Sarah Francis Jones took the birthday portion of Beyoncé's birthday concert on September 4 very seriously.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 8, 2023--

The Beatles helped bring backmasking to the mainstream, but here are a few classic tracks that may (or may not) feature hidden messages, too.

A man has come under fire for asking his girlfriend to shave her armpit for a family event. In a post to Reddit's "Am I the A**hole?" forum, the guy explained the situation that led to the disagreement between the couple. "She shaves everything else, although she'll happily go kind of long between shaves, but her armpits she probably shaves once every two or three months for a special occasion if she really feels like it," he said. "I don't have an issue with this most of the time, although I'm not really used to this and would probably prefer she shaves, she's really clean and never smells bad or anything." He then went on to describe how his request for her to shave her armpits didn't go down well. "She got really offended and said that was really harsh of me and now she doesn’t even want to come. I don't think I'm being unreasonable asking her to shave," he said. Since sharing the post, the comment section was inundated with people sharing their opinions on the matter. Many believed the guy was in the wrong for making this request to his girlfriend. One person said: "YTA (you're the a**hole). She likes it, as she told you... and what's important is what SHE THINKS about her body (and body hair). Did she ask your opinion on if she should shave? No? Then she doesn't want it, so keep it to yourself." "Do you have hairy armpits? Why does she have to shave hers? Because she's a woman and you're a man? If you're allowed to have hairy armpits, so is she," another person wrote. Someone else added: "Humans have body hair naturally. That's the baseline for "NORMAL". It's NORMAL for her to have hairy armpits, and she can make a choice to remove it. "If your family find normal body hair offensive or weird, that's their problem, and you should feel free to tell them that." "YTA. She is entitled to bodily autonomy, and should not feel coerced into hair removal," a fourth person commented. "Your request was offensive because you basically told her you are ashamed of her for not conforming to an artificial standard of beauty." Though there were a few people fighting in the guy's corner. "NAH - no harm in asking; just let it go if she declines. If you find it unattractive, let her know, then let her go. Or not," one person wrote. Another person added: "NAH. You asked and she said no. You say she does shave for "special occasions," so she apparently doesn't mind shaving them sometimes, so I think it's a reasonable ask on your part. And you said she shaves "everything else." So doesn't mind shaving in general." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Everyone has a theory about their dreams and the science or meaning behind them. And when the weather hots up, the more bizarre they tend to get. “Dreams are a fascinating and enigmatic phenomenon that occur during sleep, encompassing a vast realm of imaginative experiences,” says sleep expert and CEO of MattressNextDay, Martin Seeley. “They are a collection of thoughts, images, sensations, and emotions that unfold within the theatre of our minds.” Why do we dream? When we sleep, our brain enters a complex state where it engages in various cognitive processes, explains Seeley, including memory consolidation, problem-solving and emotional regulation. “Dreams are thought to emerge from these processes, weaving together fragments of memories, desires, fears, and subconscious thoughts into a narrative or non-linear sequence,” adds Seeley. “And they can be surreal, vivid, or mundane, blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.” While the precise purpose and meaning of dreams remains a subject of exploration and debate, Seeley says they can serve as a portal into the inner workings of our minds: “Providing a canvas for exploration, processing of emotions, and glimpses into the subconscious depths of our psyche.” Why do we dream more when it’s hot? Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity, says: “When the weather is hot, it can disrupt our sleeping patterns, making it difficult to fall asleep in the first place – and causes us to wake more often during the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep phase.” REM sleep is where we experience intense dreaming, explains Artis – so waking during or at the end of this cycle can mean we are more likely to remember our dreams. “Dreams happen regularly, but are often forgotten and our mind’s way of unpacking the day’s events, dealing with stress and sorting through our day-to-day thoughts,” notes Artis. Our body heat generally peaks in the afternoon then starts to drop over an evening to prepare us for sleep, says Artis. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, is produced when this happens.“An ideal temperature is around 16-18°C and anything around the 24°C mark can cause restlessness,” says Artis. “So, it’s no surprise that when we’re experiencing a heatwave with temperatures reaching over 30°C, it affects our sleep.”Can a heatwave really make dreams more surreal? The connection between heatwaves and the content or nature of dreams is not fully understood. However, there may be a few possible explanations if your dreams seem weirder when the weather heats up – although Seeley points out these are all speculative. First off, he agrees it may have a lot to do with the fact we’re less comfortable and waking more when it’s hot. “These frequent awakenings can interrupt the normal sleep cycle and result in a higher probability of remembering dreams, including the more unusual or vivid ones,” he notes. “So, during a heatwave, the increased frequency of waking up during the night might contribute to a greater recall of strange or funky dreams.” Secondly, the body’s physiological response to heat may influence brain activity, he adds: “Heat can affect neurotransmitter levels, such as serotonin and dopamine, which play a role in regulating mood and emotions. These alterations in neurotransmitter activity might impact the content and emotional tone of dreams, potentially leading to more surreal or bizarre experiences.” Psychological factors could also play a role. Heatwaves can cause restlessness and increased stress levels in some individuals. Seeley adds: “Stress and emotional fluctuations can manifest in dreams as strange or unusual scenarios, as the mind processes and attempts to make sense of these experiences.” Can we stop strange heatwave dreams happening? While it’s probably not possible to completely control the content of our dreams, there are certain strategies you can try to promote better sleep – and potentially reduce the likelihood of experiencing a restless night and unusual dreams during hot weather. Create a cool sleep environment: “Use fans, air conditioning, or open windows to circulate cool air in your bedroom – and consider using lightweight, breathable bedding materials,” says Seeley. Stay hydrated: “Drink enough water throughout the day to prevent dehydration, especially during hot weather,” he continues. “Being adequately hydrated can help maintain a balanced sleep cycle.” Practice relaxation techniques: “Engage in activities that promote relaxation before bed, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or taking a warm bath,” suggests Seeley. “These practices can help calm your mind and promote a more restful sleep.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live What are the royals doing to mark the anniversary of the Queen’s death All the times Kate has channelled the late Queen’s style since her death YouTube begins verifying videos by UK doctors to tackle health misinformation

Scientists have grown human kidneys in pigs, for the very first time. Researchers at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wuyi University created human-pig chimeric embryos containing a combination of human and pig cells. When they transferred into 13 surrogate pig mothers, they developed kidneys that contained mostly human cells at a rate of 50 to 60 per cent, giving hope for potential transplants in the future. “Rat organs have been produced in mice, and mouse organs have been produced in rats, but previous attempts to grow human organs in pigs have not succeeded,” said the senior author Liangxue Lai. “Our approach improves the integration of human cells into recipient tissues and allows us to grow human organs in pigs.” The kidneys were not entirely human as they included vasculature and nerves made mostly from pig cells, meaning they could not be used for transplantation in their current form, but it is still a pretty impressive step. And apart from the kidneys, the embryos were dominated by pig cells, with very few human cells in the brain or central nervous system. Making brains using human and pig cells is very controversial for ethical reasons, so there are tight regulations for this kind of research. Meanwhile, pig cells tend to outcompete human cells during development, so previous experiments have created embryos that are almost entirely pig. The latest work, published in Cell Stem Cell, overcame this by genetically engineering a single-cell pig embryo so that it lacked two genes needed for kidney development. This created a gap within the embryo that could be filled by human cells. “We found that if you create a niche in the pig embryo, then the human cells naturally go into these spaces,” said Prof Zhen Dai of Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, another senior author. The scientists said that being able to incubate a fully human kidney inside a pig would be likely to take many years. “We would probably need to engineer the pigs in a much more complex way and that also brings some additional challenges,” said Miguel Esteban, also of the Guangzhou institute and a senior author. A central challenge would be to allow human nerves and vasculature to develop within the target organ without nerve cells developing in the central nervous system that could lead to a humanised brain. “Even theoretically it’s not clear how you’d do that,” said Ilic. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Emily Ratajkowski's inspiration for her AG Denim collection was to not follow any fashion rules and to create clothes she would want in her own wardrobe.

Olivia Rodrigo will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards in New Jersey.

Texas quickly spiraled into a power emergency on Wednesday night when record September demand and a drop in

Kanye 'Ye' West and rumoured wife Bianca Censori have turned heads with risqué outfit choices while roaming Italy. Censori, who previously worked for West's Yeezy brand, was spotted covering her ensemble with a hotel pillow after furious locals hit back at the "offensive" choices in recent weeks. The shots show Censori in a sheer, nude bra and leggings with a purple pillow covering her chest. West sported an all-black outfit with no shoes. The photos shared to X/Twitter were soon met with confusion from fellow users, with one writing: "How completely ridiculous these people are. Put on some clothes and then you won’t have to take a hotel room cushion out sightseeing with you - and you even get your arms free! Novel concept." Another asked: "Why is Bianca walking around naked with a pillow?" Meanwhile, a third added: "Kanye & Bianca Censori are unhinged. Someone ought to stage an intervention. Wearing a pillow? Him walking in socks?" The pair have not been shy of controversy while travelling Italy after photos captured the rapper exposing his bare bottom at the back of a boat in Venice. The images prompted the boat company to issue a ban for life, adding they were "completely unaware" West had dropped his pants, as they were focusing on water traffic. A source for the Venice Police told the Daily Mail : "There are standards of public decorum that have to be followed by tourists and locals alike and any breaches are severely punished. The images of West with his trousers down while in a taxi as he and his partner crossed the lagoon were seen all over the globe." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Reality queen Khloé Kardashian has revealed that her two children motivate her to commit to her exercise regime because she wants to inspire them to be active.

Scientists in Israel have created a model of a human embryo from stem cells, without using sperm, eggs or a womb. A team at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science made the model, which resembles an embryo at day 14, when it acquires internal structures but before it lays down the foundations for body organs, and the work was published in the journal Nature. But the scientists involved said it would take a long time yet to create an embryo from scratch. Team leader Jacob Hanna said the team took stem cells derived from adult human skin cells, as well as others cultured in the lab, then reverted the cells to an early state.They then manipulated them to make a model of an embryo, rather than an actual or synthetic one. "The question is, when does an embryo model become considered an embryo? When that happens, we know the regulations. At the moment we are really, really far off from that point," Hanna said. However, they said the work could open the door to new ways to test the effect of drugs on pregnancies, better understand miscarriages and genetic diseases, and maybe grow transplant tissues and organs. "They are not identical. There are differences from human embryos, but still, this is the first time, if you open an atlas or a textbook, you can say - yeah I can really see the similarity between them," said Hanna. "In about 1 percent of the aggregates we can see that the cells start differentiating correctly, migrating and sorting themselves into the correct structure, and the farthest we could get is day 14 in human embryo development," he said. Their next goal, Hanna said, is to advance to day 21 and also reach a threshold of a 50 per cent success rate. Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz, a professor of development and stem cells at the University of Cambridge, said the study joins six other similar human embryo-like models published from teams around the world this year, including from her lab. "None of these models fully recapitulate natural human development but each adds to ways in which many aspects of human development can now be studied experimentally," she said. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.