life is listed at up to 18 hours, which is code for “yes, you can skip packing the charger.” Plus, it has the usual perks like Touch ID, a 1080p FaceTime camera that doesn’t make you look like a potato, Spatial Audio, and enough microphones to host a podcast you’ll never finish editing.

MacBooks don’t usually go on sale this soon after launch, and yet this one’s hanging out on Amazon like it isn’t one of the hottest laptops of 2024. If it disappears tomorrow, I won’t be shocked. I’ll just be annoyed I didn’t click “Buy Now” fast enough.

SAVE $70: As of March 29, Apple AirPods Max are available for $479.99 at Amazon. That’s $70 off their regular price of $549 during Amazon’s Spring Sale.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max $479.99 at Amazon
$549 Save $69.01 Get Deal

I fully expected the AirPods Max to be wiped from Amazon’s shelves the second the Spring Sale went live. People love these headphones. They’ve got Apple’s seal of luxury, every tech influencer has raved about them, and they come in colors with names like “Starlight,” which sounds more like a candle scent than a gadget. And yet they’re still in stock. I’m stunned, and also one impulsive click away from owning them.

At $479.99, you’re saving $70 off the list price, which is basically a miracle for Apple gear. I’ve been side-eyeing these for a while, waiting for a rare sale like this. The price isn’t the lowest ever, but it’s close. For a product this popular, I’m not waiting around for a unicorn discount that may never come.

SEE ALSO: The best Apple deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale: New iPads and M4 MacBook Airs are already on sale

Apple packed these with features that make me feel like I’ve been listening to music with rocks in my ears until now. The sound is crisp and immersive thanks to the H1 chip and Spatial Audio, and they block out noise like they’ve got a personal vendetta against background chatter. I could probably sit on a plane next to a crying baby and still enjoy my moody playlists in peace.

Comfort-wise, they don’t just sit on your head — they lounge there. The memory foam ear cushions feel like tiny pillows for your ears, and the mesh canopy is far more breathable than the hoodie I refuse to take off.

• Price: $479.99 (Was $549)

• Retailer: Amazon

• Color: Starlight (other colors vary in price)

• Form Factor: Over-ear

• Noise Control: Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency

• Audio Tech: Personalized Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos

• Chip: Apple H1

• Extras: Smart Case included

If you live inside the Apple ecosystem like I do, the seamless syncing between devices is the kind of sorcery that actually justifies the hype. Pop them on, and your iPhone, MacBook, and iPad play nice without you lifting a finger. I love when my tech just works.

The Starlight color is the one on sale right now, which works out because I’m a sucker for anything that looks like it belongs in a fancy tech museum. Other colors are still available too, but they’ll cost you a bit more, because fashion has a price.

I honestly thought I’d be writing about these being sold out. Instead, I’m writing while inching closer to the “Buy Now” button. This deal might not last, and I’d rather have regrets about the purchase than regrets about missing it.

SAVE $100: As of March 29, the iRobot Roomba Q011 is on sale for $149.99 at Amazon. This is a 40% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba Q011 $149.82 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $100.17 Get Deal

We'll always be shouting about robot vacuums here at Mashable, especially now, when you can find great deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

If you've been shopping around for something for a while, the name Roomba won't be new to you. And as of March 29, we've found you an incredible deal at Amazon on the iRobot Roomba Q011, now down to just $149.99.

This model has a three-level cleaning system that delivers customizable suction for carpets and hard floors. It comes with smart navigation that cleans in neat rows, dodges furniture, and steers clear of stairs or any other obstacles in your house. And for those hard-to-reach corners and edges, the Edge-Sweeping Brush won't miss any dust buildup.

Controlled from the iRobot Home App, you can do things like schedule cleans while you're away from home, check to see where it has cleaned, and more. And with up to 120 minutes of cleaning on one charge, if it doesn't manage your whole house, it'll return itself to the charging station to reboot.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so if you don't want to miss out, move fast.

SAVE $320: As of March 29, the Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop is on sale for $379.99 at Amazon. This deal saves you 46% on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop $379.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $320 Get Deal

We're big fans of robot vacuums here at Mashable. Anything that reduces your chore list is a plus in our book. So, with Amazon's Big Spring Sale currently underway, we've been tracking all the best vacuum sales for you to enjoy, and this latest on the Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop deserves your attention.

As of March 29, you can take home this impressive model for $320 less than usual, now $379.99.

This is a great vacuum because it doesn't just pick up dirt; it mops your floors, too. It uses Sonic Mopping to scrub hard floors 100 times per minute, and if you know it's about to encounter an extra deep stain, head to the app and initiate Matrix Mop to get 50% better stain cleaning in certain spots.

This vacuum also boasts an impressive precision matrix grid, meaning it takes multiple passes over dirt and debris to ensure it is all removed. And the smart features don't end there: the CleanEdge Detect system uses blasts of air and corner recognition to remove debris from edges and corners pulling the debris into the cleaning path. Plus, there's no need to manually map out the path for this vacuum because it uses 360-degree LiDAR vision to learn your space, detect obstacles, and pick up dirt.

Like all high-end vacuums worth shouting about, this machine self-empties, self-charges, and holds up to 60 days' worth of dirt, limiting your work even further. The base is bagless, so it is both useful and environmentally friendly as it eliminates the need for waste bags.

This is only a limited-time deal at Amazon, so act quickly so you don't miss out.

SAVE $147: As of March 29, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is on sale at Amazon for $832.99. That's a 15% discount on the list price, and the lowest it's ever been.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max $832.99 at Amazon
$979.99 Save $147 Get Deal

There are still a few days left of the Amazon Big Spring Sale, and you can find discounts on pretty much anything. Whether you're after a new TV, new earbuds, or a new phone, there really is something on sale for everyone.

And if a new phone is top of your list, we've found a fantastic deal on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, currently at its lowest-ever price. As of March 29, you can save 15%, as it is now down to $832.99. This deal is specific to the 1TB storage option, but you can find discounts across all models.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a top-tier phone. It’s got a titanium frame, so it’s lighter but still super durable if you're someone who likes to drop it a lot. The camera quality is next to none, boasting a 10x zoom lens and 48MP main camera.

It's built with the new A17 Pro chip, making everything run fast and smooth, whether gaming or texting. It's also one of the most impressive iPhone batteries, promising to last all day.

And you can enjoy work, play, streaming, and all sorts on the clear 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display screen.

This great deal will end with the Big Spring Sale on March 31, so don't miss out.

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 March 29 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 29 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Power plants

The words are related to food.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are vegan foods.

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 VeganProteins.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 29

• Tofu

• Nuts

• VeganProteins

• Seeds

• Beans

• Seitan

• Yeast

• Tempeh

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.

Aliens aren't terraforming Mars, but one of NASA's rovers just found something with a strange texture that might entice a cauliflower lover to do a double-take. 

Curiosity, a Mini Cooper-sized lab on wheels, was ambling over rugged terrain a few days ago this March when its navigation camera spotted some Martian rocks unlike any others. The scientists leading the rover's expedition say they've never seen anything quite like this on the Red Planet. 

"Oh my glob," the anthropomorphic Curiosity account posted on X. "What are these lumpy rocks?"  

But Curiosity wasn't the only one with a geological mystery. At the same time, roughly 2,300 miles away on the other side of the planet, Perseverance found bumpy rocks of a different kind, calling to mind the famous "Martian blueberries" discovered by the Opportunity rover in 2004.

SEE ALSO: Scientists found huge beaches on Mars likely from a long gone ocean Curiosity took close-up pictures of a strange bumpy rock it discovered on Mars in March. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

Since its mission launched in 2011, Curiosity has traveled about 352,000,020 miles: some 352 million whizzing through space and another 20 over the rusty-dusty terrain. Right now it's on its way to an unexplored part of Gale Crater, called a "boxwork" region, which likely necessitated warm groundwater to form eons ago.

Often outshined by its younger twin rover Perseverance, Curiosity stole back the limelight earlier this week for a monumental discovery based on one of its rock samples. Within it, researchers detected the largest organic molecules yet on Mars, suggesting the chemistry needed for life may have progressed further on the Red Planet than once thought. The molecules, which contain long chains of carbon atoms, could be pieces of fatty acids, key ingredients for Earth life. 

Though the organic molecule find, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, isn't proof of life, it does encourage scientists that other more complex molecules linked to life could still be on Mars. Previously, researchers have been skeptical over whether such evidence could remain on the planet after millions of years of radiation and environmental changes. 

Suffice to say, Curiosity is not to be underestimated in its scientific value. The team gave Curiosity's new rocks official names — Manzana Creek and Palo Comado — and took pictures for the record. The leftward rock in the image at the top of this story has jagged, vertical surfaces and "a lot of crazy rough texture," according to the mission journal. 

Perseverance discovered a bumpy rock on the rim of the Jezero Crater in March. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / LANL / CNES / IRAP

"The rocks were shaped by a combination of wind and water over time, resulting in the cool textures we see today," Abigail Fraeman, Curiosity's deputy project scientist, told Mashable.

Perseverance's bumpy rock, on the other hand, looks a little more like a cluster of miniature peas than cauliflower. It's covered in millimeter-scale beads, some pierced with tiny pinholes. The rover found the rock, officially dubbed St. Pauls Bay, around the rim of Jezero Crater.  

And it seems both rovers' sightings have flummoxed their humans.

"What quirk of geology could produce these strange shapes?" wrote Alex Jones, a researcher working on the Mars 2020 mission team, in a blog post. 

A Martian rock, dubbed St. Pauls Bay, stands out in gray in a field of reddish-brown terrain. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU

Spherical features can form on rocks when water flows through them, creating concretions of minerals over time. But they can also form in other ways, like in volcanic eruptions and meteorite strikes. When droplets of molten rock are thrown into the air by volcanoes or impacts, they cool as they travel, hardening in little balls.

Scientists will continue studying the rocks using the tools available to them on the rovers, but such finds reinforce the desire for NASA to bring samples back to Earth for more rigorous studies.

Right now the space agency is trying to figure out how to save its Mars Sample Return mission, the plan to fly home bits of rock, dust, and air collected by Perseverance. NASA will spend the next year working on engineering plans for two potential new approaches that are considered less complicated and expensive.

What did they think about the national security breach, in which Trump administration officials discussed attack plans in Yemen on a commercial messaging app?

SEE ALSO: I've tested 20+ robot vacuums and these are the best for every budget in 2025 The new 2025 Roombas just changed everything

This would have been a very different article to read had you stopped by any time before March 2025. Before then, iRobot and Shark were both kind of plateauing in terms of the variety of their respective lineups. It was like a competition to see who could be the most mid — especially compared to the robot vacuums announced at CES.

But the lukewarm rivalry got interesting when iRobot went rogue and overhauled the whole Roomba fleet outside of its typical schedule (the company had previously been saving its big product drops for late summer). The new batch consists of eight new Roombas falling under four different umbrellas: the Roomba 105 or 205, or Roomba Plus 405 or 505, ranging in price from $299 to $999. (This may or may not be a last ditch effort to save the company from a reportedly bleak financial situation.)

These Roombas are so new that I haven't gotten to test them out at home yet. But just based off of descriptions and prices, iRobot seems to have patched up several weak spots in the lineup and prioritized budget friendliness without skimping on features that consumers really care about, like smart mapping in even the cheapest models.

And up until iRobot's March 2025 announcement, neither iRobot nor Shark measured suction power in Pascals (Pa) like most of their competitors do. iRobot finally made the switch, but Shark still insists on keeping an air of mystery by solely comparing suction power to other vacuums in its own family tree. (That's what iRobot was doing with its older models, too.) Shark has also been known to make claims like "50% better suction than the best-selling iRobot. Whatever that means — the weakest Roomba is probably technically one of its best sellers.

Where iRobot and Shark agree: Being weird about suction power disclosure

Pinning down whether iRobot or Shark robot vacuums are stronger is always a challenge, and not just because each offers multiple different vacs with different levels of power at different prices. The two longstanding brands aren't keen on using the standard unit of Pascals (Pa) to measure suction power like the Roborock and Eufys of the world are — an effort that could only be perceived as a secret pact to make my life as a robot vacuum reviewer more difficult than it needs to be.

Instead, both Shark and iRobot like to keep their suction power comparisons within their own families. For instance, they might say a new model offers "x times the suction power" that an older or more basic model of theirs does. iRobot did originally float the idea of switching over to Pa with its March 2025 releases, but actual Pa numbers are still hard to track down online.

Where Roomba wins: Small obstacle avoidance and more models to fit more needs

iRobot simply has more robot vacuums, and that variety alone gives it a leg up on Shark. More models to choose from means more opportunities to customize the features and budget to a shopper's main goals for automated cleaning.

Let's say you're willing to pay a little extra for a premium robot vacuum that achieves the most hands-off experience possible. iRobot has several options with features that make a robot vacuum increasingly self-sufficient, including mopping pads that automatically lift over carpet, self-empty docks that also wash and dry the mopping pads, and small obstacle avoidance cameras.

The Roomba Combo 10 Max has a retractable mop that lifts over carpet. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The new Roomba Plus 405 Combo has two spinning mopping pads — a first for iRobot. Credit: iRobot

But floor type is far from the most impressive thing the smarter Roombas recognize. All j series Roombas, the Roomba Combo 10 Max, and the Roomba Plus 505 Combo all have small obstacle avoidance technology, which solves the main gripe that many robot vacuum non-believers have: robot vacuums get stuck so often that they're more trouble than they're worth. These Roombas use a special camera system to help them recognize and avoid small obstacles that less-advanced robot vacuums would typically eat, like a phone charger, extension cord, rogue sock, or pet waste.

I first experienced this sense of relief when reviewing the Roomba j7+ and Combo j7+, and it was never easy to get back into the habit of pre-tidying when trying another robot vacuum that didn't have that. I'd easily sacrifice more intense cleaning for a robot vacuum to have the brain cells to do that.

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

One of the coolest parts about the Roomba lineup is that you can mix and match several of these features to stay within a certain budget. You can skip all of the other fancy features while still bringing home small obstacle avoidance with the standalone Roomba j7 for as little as $299 on sale, or try out the space-saving DustCompactor design with or without mopping for under $500. Even the cheapest 2025 Roombas guarantee LiDAR-powered smart mapping and 70 times (read that again) the suction power of the 600 series Roombas, which were the go-to base tier Roombas two years ago.

I'd just like to say that I basically called iRobot's most recent move in an older version of this piece from spring 2024, saying that "iRobot would also be wise to drop a more budget-friendly option with carpet-centric suction power." People sticking to a certain budget shouldn't inherently have to settle for a rinky-dink cleaner, and iRobot finally realized that that's the piece that was missing in its entry-level tier.

Where Roomba loses: The ultra-affordable end of the spectrum

Plummeting earnings one month, a random revamp of the entire Roomba line the next month — if we're trying to read between the lines, I'd say it became glaringly obvious that people were getting sick of Roombas costing a lot but not doing enough.

While the 2025 Roomba releases do show that iRobot is pandering to the value-minded crowd harder than ever before, the cost-per-feature situation is still stiff in the $400-and-under category. Is it too overpriced, too late for iRobot?

SEE ALSO: The Roborock Saros 10R aces one thing that most other robot vacuums can't

For instance, I think that the perfect starter robot vacuum is one with smart mapping and self-emptying — suction can be pretty basic. In Roomba world, the cheapest option for this is the Roomba 105 + AutoEmpty Dock, going for $449.99. In Shark world, the same capabilities can be secured for $329 at full price.

Then, iRobot's $200 to $300 assortment is almost comically Not Worth It. In April 2024, iRobot fumbled a low-hanging opportunity to right the disappointments of its budget section. Admittedly, the $249.99 Vac Essential, $274.99 mopping Roomba Combo Essential, and slightly more expensive self-emptying versions do provide a more powerful clean than the older 600 series. But the cheap Roomba's fatal flaw remains: they still don't have smart mapping, a feature I feel is ~Essential~ in any robot vacuum. A handful of Sharks at the same prices with comparable suction power do smart map.

The Roomba Combo 2 Essential was more of a pain than a help in my apartment. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Sure, all of these base-tier Roombas do go on sale often. You could technically score the absolute cheapest Roomba for around $130 or a mopping, self-emptying Roomba for $280. But settling for no specific room cleaning just isn't worth it, especially when a similar wad of cash could get you way further if you were buying a Shark (or a Eufy or a Dreame model).

In my experience, just hitting "go" and letting a robot vacuum clean aimlessly is a recipe for coming home to a robot vacuum lost under the bed. The zigzag pattern feels like a hit-or-miss guessing game made more annoying by getting stuck and missing spots on the floor that I'd rather just hit with my Dyson stick vacuum, anyway.

Where Shark wins: Spot cleaning and affordability

Shark has been much more in tune with what the average person is willing to spend on a robot vacuum. The brand consistently offers core capabilities like smart mapping and mopping at lower prices than its Roomba counterparts — a level of cost-effectiveness that should be particularly enticing to strict budget shoppers or first-time robot vacuum owners.

Shark's more approachable price points don't necessarily mean it skimps on cleaning performance, though.

I have both my beloved cordless Dyson and, for Mashable testing purposes, at least one robot vacuum at my fingertips at all times. I get a true sense of any given robot vacuum's value when an unexpected mess within a room in my apartment needs to be taken care of right now. So my favorite thing that I've noticed about Shark robot vacuums is that they make spot cleaning easier than Roombas do. While the iRobot app insists that you create and name an official cleaning zone, even if this is a one-time thing, Shark lets you skip the labeling charade to drag and drop a square on your map in the designated spot cleaning tab. It's just one step, but there's something to be said for streamlining.

SEE ALSO: Tons of robot vacuums also mop, but only these 4 hybrids actually ace the job

Shark also gets a bit more nitty gritty with the spot cleaning itself. This all started with its Matrix line from 2023, which introduced Matrix mode. These Sharks clean in a grid pattern, approaching the area several times from multiple angles to grab anything it may have missed in the first pass or two. iRobot and Shark can duke it out over suction power on paper all they want, but in my testing, I found the low and mid-range Shark models (like the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 and Shark Detect Pro) to be much less likely to leave a rogue crumb or pile of hair behind than the 600 series, Essential series, and lower-end j series Roombas.

During regular vacuuming, Sharks in Matrix mode dish out 30 percent better carpet cleaning than the older RV Shark models. For the 2-in-1 Shark models, Matrix mode also works with mopping when the mopping pad vibrates 100 times per minute to scrub at stains that would likely not budge when wiped with a stationary cloth. Matrix mopping came in clutch for keeping up with the constant layer of shoe prints by my front door.

The Shark RV2300, which comes in a cute gray color. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Shark even extends the Matrix cleaning mechanism to its cheapest robot vacuum, making it one of our favorite — if not the favorite — budget-friendly robot vacuums in 2024. The Shark RV2310 and Walmart-exclusive Shark Matrix RV2300 and RV2300S are incredibly reliable robot vacuums for the price, often on sale for $199.99 for the standalone version and $299.99 for the self-emptying version. (If this model is sold and shipped by a third party rather than Walmart when you click, we'd advise waiting until more stock from Shark itself comes in.)

I experienced no noteworthy issues with navigational accuracy when sending the Shark RV2300 to specifically sweep my bathroom or Matrix clean the floor surrounding the kitchen counter, which is an area I dragged and dropped in the app on a case-by-case basis. Though the suction power is expectedly just OK, it was enough for surface-level daily upkeep of the big, visible debris.

In September 2024, Shark finally caught on to the whole "self-sustaining mopping pads" thing with the release of the Shark PowerDetect line. And naturally, even the most premium Sharks debuted at $1,199.99 and $999.99 — several hundred less than the Roomba with self-washing and drying mopping pads (at the time).

The Shark PowerDetect robot vacuum with NeverTouch Pro dock. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

This is the first mopping Shark that knows to stop mopping on carpeted areas without you having to specifically designate so. For good measure, the PowerDetect is also equipped with large wheels that hoist the vac over carpet to keep it dry during mopping mode. Those hydraulics also helped the PowerDetect to be one of the only robot vacs I've tested to not swirl my bath rugs up every single time.

Where Shark loses: Small obstacle avoidance

Shark's shortcomings stem from sparseness in its family tree and a long wait period between product drops that often have it playing catch up with other brands. The existing Shark models are also a little more basic than some of the Roombas, especially mid-tier ones.

For instance, the one big thing Shark was missing forever was a premium hybrid robot vacuum that could wash and dry its own mopping pads. That gap was finally closed when Shark released the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro in September 2024. But small obstacle avoidance is the other premium robot vac feature that's come to simply be expected in vacs near the $1,000 point, and Shark's NeverStuck technology still hasn't mastered it yet. A handful of Roombas, most of them reasonably priced (at least when on sale), do check the small obstacle avoidance box.

SEE ALSO: Dyson Airwrap vs. Shark FlexStyle: Here's which hot air tool is worth your money

This means that things like cords, pet toys, laundry, and slippers aren't really on a Shark vac's radar yet. And you have to be around to clear the floor of those before sending a Shark out. Maybe you don't mind that, maybe you do — depending on how seriously you're taking the hands-off approach in your robot vacuum search.

One Roomba counterpart, the $649.99 (or $499 on sale) Roomba Combo j5+, also self-empties, mops, and maps, and does the last part with small obstacle avoidance built in to take on a job even if the floor is a little chaotic. Compared to the other main brands like iRobot, Roborock, Eufy, and Dreame, who all have more than one botvac with small obstacle avoidance tech, it wouldn't hurt Shark to prioritize small obstacle avoidance across multiple models in its next product drop.

Similarly, only one hybrid Sharks automatically stops mopping when carpet is sensed. This means vacuum and mop mode aren't possible at the same time in the other 2-in-1 Shark Matrix models, and a person needs to manually attach the water tank to switch to mopping mode. With Matrix Mopping being such a solid feature, it's a bummer that it can't be deployed more freely.

The most advanced non-mopping Shark does way less than the most advanced non-mopping Roomba. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Though I was satisfied with the floor coverage, thoroughness, and mapping accuracy when testing the $599.99 Shark Detect Pro, it seems overpriced for the negligible differences between it and a regular old self-emptying Shark. "Detect" sounds like it should refer to the capability to detect phone chargers or socks, but alas, it's actually talking about a feature that increases suction when an edge, corner, or extra dirty spot is detected. This is nice, but heightened corner coverage isn't major enough to justify $600, especially when there are several Roombas in this price range that also work harder on dirtier spots, as well as mop and avoid small obstacles.

You've never seen unicorns quite like those at the center of Death of a Unicorn.

Not the sparkly, sweet unicorns of modern-day pop culture, these are primal beings with sharp fangs, killer horns, and a bloodthirsty need for revenge. They're movie monsters in the vein of Alien's Xenomorph or Jurassic Park's T. rex: larger than life and utterly captivating, even as they make mincemeat of their victims.

SEE ALSO: 'Death of a Unicorn' review: A24's fantastical monster parable is rich in laughs and gore

It's no wonder, then, that creature features like Alien and Jurassic Park also served as inspiration for writer/director Alex Scharfman's unexpected monster movie. That inspiration extends to the execution of the monsters themselves, which the film brings to life through a combination of practical puppetry and digital effects.

To learn more about how Death of a Unicorn's enchanting beasts came to life, Mashable spoke with Scharfman about historical and real-world inspirations for the film's unicorns, and why it was necessary for the film to use puppets.

Death of a Unicorn's unicorns are rooted in centuries of history. Jenna Ortega films "Death of a Unicorn" with the foal puppet. Credit: A24

Death of a Unicorn centers on lawyer Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega), who accidentally run over a unicorn on their way to a retreat with Elliot's wealthy employers, the Sackler-like Leopold family. While the Leopolds plan to exploit the dead creature's magical healing properties, art history major Ridley turns to the past — including the Unicorn Tapestries from the Middle Ages — to prove why that path would be a bad idea.

Similarly, Scharfman turned to historical depictions of unicorns to inform their appearance in the film. "I was interested in recontextualizing unicorns and subverting our modern expectations, which are all relatively recent," Scharfman explained. "The idea of the rainbows and white horse, that's only 50, 75 years old. If you go deeper, there were a lot of different associations with them, so that really informed a lot of the creature design."

One of the Unicorn Tapestries featured in "Death of a Unicorn." Credit: A24

There are three unicorns in the film: Elliot and Ridley's victim is the foal, while its parents, the mare and the stallion, attack the Leopolds in order to get their child back. Each came with its own set of inspirations.

SEE ALSO: 'Death of a Unicorn' trailer promises Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, and murderous mythical beasts

The foal is the smallest of the bunch, with its white fur and goatee making it the closest unicorn, visually, to that depicted in the Unicorn Tapestries. More goat-like overall, Scharfman described it as being most similar to medieval unicorn descriptions.

"And if you really want to go back deeper, a lot of those accounts were based on animals off the Tibetan steppe, like kiangs and chiru," Scharfman said.

If the foal is the most goat-like of Death of a Unicorn's trio, then the mare is most equine, closer to a contemporary unicorn. Meanwhile, the stallion is the largest and most ancient of the bunch.

At the end of the day, we wanted the creatures to feel real. - Alex Scharfman

"It's this big, bruising brute of a creature that is based on a lot of older accounts of unicorns where they were being conflated with rhinoceroses, since Indian rhinos have one horn," Scharfman said. "That's kind of believed to be what the first written account of a unicorn was, someone describing an Indian rhino to a Greek who'd only understood African rhinos, which have two horns and are slightly different."

Another ancient touchpoint for the stallion? A specific translation of the Old Testament. The King James Bible follows the Latin Vulgate in translating the Hebrew word re'em into unicorn. However, re'em actually refers to wild oxen, including the now-extinct aurochs. Their spinal geometry served as a reference point for the shape of the stallion.

"You take all these references and all these historical accounts, and then at the end of the day, we wanted the creatures to feel real," Scharfman said.

The unicorns in Death of a Unicorn are inspired by nature. The foal puppet in "Death of a Unicorn." Credit: A24

In order to ground the unicorns in reality, Death of a Unicorn's design team pulled inspiration from real horses, including Clydesdales for their shape, Icelandic horses for their shaggy fur, and Belgian Draught horses for their almost "bell bottom"-like hoof shape.

Other animals entered the fray as well. Lion tails inspired the unicorns' tails, adding a predatory edge to their movement. Their vicious teeth, meanwhile, were modeled on those of mandrils and wolves — all the better to snarl with, after all.

"[We were] trying to pull from nature as much as possible so that it didn't feel like we were just creating a monster in a lab, but rather it felt like something you believed could exist," Scharfman said. "A unifying umbrella over all of that was that they're almost like Ice Age creatures in terms of their aesthetic."

SEE ALSO: 'Mickey 17's creeper plushes are the movie's real red carpet stars

Still, this reliance on nature didn't stop Death of a Unicorn from incorporating more fantastical elements into its unicorns, a combination of subverting and satisfying audience expectations.

"A general design principle and rule of mythology of the creatures is that we're playing a game of telephone with the past," Scharfman explained. "Today we might associate unicorns with purple and rainbows, so we made their blood purple, and we gave the meat and the blood a little bit of iridescence."

We're playing a game of telephone with the past. - Alex Scharfman

Wētā Workshop developed early unicorn concepts for the film, then Zoic Studios designed the creatures and completed the film's digital effects. For shooting, Budapest-based special effects studio Filmefex built Death of a Unicorn's many practical puppets.

Death of a Unicorn's practical puppets are total "movie magic." Puppeteers man a unicorn puppet in "Death of a Unicorn." Credit: A24

For Scharfman, practical effects played a large part of his pitch for Death of a Unicorn; that way, it could remain in conversation craft-wise with his original creature-feature inspirations. The film combines practical and digital effects, but even in scenes where the unicorns are rendered entirely digitally, Scharfman kept the puppets on set as a reference point.

"It's invaluable to have the practical element there in terms of giving an actor something to perform against," he told Mashable.

And what practical elements these unicorns are! Massive, fur-covered rigs (with all the longer hairs individually punched in), these unicorns were manned by multiple puppeteers at once. According to Scharfman, it took three to four puppeteers just to control each unicorn head, but rigs of individual elements like hooves or snarling jaws could be operated solo, as hand puppets. The puppeteers were also involved in the actual building of the puppets, giving them an intimate knowledge of how they worked.

The foal puppet in "Death of a Unicorn." Credit: A24

Scharfman recalled falling under the spell of the foal puppet during one of the film's first scenes, when Elliot and Ridley approach the dying unicorn.

"That puppet was incredible. It breathed, its neck moved, it had leg twitches," Scharfman said. "One of those things Guillermo del Toro talks about is how early in the movie, you need to sell the illusion. That was something we definitely were conscious of. That opening scene with the unicorn, the first time you see it really needs to do a lot to make you believe it. I was blown away, and I'd been watching [the Filmefex team] construct the things over months."

That illusion held throughout shooting. "You stop looking at the puppeteers, and you just start looking at the creature in the eye as if it's real," Scharfman said.

Even during early cuts of the film, Scharfman and editor Ron Dulin sometimes forgot to remove the puppeteers in frame, as they were so focused on the unicorns. The unicorns' spell persists, it seems.

"It's just movie magic, completely," Scharfman said.

Death of a Unicorn is now in theaters.

Scientists have spotted a defiant galaxy.

Located nearly 1 billion light-years from Earth, the galaxy 2MASX J23453268−0449256 is a spiral, like our home the Milky Way. Yet it does something galactic researchers only thought possible in much more massive elliptical galaxies, which form through mergers of galaxies: It hosts an enormous supermassive black hole that emits powerful jets of energy into space — the type that would wreak havoc and destabilize such a spiral galaxy.

"This discovery upends conventional wisdom, as such powerful jets are almost exclusively found in elliptical galaxies, not spirals," Suraj Dhiwar, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in India who coauthored the new study, told Mashable.

The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Spiral galaxies are often considered too delicate to support the kind of extreme black hole activity seen in this galactic system, Joydeep Bagchi, an astrophysicist at Christ University in India who led the research, told Mashable. But this galaxy maintains its well-ordered spiral structure in the face of extreme blasts of energized particles and radiation from a black hole billions of times the mass of the sun, as you can see in the Hubble Space Telescope imagery above and below.

"This discovery upends conventional wisdom."

Black holes themselves — so gravitationally powerful not even light can escape their grasp — produce no radiation or light. But galactic material can rapidly spin around black holes, forming a vibrant "accretion disk" that radiates light. And sometimes material falling into a black hole can be rerouted into two giant jets, firing in opposite directions out into the universe.

The Milky Way (bottom) compared to the larger galaxy 2MASX J23453268-0449256. Credit: Bagchi and Ray et al / Hubble Space Telescope

The cosmic quandary of the expansive spiral galaxy 2MASX J23453268−0449256 calls for more telescopic investigation, the researchers emphasize. "It forces us to rethink how galaxies evolve, and how supermassive black holes grow in them and shape their environments," Dhiwar explained.

So far, observations gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array reveal that the galaxy doesn't only have an orderly, tranquil spiral appearance. It also maintains a bright nuclear bar-shaped mass of stars near its core (as many spiral galaxies do) and an undisturbed outer stellar ring — home to some vigorous star formation.

Imagery from a radio telescope show two colossal jets shooting out from the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy 2MASX J23453268−0449256. Credit: Bagchi and Ray et al / Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope

The unusual circumstance of galaxy 2MASX J23453268−0449256 also has relevance to our galaxy. While the central supermassive black hole in the Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*, is much smaller and currently dormant, it could (one far-off day) awake. A mighty gas cloud or small dwarf galaxy could accrete around the black hole, providing the fuel needed for powerful jets of radiation to blast through our galaxy. These rapidly moving particles could pose a danger to planets.

"If such jets were to form and be directed toward our solar system, they could potentially strip away planetary atmospheres, increase radiation exposure, and even trigger a mass extinction event on Earth," Bagchi said.

Life on Earth has indeed thrived over eons, and eventually bounced back following mass extinctions. But might another, stoked by our massive black hole, be in the cards? Grasping how such active black holes behave in spiral galaxies can help us not just grasp the fate of our galaxy, but others.

"Ultimately, this study brings us one step closer to unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos, reminding us that the universe still holds surprises beyond our imagination," Dhiwar said.

TL;DR: Only while supplies last, you can buy Microsoft Office for $54.97 and get Windows 11 Pro free (normally a $418 value).

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle $54.97
$418 Save $363.03 Get Deal

Watching web pages spin endlessly? Dealing with apps crashing? Before you spend your weekend laptop shopping — or throw the thing out the window — consider that it might be the software, not your machine, weighing you down.

Upgrading your operating system can speed things up, and a fresh download of Microsoft Office can give you new tools for work, school, or home projects. Right now, you can get Windows 11 Pro free with Office priced at $54.97 until we sell out of codes. We have fewer than 75 left in stock.

How this deal works

This is a two-for-one Microsoft offer with no coupon required. Simply complete your purchase, and you’ll receive an email almost immediately after with download links and software activation keys for both Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro.

We recommend upgrading to Windows 11 Pro first for the most seamless setup. This deal comes at an opportune time, with Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 later this year. Or, if you currently have the free version of Windows 11 Home, this adds additional features like remote desktop access, hard drive encryption, and Hyper-V.

You’ll also get the AI-powered assistant, Windows Copilot installed right onto your computer. Created from a custom version of ChatGPT-4, it’s like having a paid version of the world’s favorite chatbot at your service to answer questions, generate content, or make images.

Once you’re acquainted with the new operating system, download Microsoft Office for Windows. The 2021 suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Punisher, and Access — all downloaded to your PC for lifelong use.

Don’t miss your chance to get this Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro bundle deal, now $54.97 (reg. $418). No coupon is needed to get this price.

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

TL;DR: Keep track of important property with the KeySmart® Smart Card, a slimmer tracking option that works with Apple's Find My app. A three-pack is now just $79.97 (reg. $119.97) through March 30. 

Opens in a new window Credit: KeySmart KeySmart SmartCard (3-Pack) $79.97
$119.97 Save $40 Works with Apple Find My Get Deal

Looking for an AirTag alternative that actually fits in small compartments? The KeySmart SmartCard improves upon the bulky shape of the AirTag, offering a sleek alternative that works with wallets and other tight spots. 

Right now, you can snag a three-pack of KeySmart SmartCards for just $79.97 — making them under $27 a piece — with free shipping. But act fast; this deal lasts only one more day through March 30. 

Keep tabs on important items with this three-pack of KeySmart SmartCards

Looking for a way to easily find your passport? What about your wallet? The KeySmart SmartCard lets you keep track of your possessions via Apple's Find My app, just like an AirTag. But unlike AirTags, these actually fit in super thin places. 

The KeySmart SmartCard measures just 2mm thick, roughly the size of two credit cards. This lets it easily slide into wallets, luggage, pet carriers, or other small compartments. 

Aside from fitting in more items, this sleeker stature makes this a more discreet tracker. It's a great option if you're hoping to track things without bringing extra attention. 

The KeySmart SmartCards offer an IPX8 rating, besting the AirTag's IPX67 rating and allowing them to be submerged in water for longer (one hour in 3.3 feet of water, to be exact). This makes it a great tracking choice for items that may have to brave the elements.

When powering the KeySmart SmartCard back up, its rechargeable battery works with a Qi-enabled wireless charger. This is another benefit, making it easier and more eco-friendly to recharge than the AirTags, which require entirely new batteries. 

Find important items by checking your phone with the KeySmart SmartCard, now $79.97 (reg. $119) for a three-pack for just one more day. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Outside my apartment’s living room during work hours, there’s a regular cacophony: revving motorcycles, emergency sirens, honking horns. I love working from home, but a quiet oasis it is not.

That's when I seek restorative, calm bliss from an unlikely source: YouTube.

The age of being extremely online has produced many unusual meditative practices. Many of us apparently enjoy singing bowl TikToks. Others prefer Spotify's spa-like sounds, or their "deep focus" study playlists.

But lately I've come to see YouTube as the most effective option. The world's largest video service has hundreds, if not thousands, of channels claiming to offer white noise and calming music. Nearly all have accompanying images with equally soothing zen vibes, even the AI generated ones.

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The variety of options is astounding and eclectic, far more so than any white noise machine. To list just five: Birds chirping, waves crashing, gentle electronica beats, the calming engine noise of 24th-century spaceships, the sounds of the DisneyWorld monorail snaking around theme parks. (For many of us, staying on the monorail without plunging into the world of hectic rides is the most soothing thing imaginable.)

Many of these channels run for hours on end and manage to soothe without being redundantly annoying. One plus for videos like this, in my experience: Even without the $13.99 a month YouTube premium service, these content-light channels are rarely interrupted by ads.

Take a video on the Cafe Relaxing Jazz Music channel entitled “Warm Jazz Piano Music with a Sweet Cup of Coffee.” The easy listening jazz runs for nearly two hours. Staring at the steam wafting off its coffee mug can induce a trance-like state.

More suggestions for your white noise YouTube starter kit:

View Escape takes visitors on a "journey to distant locations - particularly those in space." I can recommend the Blade Runner-esque sounds emanating from "Ambient Echoes overlooking Cyberpunk City." You may often wish to return to the channel's imagined bedrooms of spaceships with large windows. Unseen engines gently whir as planets and stars pass by.

MyTranquilitee
This beach channel features the calming sounds of gentle waves, perfect for background sounds or help with sleep. A personal favorite: The Mountains of Moorea, featuring the crystal clear waters of French Polynesia and a perfect green mountain backdrop. Take a quiet journey around the world with beach images and sounds of Anguilla, The British Virgin Islands, St. Barth, Hawaii, and Malibu.

baby.murcielaga
This odd little channel features seriously meditative music and dreamy titles like "Lost in 1983" and "back to 1991." Nevertheless there's a timelessness to these images of drenched parking lots and cloud-covered skyscrapers, which could be from anywhere in the last 60 years. There's something evocative about the expansive sounds paired with the lonely urban landscapes.

"It feels like what I lived when I wasn’t afraid of being alone, or in the dark, or in the cold, or in the open," one commenter wrote in the channel's "For Peaceful Nights" video.

Disney Parks
This channel features lots of fun content for the Disney maniac in your life, including food tours, park updates, and even POV shots of rides. It also features relaxing park-related videos including the Space Mountain Soundscape and the Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana.

We're also partial to the 4 Hours of Monorail Ambience — don't worry, the whining children and screaming parents have been excised. Please stand clear of the doors, Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas, the monorail says simply, as you drift at a distance from the happiest place on Earth.

Severance — Music To Refine To feat. ODESZA
Plugging away at your own version of Lumon Industries? AppleTV has you covered with this "exclusive ODESZA set designed for eight hours of focus—perfect for your innie’s workday." The images chronicle the daily machinations of the hit show's innies — plugging numbers, making coffee, cleaning their spartan offices.

The electronica-infused music certainly has more fast-paced moments than the aforementioned channels, but for some, that's the perfect noise diffuser. And you can keep the music on for your transition to outie life.