When Phoebe Bridgers appeared at Venice international film festival with unshaven legs this weekend, it shouldn’t have made headlines – but did. What do young women make of the current expectations around depilation?
In 2026, female body hair feels as if it should be the least of anyone’s concerns. But although we may think we’ve come a long way since Julia Roberts’ unshaven underarm caused a furore at the 1999 London premiere of Notting Hill, depilation remains a staple of many women’s grooming routines – and when singer turned actor Phoebe Bridgers made her Venice film festival debut last weekend, her unshaven legs still made headlines.
Even so, her au naturel look may signal that attitudes are changing – particularly among younger generations. Vogue decreed that “rather than undermining the femininity of the look, unapologetic hair sharpened it”, and pictures of the 32-year-old’s hair-covered calves were generally praised by fans. But what do other gen Z and millennial women make of the decision to ditch the razor?
Continue reading...Luca Guadagnino-directed film will be released by Neon after being dropped by Amazon amid OpenAI partnership
The first teaser trailer of Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial has been released.
After being dropped by Amazon MGM Studios in June, the biopic of OpenAI tech executive Sam Altman will be released in the US on 25 December by Neon after it premieres at the New York film festival this October.
Continue reading...Who’s more likely to steal sweets from a child? According to science, it’s the rich. A study seemingly confirming our suspicions about the moral behaviour of the wealthy was one of the winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel prizes, which honour research that makes you laugh and then think. Science editor Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what the researchers think could be behind the phenomenon, and they explore some of the other awards, including one for a surprising quality we look for in our friends and another for a biomechanical definition of kissing
Continue reading...National Air Traffic Services apologise for technical issue disrupting departures today, which Flightradar24 say has caused nearly 300 cancellations
Gas prices are rising this morning, putting pressure on European countries who need to stock up their storage levels before the winter.
The month-ahead UK gas price is up around 1% at 184p a therm, close to yesterday’s highs when gas hit its highest since January 2023.
Continue reading...
You can go retro by using an old video game console or a PC from the 1980s, but why stop there when, like one man, you can build your own vacuum tube computer using 75-year-old recycled components? A UK resident who identifies himself only as “Mike” has done just that, as detailed on his tube computer website and accompanying Hackaday project page. Mike’s tube computer is primarily made up of 460 recycled, Soviet-era 6N3P vacuum tubes, which were common enough in their age to be readily and cheaply available online. “Many were used and then stored for over 50 years, so life expectancy may be questionable,” Mike explained on Hackaday. A new 6N3P tube is supposed to have around 500 hours of life, but because each has been used, its current condition is essentially a mystery. Throw in manufacturing inconsistencies of mid-century Soviet Russia, and each tube had enough variability to necessitate extensive testing, Mike explains in the technical writeup on his website. “I calculated the component values and tested the results, but in many cases the theory did not accurately match the practice,” Mike writes. “So I built a test rig to test the viability of various component values and found a range of values that seemed to work in most cases.” All told, Mike’s tube computer, with its 460 6N3P tubes, consists of 920 thermionic triodes that use heat to release electrons for his computing work. Those tubes are mounted to 46 separate 10-tube PCBs, which in turn sit on five backplane PCBs. The entire thing includes a control console that Mike describes as “far too simple” and in need of a complete redesign to better handle variations in the computer’s logic levels. It takes between 10 and 15 minutes for the entire system to stabilize once switched on, Mike said, resulting in a “warm and cozy computer room.” The tubes all power up in random states, requiring the machine to be reset each time it is switched on, but then it’s ready for the fun part: computing. The entire thing uses NOR (i.e., not OR) gates, just like the Apollo guidance computers that got humans to the Moon, which allows it to be a bit smaller than some of the other classic tube computers of yesteryear. As for what it can do, well - 16-bit math is a possibility, as well as anything else that can be done with a limited set of 16 instructions on a 4-bit instruction register. Mike has it configured to output a 64-bit Fibonacci sequence and, more excitingly for his grandchildren and the kid in all of us, plans to use it to power a simple flight simulator once its I/O system is finished. “The basic idea is that back in the 1920s the commercial development of the British R80 airship had actually been approved by the government and the Airship is moored overnight at the wonderful Brighton Aerodrome before a morning launch on a voyage to Paris,” Mike says on his website. “By pressing controls on the image of the bridge of the R80 you can direct the airship software,” he adds. “You can control the ballast, gas release, engine power, elevators, rudder and the bow mooring gear, which is used to release the airship from the tower.” He says that “a bit of vision” is needed to picture oneself flying an airship from Brighton to Paris, as the machine has no graphical output aside from a single mechanical display that used to serve as a clock at a British Rail station. The tube computer’s binary output is used to directly control the mechanical display. Mike describes his fascination with tube computers as “an addiction,” noting that this is the third such system he’s built since getting his first one up and running in 2021. “I designed The Tube Computer so it could show itself working at the most fundamental level of computing,” Mike says, while noting that he’s always careful to keep a fire extinguisher handy thanks to the fact you can smell it running due to all the heat it generates - enough to keep its entire room warm. “The Tube Computer has behaved itself so far, unlike a previous system that went BANG twice,” Mike said, adding that it still requires regular adjustments which, due to its size and position hanging on a wall, require a ladder to undertake. “It is probably one of the few computers that needs both a small tweeker [sic] and a big step ladder.” ®
Startup Bluecore Energy has raised $50 million in seed funding to develop floating nuclear power plants intended to supply ports and other locations with rapidly growing energy demands. The California-based company said the Silverton Partners-led round, which includes $10 million in previously announced pre-seed funding, brought in several new investors. It plans to use the money to engineer and test its compact nuclear power system and pursue regulatory approval and maritime classification. Its initial design is intended to generate about 10 MWe – megawatts of electrical output – continuously using light-water reactor technology. Bluecore says the maritime system would be able to operate for years at a time and require refueling only once every few years. The company has secured its first barge and is developing a non-fueled, electrically heated reactor module prototype at its Port of Long Beach headquarters to test monitoring, sensor, and control systems. Bluecore is targeting ports, AI datacenters, and coastal infrastructure, with the reactors potentially deployed offshore and connected to customers by subsea cables. Remote islands and coastal settlements in places such as Alaska may also lack practical connections to a wider electricity grid. Bluecore claims its approach could provide reliable, zero-emission power to energy-intensive locations and open additional markets for nuclear generation. "Six months ago, we were building the foundation. Today, we have the capital, the team, the hardware, and some of the most important institutions in nuclear and maritime working alongside us," said Bluecore founder and CEO Kofi Asante. "Our focus now is simple: create and deliver zero-emission energy as safely and quickly as possible." The move follows the launch of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative in the US capital last month. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright linked that event to the Department of Energy's own efforts to rapidly expand the provisioning of atomic energy generating capacity in order to meet the requirements of AI datacenters and other industries. Bluecore has begun discussions with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Coast Guard. The two agencies recently signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate oversight of the design, construction, and operation of civilian floating nuclear power plants. The NRC says it is ready to license maritime reactors under existing federal regulations, while it develops an additional framework for microreactors and similarly low-risk designs. Bluecore remains years from commercial deployment. It has yet to build a fueled reactor or apply for the approvals required to operate one, and its Long Beach proposal must also navigate California's restrictions on new nuclear power plants. While some may have concerns about waterborne atomic power plants, America has a long history of maritime nuclear generation. All of the US Navy's active aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered, but the technology first went to sea aboard the submarine USS Nautilus in 1955. USS Enterprise became the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 1961, while the cruiser USS Long Beach, commissioned the same year, was the first nuclear-powered surface combatant. Bluecore says its team includes former US Navy nuclear submarine officers and leaders with experience across organizations including SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Toyota, Rivian, and Uber. Russia currently operates the world's only floating nuclear power plant. The barge-like Akademik Lomonosov is considerably larger than Bluecore's proposed design and can generate up to 70 MWe. ®
SCHIPHOL (ANP) - Passagiers op Schiphol hebben last van een technisch probleem bij de Britse luchtverkeersleiding. Daardoor zijn 58 vluchten tussen de luchthaven en het Verenigd Koninkrijk sinds het begin van de storing dinsdagmiddag geschrapt, meldt een woordvoerder. Andere vluchten lopen vertraging op en hij sluit niet uit dat die later ook worden geannuleerd.
Een woordvoerder van KLM stelt dat de luchtvaartmaatschappij door het probleem momenteel niet van en naar Engeland kan vliegen en daardoor vluchten annuleert. Hoeveel dat er precies zijn bij KLM, weet ze niet. "Onze collega's zijn druk bezig om te kijken wat er wel mogelijk is."
Gedupeerde passagiers kunnen volgens haar nog niet worden omgeboekt, omdat nog onduidelijk is wanneer het probleem is verholpen. De Britse luchtverkeersleiding National Air Traffic Service (NATS) meldt op zijn website dat een oplossing is gevonden en dat het vluchtsysteem "weer begint te herstellen".
APELDOORN (ANP) - De tweede agent die vorige week gewond raakte door te zijn neergeschoten in het Gelderse Overasselt is uit het ziekenhuis ontslagen. De agent werd aanvankelijk opgenomen op de intensive care.
Afgelopen vrijdag werd bekend dat de andere gewonde agent het ziekenhuis mocht verlaten. Met de thuiskomst van de tweede agent dinsdag liggen er in het ziekenhuis geen slachtoffers meer. Een politiewoordvoerder zegt dat de getroffen agenten "vooral behoefte hebben aan rust".
In de nacht van maandag op dinsdag 1 september trok een groep van tientallen gewapende mannen door Overasselt. Een 51-jarige beveiliger werd doodgeschoten. In totaal zijn er 35 mensen aangehouden.
Korpschef Janny Knol zei op de avond na het incident in talkshow Eva dat een van de twee agenten levensbedreigend gewond was geraakt. Met het aanleggen van een drukverband zou zijn voorkomen dat diegene overleed.
WASHINGTON (ANP) - De Verenigde Staten hebben sancties ingesteld tegen tientallen bedrijven die de Iraanse luchtvaartsector ondersteunen. Het gaat onder meer om luchtvaartmaatschappijen als Kish Airlines, Iran Air Tour en ATA Airlines.
"Laat dit een waarschuwing zijn voor iedereen die zaken doet met de resterende luchtvaartmaatschappijen van Iran, die we vandaag allemaal hebben gesanctioneerd: jullie lopen het risico te worden afgesloten van het wereldwijde financiële systeem", waarschuwde minister van Financiën Scott Bessent in een verklaring.
Het ministerie van Bessent stelt dat Iran via de luchtvaartsector wapens en illegale goederen verplaatst. Nadat vredesonderhandelingen met het land dit jaar waren vastgelopen, voerde de regering-Trump de economische druk weer op. Bessent heeft dat omschreven als een "economische D-Day", maar onduidelijk is nog hoeveel impact die zal hebben. Iran gaat al decennia gebukt onder economische sancties.
DEN HAAG (ANP) - Rijkswaterstaat ziet de hoeveelheid water die door de Maas en de Rijn stroomt nog niet verbeteren, ondanks de regen van de laatste tijd. In de jongste wekelijkse droogtemonitor staat dat de afvoer van beide rivieren nog altijd zeer laag is en verder zal dalen.
"Lage rivierafvoeren zorgen nog altijd voor een verminderde vaardiepte en langere wachttijden bij sluizen voor de beroepsvaart", aldus Rijkswaterstaat. Die geeft aan dat met name in buurlanden waar de Rijn en Maas doorheen stromen, de neerslag achterblijft bij wat normaal is voor de tijd van het jaar. De Rijnafvoer bij Lobith zal richting de 670 kubieke meter per seconde dalen. Het gaat "nog weken, zo niet maanden duren" voordat de Rijn weer op het normale niveau is. Een maand geleden werd het laagste niveau sinds het begin van de metingen gemeten.
Volgens Rijkswaterstaat zijn de droogte en de problemen die ze veroorzaakt in Nederland dan ook nog niet voorbij. De grondwaterstanden zijn weliswaar iets verbeterd, maar nog steeds laag tot zeer laag. Ook blijft de dreiging van het zoute water in de kustregio's en het IJsselmeergebied een aandachtspunt.
LA RÁBIDA (ANP) - Wielrenner Matthew Brennan heeft zijn zinnen gezet op het veroveren van de gele trui in de eerste etappe van de Tour de France in 2027. Dat zei de 21-jarige Britse sprinter van Visma - Lease a Bike dinsdag na zijn vierde ritzege in de Vuelta in het flashinterview. De Tour begint volgend jaar in het Verenigd Koninkrijk met een etappe van Edinburgh naar Carlisle.
"Ik zei het twee jaar geleden al tegen het team toen ik het idee bedacht, toen ik hoorde van de start in het Verenigd Koninkrijk", zei Brennan. "Ik zou daar heel graag aan de start staan, ook met jongens als Wout (van Aert) en Christophe (Laporte). Als we wat we hier doen kunnen kopiëren en daar een gele trui op de eerste dag van kunnen maken."
Brennan is bezig aan zijn eerste grote ronde, maar wist dus al vier keer te winnen. "Het is ongelofelijk", aldus de jonge Brit. "Vier overwinningen hier, het plan was één."
CEUTA (ANP/AFP) - Spanje geeft woensdag een aantal inlichtingenrapporten vrij over de plotselinge aankomst van tienduizenden migranten in Ceuta eind juli. De regering probeert twijfels weg te nemen over welke kennis er al op voorhand was over de toestroom en over de rol die Marokko daar mogelijk bij gespeeld heeft.
Afgelopen week lekte een rapport van de Spaanse politie uit waarin staat dat de Marokkaanse veiligheidsdiensten de toestroom zouden hebben toegelaten door onder meer het aantal grenswachten te verlagen. Ook zouden sommige grenswachten actief hebben bijgedragen aan de grenspassage van de migranten.
De Spaanse premier Pedro Sánchez erkende dat de Marokkaanse grenspolitie het incident liet gebeuren, maar benadrukte ook dat er geen bewijs is dat de Marokkaanse staat achter de massale toestroom zat. Ook zei hij dat er geen tekenen vooraf waren dat dit incident stond te gebeuren. De oppositie beschuldigde de regering er wel van signalen te hebben genegeerd.
We built a sound-reactive motion system around heraldry, starting as internal R&D, designed to scale across formats and stay in tune with the music, or even create it.
Tarot, pop culture, and personal narrative converge in the maximalist, mixed-media paintings of Maria Yolanda Liebana. The New York-based artist opens her first institutional solo exhibition at Montclair State University’s George Segal Gallery this month.
Titled A Place to Be Held, Liebana’s show revolves around a fantastical, Eden-like garden exploding with an extravaganza of rainbows, flowers, clouds, cosmic phenomena, and more. “The exhibition imagines a matriarchal world where chance, identity, and desire are always in motion,” says a statement.
Liebana incorporates a wide range of materials into her vibrant works, including wallpaper, mirror tiles, pearls, glitter, disco balls, sequins, and rhinestones. She embraces the luminosity of joy and playfulness while nodding to Catholicism and ancient mythologies, invoked by symbols like chalices and cherubs.
As a first-generation Latinx immigrant who grew up in New Jersey, the artist has long been interested in the nature of selfhood and inheritance, and the birth of her daughter inspired a body of work that explores motherhood “as both a physical and spiritual terrain shaped by labor, wonder, and transformation.” She depicts confident, empowered women who dance, recline, and enjoy one another’s company, representing universal feminine dominion and strength.
A Place to Be Held opens on September 15 and continues through December 11 in Montclair, New Jersey. See more on the artist’s Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Edge-to-Edge Splendor Fills Maria Yolanda Liebana’s Buoyant Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
Canadian PM Mark Carney has just released the third installment of his "Forward Guidance" video series. (previously, previouslier).
This edition gets into the steps being taken to handle the ongoing trade war between Canada and the USA. Today, Canadian retaliatory tariffs came into effect.
The video also touches on the historical context of the trade war, including previous attempts by the USA to use tariffs to try and annex Canada, and how they backfired. Meanwhile and Elsewhere: CTVTrump threatens Bombardier, Canadian dollar BBC Iceland summons US ambassador over Trump's stars and stripes map CULT Approval of Mark Carney increases to 70% (stats from Spark) Bloomberg (paywalled, sorry) EU and Canada Plan Far-Reaching Alliance to Strengthen Partnership
The video also touches on the historical context of the trade war, including previous attempts by the USA to use tariffs to try and annex Canada, and how they backfired. Meanwhile and Elsewhere: CTVTrump threatens Bombardier, Canadian dollar BBC Iceland summons US ambassador over Trump's stars and stripes map CULT Approval of Mark Carney increases to 70% (stats from Spark) Bloomberg (paywalled, sorry) EU and Canada Plan Far-Reaching Alliance to Strengthen Partnership
Here, in our neoliberal late-2020s, where no help is coming from our heads of state and the internet feels less like an anarchist tool and more like a fascist neurotoxin, we might look to the radical potential of empathy, solidarity, and the collective fightback in the flesh, on the ground. We might do well to disregard indignant cultural posturing, and fix our critical faculties on the world before us. As individuals; as a swarm. Using our leaders as tools, and not the reverse.
Ferrari’s Italian Grand Prix weekend was supposed to mark a step in the right direction as they unleashed more car upgrades and a new power unit – but their hopes of challenging for victory were undone by the exit of the first chicane.