1 . Wandering around his spacious plantation in the hills outside Los Angeles, Luke has the swagger (阔步) of an actor who has made it in Hollywood. After six successful years in the movies he lives in an open-plan home with mountain views, a large swimming pool and staff who bring him steak or juice when required. A driver is on hand to take him into the city when he gets a call to shoot an ad or make a paid appearance at an event, for which he commands a fee equal to a week’s pay for a lowlier actor. Luke turns heads like few other artists. His agent’s only complaint is that, given half a chance, he might try to eat his co-stars.

As a 500lb African lion, Luke has to deal with challenges not experienced by other actors. But lately, he and his human colleagues have found a common cause. Writers and actors in America have been on strike for half of 2023. One of the reasons for their bust-up with the studios was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in film and television production. Writers worry that AI will soon create massive scripts, while actors fear that, as the technology improves the quality of computer-generated imagery (CGI), they may be replaced by digital stand-ins (替身).

Well, at present, for most human actors, that is still an assumed worry. But for four-legged screen stars it is already a reality. Work for animal actors is drying up as computer graphics offer an easier-and, some argue, more humane-way to portray creatures on screen. As AI makes those special effects still more realistic and easier to produce, the replacement of real animals with digital ones is accelerating, in television and advertising as well as in high-end movies.

As demand for animal actors declines, their owners and trainers are leaving the business. Luke and his colleague, Maasai, who lies dozing in a nearby place, are the last two working lions in Hollywood.

2 . “Oh, but it’s okay for you, you’re really confident”, a friend says. As a journalist, I’ve been to war zones, interviewed politicians, and delivered after-dinner speeches. But deep down, these occasions are a struggle. While I can make up a game face when needed, the common day-to-day situation can leave me uncomfortable. I’ll do anything to avoid making phone calls by booking online or ordering takeaways via apps. I’ve spent years longing for the day when those feelings disappear.

That day may have come, thanks to a new book. When Viv Groskop decided on a career change from journalist to stand-up comedian, she knew she’d have to master confidence, so made it her business to understand it. Since then she’s analysed research, interviewed people, and is sharing everything she’s discovered in a new book, Happy High Status, which is published this month.

So what is Happy High Status? The way you feel when everything’s great — the calm, easy confidence that comes with low pressure situations and happy moments. The opposite is how we feel in stressful situations, when? imposter syndrome, doubt about one’s own abilities despite achievements, is at an all-time high. “It’s how you are when you’re not questioning who you are. It’s just trying to bring that more relaxed, calm version of yourself,” explains Groskop.

“You don’t need to think that when you have a physical reaction in a pressured situation, there is something wrong with you. The trick is to take away the emotional stories you tell yourself,” she explains. “Yet you have no training as to how to feel confident when you’re doing those things.” Her advice is to take a moment — put your phone down, empty your mind of its inner worry and try to get to the low pressure version of you.

Perhaps everything I’ve worried about for so long is just part of being human, and being me, rather than some strange suffering. I’m not going to sweat it quite so much. I’m going to take a deep breath, channel the calmest, most relaxed version of me, and embrace my own Happy High Status.?

3 . I’d finally got some alone time as a new mom. I put on my running shoes and I found my rhythm as my feet hit the ground. My adrenaline (肾上腺素) kicked in as I told myself, “This is my comeback.” Prior to giving birth to a baby, I had been a runner since my 20s. Running made me feel free and it brought me a sense of peace I couldn’t find anywhere else. The harder my feet worked, the more I relaxed.

Now, as a new mom in my late 30s, I was picking running back up to prove to myself I was still the old me. However, it was not easy. My legs were weak as I shuffled (拖着脚走) down the track. I felt defeated. The old me had never felt so far away. Running felt like a burden, and the joy was far away from me. Even worse, I felt like a living dead at home. My son wasn’t sleeping through the night, which was exhausting all my extra energy.

However, I kept going. I went out for a run again and again. A few times a week, I pulled on my shoes and slowly, my one mile route turned into a 5kilometer. Gone were the debates in my head over whether I was a good mom and whether my house would ever be clean again. Running just let me be.

I had signed up for the half marathon I ran annually before my son was born as a motivation. When I began running, the marathon route felt so long, but then suddenly, it was over. When I crossed the finish line, I felt like a champion wearing my participant’s medal. My finish time was just a number; what mattered more to me was the journey.

Through my running experience, I have realized that nothing is impossible to a willing heart, not only running, but also anything else.

8 . Few sights feel nostalgia (怀旧的) like the flickering glow of fireflies at night. But these insects are in trouble. In America, eighteen species of fireflies face extinction.     1     Here’s what you can do to ensure that fireflies will continue to light up our backyards for generations to come.

Create a firefly habitat. The biggest threat facing fireflies today is the loss of their habitats. Fireflies mainly live underground or in moist (潮湿的) soil where they can feed on their favorite food earthworms. You can leave some woody bits and leaf litter around. You could also plant bush and trees and let your grass grow long.     2    

Turn off your lights. The same glow that makes fireflies so remarkable also means harm? You can draw your curtains shut at night to prevent light from seeping out the window — and turn off the lights completely.     3     Although red light has long been considered okay for fireflies, that thinking is changing. Whenever possible, darkness is the answer.

    4     Spraying (喷洒) your yard with pesticides and insecticides also poses a threat to fireflies. Most of the pesticides will kill fireflies just as swiftly as they kill ants and other less-beloved insects. Scientists are researching alternatives to chemical pesticides that could target specific species while leaving other insects unharmed.

Practice good firefly tourism. Fireflies are so attractive that they’re now the main attraction at tourist sites across the world.     5     The reason is that it encourages an appreciation for fireflies while also disturbing their life cycles and habitats. If a firefly-watching destination has installed raised walkways to protect fireflies, don’t stray from it.

9 . At first glance, spinning might seem like a mere repetitive behavior, the kind that animals exhibit out of boredom. Yet, for apes, it is far from a boring pastime; rather, it is an activity rich with creativity and engagement, as they become fully absorbed in their motions. They would often lose their balance, only to get back up and restart their spinning, again and again.

For apes, including humans, spinning transforms the world into a swirling feeling. The sensations it causes can disturb the vestibular system (前庭系统), which is responsible for detecting changes in movement, orientation, position, and the body’s speed. This can lead to feelings of dizziness, light-headedness, a sudden rush of blood to the head, and even a sense of pleasure or giggliness.

It is perhaps for this reason that spinning is such a common feature in children’s play activities. Human children frequently engage in merry-go-rounds, and other spinning rides at carnivals that send them swirl ing through the air. For individuals with autism, spinning serves as a form of self-stimulation.

Researchers have drawn comparisons between the speeds at which apes spin ropes and the spinning rates seen in human pirouettes (单脚尖旋转) during ballet performances. The apes achieved an average spinning speed of 1.43 revolutions per second, with the fastest recorded at 3.3 turns per second. These are speeds that can create a physiological state of excitement in humans.

Psychologist Marc Wittmann suggests that humans seek different mental states as a way to lose themselves. “In these different states, we become more present-focused, losing our sense of self and time,” he explains. “When we are present-oriented, without thinking about the past or future, we tend to feel much better.”

Observing apes engage in spinning raises the interesting possibility that nonhuman primates (灵长目动物) might enjoy the sensation of spinning in ways similar to how humans alter their consciousness through drugs, alcohol, or physical activities. This highlights the subjective nature of experience and how different species may seek out varied sensory stimulations for enjoyment.

10 . Explore ART X Lagos on Artsy

31 October-3 November 2024

ART X Lagos was launched as an active platform to show and support the breadth of contemporary art from Africa and beyond. The fair, begun in 2016 by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, has become a cornerstone of the African art every year. The first of its kind in West Africa, ART X Lagos is a special cultural event that goes beyond the traditional art fair. The fair, which hosted over 40 artists and galleries from Africa and worldwide, bridges the gap between continent-based and foreign artists.

ART X Lagos has become renowned for its ambitious program, which includes ART X Talks —a lively discussion series; ART X Live—a one-of-a-kind music show; ART X Cinema—a film theatre; and ART Books—a feast to the latest books on art.

For its 2024 edition, the fair’s theme “The Dialogue” will place an emphasis in this unique year, on conversation and community, and will see audiences raising their voices on these present challenging times, not just for Nigeria, but on the continent and globally.

“We decided to go ahead with this different format for ART X Lagos 2023 due to the current socioeconomic challenges Nigeria is facing, and to fulfill, at the same time, our desire to continue to support the ecosystem in a way that is responsible and sustainable,” said the fair’s founder, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, in an email exchange, “We want people to take time to talk to each other and this is why we have placed our talks at the center of the fair—— we are inviting our audiences to get deeply involved and encourage the act of dialogue, at this key time.”