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"She was magic": Grease actress dies at age 72

<p>Susan Buckner, known for her iconic role as Patty Simcox in <em>Grease</em>, has died at the age of 72. </p> <p>The news of her passing was announced by her family's publicists Melissa Berthier, who told <a href="https://people.com/grease-actress-susan-buckner-dead-72-8644640" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People</em></a> magazine in a statement, “Susan died peacefully on May 2 surrounded by loved ones.”</p> <p>No cause of death has yet been revealed. </p> <p>Buckner’s daughter, Samantha Mansfield, paid tribute to her mother, saying, “The light she brought into every room will be missed forever.” </p> <p>“She was magic, and I was very lucky to call her my best friend.”</p> <p>Susan shot to fame playing Patty Simcox, who was one of Sandy's (played by Olivia Newton-John) cheerleading friends at Rydell High in the 1978 cult film <em>Grease</em>.</p> <p>Buckner chose not return for the sequel, <em>Grease 2</em>, which was released in 1982 and starred Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield.</p> <p>Buckner's career in the spotlight began after she was crowned Miss Washington in 1971, and went on to join <em>The Dean Martin Show</em> as one of the Golddiggers, an all-female singing and dancing group.</p> <p>She went on to appear in the variety shows <em>The Mac Davis Show</em>, <em>Sonny and Cher</em> and <em>The Brady Bunch Variety Hour</em>.</p> <p>Susan also appeared in shows like <em>Starsky &amp; Hutch</em> and <em>The Love Boat</em>, before appearing in her final acting role in the 1981 slasher film <em>Deadly Blessing</em>.</p> <p>In her later years, Buckner directed children’s theatre and taught dance at a gym in Florida.</p> <p>She is survived by daughter Samantha Mansfield, son Adam Josephs, grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby, as well as her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime partner Al.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Paramount</em></p>

Caring

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"Uniquely, magically, indescribably us": Read the emotional love letter from Suzanne Somers' husband

<p>Just one day before her death, Suzanne Somers' husband gave her a handwritten love letter as part of an early birthday present. </p> <p>Somers' husband, Alan Hamel, gave the letter to his wife of 45 years just 24 hours before she passed away at the age of 76. </p> <p>According to Somers' publicist, R. Couri Hay, Hamel “gave it to her a day early and she read the poem and went to bed and later died peacefully in her sleep.”</p> <p>The emotional poem was an expression of love from Somers' husband, as he struggled to define their intense relationships. </p> <p>“Love I use it every day, sometimes several times a day. I use it at the end of emails to my loving family. I even use it in emails to close friends. I use it when I’m leaving the house,” the note began, via <em><a href="https://people.com/read-love-letter-suzanne-somers-husband-alan-hamel-wrote-to-her-day-before-her-death-8358234">People</a></em>. </p> <p>“There’s love, then love you and I love you!! Therein lies some of the different ways we use love. Sometimes I feel obliged to use love, responding to someone who signed love in their email, when I’m uncomfortable using love but I use it anyway.</p> <p>“I also use love to describe a great meal. I use it to express how I feel about a show on Netflix. I often use love referring to my home, my cat Gloria, to things Gloria does, to the taste of a cantaloupe I grew in my garden.”</p> <p>“I love the taste of a freshly harvested organic royal jumbo medjool date. I love biting a fig off the tree. I love watching two giant blackbirds who live nearby swooping by my window in a power dive. My daily life encompasses things and people I love and things and people I am indifferent to,” he continued.</p> <p>“I could go on ad infinitum, but you get it. What brand of love do I feel for my wife Suzanne? Can I find it in any of the above? A resounding no!!!! There is no version of the word that is applicable to Suzanne and I even use the word applicable advisedly.”</p> <p>“The closest version in words isn’t even close. It’s not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction. Unconditional love does not do it. I’ll take a bullet for you doesn’t do it. I weep when I think about my feelings for you. Feelings… That’s getting close, but not all the way.”</p> <p>“55 years together, 46 married and not even one hour apart for 42 of those years. Even that doesn’t do it,” he added. “Even going to bed at 6 o’clock and holding hands while we sleep doesn’t do it. Staring at your beautiful face while you sleep doesn’t do it.”</p> <p>“I’m back to feelings. There are no words,” he concluded. “There are no actions. No promises. No declarations. Even the green shaded scholars of the Oxford University Press have spent 150 years and still have failed to come up with that one word. So I will call it, ‘Us,’ uniquely, magically, indescribably wonderful ‘Us.’”</p> <p>Somers and Hamel tied the knot in 1977, giving them 45 years together as husband and wife. </p> <p>Somers died on Sunday morning after “an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” her publicist said in a statement.</p> <p>Suzanne was best known for playing Chrissy Snow on the 1970s sitcom <em>Three’s Company</em> and Carol Foster Lambert on the ’90s family comedy <em>Step by Step</em>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Caring

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"Magical": Ed Sheeran crashes wedding after cancelled Vegas concert

<p>Ed Sheeran, the man of the hour, recently pulled off a surprise move that left a wedding chapel feeling less little and a lot more magical. After recently being forced to <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/ed-sheeran-fans-left-devastated-moments-before-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrap his Las Vegas gig</a> due to some venue woes, he stumbled upon a teeny spot he couldn't resist: The Little White Wedding Chapel.</p> <p>In a moment that's now etched in matrimonial history, Sheeran couldn't resist the urge to crash Jordan and Carter Lindenfield's intimate wedding ceremony. And boy, oh boy, was it a surprise!</p> <p>The couple were just about to say their "I dos" when up popped Ed Sheeran like a musical jack-in-the-box. Strolling in with an acoustic guitar and a gang of backup singers, ready to serenade the lovebirds with his upcoming single, "Magical", the jaw-dropping, starstruck expressions from the bride and groom said it all.</p> <p>After Sheeran finished crooning his heart out for the tearful duo, they sealed the deal with a kiss and the all-important certificate-signing ritual. But here's the kicker: Sheeran himself became an official witness to their nuptials, sheepishly admitting: "This is the first time I've been a witness."</p> <p>As if the entire affair wasn't surreal enough, Ed took to Instagram to immortalise the moment, captioning it with the understatement of the century: "Crashed a wedding, this is Magical."</p> <p>The fans, always ready to hop on the Sheeran bandwagon, couldn't contain their excitement in the comments section. Some were so swept away by the thought of Ed showing up at their own weddings that they contemplated tying the knot, fiancé or not.</p> <p>"I never wanted to get married, but if this could happen, I might reconsider," one fan playfully quipped. Another enthusiastic soul chimed in, "You can crash my wedding too! No date set, and I'm still looking for the fiancé, but hey, baby steps."</p> <p>This isn't the first time Sheeran has indulged in his wedding-crashing whims. In 2015, he made headlines by gatecrashing a wedding ceremony in Sydney, courtesy of a local radio station. They had organised the dream wedding for a couple who had faced some serious hardships, so Sheeran decided to sprinkle some stardust on their special day.</p> <p>Fast forward to the present, and Ed's spontaneous wedding performances are still going strong. This latest magical moment came hot on the heels of his Las Vegas concert cancellation. He had to break the news to fans just an hour before showtime. But he then went on to assure everyone that the safety of his fans was his top priority. "I really am gutted," he confessed, but promised that the rescheduled show on October 28 would be nothing short of spectacular.</p>

Music

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“Our Disney princess”: Grace Irwin’s magical milestone

<p dir="ltr">Bindi Irwin and her family were all smiles on a recent trip to “the most magical place on Earth”, with some of their favourite highlights documented on social media for their fans to enjoy the occasion right along with them.</p> <p dir="ltr">The day was something of a milestone for two-year-old Grace, who was making her first trip to Disneyland alongside Bindi and Chandler. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Our Disney princess visited the most magical place on Earth for the very first time,” Bindi wrote. “My. Heart.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the clip accompanying the caption, a series of snaps and short videos played out, though two things remained constant throughout - the delight on their faces, and the wonder on young Grace’s.</p> <p dir="ltr">It opened with a sweet family picture in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, a popular location in the centre of the park for capturing the all-important Disney portrait. </p> <p dir="ltr">Next, Grace had been introduced to a bubble wand in her dad’s arms, before the family were captured flying through the air on Disney’s Dumbo The Flying Elephant ride.</p> <p dir="ltr">From there, Grace was pictured exploring the park - on her own feet and from her mum’s embrace - as well as dancing to live music, meeting some iconic Disney characters, hosting her very own princess tea party, and experiencing the wonder of the world famous It’s a Small World attraction. </p> <p dir="ltr">All, it appears, picture perfect items on any Disneyland agenda. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cse2J6nh6S0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cse2J6nh6S0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Bindi’s followers certainly seemed to agree, flocking to her comments to gush over Bindi’s heartwarming post, all agreeing that the family must have had “the best time”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s the BEST!” author Steve Maraboli declared. “Moments and memories like that are vitamins for the soul!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is so so special,” Australian TV personality Rove McManus said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Looks like you had the most perfect time! I loved when she was dancing for the musicians,” one fan shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Watching Disney through your child’s eyes is simply the best!!” another noted. </p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, some could only marvel at how much Grace and grown, with others simply happy to see Bindi enjoying herself in the world after her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/bindi-irwin-breaks-down-on-camera-about-health-condition">difficult health journey</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“So glad to see you are feeling so much better that you can enjoy an adventure like Disney,” one wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, another wasn’t quite so sure about the whole “happiest place” side of things, revealing that while their day had looked “amazing”, they had to note “Australia Zoo is one of the most magical places on earth. Anywhere we can love and protect animals.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And, of course, Robert Irwin had to get in on the celebration, sharing a series of hearts in response to his sister’s post - just weeks after sharing his own happy snap with the youngest Irwin wildlife warrior, too. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The world’s most magical places to swim

<h2>Red Beach, Santorini, Greece</h2> <p>A crescent-shaped island in the middle of the Aegean Sea, Santorini was once a massive volcano – archaeologists say it blew its top way back in the Bronze Age. It left behind a fascinating place where whitewashed buildings cling to the edge of towering sea cliffs, and beaches come in many colours, including black, brown, white and even red. At Red Beach, iron-rich sands – and the cliffs that hem them in – have taken a curious and beautiful rust-coloured hue, which forms a stark contrast when they intersect with the beach’s deep blue waters.</p> <h2>Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia</h2> <p>While the pristine, azure waters of Whitehaven beach on North-East Queensland’s Whitsunday coast are superlative-worthy in themselves, it’s the sand that really makes it unforgettable. Soft and blindingly white, it is made of almost 98 per cent silica – a mysterious geographical phenomenon that scientists can’t explain – but that you simply have to experience burying your toes into. While the waters are divine to swim in year round, it’s worth remembering that stinger season is from October to May, when warmer waters attract larger numbers of Box and Irukandji jellyfish – a stinger suit is recommended for extra protection.</p> <h2>Blue Lagoon, Fiji</h2> <p>In many ways, Fiji – a cluster of 330 islands in the South Pacific – is the ultimate paradise, an almost mystical place where the palms seem taller, the water always feels bathtub warm, and coral reefs extend themselves and their aquatic bounty before snorkellers from all over the world. While pretty much any spot in Fiji would do for a dip, one of the most beautiful places you can swim is the remote Blue Lagoon. Part of the Yasawa Islands, Blue Lagoon is a spot where the water seems bluer, the often empty beaches appear whiter, and the aquatic wonders, from starfish to seahorses to sharks, are truly mind-boggling.</p> <h2>Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil</h2> <p>One of the world’s best places to swim (and be seen swimming), this curving beach is a major draw for visitors to Rio. While it’s perhaps most famous for the skimpy bikinis (and, yes, Speedos) that can always be found here on a sunny day, this it truly is a great place for a dip in the South Atlantic. Afterward, dry off with a game of foot volley, a form of beach volleyball unique to Rio and its cariocas.</p> <h2>Panama City Beach, Florida, USA</h2> <p>While much of the good press goes to the sun spots further south on the peninsula (think Miami, Tampa and Key West), Florida’s very best beach is up on the panhandle. With sugary white sand (composed of quartz, not the grainier, brown silica found in most of the state), Panama City Beach sits at the heart of the Emerald Coast, a stretch of very clear, very warm, very emerald Gulf of Mexico water. Walk the beach, then spend the evening at Pier Park, a remarkable shopping complex that’s steps from the sea and keeps up the beach theme.</p> <h2>The Amazon River, South America</h2> <p>Contrary to popular belief, the warm, brown, slow-moving waters of the Amazon are actually safe for swimming – if you know what you’re doing. Yes, you will be sharing the river with caimans (a kind of crocodile), piranhas and the bizarre-looking pink freshwater river dolphins (called boto) that are found only here, but an experienced guide can tell you where, and when, it’s safe to dive in. You may even get a visit from a boto – a favourite excursion takes swimmers out to a mid-river sandbar, where you wait for the arrival of this mysterious, playful animal.</p> <h2>Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam</h2> <p>Southeast Asia definitely has a wealth of beautiful swimming spots and this one also happens to be a UNESCO world heritage site – and its easy to see why. With its stunning limestone islands jutting out of the water crystal-clear water the temperature of bath water, bathing doesn’t come with much more of a stunning view than this. From small, peaceful Titop Beach to the vast Ngoc Vung beach, you’ll be assured of a blissful experience wherever you go.</p> <h2>Manly Beach, Sydney, NSW, Australia</h2> <p>Reachable via what has to be the world’s most breathtaking ferry ride – the boat directly passes the city’s world-famous opera house and provides on-the-water views of the towering Sydney Harbour Bridge – Manly is everything a beach should be: soft sand, lovely water, and people-watching a-plenty. If calm waters are more your thing, bypass Manly’s main beach to nearby Shelly Beach, a protected marine reserve with clear, shallow waters featuring a large variety of marine life, ideal for scuba divers and snorkellers for its large variety of marine life. Post-swim, take the winding track up the headland for a scenic view of North Head and neighbouring beaches, or wander through the shops and eateries of the Corso, a pedestrian mall.</p> <h2>Cartagena, Colombia, South America</h2> <p>This beautiful, historic city – think horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone lanes and squares bordered by aging church clock towers – sits at the heart of a Caribbean playground. Just beyond its own sun-kissed beaches lie the 27 Rosario Islands (above), reachable by a short boat ride, which are filled with palms and fringed by aquamarine waters. Spend your day on the beach, then dance the night away in the city’s amazing array of salsa clubs.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/destinations/the-worlds-most-magical-places-to-swim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

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What’s behind the magic of live music?

<p>For months, fans were relegated to watching their favorite singers and musicians over Zoom or via webcasts. Now, live shows – from <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/lollapalooza-2021-vaccine-requirement-saturday/10922695/">festivals like Lollapalooza</a> to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/09/14/theater/broadway-reopening-shows-nyc">Broadway musicals</a> – are officially back.</p> <p>The songs that beamed into living rooms during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic may have featured an artist’s hits. But there’s just <a href="https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/emotional-and-surreal-fans-return-to-live-music-in-ireland-40525205.html">something magical</a> about seeing music surrounded by other people. Some fans reported being so moved by their first live shows in nearly two years that <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlinSchiffer/status/1437988855676817411?s=20">they wept with joy</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://music.columbia.edu/bios/mariusz-kozak">As a music theorist</a>, I’ve spent my career trying to figure out just what that “magic” is. And part of understanding this requires thinking about music as more than simply sounds washing over a listener.</p> <h2>Music as more than communication</h2> <p>Music is often thought of as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00052">twin sister to language</a>. Whereas words tend to convey ideas and knowledge, music transmits emotions.</p> <p>According to this view, performers broadcast their messages – the music – to their audience. Listeners decode the messages on the basis of their own listening habits, and that’s how they interpret the emotions the performers hope to communicate. </p> <p>But if all music did was communicate emotions, watching an online concert should’ve been no different than going to a live show. After all, in both cases, listeners heard the same melodies, the same harmonies and the same rhythms.</p> <p>So what couldn’t be experienced through a computer screen?</p> <p>The short answer is that music does far more than communicate. When witnessed in person, with other people, it can create powerful <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences/article/music-as-a-coevolved-system-for-social-bonding/F1ACB3586FD3DD5965E56021F506BC4F/share/467b545a472056b57236dd84e46e9495712b2a6e">physical and emotional bonds</a>.</p> <h2>A ‘mutual tuning-in’</h2> <p>Without physical interactions, our well-being suffers. We fail to achieve what the philosopher Alfred Schütz called a “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40969255">mutual tuning-in</a>,” or what the pianist and Harvard professor Vijay Iyer more recently described as “<a href="https://www.ojaifestival.org/2017-ojai-music-festival-program-notes/">being together in time</a>.” </p> <p>In my book “<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/enacting-musical-time-9780190080204?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">Enacting Musical Time</a>,” I note that time has a certain feel and texture that goes beyond the mere fact of its passage. It can move faster or slower, of course. But it can also thrum with emotion: There are times that are somber, joyous, melancholy, exuberant and so on. </p> <p>When the passage of time is experienced in the presence of others, it can give rise to a form of intimacy in which people revel or grieve together. That may be why physical distancing and social isolation imposed by the pandemic were so difficult for so many people – and why many people whose lives and routines were upended reported an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.581036">unsettling change in their sense of time</a>.</p> <p>When we’re in physical proximity, our mutual tuning-in toward one another actually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094446">generates bodily rhythms that make us feel good</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00782">gives us a greater sense of belonging</a>. One study found that babies who are bounced to music in sync with an adult <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12140">display increased altruism</a> toward that person, while another found that people who are close friends tend to <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121213104230.htm">synchronize their movements</a> when talking or walking together. </p> <p>Music isn’t necessary for this synchronization to emerge, but rhythms and beats facilitate the synchronization by giving it a shape.</p> <p>On the one hand, music encourages people to make specific movements and gestures while they dance or clap or just bob their heads to the beat. On the other, music gives audiences a temporal scaffold: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hYYgz-AJKU">where to place these movements and gestures</a>so that they’re synchronized with others.</p> <h2>The great synchronizer</h2> <p>Because of the pleasurable effect of being synchronized with people around you, the emotional satisfaction you get from listening or watching online is fundamentally different from going to a live performance. At a concert, you can see and feel other bodies around you. </p> <p>Even when explicit movement is restricted, like at a typical Western classical concert, you sense the presence of others, a mass of bodies that punctures your personal bubble.</p> <p>The music shapes this mass of humanity, giving it structure, suggesting moments of tension and relaxation, of breath, of fluctuations in energy – moments that might translate into movement and gesture as soon as people become tuned into one another.</p> <p> </p> <div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"> <div> </div> </div> <p>This structure is usually conveyed with sound, but different musical practices around the world suggest that the experience is not limited to hearing. In fact, it can include the synchronization of visuals and human touch.</p> <p>For example, in the deaf musical community, sound is only one small part of the expression. In Christine Sun Kim’s “<a href="http://christinesunkim.com/work/face-opera-ii/">face opera ii</a>” – a piece for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31750130/">prelingually deaf</a> performers – participants “sing” without using their hands, and instead use facial gestures and movements to convey emotions. Like the line “fa-la-la-la-la” in the famous Christmas carol “<a href="https://youtu.be/WgEVI8DEkF8">Deck the Halls</a>,” words can be deprived of their meaning until all that’s left is their emotional tone.</p> <p>In some cultures, music is, conceptually, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0096">no different</a> from dance, ritual or play. For example, the <a href="https://doi-org.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/10.2307/850267">Blackfeet in North America</a> use the same word to refer to a combination of music, dance and ceremony. And the <a href="https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262018104.003.0002">Bayaka Pygmies of Central Africa </a>have the same term for different forms of music, cooperation and play.</p> <p>Many other groups around the world categorize communal pursuits under the same umbrella.</p> <p>They all use markers of time like a regular beat – whether it’s the sound of a <a href="http://www.kumeyaay.info/music/gourdrattles.html">gourd rattle</a> during a <a href="http://eviada.webhost.iu.edu/scripts/collection.cfm?mc=7&amp;ctID=33">Suyá Kahran Ngere ceremony</a> or <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814731208/the-games-black-girls-play/">groups of girls chanting</a> “Mary Mack dressed in black” in a hand-clapping game – to allow participants to synchronize their movements.</p> <p>Not all of these practices necessarily evoke the word “music.” But we can think of them as musical in their own way. They all teach people how to act in relation to one another by teasing, guiding and even urging them to move together. </p> <p>In time. As one.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-magic-of-live-music-169343" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

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"An arts engagement that’s changed their life": the magic of arts and health

<p>In 2007, a life-changing encounter at South Australia’s Flinders Medical Centre became the catalyst and symbol for a national arts and health movement. </p> <p>A young woman, Becky Corlett, was being transported through the hospital where an artist-in-residence, Rebecca Cambrell, was painting a mural. Becky had suffered a stroke and cardiac failure. She had stopped eating and was non-responsive even to family. When Becky passed the mural, however, she made a noise of interest. </p> <p>Cambrell instinctively drew Becky closer and gave her a paint brush. To everyone’s surprise, Becky started adding dabs of paint to the canvas, and then she smiled. The wonder of this moment only dawned on Cambrell when she turned around. </p> <p>“Her parents were convinced that the moment she touched that paintbrush, something was triggered inside Becky that made her want to live”, remembers Cambrell.</p> <p>Becky’s story is just one of many collected in our new report <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/321047">Telling the Story of Arts in Health in South Australia</a>.</p> <h2>What is ‘arts and health’?</h2> <p>Arts and health is broadly defined as using arts practice to deliver health outcomes, be they specifically targeted interventions or general wellbeing benefits. </p> <p>Arts and health work comes in many forms. It can be <a href="https://statetheatrecompany.com.au/shows/euphoria/">play</a> about mental health issues in rural areas. It can be a <a href="https://www.visualisingmentalhealth.com/">university competition</a> to design solutions to community wellbeing challenges. It can be the <a href="https://celsus.net.au/a-hospital-within-a-park/">integration</a> of art throughout an entire hospital to create a calming environment.</p> <p>In an interview with us, design researcher Jane Andrew said the breadth of arts and health work means participant involvement can range “from passively viewing to making to being in the environment”. </p> <p>The benefits are diverse. A <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289054553">2019 World Health Organisation study</a> looking at over 900 peer-reviewed publications found arts and health can do everything from encouraging health-promoting behaviours to supporting end-of-life care.</p> <p>The diversity of the arts and health field is represented by the perspectives of our report’s 47 interviewees. We spoke to arts therapists, managers of hospital-based arts and health programs, government arts agency staff, CEOs of local health networks and former ministers. We asked them about their past experiences with arts and health, the present challenges and opportunities for the field, and how best to advance this work in the future.</p> <h2>Art and health in Australia</h2> <p>Although benefits of the arts to health have been recognised <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/9415/chapter/156246455">for millennia</a>, the formal field of arts and health work <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17533010903421484">first emerged</a> across South Australia and the rest of the nation through the community arts movement of the 1970s and the rise of health promotion in the 1980s. </p> <p>The establishment of the Flinders Medical Centre’s Arts in Health program in the late 1990s provided a major step for the field into health settings, and the program remains an <a href="https://anmj.org.au/the-art-of-healing-inside-flinders-medical-centres-pioneering-arts-in-health-program/">innovative leader today</a>. </p> <p>The former director of the program, Sally Francis, recalled how, “on a regular basis” the program would have “three, four, five stories of someone who has been critically ill and had an arts engagement that’s changed their life.”</p> <p>But Becky Corlett’s story had, as Francis describes it, a “huge and far-reaching effect” on arts and health in Australia. Days after Becky’s first painting experience, former South Australian Minister of Health and Assistant Arts Minister, John Hill, visited the hospital "I was just walking along, and I saw the painting going on and there was this little girl busily doing art. […] Her parents came up to me and had tears in their eyes. […] She was reconnected with life."</p> <p>Inspired by this encounter, Hill and Francis led a push to have arts and health formally recognised by the state and then federal government. The <a href="https://www.arts.qld.gov.au/images/documents/artsqld/Research/National-Arts-and-Health-Framework-May-2014.pdf">National Arts and Health Framework</a> was officially endorsed in 2014. </p> <p>This historic statement declared the Australian federal, state and territory governments’ recognition of and support for the field. The framework aimed to raise awareness of arts and health, and to encourage government departments and agencies across the country to integrate arts and health work into their services. </p> <p>However, it did not make any funding or legislative requests, meaning no permanent arts and health policy followed its endorsement.</p> <h2>What next for arts and health?</h2> <p>Next year marks ten years since the framework’s endorsement. </p> <p>While there is continuing good work in this space across the country, our interviewees believe arts and health remains underutilised. Community artist Lisa Philip-Harbutt told us there is a lack of “connection between all the various things that people are doing” – different arts and health projects often aren’t speaking to each other.</p> <p>To regain momentum for the field, interviewees recommend developing educational pathways for prospective arts and health workers, conducting a review and update of the National Arts and Health Framework to embed it in policy, and establishing research partnerships between universities and arts and health programs. </p> <p>The hope is that the next generation of leaders will be inspired by witnessing arts and health’s life-changing power. </p> <p>According to Deborah Mills, a key driver of the National Arts and Health Framework, "If you want passionate advocates, they have to have a visceral understanding of what creative activity does."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-arts-engagement-thats-changed-their-life-the-magic-of-arts-and-health-196212" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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5 magical destinations to spend Christmas

<p>Here are the five best places to spend Christmas around the world. If you can’t be home for Christmas this year, one of these locations would do nicely!</p> <p><strong>1. Niseko, Japan</strong></p> <p>For a guaranteed white Christmas without the 24-hour flight to get there, Niseko should be on your Christmas list. The resort, on the northern island of Hokkaido, is considered the powder capital of the world and you’ll get fresh snow virtually every day. Even if you’re not a skier, you can soak up the Japanese onsen culture, dine at the Michelin star restaurants and indulge in a little après ski.</p> <p><strong>2. Bruges, Belgium</strong></p> <p>Europe’s best-preserved medieval city oozes charm from every cobblestone. Walk through the snow-dusted streets, inhaling the scent of praline and warm waffles, stopping in at one of the many chocolatiers to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate. A small ice rink and Christmas market take over the central square, creating one of travel’s most snappable moments.</p> <p><strong>3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil</strong></p> <p>Aussies are so accustomed to a warm holiday season that a trip to the snow might be too much to handle. So head straight across the Pacific to South America and the buzzing beachside beauty of Rio. Brazil is the world’s largest Catholic nation, so Christmas is a big deal. The world’s largest floating Christmas tree sits in the harbour, bedecked with thousands of twinkling lights, and the whole city is in a festive mood.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ahytoTd8vHo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><strong>4. Salzburg, Austria</strong></p> <p>One of Europe’s great Christmas market hubs, the markets here date back to the 15<sup>th</sup> century. The main market runs for the month before Christmas and sits right in front of the grand Cathedral of Salzburg. Other markets are dotted around the city, like the Advent Market in Hellburn that has an oversized advent calendar as the centerpiece.</p> <p><strong>5. Rome, Italy</strong></p> <p>Midnight mass inside St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican is a one of a kind Christmas experience that you will never forget. An enormous tree is set up in the middle of St Peter’s Square and there’s also a television screen broadcasting the mass inside if you can’t get a seat. The Christmas season lasts for a full month in Italy, so you will be able to participate in a number of religious ceremonies leading up to the day.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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"OMG that's Nicole Kidman!": Magic moment at Hugh Jackman's Broadway fundraiser

<p dir="ltr">Nicole Kidman surprised fans when she appeared at fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman’s Broadway show. </p> <p dir="ltr">The actress attended New York's The Winter Garden Theatre to watch Hugh’s <em>The Music Man</em> show and was ready to dig deep into her pockets to support a charity. </p> <p dir="ltr">During a break in the show, Hugh came back on stage and announced that he will be auctioning off his signed hat.</p> <p dir="ltr">The winning bidder will see their proceeds going to Broadway Cares – a nonprofit US organisation that helps provide medicine, health care, and meals to those in need. </p> <p dir="ltr">As the bidding started, Nicole could be heard offering a huge US$100,000 (AU$150,000) for the hat and was met with cheering from the crowd. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CldqPWVOr1z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CldqPWVOr1z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Nicole won the bid and made her way to the stage as the crowd applauded her generosity. </p> <p dir="ltr">Later on Instagram, Hugh thanked her for her generosity in a post that showed him handing over the hat to her. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The generosity and love emanating from @nicolekidman leaves me speechless. Thank you Nic for your friendship and support! @musicmanbway @nicholastheward @bcefa,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">She replied: “Darling Hugh, To my friend of 30 years. Right back at you such a generous gorgeous man, it was a brilliant night in the theatre and an honor to be able to donate to @bcefa! + Congratulations to the talented cast.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Check out the amazing moment in full <a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/nicole-kidman-hugh-jackman-the-music-man-broadway-show-bids-150000-for-hat/5d6a88fc-a056-4d33-9a66-a66e41c3ddb9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Using a dental scanner on corals like a “magic wand”

<p>Dr Kate Quigley’s trip to the dentist might have revolutionised coral reef research.</p> <p>The intra-oral dental scanner her dentist was using turned out to be the perfect thing for scanning baby corals and learning critical information about their growth.</p> <p>“Baby corals and teeth are actually not too different. They’re both wet,” says Quigley, now a senior research scientist at the Minderoo Foundation.</p> <p>“Which might not seem like a big deal – but if you’re scanning something, that creates diffraction. […] Having tech that can work in a wet environment and handle a texture that’s wet, is actually really important.”</p> <p>There are a few other things that bring dental scanners and coral together, too.</p> <p>“The properties of teeth and baby coral skeletons are very similar. They’re calcium-based, slightly different, but similar enough that the resolution of the laser was tailored to coral skeletons, just by accident,” says Quigley.</p> <p>While conducting research at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and James Cook University, Quigley managed to get one of the tooth-scanning devices she’d seen at the dentist (the ITero Element 5D Flex), and test it on corals.</p> <p>Quigley has published a description of the new method in Methods in Ecology and Evolution.</p> <p>Monitoring coral growth is key to restoring and preserving it.</p> <p>“Growth and survival are really the currency of any monitoring program. It doesn’t matter what organism you’re looking at,” says Quigley.</p> <p>But it’s very difficult to monitor the growth of corals – because of their shape and size.</p> <p>“How most coral growth studies are done is really just taking 2D flat images. And that works really well when the coral is really young, say a month or two months, because they’re like little flat pancakes,” says Quigley.</p> <p>As they grow, corals develop very complex three-dimensional structures. Scanning these structures is time-consuming, and often destructive: the coral has to be killed in order to be scanned.</p> <p>The dental scanner takes quick, harmless scans and uses AI to combine the images into a 3D picture almost immediately.</p> <p>“Instead of taking all day and into the night, it takes two minutes,” says Quigley.</p> <p>It also provides better detail.</p> <p>“Baby corals start off really small. They’re almost invisible,” says Quigley.</p> <p>“Being able to measure those really fine scale differences, smaller than a millimetre, was also really important.”</p> <p>Quigley describes the scanner as “effectively a magic wand”.</p> <p>So far, the scanner’s been shown to work in a lab (at AIMS National Sea Simulator) and in the field – on a boat above the water.</p> <p>Unfortunately, it’s not waterproof enough to take diving. Yet.</p> <p>Quigley hopes it will become a regular tool used by coral researchers and restorers.</p> <p>“If we are thinking about scaling up reef restoration in the future we’re going to need a way to measure and monitor these individuals more effectively. It wouldn’t be sustainable if it’s one individual a day.”</p> <p>Quigley says that this discovery demonstrates the importance of thinking laterally.</p> <p>“In science I feel like there’s less and less room to just be creative anymore,” she says.</p> <p>“This has been a really interesting time for me – to dabble in dentistry and look at all the tech that’s available and may be useful in conservation.”</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/coral-dental-scanner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian.</strong></p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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What Olivia Newton-John wanted after her death

<p dir="ltr">A never before seen interview of Olivia Newton-John before her tragic death has aired on TV.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Grease star lost her battle with breast cancer on August 8 when she passed away peacefully at the age of 73.</p> <p dir="ltr">Olivia appeared in a special interview on <em>Spotlight: Olivia - A Magical Life</em> where she explained what she wanted to happen when she died.</p> <p dir="ltr">The beloved singer said she wanted her ashes to be scattered in Byron Bay, California and “in other places I love”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Olivia’s late mother and sister also had their ashes scattered in the popular holiday destination.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t think I’ve really thought about it that deeply. We all should,” Olivia said in the interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I’d like to be with them, I’d like to be with them … that would be nice.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/honouring-dame-olivia-newton-john" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news of Olivia’s passing</a> was announced by her husband John Easterling on Instagram via his late wife’s account, and included an appeal to continue her good works in the field of cancer research:</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Her daughter Chloe also shared a series of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/no-words-emotional-images-from-olivia-newton-john-s-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heartwarming photos</a> upon the news breaking as celebrities and fans alike offered their condolences.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family have also accepted a state funeral from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Seven</em></p>

Caring

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Why does love feel magical?

<p>In this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014521433" target="_blank" rel="noopener">age of science</a>, many people see <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supernatural forces</a> as illusions rooted in wishful thinking. But love remains a profound exception to humanity’s trend toward rationality.</p> <p>People are used to seeing romantic love presented as it is on the reality show “The Bachelor” – as a force cosmically bound to one’s destiny. It’s an idea that is at once laughable and uncannily relatable for anyone who has been in love and felt their pairing compellingly “meant to be.” Our research suggests that magical notions of fated love and soulmates are <a href="https://osf.io/t8pvu/wiki/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very common and deeply felt</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tNypAxsAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ari10nYAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychology</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3UEI9NIAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">researchers</a> interested in why human beings think, feel and behave in the ways they do, we ask a basic question: Why does love feel magical? We hope that answering this question might offer some insight into the quandaries that have long plagued people in love. Should you blindly trust your heart to lead you to happiness, despite the chaos that’s as much part of love as bliss is? Or should you instead regard the tendency to magical thinking about love with skepticism, striving for rationality in the search for a fulfilling relationship?</p> <h2>What is love and what does it want from me?</h2> <p>Far from an invention of <a href="https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/a-short-history-of-love/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poets</a> or reality TV producers, romantic love has been a part of human nature for many thousands of years. Love letters written 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/article/688/love-sex-and-marriage-in-ancient-mesopotamia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are remarkably similar</a> to those written today, and although <a href="https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cultures differ</a> in their stories and expectations about romantic love, the phenomenon appears to be virtually <a href="https://labs.la.utexas.edu/buss/files/2021/08/LoveinHumans.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">universal</a>. Moreover, our research suggests that magical notions of fated love and soulmates are <a href="https://osf.io/t8pvu/wiki/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very common and deeply felt</a>.</p> <p>But why is love a part of the human mind? Our research explores this question through the lens of evolutionary psychology.</p> <p>Evolutionary psychology is centered on the idea that people think and act the way they do today because, over hundreds of thousands of years, our ancestors with traits that made them think and act that way were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those helpful, or “adaptive,” traits on to the next generation. Through this process, the human mind evolved to prioritize things that contributed to survival and reproduction, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.19.1.41" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly nutritious foods</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-103408" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential mates</a> likely to rear healthy offspring.</p> <p>So how could the dizzying feeling of falling in love and the illogical belief that one’s relationship is “meant to be” have helped our ancestors to survive or reproduce? <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1988-98770-000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to one explanation</a>, the key to love’s ancient purpose lies in the apartment lease agreement.</p> <h2>Love is like signing a lease</h2> <p>Why do people agree to yearslong leases for apartments? After all, the tenant might soon find a better apartment and the landlord could find a better tenant.</p> <p>The answer is that searching for the perfect apartment or tenant is such an annoying and costly process that both parties are better off making a long-term commitment to an imperfect but sufficient lease. The signed-lease agreement provides the crucial bond, keeping the temptation of other options from ruining their useful arrangement.</p> <p>People face a nearly identical <a href="https://labs.la.utexas.edu/buss/files/2015/09/Love_acts_The_evolutionary_biology_of_love_1987.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commitment problem</a> when it comes to choosing partners. Humans likely evolved to primarily <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">favor monogamous relationships</a> that last at least long enough to co-parent children. Given this commitment’s magnitude, there’s plenty of motivation to get it right by finding the best possible partner.</p> <p>However, searching for an ideal partner is resource intensive and challenging – that is, dating sucks. To solve the commitment problem and successfully pass down your genes, it is generally better to not endlessly chase perfection, but instead to commit to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614561683" target="_blank" rel="noopener">good enough partner</a>. Thus, evolution may have created love as a biological lease agreement, both solving the commitment problem and providing an “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108658225.004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intoxicating reward</a>” for this solution.</p> <p>Although love may have primarily evolved because it supports sexual reproduction, love is of course <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/300145" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still very much a part of life</a> for gay, asexual and other people who do not sexually reproduce. Researchers who’ve investigated the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02955" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evolution of same-sex attraction</a> have argued that romantic relationships can provide adaptive advantages even without sexual reproduction. Importantly, variation is the engine of evolution – from a strictly evolutionary perspective, there is no single “normal” or “ideal” way of being.</p> <h2>Love keeps you committed</h2> <p>After you’re through the breathtaking phase of falling for a partner, love helps to ensure commitment in several ways.</p> <p>First, it makes other potential mates seem lackluster; people in satisfying relationships rate other good-looking people as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167216646546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less attractive</a> than single people do. This perceptual shift makes one’s partner seem like more of a catch in comparison and discourages partnered people from pursuing other romantic options.</p> <p>Second, love causes jealousy, a “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2005.09.006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mate guarding</a>” adaptation that motivates vigilance and defensiveness toward those who might threaten your relationship. Even though jealousy is a burden with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXGD0zwGsUE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horrible consequences</a> at its extreme, evolutionary psychologists argue it could <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2005.09.006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help prevent infidelity</a> and attempts by others to steal your partner.</p> <p>And finally, as our team explores in ongoing research, the supernatural “meant to be” stories people tell about love might increase their confidence in the value of their relationship.</p> <h2>Why magical beliefs about love may be useful</h2> <p>Our work investigates how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511571381.002" target="_blank" rel="noopener">magical thinking</a> can be adaptive despite being based in fantasy. Unlike a lease agreement, emotions are often turbulent and unpredictable. More than just a feeling of connection, <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/positive-psychology-of-meaning-spirituality-selected-papers-from-meaning-conferences/oclc/541652506?referer=di&amp;ht=edition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believing in a narrative</a> that suggests your relationship is magically “meant to be” could provide a consistent reason to stick together for the long haul.</p> <p>While a magical belief in fated love is almost certainly objectively false, if it helps to cement a long-term commitment to a good partner, it fulfills an adaptive purpose and can therefore be considered “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2009.27.5.764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deeply rational</a>.” As neuroscientist <a href="https://youtu.be/OaeYUm06in0?t=2332" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karl Deisseroth</a> put it, love is an “unreasonable bond that becomes reasonable by virtue of its own existence.”</p> <p>So even if magical love doesn’t make sense, it makes sense for love to feel magical. Our reading of the research suggests that love’s magic helps people make the tremendous commitment required to successfully pass their genes down.</p> <h2>Don’t overthink it</h2> <p>But what are you to do with the knowledge that love’s magic exists to fulfill evolution’s bluntly practical aim of passing your genes on to future generations, rather than to lead to happiness or even an <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393254693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accurate perception of reality</a>? Surely we can improve on the advice of so many contestants on “The Bachelor” to “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbJ6TfPOE24/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">follow your heart</a>,” blindly trusting that you will find meaning in the pursuit of a biological imperative.</p> <p>Yet, there is a grain of truth in that cliché. If you revolt against that magical thinking, you might be overthinking your way out of one of life’s greatest gifts.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-love-feel-magical-its-an-evolutionary-advantage-180443" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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“A night of magic and music”: Julie Andrews enjoys touching ‘Sound of Music’ reunion

<p dir="ltr">Dame Julie Andrews has been awarded one of Hollywood's highest honours - bestowed on one person each year - and had a heart-warming reunion all in the same night.</p> <p dir="ltr">When the acclaimed actress received the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award in Los Angeles on Thursday, she was surprised with a sweet rendition of 'Do Re Mi' from five of the stars who played the Von Trapp children in <em>The Sound of Music</em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4c0365a4-7fff-eb66-55da-638e9fb1020f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Andrews went on to join Duane Chase (Kurt), Kym Karath (Gretl), Angela Cartwright (Brigitta), Debbie Turner (Marta), and Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich) in their performance which marked the first time the cast had performed together in over six decades.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Julie Andrews is surprised by her kids from THE SOUND OF MUSIC and joins them in a sing-a-long of ‘Do-Re-Mi’ to kick off the AFI Life Achievement Award presentation to her — what a beautiful moment! <a href="https://t.co/TZYT7UNPhr">pic.twitter.com/TZYT7UNPhr</a></p> <p>— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottFeinberg/status/1535106725946093568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Only Charmian Carr, who played eldest sister Liesel and passed away in 2016, and Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa and died in 2017, were missing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prior to receiving her award, Andrews said she was “gobsmacked” to find her career was being honoured in such a way.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t know or think that it would ever come,” she said on the red carpet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But it’s just as well, because you can’t go around expecting awards and things like that.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ca10a206-7fff-1b50-f412-1247ae730fed"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Fans took to social media to share their delight at Andrews’ award and reunion with her castmates, prompting Karath to share an update on what happened after.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Signing our SOM Family Scrapbooks together today, and talking about how magical Julie’s AFI Tribute was last night! <a href="https://twitter.com/thesom7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thesom7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DebbieTurnerDTO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DebbieTurnerDTO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/acstudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@acstudio</a> <a href="https://t.co/memxYDOR5V">pic.twitter.com/memxYDOR5V</a></p> <p>— Kym Karath (@KymKarath) <a href="https://twitter.com/KymKarath/status/1535362904928575488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Signing our SOM Family Scrapbooks together today, and talking about how magical Julie’s AFI Tribute was last night!” she commented on a video from the performance, sharing a behind-the-scenes look of the five Von Trapps.</p> <p dir="ltr">All five, along with Andrews, also posed for a formal portrait and shared it on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So much fun last night at the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award honouring Julie Andrews,” Cartwright captioned the photo on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CepYeBdFTtc/?igshid=YTgzYjQ4ZTY%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was great being with my ‘Sound of Music’ siblings once again. A night of magic and music.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6277b9a-7fff-3527-d2e4-ec84f8e524f8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @angelacartwrightstudio (Instagram)</em></p>

Music

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Richard Gere makes bank on “magical” estate

<p dir="ltr">After spending a decade building it and 36 years owning it, Richard Gere has farewelled his lavish New York country estate and walked away with a tidy $USD 28 million ($39.4 million or $NZD 44.1 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Pretty Woman</em> star bought the property in 1986, four years before starring in the cult classic with Julia Roberts, </p> <p dir="ltr">He went on to build the mansion over 12,000 square metres using custom joinery, with the home boasting including a handsome library, several living areas, and a breakfast nook with an open fireplace.</p> <p dir="ltr">The estate, located about an hour’s drive away from Manhattan, also features a private lake with a beach and an island, a pool with a guest house, and a soccer field and is surrounded by 1740 hectares of hills and dense foliage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/property/real-estate/bought-for-1-5m-selling-for-40m-richard-gere-lists-new-york-mega-mansion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent $USD 1.51 million</a> on the vacant property in the ‘80s, the 72-year-old earned a monumental profit when he finally sold the home five months after <a href="https://www.ginnel.com/exclusive/1193/81-Lyndel-Road-Pound-Ridge-NY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing it</a> with agent Muffin Dowdle from Ginnel Real Estate.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the home now under contract, it comes after he and his wife, Alejandra Silva, dropped $USD 9.8 million ($13.9 million or $NZD 15.4 million) for <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/property/real-estate/richard-gere-lists-stunning-estate-for-eye-watering-price" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an upstate New York home</a> sitting on 14 acres in North Salem.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their new home sees the couple live among a slew of A-listers, with their new neighbours including media mogul Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates’ daughter Jenna Gates.</p> <p dir="ltr">Residents reported that Gere and Silva have already moved in after spotting Buddhist prayer flags at the property, with Gere being one of Hollywood’s most high-profile Buddhists, according to <em><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/property/news/richard-gere-sells-40-million-dollar-new-york-country-estate/e0adf945-fd45-4269-bff0-dc70f92592c2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domain</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ad0eb81f-7fff-c4df-ff12-342abbde6a42"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images, Ginnel Real Estate</em></p>

Real Estate

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Magic mushrooms relieve depression and now we might know why

<p dir="ltr">Psychedelics like psilocybin, the key active ingredient in magic mushrooms, have become a beacon of hope for people with depression that is resistant to other forms of treatment - and new research has shed some light on how they affect the brain.</p> <p dir="ltr">A team of psychedelics researchers have used MRI technology to understand how psilocybin works in the brain, finding that it first “dissolves” then expands brain connections.</p> <p dir="ltr">The study, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01744-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Medicine</a></em>, found that certain parts of depressed people’s brains became more interconnected and flexible after two doses of psilocybin, and that the changes lasted for up to three weeks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These findings are important,” Professor David Nutt, a psychiatrist at the Imperial College London and one of the senior authors of the study, said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants - making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Though magic mushrooms have been used for their healing properties by Indigenous people for a long time, per <em><a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-finally-figured-out-how-magic-mushrooms-might-relieve-depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ScienceAlert</a></em>, their use in clinical trials - and our understanding of how they work - is limited.</p> <p dir="ltr">Previous research from Professor Nutt and his colleagues found that a combination of psilocybin and psychological therapy was as effective as taking escitalopram, a common antidepressant, without the common side effects that can include weight gain, reduced libido, and insomnia.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though this and other small studies have shown the benefits of psilocybin, how it works in the brain has been poorly understood until Professor Nutt’s most recent study.</p> <p dir="ltr">He and his team analysed the brain scans of 43 people with clinical depression who had participated in two previous clinical trials, including 22 people treated with psilocybin, and 21 people who received escitalopram.</p> <p dir="ltr">They found that those who received psilocybin had greater connectivity in regions of the brain that are rich in serotonin receptors which are usually segregated in depressed patients. A day after treatment, their brain networks were more interconnected and flexible, while no such changes were seen in the people taking the antidepressant.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This supports our initial predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments,” Professor Nutt said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their findings match those of a study from 2020, which found similar changes in brain network connectivity up to a month after one dose of psilocybin.</p> <p dir="ltr">As exciting as these findings are, neuroscientist and fellow senior author Dr Robin Carhart-Harris said more research is needed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t know yet how long the changes in brain activity seen with psilocybin therapy last and we need to do more research to understand this,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We do know that some people relapse, and it may be that after a while their brains revert to the rigid patterns of activity we see in depression.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Either way, the researchers hope their findings pave the way for studying psilocybin’s effect on other mental illnesses characterised by rigid thought patterns, such as anorexia and addiction.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We now need to test if this is the case, and if it is, then we have found something important,” Dr Carhart-Harris said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3043ebe9-7fff-c5f3-3351-6e620f6ff71e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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Art inspires the magic Rubik's Cube

<p>The joy puzzle lovers derive from solving a good puzzle is matched only by the frustration felt by those of us who are not good solvers. 2015 marked the 40th anniversary of the patenting of perhaps the greatest – and most difficult – puzzle of the 20th century, the Rubik’s Cube.</p> <p>In 1974, Ernő Rubik was living in Budapest and teaching design courses at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts. The cube’s beginnings are unclear, but some reports state a project given to his students inspired Rubik’s prototype which was then refined over about six weeks. He created a plastic cube with six different colours, one for each face, with each face divided into a 3×3 grid. The beauty of it was that each face could turn independently thanks to an internal mechanism of 21 parts moving on curved tracks.</p> <p>He had considered the cube to be primarily a work of art, until he scrambled the colours. Realising how difficult it was to restore each face to a single colour, Rubik discovered he’d created a puzzle. It took him more than a month to work out how to solve it. Initially, Rubik wasn’t even sure a solution was possible. Eventually he hit upon the idea all modern solutions are based upon – certain moves exist that will exchange pairs or triplets of edge or corner pieces without disturbing the remainder of the cube. This convinced him to go ahead with his marketing plans. In 1977 production began within Hungary.</p> <p>Puzzle crazes have periodically captivated the world since the early 1800s. The “Chinese Tangram” puzzle was wildly popular from about 1815 until the 1820s, with plastic sets still available. In 1880 the “15 Puzzle” was all the rage in Boston and eventually spread to Europe before fizzling out after about six months. Rubik played with the 15 puzzle as a child and says he was possibly inspired by it. More recently, Sudoku went from an obscure game to a multi-million dollar industry. But none of these puzzles captured the world’s attention like the Rubik’s Cube.</p> <p>Rubik’s original cube is at once elegant and fiendish.</p> <p>Rubik called it the “Magic Cube”. The first run of 5000 sold out in a few months. In 1978 the cube was a hit at the International Congress of Mathematicians and over the next several years won awards at European toy fairs. By 1980, the Ideal Toy company in the US was marketing the puzzle as “Rubik’s Cube”. It sold about 4.5 million by the year’s end. In 1981 numbers were approaching 80 million units worldwide.</p> <p>By the mid-1980s the craze had passed. The cube inspired follow-up puzzles such as the 4×4 “Rubik’s Revenge” and the 5×5 “Professor’s Cube”. These days, models of 6×6, 7×7 and even higher-order cubes can be found in puzzle stores. Computer simulations of cubes up to 100×100 are available online.</p> <p>Rubik’s original cube is at once elegant and fiendish. Puzzle expert Jerry Slocum says rotational cube puzzles are among the most difficult of all manipulative puzzles. On the standard 3×3 cube there are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible arrangements.</p> <p>In 1978, while the cube was still an underground success, physicist Roger Penrose and mathematician John Conway were demonstrating solutions. Conway was said to be able to solve the cube in around four minutes without consulting notes. In 1979 David Singmaster offered a guide to the perplexed with his Notes on the Magic Cube. It led to a popular standardised notation for solving the cube which survives today. Up, Down, Front, Back, Left and Right faces are represented by U, D, F, B, L and R. A sequence to manoeuvre a corner piece into position might be written out as: R U R`. This corresponds to a clockwise twist of the right face, followed by a clockwise twist of the up face, and finally a counter-clockwise twist of the right face. The accent mark denotes a counter-clockwise twist. Although these solutions appear daunting, with a cube and instructions in hand most readers will be able to solve the puzzle in half an hour or so. Practice will soon get your times down to five to 10 minutes.</p> <p>Using such algorithms, competitors have reduced the solution time to under a minute. The world record is 5.55 seconds held by Mats Valk of the Netherlands. There are also blindfold and one-hand categories. Blindfold solving has the competitor examine the cube and memorise the solution before putting on the blindfold. The final time includes the examination period and the hands-on time. If you’re feeling like a challenge, the record is just over 23 seconds.</p> <p>Good luck.</p> <p>This article originally appears in <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/mathematics/art-inspires-the-magic-rubiks-cube/">Cosmos Magazine</a>. </p>

Art

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How Kenneth Branagh brought child-like magic to Belfast

<p dir="ltr">It’s one of the most low-key films of the 2022 Oscar season, but Kenneth Branagh’s black and white drama <em>Belfast</em> is not to be underestimated. </p> <p dir="ltr">The film, which is loosely based on Branagh’s own childhood, explores the “troubles” in Northern Ireland in 1969 through the eyes of nine-year-old Buddy. </p> <p dir="ltr">The acclaimed movie picked up seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Judi Dench and Best Supporting Actor for Ciarán Hinds, while Kenneth Branagh is up for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.</p> <p dir="ltr">When filming began for <em>Belfast</em>, young star Jude Hill, who plays Buddy, said he felt an instant connection with the director. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When I first read the script, I immediately felt related to Buddy because we can relate on a lot of different topics,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re both massive football fans, and we’re massive movie fans as well.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just loved playing a young version of Kenneth and he didn’t put me under any pressure at all.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Belfast native Ciarán Hinds, who plays Buddy’s grandfather, says Kenneth’s film tells the more human story of the civil war in Ireland, rather than the political side. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Because Ken has written the script through the eyes of a nine-year-old child, there are no political agendas,” Hinds says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ken doesn’t shy away from the violence and the bitterness, it’s all on the television, it’s on in the street, but it is seen through the eyes of a nine-year-old.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“To see that innocence was deeply moving, reading the script, and then when I saw it fulfilled for the first time on the screen, I thought, ‘this has actually got to the heart of the soul and the people of Belfast’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Check out the trailer for the film below. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ja3PPOnJQ2k" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Rob Youngson / Focus Features</em></p>

Movies

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5 of the most magical movies from your childhood

<p><strong>Take a trip down memory lane</strong></p> <p><span>Whether it was the enchanting characters, the memorable scenes or simply because it was the first film mum or dad took you to, these are the movies that have left the most lasting impressions over the decades. How many do you have a soft spot for?</span></p> <p><strong>The Wizard of Oz</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845531/movies1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/41e7e60f249e404499b29df1761bf8ff" /></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p>“For me it was<span> </span><em>The Wizard of Oz</em><span> </span>with Judy Garland, in fantastic Technicolor. Back then I was lost in the emotions of a young girl trying to find her way home, following that yellow brick road and meeting all sorts of friends with problems of their own.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Debbie Moody</em></strong></p> <p>“<em>The Wizard of Oz</em><span> </span>was a truly magical movie depicting the adventures of Dorothy and her dog when they were whisked during a cyclone to the Land of Oz and met fascinating characters and animals on their way to meet the Wizard. The special effects, scenes, colour, songs, humour and dialogues were wonderfully entertaining and somehow resonated with me emotionally.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Melanie Gomes</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Beauty and the Beast</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845532/movies2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9fc908a85991429a81c042bea8f9d376" /></p> <p><em>Image: @beautyandthebeast / Instagram</em></p> <p>“<em>Beauty and the Beast</em><span> </span>– an enchanted castle, a mysterious beast and above all things LOVE… it was every little girl’s fantasy in a movie!”<span> </span><strong><em>– Sarah Blockley</em></strong></p> <p>“<em>Beauty and the Beast</em>, for its romance, strong female lead and Disney charm that warms the heart.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Tyra White</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Willy Wonka &amp; the Chocolate Factory</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845533/movies3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ec1f9067a03a4c5a8c5efe834d444568" /></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p><span>“The original </span><em>Willy Wonka &amp; the Chocolate Factory</em><span>. I loved it for two reasons. First, it showed a wonderful, loving extended family. I was fascinated by their kitchen setting and where the boy Charlie slept in a little nook. Secondly, inside the chocolate factory was what all children dream of, surely. From go to whoa the whole movie transported me from my childhood worries and into a fairyland world. </span><strong><em>– Margaret McKee</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Dumbo</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845534/movies4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d584812cf6fb49569ce307e709540a17" /></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p>“<em>Dumbo</em><span> </span>– for a kid who often felt like she didn’t fit in, and wasn’t good at anything, it was magical to see Dumbo discover his talent and become loved and celebrated.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Lorraine Cormack</em></strong></p> <p>“I loved<span> </span><em>Dumbo</em><span> </span>as it showed those who are bullied can win if they believe they can.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Mary Madigan</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845535/movies5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/648e4ef9fb1b4d6896ddbff24b04cf02" /></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p>“<em>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</em><span> </span>had me enthralled with its magic, villains and adventure. Children who believed in themselves, magic and those around them can do anything.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Adele Smith</em></strong></p> <p>“<em>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</em>. Yes, it’s a great story written by the creator of James Bond – but to be honest I had a massive crush on Dick Van Dyke.”<span> </span><strong><em>– Sarah Fairley</em></strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article first appeared in </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/entertainment/40-most-magical-movies-your-childhood" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader’s Digest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here’s our best subscription offer.</span></a></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

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Uluru turns into a waterfall in “rare and magical” sight

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A rare bout of rain </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/northern-territory/uluru-turn-into-waterfall-amid-heavy-rain-in-region/news-story/d7ab44457590e77dfb3740e5d3c78f25" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has turned</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Uluru into a series of waterfalls, with footage emerging of the wondrous sight.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park shared a series of images and videos showing the transformation, after the area received 22 mm of rain earlier in the week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though that might not sound like a lot of rain, Parks Australia said the area’s average rainfall is just under 300 mm — meaning it received seven percent of its annual rain in a single night.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parks Australia shared the “rare and magical” moment on social media, with one video capturing both the amazing sight and the sounds of burrowing frogs calling to each other.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVxAxD2Fr3C/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVxAxD2Fr3C/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (@seeuluru)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For most of the year these frogs are underground, avoiding hot and dry conditions,” Parks Australia explained in the caption.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They emerge after rain to breed, feed and return underground to evade perishing in the harsh weather conditions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They continue to call for the next day or so, especially in the early morning and at dusk.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845319/uluru1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8baae45cf4da4585969de90e41e13193" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @seeuluru / Instagram</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But it isn’t the first time this kind of moment has been witnessed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last year, the area received 30mm of rain — the biggest downpour in three years — which created a series of waterfalls that poured over Uluru.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the most recent deluge, Parks Australia confirmed that the weather has since cleared.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV1KPZ9htok/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV1KPZ9htok/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (@seeuluru)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At about 5.30pm last night the skies lifted and it was clear that the Irish are right and there is a treasure at the rainbow,” the organisation wrote on Thursday, alongside a trio of photos capturing a double rainbow stretched across Uluru.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @seeuluru / Instagram</span></em></p>

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Art inspires the magic Rubik’s cube

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>The joy puzzle lovers derive from solving a good puzzle is matched only by the frustration felt by those of us who are not good solvers.</p> <p>2015 marked the 40th anniversary of the patenting of perhaps the greatest – and most difficult – puzzle of the 20th century, the Rubik’s Cube.</p> <p>In 1974, Ernő Rubik was living in Budapest and teaching design courses at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts.</p> <p>The cube’s beginnings are unclear, but some reports state a project given to his students inspired Rubik’s prototype which was then refined over about six weeks.</p> <p>He created a plastic cube with six different colours, one for each face, with each face divided into a 3×3 grid.</p> <p>The beauty of it was that each face could turn independently thanks to an internal mechanism of 21 parts moving on curved tracks.</p> <p>He had considered the cube to be primarily a work of art, until he scrambled the colours.</p> <p>Realising how difficult it was to restore each face to a single colour, Rubik discovered he’d created a puzzle.</p> <p>It took him more than a month to work out how to solve it.</p> <p>Initially, Rubik wasn’t even sure a solution was possible.</p> <p>Eventually he hit upon the idea all modern solutions are based upon – certain moves exist that will exchange pairs or triplets of edge or corner pieces without disturbing the remainder of the cube.</p> <p>This convinced him to go ahead with his marketing plans. In 1977 production began within Hungary.</p> <p>Puzzle crazes have periodically captivated the world since the early 1800s. The “Chinese Tangram” puzzle was wildly popular from about 1815 until the 1820s, with plastic sets still available.</p> <p>In 1880 the “15 Puzzle” was all the rage in Boston and eventually spread to Europe before fizzling out after about six months.</p> <p>Rubik played with the 15 puzzle as a child and says he was possibly inspired by it.</p> <p>More recently, Sudoku went from an obscure game to a multi-million dollar industry.</p> <p>But none of these puzzles captured the world’s attention like the Rubik’s Cube.</p> <p>Rubik’s original cube is at once elegant and fiendish.</p> <p>Rubik called it the “Magic Cube”.</p> <p>The first run of 5000 sold out in a few months.</p> <p>In 1978 the cube was a hit at the International Congress of Mathematicians and over the next several years won awards at European toy fairs.</p> <p>By 1980, the Ideal Toy company in the US was marketing the puzzle as “Rubik’s Cube”.</p> <p>It sold about 4.5 million by the year’s end.</p> <p>In 1981 numbers were approaching 80 million units worldwide.</p> <p>By the mid-1980s the craze had passed.</p> <p>The cube inspired follow-up puzzles such as the 4×4 “Rubik’s Revenge” and the 5×5 “Professor’s Cube”.</p> <p>These days, models of 6×6, 7×7 and even higher-order cubes can be found in puzzle stores.</p> <p>Computer simulations of cubes up to 100×100 are available online.</p> <p>Rubik’s original cube is at once elegant and fiendish.</p> <p>Puzzle expert Jerry Slocum says rotational cube puzzles are among the most difficult of all manipulative puzzles.</p> <p>On the standard 3×3 cube there are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible arrangements.</p> <p>In 1978, while the cube was still an underground success, physicist Roger Penrose and mathematician John Conway were demonstrating solutions.</p> <p>Conway was said to be able to solve the cube in around four minutes without consulting notes.</p> <p>In 1979 David Singmaster offered a guide to the perplexed with his <em>Notes on the Magic Cube</em>.</p> <p>It led to a popular standardised notation for solving the cube which survives today.</p> <p>Up, Down, Front, Back, Left and Right faces are represented by U, D, F, B, L and R.</p> <p>A sequence to manoeuvre a corner piece into position might be written out as: R U R`.</p> <p>This corresponds to a clockwise twist of the right face, followed by a clockwise twist of the up face, and finally a counter-clockwise twist of the right face.</p> <p>The accent mark denotes a counter-clockwise twist.</p> <p>Although these solutions appear daunting, with a cube and instructions in hand most readers will be able to solve the puzzle in half an hour or so.</p> <p>Practice will soon get your times down to five to 10 minutes.</p> <p>Using such algorithms, competitors have reduced the solution time to under a minute.</p> <p>The world record is 5.55 seconds held by Mats Valk of the Netherlands.</p> <p>There are also blindfold and one-hand categories.</p> <p>Blindfold solving has the competitor examine the cube and memorise the solution before putting on the blindfold.</p> <p>The final time includes the examination period and the hands-on time.</p> <p>If you’re feeling like a challenge, the record is just over 23 seconds.</p> <p>Good luck.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/mathematics/art-inspires-the-magic-rubiks-cube/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jason England. </em></p> </div> </div>

Art