Banksy Unveils New Lighthouse Mural With the Words ‘I Want to Be What You Saw in Me’ in France The anonymous street artist announced the uncharacteristically personal artwork on May 29. It’s located on a wall in the French city of Marseille The new Banksy mural is on a wall beside a covered street in Marseille, France. Viken Kantarci / AFP via Getty Images After a five-month hiatus, Banksy is back with a new lighthouse mural in France. Compared to many of his previous works, the piece is uncharacteristically personal. The anonymous street artist announced his latest creation in an Instagram post on May 29. Located on a beige wall beside a sidewalk, the black lighthouse appears to merge with a painted shadow of a nearby metal safety post. Stenciled over the artwork are the words, “I want to be what you saw in me.” “There is no official explanation for the phrase,” write the Associated Press’ Thomas Adamson, Bishr Eltoni and Jill Lawless. “But its emotional pull is unmistakable—a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption.”Banksy’s post appeared on Instagram with no caption, initially leaving the new mural’s location a mystery. However, BBC Verify, a team of investigative journalists and fact-checkers, quickly deduced that the mural is located on a backstreet called Rue Félix Frégier in the French city of Marseille, according to BBC News’ Cachella Smith and Amy Walker. Reactions to the new artwork were mixed. As the Art Newspaper’s Anny Shaw writes, “It could be a defection from the commercialism he simultaneously critiques and profits from, but I guess I’ve been made to expect more—either by technique or by message—from an artist whose entire practice, cheesy as it may be, is enmeshed in social and class consciousness.” Banksy has been creating street art around the world for decades. Some of his most well-known pieces include Rage, the Flower Thrower, a commentary on war, and Girl With Balloon. The artist’s works have sold for staggeringly high prices at auction; his most expensive piece is Love Is in the Bin, which fetched more than $25 million in 2021. Last summer, Banksy completed a series of animal-themed paintings in London, including a pair of elephants, monkeys swinging from a bridge and a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish. Until the lighthouse, his most recent verified mural was a black-and-white painting of a veiled woman breastfeeding a baby—a reference to the Madonna and child—which he announced in an Instagram post on December 16, 2024. Much of Banksy’s career has been “politically charged,” drawing attention to issues like Palestinian suffering and the refugee crisis, writes the Art Newspaper. For instance, his recent London animal artworks may have been “a comment on the impact of humans on biodiversity.” Swinger, a mural Banksy painted in New Orleans in 2008 Infrogmation of New Orleans via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0 However, the new lighthouse mural is a departure for Banksy, who “seems to be getting more philosophical in his middle age,” per the publication. His latest work could be “a moment of rare self-reflection—after all, this is the first time Banksy has referred to himself in the first person in a public mural.” Nobody knows what Banksy’s intentions were, though many onlookers have theories. The Guardian’s Matthew Weaver suggests that “I want to be what you saw in me” may be a reference to a lyric from “Softly,” a 2001 country song by the band Lonestar: “I want to be what you see in me / I want to love you the way that you love me.” Banksy rarely includes text in his pieces. When he does, he “usually incorporates extant signage or graffiti when adding his touch rather than writing out his own phrases,” according to Hyperallergic’s Rhea Nayyar. “That being said, this particular text takes the street artist’s already on-the-nose symbolism to another level,” with the “heavy-handed captioning” coming across as “overly sentimental.” “Some commentators have said that at best, the latest offering attempts to open a vaguely profound conversation about being a ‘guiding light’ or ‘finding the light within.’ At worst, it veers into ‘live, laugh, love’ territory,” writes the Art Newspaper. “This message could be Banksy’s most personal yet—but its execution risks it also being his most banal.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Giant Sloths the Size of Elephants Once Walked Along the Ground. Here’s How the Massive Animals Evolved and Declined Researchers analyzed fossils and DNA to get a big-picture view of sloth evolution and determine what drove their immense size variation Researchers revealed that differences in sloth habitats drove the wide variation in size seen in extinct species. Diego Barletta Today, sloths are slow-moving, tree-dwelling creatures that live in Central and South America and can grow up to 2.5 feet long. Thousands of years ago, however, some sloths walked along the ground, weighed around 8,000 pounds and were as big as Asian elephants. Some of these now-extinct species were “like grizzly bears, but five times larger,” as Rachel Narducci, collection manager of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, says in a statement. In a study published last week in the journal Science, Narducci and her colleagues studied ancient and modern sloth DNA along with more than 400 sloth fossils to shed light on the shocking differences in their ancient sizes—from the elephant-sized Megatherium ground sloth to its 14-pound relatives living in trees. While it’s clear that tree-dwelling lifestyles necessitate small bodies, scientists weren’t sure why ground sloths specifically demonstrated such vast size diversity. To investigate this, the team used their genetic and fossil analyses to reconstruct a sloth tree of life that reaches back to the animals’ emergence more than 35 million years ago. They integrated data on sloths’ habitats, diets and mobility that had been gathered in previous research. With a computer model, they processed this information, which ultimately indicated that sloths’ size diversity was mostly driven by their habitats and climates. “When we look at what comes out in the literature, a lot of it is description of individual finds, or new taxa,” Greg McDonald, a retired regional paleontologist with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management who was not involved with the study, tells Science News’ Carolyn Gramling. The new work is “more holistic in terms of looking at a long-term pattern. Often, we don’t get a chance to step back and get the big picture of what’s going on.” The big picture suggests that since the emergence of the oldest known sloths—ground animals around the size of a Great Dane—the creatures evolved into and out of tree living a number of times. Around 14 million to 16 million years ago, however, a time of global warming called the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum pushed sloths to become smaller, which is a known way for animals to respond to heat stress. Warmer temperatures might have also seen more rain, which would have created more forest habitats ideal for tree-dwelling sloths. Around a million years later, however, ground sloths grew bigger as the planet’s temperature cooled. “Gigantism is more closely associated with cold and dry climates,” Daniel Casali, a co-author of the paper and a researcher of mammalian evolution at the University of São Paulo, tells New Scientist’s Jake Buehler. A larger body mass would have helped the animals traverse environments with few resources more efficiently, Narducci says in the statement. In fact, these large ground sloths spread out across diverse habitats and thrived in different regions. The aquatic sloth Thalassocnus even evolved marine adaptations similar to manatees. Ground sloths achieved their greatest size during the last ice age—right before starting to disappear around 15,000 years ago. Given that humans arrived in North America around the same time (though recent research indicates they may have arrived as far back as 20,000 years ago), some scientists say humans are the obvious cause of the sloths’ demise. While tree-dwelling sloths were out of reach to our ancestors, the large and slow ground animals would have made easy targets. Even still, two species of tree sloths in the Caribbean disappeared around 4,500 years ago—also shortly after humans first arrived in the region, according to the statement. While the study joins a host of research indicating that humans drove various large Ice Age animals to extinction, “in science, we need several lines of evidence to reinforce our hypotheses, especially in unresolved and highly debated issues such as the extinction of megafauna,” says Thaís Rabito Pansani, a paleontologist from the University of New Mexico who did not participate in the study, to New Scientist. The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently recognizes seven—following a recent species discovery—and three are endangered. As such, “one take-home message is that we need to act now to avoid a total extinction of the group,” says lead author Alberto Boscaini, a vertebrate paleontologist from the University of Buenos Aires, to the BBC’s Helen Briggs. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Λntonio Member Jun 25, 2024 1,102 That is title says it all. I already preordered the Switch 2 because I think it will be a good choice to take advantage of short sessions. I am already aware I wont be able to sit in front of the PC or the TV for the foreseeable future thats also why I bought the Switch 2. Any other advice from parents, also recent ones?  Slackerchan Member Oct 25, 2017 1,755 Austin, TX I have friends who went through similar gaming crises. Portables like a Switch or Steam Deck are the way to go, something you can hold while cradling the kid. Focus on shorter games or ones that can be played in spurts without significant session commitment requirements (deck builders, etc.).   Var Avenger Oct 25, 2017 1,701 I got more gaming done during the first year of my son's life than I did the year before. portables are the way to go and anything offline because you are going to need to take frequent breaks and be able to stop immediately at any time. Toddler stage is when my gaming really ground to a halt. You need to have eyes on them pretty much all the time because they are mobile and extremely curious with zero sense of self preservation.  thetrin Member Oct 26, 2017 10,740 Grand Junction, CO My friends who have kids have told me "seize every small moment you have, focus on gamea you can play in short spurts". Seems like pretty good advice.   Taco_Human Member Jan 6, 2018 4,925 MA you are already dead (time to go portable)   Audiblee Member Mar 14, 2025 1,659 Handhelds were a godsend when my girl was born.   Mephissto Member Mar 8, 2024 1,218 Mobile consoles when they are small and sleep a lot Early bedtime later for the kiddo Less sleeping for you These are methods at least :D Still get a good amount of hours into gaming.  OhhEldenRing Member Aug 14, 2024 2,884 Seriously don't even think about games. Just enjoy the next few months getting to know him because he's going to be watching you all the time. My son is 5 months and his sister three years old. I'm making up the time now for all the Elden Ring sessions I spent when she was several months old. Play with your kiddo and get an hour in after everyone goes to bed.   Veelk Member Oct 25, 2017 15,530 Offer your son up for adoption   topplehat Member Oct 27, 2017 1,083 Austin, TX Portables and anything that can quickly be paused and resumed. When you have time to game do it (don't get distracted by your phone). Can also get some gaming in while the little one is doing a contact nap. Honestly sometimes you may just not want to play because you're tired - that's fine too! I have a two month old and I don't really play my desktop PC anymore (sometimes I stream from it). Mostly Steam Deck, Switch, and PS5.  Bishop89 What Are Ya' Selling? Member Oct 25, 2017 42,785 Melbourne, Australia Λntonio said: I am already aware I wont be able to sit in front of the PC or the TV Click to expand... Click to shrink... Says who?   TheRuralJuror Member Oct 25, 2017 6,972 Handhelds are always nice when they're young, anything you can put to sleep quickly if needed. Personally, my son never stopped me from playing games nor giving him a ton of love and attention. Lol, was smooching him on his big head last night (he's 17 now, can't believe it still). Before you know it, he'll be your gaming partner in crime.   CJohn Member Oct 30, 2017 1,436 I play after everyone goes to bed. Portal and Switch have also helped.   Steve McQueen Member Nov 1, 2017 2,192 Netherlands Go portable. That's what I did in 2000 when my daughter was born. Playing games in short sessions will do.  DeanMuffin Member Oct 22, 2020 11 The change in how much you play after a child can be different for everyone because i don't know how your current gaming habits are but in my case it hasn't changed much and I still get to game. My son is almost two now and I play a few evenings a week when he's in bed, prior to my son being born I wouldn't play earlier than that anyway as I still had to make dinner and do chores around the apartment. So it hasn't changed too much, apart from some nights your too tired to bother of course. Up until 6 months was a totally different story though, I actually found myself gaming way more. He was a terrible sleeper unless laying on my chest so I'd find myself on the sofa with him asleep on me at ridiculous hours and just passing the time playing games. I completed both Spiderman 2 and Sea of Stars (both 100%) during that period. So yeah, as long as you love games enough you'll make it work! Just make sure to keep strong communication with your partner when it comes to what helps you get by the tough times, for example, making some time to game.  Izanagi89 "This guy are sick" and Corrupted by Vengeance Member Oct 27, 2017 18,856 You play more games when they're babies. Even with my first born who was colic I remember pumping 130+ hours into DQ11 that first month lol Just enjoy it. You'll find your rhythm with baby, work, life and games.   LowParry Member Oct 26, 2017 6,178 The first like 6 months you'll be so focused on your family, gaming is kind of an after thought. That doesn't mean you'll have down time but most times you'll probably be exhausted and will want to nap instead. Gaming doesn't just go away when you have kids. It'll slowly come back.   superNESjoe Developer at Limited Run Games Verified Oct 26, 2017 1,183 I've got a 7 and 9 year old. The first few years was a lot of 3DS and Switch. Handhelds and forfeiting sleep are how you squeeze games in.   Red Hunter Member May 28, 2024 1,527 I'd argue you have it easier than anyone with the Switch 2 lol   Universal Acclaim Member Oct 5, 2024 2,338 Λntonio said: I am already aware I wont be able to sit in front of the PC or the TV for the foreseeable future Click to expand... Click to shrink... Never know until you try   Red UFO Member Oct 25, 2017 1,467 You don't need to give up games, but you do need to accept that the amount of games, and the way you play them, will be forever changed.   Geeker Member May 11, 2019 746 You will come to absolutely hate any time wasting bullshit in any game   kxs Member Jul 25, 2022 1,198 Don't over think it. It's just video games. My tip - play games that you can pause at anytime! I know some folks swear on portable devices. But even after becoming a father I prefer a home console or PC set up rather than portable device. Steam Deck, Switch, Portal etc isn't for everyone. Also stick to just one or two games at a time. Don't juggle a bunch of stuff.  CommodoreKong Member Oct 25, 2017 8,577 Get a PC handheld like a Steam Deck or ROG Ally X.   Zekes Member Oct 25, 2017 7,961 The first few months at least you might be doing a lot of couch sitting which leads to lots of gaming time, don't sweat it   Nesther Member Oct 27, 2017 2,318 Switzerland Idunno but I bought and finished Dragon's Dogma 2 after my kid was born. He slept on my chest or in the living room crib and wasn't bothered by my playing. Just play non-online games and you won't have to give up gaming.   Rocketz Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 8,610 Metro Detroit You'll still plenty of time when they are first born. As they get older times will change. Most of my time now is after everyone is in bed.   Vanguard Member Jan 15, 2025 610 Babies take a lot of naps. You can do a lot of gaming.   BasilZero Member Oct 25, 2017 39,994 Omni Name your child - Switch 3 so it wont be giving up games.   Neoxon Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst Member Oct 25, 2017 93,540 Houston, TX Just grab a Switch 2 or a Steam Deck, & it sounds like you did the former.   Last edited: 53 minutes ago Nekyrrev Member Oct 28, 2017 1,191 My advice is: stop playing 80h games and sleep less. Enjoy. Real talk tho, it is possible to keep playing even with kids. Gaming time will become more special. You have to make the most of nap time during the the day and sleep time in the evening.  Ombala Member Oct 30, 2017 2,502 Spend all the time you can with your son as he grows up, you will regret it later if you don't.   Noctis Winters Member Sep 23, 2018 1,852 Like most people have pointed out - handhelds can come in clutch. But don't forget about mobile games, especially ones that can be played one handed and dipped in and out of fairly easily. I can't suggest much in the way of mobile games but I did play a lot of Infinity Nikki and it was super casual to pick up and put down, on both mobile and console w/ cross progression. Plenty on mobile basically designed to be approached this way so there's bound to be something to your liking on the platform. Something like a PS Portal or a laptop to stream / remote play your console / other games library could be handy too. Especially if+when the main TV starts getting taken over.  Spenny Member Oct 25, 2017 5,907 east depends on the temperament of the baby. i had my infant brother who was a good sleeper. i'd make the room dark, put him on my chest, and rock until he fell asleep. then i'd play gears multiplayer with my friends   Zekes Member Oct 25, 2017 7,961 Nesther said: Idunno but I bought and finished Dragon's Dogma 2 after my kid was born. He slept on my chest or in the living room crib and wasn't bothered by my playing. Just play non-online games and you won't have to give up gaming. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yup, when my son was born I played through all of Elden Ring while he napped on me for a couple hours at a time. I just used headphones   KanjoBazooie ▲ Legend ▲ Avenger Oct 26, 2017 32,740 Chicago It's really not that bad. I still get to game. It's less time for sure but that's not really a bad thing. Spending time with my kid and seeing them grow and experience new things has been infinitely more valuable than playing a game then coming to Era to talk about it. My little one picked up on games because of me and now likes playing them with me. Although we limit his screen time I still enjoy every second with him. Now we have another on the way. Just enjoy it OP, babies are different; when ours fall asleep he rarely ever woke up in the middle of the night so we just got to do whatever lol. Here's to hoping the universe's RNG blesses you. Also Switch is godtier for gaming while on mommy or daddy duty. It's also the first game console we introduced our son to.  Grakchawwaa Member Mar 10, 2022 660 I just had a baby two months ago and gaming time is going to depend on how you handle their awful sleeping patterns the first few months. I have one hour or so a night when the wife takes him upstairs that I can game or watch a show but to be honest I'm usually exhausted and kinda just go to sleep. I bought a used steam deck and that has been nice. You'll find the time when you can but just be ready to pop up and tend to the baby so any game will have to be built around pausing often.  Vgorilla3774 Member Sep 21, 2020 716 Rocketz said: You'll still plenty of time when they are first born. As they get older times will change. Most of my time now is after everyone is in bed. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Pretty much this. Peak "I have no time at all" years (at least IMO) are from like 2-5/6. Before that they spend a lot of time sleeping and/or being immobile. Once they start walking and talking, then you're on duty through bedtime until they start to gain some independence. Then you'll eventually hit a point where you want them to have less independence, lol  Babba Member Nov 2, 2017 41 Portables and shorter games. Games where ypu can make progress in short sessions. Forget about the 100hr long games, unless you want to spend half year to a whole year playing it.   ElephantShell 10,000,000 Member Oct 25, 2017 12,042 Steam Deck was huge for me. One of my best friends just had a kid and it's been huge for him too. Switch 2 will probably serve the same purpose so no need to go out and buy a Steam Deck. But the convenience of being able to pull out a handled is no nice. That plus changing the types of games you're playing. Anything multiplayer probably isn't going to happen since you need to be able to put the game down at a moments notice. Try to get into some nice, slow paced games you can pick up and put down. Roguelikes work well since you can just bang out a couple runs when you have time. JRPGs as well because of the pace and the ability to just pause or put the system into sleep mode and pick it back up later. This is for the newborn stage when they don't really have routines. Once their sleep/nap/bedtime actually starts to settle into a pattern it's not that hard to get back into gaming on a TV or at a desk, and playing whatever you want.  Skies Member Oct 25, 2017 3,448 First year newborn sleep. A LOT. As long as you play around their sleep schedule, you should have plenty of opportunities to play on PC and/or console. It gets more difficult when they get older, but even then you have nap time and after they go to sleep to get some time in. You really only need a portable if you are trying to play when they are awake. I have played Switch from time to time with them awake, but only games they are interested in and can either watch me play and/or try it out themselves. Otherwise I would rather have my attention/time spent with them, and just play whatever I am currently playing at night when they go to bed. Sometimes I even wake up early to get some time in. Edit: the biggest sacrifice is playing with friends online. It's almost impossible to set up a good time and even then plans can change at the drop of a hat. I've pretty much given up setting sessions up with others I know, and if I want to play online it's mostly with randoms.  geehepea Member Aug 5, 2024 359 My kid was born at the end of last year, still find time to game as a way to relax almost every day. Steam deck is preferred as I can stop at any time easily but still found time to play Clair obscur on the Xbox and doom dark ages on pc. You'll find time to yourself, just a lot less than you used to  Jubilant Duck Member Oct 21, 2022 9,251 Fathers are only allowed to play one of three games, which they keep installed on the family computer: SimCity Microsoft Flight Simulator Doom, the 1993 original, which they didn't buy but instead were given an illegally copied floppy by a coworker. Your gaming life outside of these three titles is over until your child grows old enough to want a gameboy at which point you can pinch it to fuel a Tetris addiction. You chose this life.  OrakioRob Member Oct 25, 2017 3,828 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Getting a Switch 2 surely was a great start. I'm not really into portables, but when my son was born I not only learned to love portable gaming, but also some genres I never really cared about. For instance, PINBALL! Sessions are short, you can play in tate mode (vertical) on Switch and all you need is the touch screen. I went from "pinball looks very boring" to absolutely loving pinball. So, that's my advice: try genres you're not interested in. You might be surprised by how much the changes in your house might affect your gaming tastes.  WillyGubbins Member Oct 27, 2017 1,650 Glasgow I played through most of one of the Souls games with my daughter asleep on my lap. When she was a baby she'd nap for a couple of hours so I took the chance whenever I could to play. Headphones help a lot, found that out the hard way.   kimbo99 Member Feb 21, 2021 5,132 OhhEldenRing said: Seriously don't even think about games. Just enjoy the next few months getting to know him because he's going to be watching you all the time. My son is 5 months and his sister three years old. I'm making up the time now for all the Elden Ring sessions I spent when she was several months old. Play with your kiddo and get an hour in after everyone goes to bed. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The only right answer. Enjoy the time when they are like this before it's "bye guys, I'm going off to college". With that being said if you must game, go handheld.  jon bones Member Oct 25, 2017 27,659 NYC 1 small baby probably has a positive impact on your gaming time - they sleep a lot for a while later you'll need to enjoy mobile & handheld gaming more, and bump that time up against sleep, other hobbies, etc if you want to be an attentive partner & dad  Garrison Member Oct 27, 2017 3,370 It's over homie.   ¡Hip Hop! Member Nov 9, 2017 1,861 You're already thinking ahead with the Switch 2 pre-order. They sleep a lot for a while, that will help. But if you plan to be a good dad, forget about gaming during the first few months. I was more exhausted than I've ever been, although my son was born at the height of lockdowns and we had no help.   ArchStanton Member Oct 29, 2017 1,378 Mephissto said: Mobile consoles when they are small and sleep a lot Early bedtime later for the kiddo Less sleeping for you These are methods at least :D Still get a good amount of hours into gaming. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is good advice, OP. When my kiddo was born, I played Steam Deck while I was on overnight duty while my wife rested. Once they reach an age where they can nap and sleep (nighttime) on a more routine schedule, you'll have openings to play games on consoles or PCs. Your time (and your life!) won't be the same, but embrace it. Some advice from parents who are a little further ahead of me -- so I've yet to live this part -- but I'm told that you've only got about 10-12 years where your kiddo thinks you're the best before they start being pulled away by their friends and their own interests, so I would highly consider sacrificing gaming time whenever possible. And since your sleep will be impacted, especially at the newborn stage, I would DEFINITELY put your sleep needs way above any gaming itch you may have. Congratulations, OP! Parenthood is tough, but rewarding in ways that words cannot articulate. 

Start SlideshowStart SlideshowDisney has enchanted us for decades with its resplendent animation and fantastical stories of princesses, wicked witches, and fire-breathing dragons, but music has always been its most indelible sprinkle of pixie dust. There are songs that move us, make us dance, and help us understand the characters that have already been so lovingly drawn. With over 350 songs in the Disney canon, it’s nearly impossible to narrow them down, but we’ve chosen the 23 in honor of the year 1923, when Walt Disney founded the company. These songs are the most magical and remind us why Disney has endured for over a century.Previous SlideNext Slide2 / 25List slides23. “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White and the Seven DwarfsList slides23. “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White and the Seven DwarfsWhistle While You Work - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Larry Morey and Frank Churchill’s merry tune about finding the joy in the most mundane of chores is quite simple, with only nine lines, yet incredibly catchy. Adriana Caselotti’s warbling, baby voice is fitting for this old-fashioned, operetta-style number and the entire sequence that features the big-eyed, adorable forest creatures helping her out. The squirrels sweep the dust with their tails, and the raccoons wash dirty clothes in a nearby watering hole to every sprightly beat. It’s difficult not to be beguiled by this little ditty, and you’ll find yourself humming it the next time you do your spring cleaning. Previous SlideNext Slide3 / 25List slides22. “The Family Madrigal” from EncantoList slides22. “The Family Madrigal” from EncantoStephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz, Encanto - Cast - The Family Madrigal (From “Encanto”) Lin-Manuel Miranda’s fingerprints are all over modern Disney soundtracks. He is a master at crafting clever, fast-paced, and genre-blending earworms. The biggest ones to emerge from Encanto are “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure,” where he blends classic Broadway stylings with punchier salsa and reggaeton genres. “The Family Madrigal” may not have reached the same level of pop culture infamy as the other songs in this film, but it’s a clever and economical way to introduce the Madrigal family and their powers. Stephanie Beatriz’s bubbly voice as Mirabel suits the song’s bouncy rhythm perfectly, while the Colombian folk instruments such as an accordion, caja vallenata, and guacharaca match the colorful energy of the magical town the Madrigals call home. Previous SlideNext Slide4 / 25List slides21.“Dig a Little Deeper” from Princess and the FrogList slides21.“Dig a Little Deeper” from Princess and the FrogDig a Little Deeper (From “The Princess and the Frog”/Sing-Along) Randy Newman’s toe-tapping blend of big-band swing and gospel choir refrains perfectly captures the vibrant soul of the New Orleans setting. The feisty Jennifer Lewis leads “Dig a Little Deeper” as Mama Odie, backed by the rousing Pinnacle Gospel Choir. The song’s brassy rhythms help Tiana let loose and Naveen to realize that he’s in love with her. The lessons Mama Odie imparts through the lyrics are wise and grounded: it doesn’t matter what you have or where you come from—that doesn’t define who you are. True fulfillment doesn’t come from material wealth, status, or outward appearances—it comes from understanding what you really want on the inside. The song crescendos with Anika Noni Rose’s powerful belt and the soulful shouts of Mama Odie’s bright flamingo chorus. Previous SlideNext Slide5 / 25List slides20. “I See the Light” from TangledList slides20. “I See the Light” from Tangled“I SEE THE LIGHT” | Tangled | Disney Animated HD The dreamy melody of “I See the Light” begins with a soft guitar. Glenn Slater and Alan Menken’s composition is fairly simple, allowing the glittering visuals to take center stage. The song takes place during the lighting ceremony that Rapunzel has yearned to visit after observing it from her tower for 18 years. Flynn and Rapunzel float on a gondola, surrounded by over 45,000 glowing lanterns floating in the air, dotting the sky and reflecting off the water that surrounds them. The characters sing the verses separately in their heads before their emotions burst, then they harmonize the chorus loudly, compelled by their realization that they’re in love. It’s a unique and touching way of framing a Disney love song. Previous SlideNext Slide6 / 25List slides19. “Friend Like Me” from AladdinList slides19. “Friend Like Me” from AladdinAladdin - Friend Like Me (HD 1080p) Howard Ashman’s playful lyrics and Alan Menken’s up-tempo, syncopated, vaudevillian song was the perfect musical playground for Robin Williams to fill with the zany impressions and quirky voices he was renowned for. A trumpet warbles in between one of the clever lyrics, sights and sounds so jam-packed with hilarity that you can barely stop to catch your breath. Robin Williams was so adept at improvisation that he had nearly an entire day’s worth of material. The animation is just as bonkers as his vocal performance, where Genie morphs into countless creatures—from a train whistle to a maître d’, a boxing trainer, a bunny, and a dragon. The Broadway-style showstopper culminates with a kick line under bright spotlights with monkeys, elephants, and dancing girls in crop tops and harem pants. “Friend Like Me” is a shining showcase for one of our finest comedic talents, the great Robin Williams. Previous SlideNext Slide7 / 25List slides18. “Baby Mine” from DumboList slides18. “Baby Mine” from DumboDisney’s “Dumbo” - Baby MineSongwriters Frank Churchill and Ned Washington are responsible for childhood traumas everywhere with “Baby Mine,” which takes place when Dumbo’s mother has been jailed as a “mad elephant” for fiercely protecting her son against his bullies. She reaches her trunk through the bars to cradle Dumbo to the soft, slumbering melody accompanied by haunting strings. Betty Noyes’ has that rich, rounded tone found in vintage singing, and it conveys Mrs. Jumbo’s maternal strength. The images of all the animals—zebras, tigers, monkeys, and even the underwater hippos—nestled in the love of their mothers, except for poor Dumbo, set against the song’s soothing orchestra, is absolutely heart wrenching. “Baby Mine” is the kind of song that inspires dreams of being comforted and cared for by a loving parental figure.Previous SlideNext Slide8 / 25List slides17. ”Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping BeautyList slides17. ”Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping BeautyOnce Upon A Dream | Sleeping Beauty Lyric Video | DISNEY SING-ALONGS Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain craft a solo-turned-duet with a woozy, mysterious quality that perfectly complements the story of Sleeping Beauty. Mary Costa has such an elegant and operatic voice, with rich tones that make her sound far more mature than a 16-year-old girl. She’s soon joined by the strong, handsome voice of Prince Phillip, who appears unexpectedly in the forest. Their romance unfolds quickly, twirling together in the woods, surrounded by beautiful medieval-inspired, Gothic-Renaissance style visuals. The lilting orchestration and the grand choral ensemble add to the old-world mystique. The lyrics—of knowing someone before you truly know them, of seeing them in your dreams—add a tinge of mysterious excitement and mystical fate to their romance. Previous SlideNext Slide9 / 25List slides16. “Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre DameList slides16. “Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre DameHellfire - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz crafted one of Disney’s darkest songs. It’s hard to imagine Disney taking this type of creative risk again. “Hellfire” is sung by a corrupt priest consumed by lust for the Romani woman Esmeralda. The deep-voiced Tony Jay plays the dishonorable Frollo, who paints himself as a virtuous man—even though he killed Quasimodo’s mother and nearly killed Quasimodo. A true Catholic would have helped them. Today, Disney would never dare to show that authority figures—especially religious ones—can often be wrong and hypocritical, if not outright evil. This is one of the most provocative villain songs, in which Frollo essentially confesses his horniness. He sings of being enraptured by Esmeralda’s smoldering eyes and raven hair—a desire that burns and threatens to turn him to sin. “Hellfire” also has a spooky quality in its use of Latin and the intense religious choir that looms over Frollo in judgment, cloaked in red with faces like empty black holes. It’s a haunting song of operatic grandeur, with notes that flare and fade like the flames dancing in front of him. Previous SlideNext Slide10 / 25List slides15. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from CinderellaList slides15. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from CinderellaA Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes (from Cinderella) Sung with silky warmth and a shimmering, ethereal vibrato by Ilene Woods as Cinderella, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” is soft and soothing, yet carries an undercurrent of quiet determination. She sings to her loyal companions—adorable flocks of birds and mice—who wear the tiny outfits she’s lovingly made for them. They join in during a break of the song that is more playful and buoyant while she prepares for another grueling day of chores, yet she stays positive by believing her dreams will come true. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” has become a marketing anthem for the studio—used in various ads to evoke nostalgia, magic, and the promise that dreams really do come true, with Disney theme parks as the place where that magic can happen. Previous SlideNext Slide11 / 25List slides14. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from Lilo & StitchList slides14. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from Lilo & StitchHawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (From “Lilo & Stitch”) The rich voice of Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu and the cheerful Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus come together for a song that is as sweet and breezy as a summer’s day. “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” takes place during a touching moment of family bonding as Lilo, Nani, and David go surfing, gliding through the waves with ease. Stitch has been naughty, so he feels a little shy about enjoying the day with them, but he slowly begins to warm up to what it feels like to have a family. We see the adorable progression as the little thrill-seeker ends up riding the waves too. The song’s instrumentation—featuring ukulele, traditional Hawaiian fingerstyle guitar, and steel guitar—evokes the ocean waves and open skies, giving it that relaxed, beachy vibe. Both the animation and the song itself honors the film’s beautiful Hawaiian setting. Previous SlideNext Slide12 / 25List slides13. “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from MulanList slides13. “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from MulanMulan | I’ll Make a Man Out of You | Disney Junior UK “Let’s get down to business, to defeat the Huns” Donny Osmond sings in his perfectly crisp voice. The rousing number “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel is the pump-up song for a training montage. It starts out comical as we see Mulan and her clumsy friends attempt to become the ideal Chinese soldier. The catchy chorus uses evocative nature metaphors for the type of strength and calm that Mulan needs to find, and the deep-voiced punctuation “Be a man!” at the end of each line adds to the hype. When Donny Osmond belts “Time is racing towards us, ‘till the Huns arrive,” you feel a thrilling rush of urgency and swell with courage. The final chorus plays against no instrumentation, the manly voices of the soldiers booming, allowing you to focus on Mulan and her friends now kicking ass. Previous SlideNext Slide13 / 25List slides12. “A Whole New World” from AladdinList slides12. “A Whole New World” from AladdinAladdin - A Whole New World (HD 1080p) Brad Kane’s voice carries an excited, breathy quality that draws you in as he whisks Jasmine away on a magic carpet ride. He sounds bright and earnest as he describes the shining, shimmering, and splendid world that Jasmine has never seen and he’s eager to show her. Lea Salonga, who is a Broadway legend in her own right, has an angelic innocence as Jasmine. Their voices come together in perfect harmony for this sweeping duet. “A Whole New World” is one of Disney’s most romantic love songs, with a melody that flutters and glides like the magic carpet itself. Written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice, the orchestration has lush strings that propel the adventurous animated sequence where they soar through the clouds, pass the Sphinx, and touch down near a group of horses. Previous SlideNext Slide14 / 25List slides11. “Strangers Like Me” from TarzanList slides11. “Strangers Like Me” from TarzanStrangers Like Me (1080p Full HD) - Tarzan (1999)Opening with a pulsing drum track, Strangers Like Me evokes the spinning wheels in Tarzan’s mind as he learns more about what lies beyond the jungle. The montage is gorgeously animated, featuring old-fashioned ink illustrations that Tarzan looks at through a magic lantern. He sees the city of London, a giant castle, the Sphinx, and even outer space for the first time. This flood of information drives the song’s urgent pace.The filmmakers craft the entire animated sequence as a response to the lyrics, as Tarzan watches Jane (“Every gesture, every move that she makes / Makes me feel like never before”) or shows off a pocket of the rainforest filled with parrots (“Come with me now to see my world / Where there’s beauty beyond your dreams”). Phil Collins’ bright voice captures Tarzan’s wonderment, especially in the soaring chorus, where Tarzan expresses his desire to learn more about strangers like him. You feel his hunger for the great, wide world in the song’s pounding, tribal drumbeats. Previous SlideNext Slide15 / 25List slides10. “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from HerculesList slides10. “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from HerculesHercules (1997) │ I Won’t Say (I’m In Love) [DPU HD 4K] The story of the ancient Greek hero Hercules has such a unique musical style, with lyricist David Zippel and composer Alan Menken blending doo-wop, Motown, and gospel soul. The muses serve as a literal Greek chorus, commenting on the action with their sassy perspective. In “I Won’t Say I’m in Love,” Megara’s velvet-voiced, sarcastic Susan Egan stands apart from other Disney heroines, who often sing fluttering arias about dreaming of a prince. Instead, Megara resists her feelings because she’s been burned too many times before, creating a comical juxtaposition with the Muses, who cheekily insist that she’s in love. They tease her with “Check the grin, you’re in love.” It’s a playful and flirtatious song that celebrates an unconventional Disney princess and musical choices. Previous SlideNext Slide16 / 25List slides9. “How Far I’ll Go” from MoanaList slides9. “How Far I’ll Go” from MoanaAuli’i Cravalho - How Far I’ll Go (from Moana/Official Video) Ever since their introduction in The Little Mermaid, Broadway-style “I Want” songs have become a hallmark of Disney princess films. They are passionate solos that reveal what each heroine desires most in the world. Whatever her heart longs for becomes the emotional engine driving the story forward. In “How Far I’ll Go,” composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Moana is torn between her dream of exploring what’s beyond her remote island and her duty to her family. She’s genuinely torn, even wondering if she’s wrong to yearn for what lies beyond the horizon. Auli’i Cravalho’s pure, heartfelt voice captures all the wistfulness and uncertainty of growing up. The melody swells and crashes gently like ocean tides, mirroring the push and pull of Moana’s inner conflict. Previous SlideNext Slide17 / 25List slides8. “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the BeastList slides8. “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast - Be Our Guest (HD) Music Video Broadway royalty Jerry Orbach helms this showstopper with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The suave candlestick Lumière uses the number to lure Belle out of her bedroom, and show that the enchanted castle is more friendly and exciting than spooky and depressing. “Be Our Guest” has clever, fast-paced lyrics sung in a classic “patter song” style which then explodes in a lively, French can-can finale. The living castle objects just want to serve and make someone happy again, offering Belle elaborate meals and dazzling entertainment. Everything is on the plate for Belle, from soup du jour, hot hors d’oeuvres, beef ragout, cheese soufflé, and of course, the grey stuff. What’s just as exciting about the number as its giddy music is the animation, with spoons swimming in punch bowls like a Busby Berkeley number, prismatic spotlights, sumptuous, brightly-colored cakes, a glowing chandelier, and dancing flatware. Previous SlideNext Slide18 / 25List slides7. “You’ll Be in My Heart” from TarzanList slides7. “You’ll Be in My Heart” from TarzanPhil Collins - You’ll Be in My Heart /Tarzan(ターザン)Phil Collins knocked it out of the park with the entire Tarzan soundtrack. Somehow his earthy voice, drum-infused instrumentals, and heartfelt lyrics were the perfect mix for this jungle story. Rather than a traditional Disney musical, Phil Collins acts as an omnipresent narrator, commenting on the action or voicing the character’s thoughts. “You’ll Be In My Heart” rightfully earned the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Originally written as a lullaby for his own daughter, the song starts off tender, with Phil Collins almost gently whispering against soft marimbas. Its lyrics of true love and devotion are moving, especially in the scene where Kala sings it to a baby Tarzan, who, despite being a different species, experiences a bond where love and care know no bounds. The song eventually crashes into driving drums, moving toward a bridge that sees the child fly free on their own: “When destiny calls you / You must be strong / I may not be with you / But you’ve got to hold on.” This song is touching for anyone who has ever loved someone and watched them grow, no matter what type of relationship. Previous SlideNext Slide19 / 25List slides6. “Under the Sea” from The Little MermaidList slides6. “Under the Sea” from The Little MermaidThe Little Mermaid - Under the Sea (from The Little Mermaid) (Official Video) Those solo calypso opening notes of “Under the Sea” immediately get you excited, and Samuel E. Wright delivers a rollicking underwater bash. His booming voice and vivacious energy are perfect for the overdramatic crustacean and his mission to convince Ariel that living under the sea “is the bubbles” with no troubles. “Under the Sea’ buoys the rainbow-colored montage of marine life that fills Ariel’s world—fish, dolphins, and coral reefs. The scene cleverly ties the instruments to various creatures and animation — harps echo the swirling school of fish, shells mimic steel pans, and a pair of octopuses intertwine their legs like bass lines. With its infectious Caribbean beat, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s song is a true banger and impossible not to love, which is why it won the 1990 Oscar for Best Original Song. Previous SlideNext Slide20 / 25List slides5. “Colors of the Wind” from PocahontasList slides5. “Colors of the Wind” from PocahontasPocahontas - Colors of the Wind (Blu-ray 1080p HD) “You think the only people who are people / Are the people who look and think like you / But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger / You’ll learn things you never knew, you never knew.” In this increasingly polarized world, that message has never been more relevant. Pocahontas is not immediately smitten with John Smith; instead, she condemns his entire culture, which prioritizes gold and hatred over acceptance and the beauty of nature. Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics paint gorgeous pictures of the American wilderness, questioning why the white men who have invaded these lands cannot appreciate the world around them — from the grinning bobcats to the sweet berries to the trees that stretch toward the sky, if only we let them grow. Alan Menken’s surrounding score is rapturous, carried by Judy Kuhn’s passionate vocals. More than just the profound lyrics, it’s the visuals that make this musical number so unforgettable — particularly John Smith and Pocahontas dancing in a pastel-colored wind. It’s no surprise that “Colors of the Wind” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Previous SlideNext Slide21 / 25List slides4. “When You Wish Upon a Star” from PinnochioList slides4. “When You Wish Upon a Star” from PinnochioPocahontas - Colors of the Wind (Blu-ray 1080p HD)Written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington, “When You Wish Upon a Star” has come to define Disney itself, typically playing over the castle logo that opens every movie. The ethereal ballad is sung by Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket, whose resonant yet quirky voice feels like someone sharing a story by a crackling fire. “When you wish upon a star / Makes no difference who you are / Anything your heart desires / Will come to you,” he tenderly sings over the opening credits. The gentle melody wraps you in a warm embrace of possibility. People often make fun of Disney adults, but perhaps one reason we hold on to Disney films long after growing up is that they offer hope in an increasingly grim world. This aspirational song reminds us there is more to life than the ordinary—if we just dare to imagine.Previous SlideNext Slide22 / 25List slides3. “Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the BeastList slides3. “Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast Tale As Old As Time HD As Mrs. Potts, Angela Lansbury’s warm, cheery English voice adds a rosiness to this powerful love ballad, backed by an orchestra of sumptuous strings. The lyrics aren’t the pure romanticism of past Disney love stories; there is no love at first sight here. Instead, Mrs. Potts gently reflects on how true love can take time to blossom, and how relationships sometimes require change, admitting your faults and working hard to set aside your vices and worst qualities. It’s a surprisingly mature outlook for a Disney love song. The accompanying animation is one of the most exquisite sequences in Disney history: Belle’s golden dress glides delicately across the floor as she and the Beast dance in the grand ballroom, the camera swirling to reveal the sparkling chandelier and Michelangelo-esque ceiling of painted cherubs above them. That Howard Ashman wrote this song while dying from complications of AIDS makes it all the more poignant. Previous SlideNext Slide23 / 25List slides2. “Part of Your World” from The Little MermaidList slides2. “Part of Your World” from The Little MermaidJodi Benson - Part of Your World (From “The Little Mermaid”)Before The Little Mermaid kicked off the Disney Renaissance (a period of more sophisticated storytelling and box office success) princess songs were mostly focused on their prince charmings. They had very few aspirations outside of dreaming about their prince or wishing for their prince. But the introduction of the songwriting team Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who had worked on the off-Broadway show Little Shop of Horrors, helped develop a Disney princess that had greater ambitions. Ariel wanted to see the human world, and she would express that within a Broadway-style solo called the “I Want” song, where the protagonist sings about, well, what they want. “Part of Your World” has a flowing melody and a sweet yearning in Jodi Benson’s voice (and given a more soulful power in the live-action version from Halle Bailey). We see her comical misunderstanding of what her treasures are, all whozits and whatzits galore. “Wouldn’t I love to explore that shore up above?” her voice soars while reaching out through the top of her grotto towards the sun. In that moment, with her big eyes and aching voice, you completely understand how much the human world means to her.Previous SlideNext Slide24 / 25List slides1. “Circle of Life” from The Lion KingList slides1. “Circle of Life” from The Lion KingCarmen Twillie, Lebo M. - Circle of Life (From “The Lion King”) No Disney song is quite as epic as Elton John’s “Circle of Life.” The image of the rising sun, paired with the opening lines sung passionately in Zulu by Lebo M., without any instrumentals, immediately hooks you into this sweeping story of the African savannah. The title, “Circle of Life,” is fitting for this tale of birth, death, and everything in between. The lyrics somehow encompass everything about our big, beautiful world — how finite life is, and the experiences, both good and bad, that give us balance. There’s despair and there’s hope. There’s faith and there’s love. The lyrics are poetic and make you think about the wonder and mystery of existence. The song reaches a powerful peak at the end when the chorus rises together. It’s impossible not to get full-body chills on that final soaring note, “It’s the circle, the circle of life,” punctuated by the thunderous drumbeat, where the sight of Rafiki lifting Simba on Pride Rock cuts to black. “Circle of Life” is a beautiful song with a grand vision, especially for a film geared towards children.

By Natalia Mesa Published May 23, 2025 | Comments (1) | Giant ground sloths Megalocnus rodens and Megalonyx wheatleyi at the American Museum of Natural History © Dallas Krentzel Giant sloths with razor-sharp claws and as large as Asian bull elephants once roamed the Earth, snacking on leaves at the tops of trees with a prehensile tongue. Now, scientists have figured out why they became so huge—and why these massive sloths didn’t stick around—according to a new study published in Science. Today, two sloth species dwell in Central and South America. But long ago, dozens of sloth species populated the Americas, all the way from Argentina to Canada. Like modern-day sloths, the smaller species were tree-dwelling. But the larger sloths? “They looked like grizzly bears but five times larger,” Rachel Narducci, collection manager of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History and coauthor of the study, in a statement. The larger sloths didn’t do much tree climbing, at risk of falling to their deaths. Instead, they survived by being terrifying; the largest sloths had long, sharp claws that they used to carve their own caves out of raw earth and rocks. But exactly why they got so large remained a mystery. To figure out how these sloths got so massive, researchers analyzed ancient sloth DNA and compared more than 400 fossils from natural history museums to create a sloth tree of life. The researchers traced the sloths’ origin to 35 million years ago. And, because the scientists were particularly interested in how sloths got their size, they estimated their weights by taking fossil measurements. The researchers concluded that the Earth’s past climate was a big factor. Thirty-five million years ago, the first ancestor of modern-day sloths, which lived in what is now Argentina, was roughly the size of a large dog. Sloths hardly changed in size for 20 million years, and lived on the ground. Then, during a warming period around 16 million years ago, sloths adapted by evolving smaller physiques due to their need to keep cool. Then, as Earth cooled down again—which it’s been doing on and off for the past 50 million years—sloths started to get bigger and bigger. They also started to migrate, fanning out from Argentina throughout North and South America, and even up to Alaska and Canada. These new habitats presented challenges that the sloths met, in part, by bulking up. This new size also helped them keep warm and stay safe from predators. “This would’ve allowed them to conserve energy and water and travel more efficiently across habitats with limited resources,” Narducci said. “And if you’re in an open grassland, you need protection, and being bigger provides some of that.” They reached their most massive size during the Pleistocene Ice Ages, which spanned roughly 3 million to 12,000 years ago, shortly before they disappeared. Scientists aren’t completely sure why sloths went extinct, but they do have some guesses. Early humans migrated to the Americas around 20,000 years ago. Larger ground-dwelling sloths likely became a prime, meaty target for early humans, and being on the ground became a liability. Larger sloths were the first to go, but tree sloths didn’t escape unscathed. Over time, more and more species of tree-dwelling sloths went extinct, too. Two species survived in the Caribbean until around 4,500 years ago—until humans wiped them out. Now, sloths mostly keep to Central and South America, but thankfully aren’t on the menu anymore. Daily Newsletter

Kart around the world!The Nintendo Switch 2 is (finally) coming soon, and with it will be a new installment in the wildly successful Mario Kart series. Mario Kart World is shaping up to be the largest Mario Kart ever made, with new characters, new items, and an entire map that can be explored thanks to new free-roaming mechanics.That being said, there are still "normal" racetracks scattered throughout the map, with the type of classic Mario Kart-style turns, obstacles, and secret paths that fans have loved for decades. Below is a list of all 32 courses that you and up to 23 other racers will be speeding through, from Mario Bros. Circuit to the vaunted Rainbow Road.Mario Kart World launches alongside--and exclusively for--the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5. Preorders for the new console remain sold out for now, but preorders for the new Mario Kart game are still available at multiple retailers. Mario Bros. CircuitThis desert-themed track was the first Mario Kart World track ever shown to the public, as it was teased during the Nintendo Switch 2 teaser trailer in January. Crown CityThis large urban raceway is one of two tracks to appear in multiple Grand Prix cups, with each appearance highlighting a different route around the area. Whistletop SummitMario Kart 64 fans will appreciate the callback to Kalahari Desert here, as Whistletop Summit features a running train that will sometimes pose as an obstacle during a race. DK SpaceportDK Spaceport invokes the classic Donkey Kong 25m stage in its design, with multiple ramps shifting the races left and right as they ascend to the top of a hill. The massive mechanical monkey will follow racers up the structure--and maybe throw a few barrels at them too. Desert HillsDesert Hills is a remake of a track of the same name from Mario Kart DS. Pokeys routinely walk onto the track as an extra hazard, while the Angry Sun sometimes rain snakes down from the sky to force racers off course. Shy Guy BazaarShy Guy Bazaar is another course returning from a previous game, this time coming from Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS. This time, however, Mario Kart World's new free-roam abilities may let us find out what's going on in that palace in the background. Wario StadiumWario Stadium returns for the first time since its debut in Mario Kart 64--up until now, it was the only track from MK64 that had not been used as a classic track in another Mario Kart game. Airship FortressThe race takes to the skies in Airship Fortress, where a fleet of Bowser's flying ships serves as the racetrack. This track is also a returning course, as it debuted in Mario Kart DS. DK PassWhile DK Pass has been around for a while--it's appeared in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart Tour on mobile devices--this is the first time the snowy mountain course will appear on a home console version of the game. Starview PeakStarview Peak is a brand-new course debuting in Mario Kart World. It's themed around Rosalina and her Comet Observatory, which players explored in Super Mario Galaxy. Sky-High SundaeThis delicious dessert course made its Mario Kart debut in the Booster Course Pass of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The Mario Kart World version loses the anti-gravity features of the previous game, which results in a new layout closer to its appearance in Mario Kart Tour. Wario ShipyardWario Shipyard takes racers through a pirate ship graveyard in the middle of the ocean, with spooky skeletal fish swimming through the water as racers pass by. The course originally debuted in Mario Kart 7 on 3DS. Koopa Troopa BeachKoopa Troopa Beach hearkens back to Koopa Beach 2 in Mario Kart SNES, with racers driving around the perimeter of a large island. A few new elements and decorations have been added, including a massive Koopa Troopa balloon overlooking the course. Faraway OasisFaraway Oasis is another all-new course in Mario Kart World. This one is themed after an African safari, with zebras, elephants, and other animals roaming the course during each race. Crown City 2Crown City 2 takes an alternate route around the massive urban area seen earlier in the gallery, though the exact route and obstacles have yet to be fully revealed. Peach StadiumPeach Stadium is the second original course in Mario Kart World to have multiple Grand Prix appearances, following Crown City. It's located in the center of the game's map, just south of Moo Moo Meadows. Peach BeachPeach Beach returns from Mario Kart: Double Dash on the GameCube. Players will drive over a large sandbar before the course wraps around a seaside castle, which replaces Delfino Plaza from the GameCube version. Salty Salty SpeedwaySalty Salty Speedway--which makes its series debut in Mario Kart World--features multiple canals running alongside the racetrack. Players will sometimes drive over or even into the canals while running the course. Dino Dino JungleAnother course returning from Mario Kart: Double Dash, Dino Dino Jungle features a giant yellow T-Rex that racers must avoid, as well as multiple geysers that can erupt right while a driver is traveling over it. Great ? Block RuinsGreat ? Block Ruins is a course that takes place in the skies above the map. It features mysterious ruins floating above the clouds, with a giant stone question block sitting prominently at the top of the course. Cheep Cheep FallsThis Japanese-inspired course will see players race through waterfalls and rivers, which run through a village of pagodas and other small buildings. Dandelion DepthsDandelion Depths seems to take much of its inspiration from the Steam Gardens of Super Mario Odyssey, with its mixture of natural and bright red metallic structures intertwining throughout the course. Boo CinemaThis haunted movie theater will send racers into the films themselves, with the surrounding area shifting from full color to a sepia-toned look as players race over massive film strips and through the theater's screen. Dry Bones BurnoutDry Bones Burnout is a volcano-themed course adorned with large bones resembling the titular Dry Bones. The course features a lake of lava that players must glide over or risk falling into the molten muck. Moo Moo MeadowsThe internet's new favorite racer Cow hails from Moo Moo Meadows, which returns as a classic course for the second straight console release. Cows line the track, and racers can crash into them if they're not careful. Choco MountainThough Choco Mountain has appeared a few times in Mario Kart history--debuting in Mario Kart 64 and then appearing in Mario Kart DS and MK8 Deluxe--this new version is now themed around Chargin' Chuck, Mario's football-playing (or is it baseball-playing?) enemy. Toad's FactoryToad's Factory is making a comeback for the first time since Mario Kart Wii, and it's bringing all of its industrial-themed obstacles with it. The course has seen some alternations, however--for one, racers can no longer fall off of the conveyor belts thanks to new fences. Bowser's CastleMario Kart World continues the tradition of naming a course Bowser's Castle, but delivering a completely difference experience from past iterations of the track. This new version has a more high-tech theme than its predecessors. Acorn HeightsAcorn Heights is one of Mario Kart World's new courses, with the racetrack winding around a gigantic tree adorned with acorns. Skeeters--the gliding bug enemies from multiple Mario games--will appear in some of the course's waterways. Mario CircuitMario Kart SNES's Mario Circuit, for many, is the first Mario Kart course they ever raced on. The iconic course returns in Mario Kart World, with this new version combining the SNES's multiple Mario Circuits into one big course. Peach Stadium 2The second Peach Stadium route is slightly different from the previous run, but it will also travel in and out of Peach's Castle, which sits in the center of the track. Rainbow RoadThe Mario Kart World version of Rainbow Road has not been revealed yet--we only know of it thanks to a tease in the Mario Kart World Direct--but it will appear in its usual place as the final course in the main Mario Kart World experience.

May 19, 20252 min readFor Fruit Seeds, Humans Are Modern-Day DinosaursBy physically engineering their environments, megafauna such as dinosaurs curbed fruit seed sizes—a role that now may be filled by humansBy Gayoung Lee edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Thomas FuchsWhat do humans have in common with the dinosaurs that trampled through ancient forests? It turns out that both may have a surprising impact on the size of seeds in the fruits growing around them. When researchers mapped the evolution of seed sizes onto that of land animals, they observed that when land animals got bigger, so did fruit seeds—with a few outsize exceptions. A recent study in Palaeontology illustrates how, over the course of natural history, gigantic megafauna such as dinosaurs curbed the growth of seed sizes by physically altering the ecosystem, influencing forest light levels. Today that role may be filled by a much tinier species: humans.The idea that land animals can alter their environments is “fairly straightforward and well substantiated in a variety of scales,” explains Clive G. Jones, an ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., who was not involved in the new study. For instance, savanna elephants push down trees and tear at shrubs, transforming the plant landscape. But even this elephantine influence is minor in comparison to that of prehistoric creatures.The researchers’ new model suggests dinosaurs caused a level of destruction that suppressed an evolutionary tendency for seeds to grow bigger, says study lead author Christopher E. Doughty, an earth system scientist at Northern Arizona University. Bigger seeds tend to attract bigger animals for dispersal and to sprout taller plants, Doughty explains; both factors can give plants better access to sunlight in crowded conditions. But this was generally not the case when there were “big lumbering dinosaurs knocking things down, opening up the environment” and thinning forests, Doughty says.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.After dinosaurs went extinct, forest understories became about 20 percent darker. This change “reset the slate” for plants and other animals, Doughty says. And “during this time the canopy became more closed,” notes Brian Atkinson, a University of Kansas paleobotanist not involved in the study. This growth would have placed evolutionary pressure on seeds to get larger again, Atkinson says, which is also reflected in fossil data. Another dip in seed size occurred with the emergence of early giant mammals and persisted until they died out.But even though we’re far from megafauna-sized, humans’ influence on forests—particularly via logging—resembles that of those long-extinct giants, Doughty says. If we continue at this rate, our effect on fruit seeds might someday rival that of dinosaurs.Jones notes that humans influence plant life in many other ways as well. “Agriculture [is] one obvious example,” he says, along with “introducing exotic species, clearing forests to make suburbia, to make cities, and so on.”That complexity is one reason it could be difficult for the model to predict future fruit seed sizes, Doughty says. Another important factor to consider is the rapid pace at which human technology tends to develop in realms such as farming. Although the model provides a good analytical comparison of forest density alterations by megafauna and by humans, developments such as agriculture mean “normal ecological rules don’t really apply anymore.”

36 fossil fragments from vertebrate animals were documented by researchers. Credit: Quaternary Environments and Humans Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. For years, archeologists assumed the ancient Homo erectus population that lived on present-day Java existed in general isolation from nearby island relatives. However, a pair of fossilized skull fragments recently found off the Javanese coast are helping experts recontextualize the lives of the region’s H. erectus populations as they existed around 140,000 years ago. According to a study published May 15 in the journal Quaternary Environments and Humans, life for the Javanese H. erectus wasn’t always as lonely as we thought. Today, Indonesia consists of multiple islands between Asia and Australia, but that hasn’t always been the case. Beginning roughly 2.6 million years ago, the larger area has occasionally existed during periods of lower ocean levels as a larger, unified lowland landmass known as Sundaland. While H. erectus fossils have previously been found on Java itself, none were known to exist further outward in areas like the Madura Strait, which separates the islands of Madura from Central Java. A: The Sunda Shelf of Southeast Asia, with the Indonesian archipelago. Box indicates the position of map B. B: Eastern Java, the Madura Strait, the Solo River, Surabaya and other sites mentioned in the text. Box indicates position of map C. C: The Madura Strait north of Surabaya, with the sand extraction area and the BMS land reclamation. Map data: GEBCO and ALOS / Credit: Quaternary Environments and Humans That all changed thanks to over 176.5 million cubic feet of sand. The massive amount of sediment was dredged over 2014 to 2015 as part of an Indonesia land reclamation project, but it soon became clear that the sand also contained valuable historical remains. Scouring the material ultimately yielded around 6,000 fossil specimens from ancient fish, reptiles, and mammals–including the unexpected pair of H. erectus skull fragments. According to Harold Berghuis, study co-author and an archeologist at Leiden University in the Netherlands, their team’s discoveries are “truly unique.” “The fossils come from a drowned river valley, which filled up over time with river sand [dating to] approximately 140,000 years ago,” he said in an accompanying statement. Berghuis described that era as the “penultimate glacial period.” Earth’s Northern Hemisphere was so populated with glaciers, that the global sea level averaged nearly 1,100 feet lower than it does today. Because of this, Sundaland in the time of H. erectus greatly resembled the African savannah of today—largely dry grassland broken up by major rivers surrounded by narrow strips of forests. “Here they had water, shellfish, fish, edible plants, seeds and fruit all year round,” said Berghuis. Sundaland also featured a variety of animals, including multiple species of elephants, rhinos, and crocodiles. Strikingly, the bones the team found even have evidence of butchery by H. erectus. “Among our new finds are cut marks on the bones of water turtles and large numbers of broken bovid bones, which point to hunting and consumption of bone marrow,” Berghuis added. While this contrasts with earlier Javanese H. erectus populations, it had previously been documented in more modern human species who lived on the Asian mainland. According to the study’s authors, this indicates that Sundaland’s H. erectus may have learned those techniques from them. “This suggests there may have been contact between these hominin groups, or even genetic exchange,” theorized Berghuis.

Chimpanzees Perform First Aid on Each Other, Study Finds, and It May Shed Light on the Evolution of Human Health Care Researchers describe cases of chimps tending to others’ wounds, as well as a chimp that freed another from a snare A new study suggests chimpanzees don't just perform self-care—in some cases, they look out for each other. Elodie Freymann Chimpanzees use medicinal plants to perform first aid on others, according to a new study that points toward the origin of health care in humans. Researchers combined 30 years of written observations of chimpanzees in Uganda’s Budongo Forest with eight months of their collected data and suggest the animals provide care—not just to themselves, but to other chimpanzees. Overall, they documented 41 cases of medical care in the animals. Most involved instances of the chimpanzees practicing self-care and hygiene, such as using a leaf to wipe themselves after an excretion or chewing a plant and applying it to a wound. But seven of the instances involved chimpanzees providing care to others, and in four of those cases, the animals weren’t closely related. The work was published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution The study challenges assumptions about non-human animals’ ability to provide altruistic care, write the authors. “One of the things humans have clung onto is that we’re this very special species, because we are capable of altruism and we’re capable of empathy,” says Elodie Freymann, a primatologist at the University of Oxford in England and lead author of the study, to Evan Bush at NBC News. “Animals are helping each other out. They’re capable of identifying others in need and then addressing those specific needs.” Chimpanzees use medicinal leaves to perform first aid, scientists discover Watch on For instance, the researchers uncovered an incident from 2008, when scientists had observed a male chimp freeing an unrelated female from a nylon snare set by hunters to trap game. In 2012, a male chimp sucked the wound of an unrelated male. The work is part of a growing body of research that sheds light on the evolution of health care, especially since chimpanzees are among humans’ closest living relatives. The study “offers evidence that some of the foundations of human medicine—recognizing suffering, applying treatments and caring for others—are not uniquely human, but part of our deep evolutionary heritage,” says Christine Webb, a primatologist at Harvard University who was not involved in the research, to Martin J. Kernan at Science News. Chimpanzees aren’t the only apes that self-medicate. Last year, scientists observed a wild orangutan using a known medicinal plant to heal a facial wound. Other animals, like elephants and lizards, appear to eat medicinal plants as self-care. “In our ancestors, we have examples of health care in humans since Neanderthals or even before, but what’s very interesting is that we still don’t understand fully how these kind of exploratory behaviors evolved,” says Alessandra Mascaro, a primatologist at Osnabrück University in Germany who was not involved in the study, to NBC News. “We are just scratching the surface.” Freymann still wants to understand why chimps don’t always provide care to each other if they have the ability, she tells Science News. “If chimps sometimes know how to help others get out of snares, for example, why aren’t they helping all chimps get out?” she says. “Why are they being selective about this care, and why do some chimps seem to warrant it, while others don’t?” One possibility is that because the animals in Budongo face such a high risk of injury or death from snares, they’re more likely to take care of each other’s injuries than other chimpanzee groups, according to a statement from the journal. But more data is still needed to confirm this. It also remains unclear whether the caring behavior is learned, or if it’s something instinctual for the animals. But once, Freymann witnessed a young chimp looking on as an adult put chewed-up bark on his own knee, reports Science News. The team also found a report of a young chimp helping her mother tend to a wound after observing the adult caring for her injury. “I’m not making a case that every certain medicinal behavior is learned,” Freymann says to Vivian Ho at the Washington Post, “but I think it’s not out of the question that chimpanzees are capable of possessing medicinal culture.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.