Actors Alexandra Shipp and Vanessa Hudgens attend a premiere screening for “Tick, Tick . Boom” during the opening night of AFI Fest at TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 10, 2021. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Actress Nina Dobrev kicks off the first-ever Aperolidays celebration with an Aperol Spritz in hand in the second decade of November 2025. (Photo by Aperol)

“Cassowaries are large, flightless birds related to emus and (more distantly) to ostriches, rheas, and kiwis”, writes Olivia Judson in the September issue of National Geographic magazine. How large? People-size: Adult males stand well over five foot five and top 110 pounds. Females are even taller, and can weigh more than 160 pounds. Dangerous when roused, they’re shy and peaceable when left alone. But even birds this big and tough are prey to habitat loss. The dense New Guinea and Australia rain forests where they live have dwindled. Today cassowaries might number 1,500 to 2,000. And because they help shape those same forests – by moving seeds from one place to another – “if they vanish”, Judson writes, “the structure of the forest would gradually change” too. (Photo by Christian Ziegler/National Geographic)

This restroom on the rubbly flanks of Jonsknuten in Norway looks up at the peak of the 904m mountain. Yu have to leave the door open to enjoy the view but the chances of being disturbed are minimal. (Photo by Olaf Menz/Lonely Planet)

A stunning photographic collection featuring portraits of people from 30 countries and the food they eat in one day. In this fascinating study of people and their diets, 80 profiles are organized by the total number of calories each person puts away in a day. Featuring a Japanese sumo wrestler, a Massai herdswoman, world-renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria, an American competitive eater, and more, these compulsively readable personal stories also include demographic particulars, including age, activity level, height, and weight. Essays from Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham, journalist Michael Pollan, and others discuss the implications of our modern diets for our health and for the planet. This compelling blend of photography and investigative reportage expands our understanding of the complex relationships among individuals, culture, and food.

An alien-shaped hot air balloon flies during a mass launch at the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, near Bristol, Britain, on August 8, 2025. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

Norma Galicia aka “Pirulina” takes part in a demonstration during the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in Guatemala City on November 25, 2013. So far this year, 696 women have died due to violent events in Guatemala. (Photo by Johan Ordonez/AFP Photo)

“Noh, or Nogaku – derived from the Japanese word for “skill” or “talent” – is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh “performance day” lasts all day and consists of five Noh plays interspersed with shorter, humorous kyōgen pieces. However, present-day Noh performances often consist of two Noh plays with one Kyōgen play in between”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A renowned Noh actor, Otoshige Sakai, demostrates how to put on a Noh mask, on May 17, 2004 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)