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Marc Raibert, founder and chair of Boston Dynamics stands beside one of the company's Atlas robots during an interview and demonstration, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at their facilities in Waltham, Mass. The company engineered the robot to be able to dance in a fluid manner that is almost human. <br>Josh Reynolds/AP

Behind those dancing robots, scientists had to bust a move

The man who designed some of the world’s most advanced dynamic robots was on a daunting mission: programming his creations to dance to the beat with a mix of fluid, explosive and expressive motions that are almost human.

COVID-19 pushed family gatherings online, leaving many Boomers in the dark. The task of teaching older generations how to use the technology, such as Zoom, can be frustrating, but it doesn't have to be.<br>iStock COVID-19 pushed family gatherings online, leaving many Boomers in the dark. The task of teaching older generations how to use the technology, such as Zoom, can be frustrating, but it doesn't have to be.<br>iStock
How to effectively teach a Boomer to Zoom from 3,000 miles away
Armand Davila, 49, who lives in Washington, D.C. has an intense fear of needles. Some psychological experts say that needle anxiety is being overlooked amid other inoculation concerns with the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine and wonder how many of the needle averse may risk their health and others' by not getting the vaccine.<br>Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post Armand Davila, 49, who lives in Washington, D.C. has an intense fear of needles. Some psychological experts say that needle anxiety is being overlooked amid other inoculation concerns with the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine and wonder how many of the needle averse may risk their health and others' by not getting the vaccine.<br>Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post
‘Just looking at a needle makes my blood run cold’
Virtual holiday parties have become another way for us to be socially awkward with our co-workers. <br>iStock
Virtual holiday parties have become another way for us to be socially awkward with our co-workers. <br>iStock

Enjoy these tales of awkwardness from Zoom holiday office parties

It's not as if Lizzie had high expectations for her office Christmas party. Like everything else, it had been moved to Zoom. Like everything else, it promised to be a slightly weird, slightly awkward approximation of normal life. But the 27-year-old social worker wasn't prepared for how weird and awkward.

Hotly anticipated title Cyberpunk 2077 has been pulled from PlayStation shelves and refunds are being offered after the game was found to be riddled with glitches and bugs. <br>CD Projekt Red
Hotly anticipated title Cyberpunk 2077 has been pulled from PlayStation shelves and refunds are being offered after the game was found to be riddled with glitches and bugs. <br>CD Projekt Red

Sony pulls Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation store after public outcry

Sony has removed CD Projekt SA's Cyberpunk 2077 from its PlayStation Store and is offering full refunds, taking unusual steps to appease customers furious about bugs plaguing one of the year's most highly anticipated gaming blockbusters.

<br>Anna Molinari
<br>Anna Molinari

Q&A

Literature and laughs: Military author crafts hilarious narrative out of family columns

As the window closes on holiday shopping, it can seem all but impossible to find that special item that says “I thought of you, even if I bought this close to the last minute.” If this sounds all too familiar, we have a literary suggestion — and you might want to pick up one for yourself as well.

Corritta Lewis, center, and her wife Mea pose with their son Caleb, 2, in Oceanside, Calif., Dec. 4. For some planning to stay home for Christmas, giving up the hassle and family drama of holiday travel isn't such a bad deal in the end. Corritta Lewis, who has a huge extended family in Ohio, says she is looking forward to staying home with her family and avoiding the overall mania that the holiday brings. <br>Corritta Lewis/AP
Corritta Lewis, center, and her wife Mea pose with their son Caleb, 2, in Oceanside, Calif., Dec. 4. For some planning to stay home for Christmas, giving up the hassle and family drama of holiday travel isn't such a bad deal in the end. Corritta Lewis, who has a huge extended family in Ohio, says she is looking forward to staying home with her family and avoiding the overall mania that the holiday brings. <br>Corritta Lewis/AP

No drama corona-Christmas has some secretly jumping for joy

Though Thanksgiving pleas to stay put were ignored by thousands, and authorities fear the same for Christmas and New Year's, many around the world are gleefully looking forward to spending the December holidays at home without the expense, family drama and travel headaches they normally endure.

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games

Call of the Sea is a first-person adventure puzzle game set in the 1930s that tells the story of Norah, a woman on the trail of her missing husband’s expedition.<br>Raw Fury
Call of the Sea is a first-person adventure puzzle game set in the 1930s that tells the story of Norah, a woman on the trail of her missing husband’s expedition.<br>Raw Fury

Call of the Sea: Strictly for hardcore puzzlers

There is a moment late in Call of the Sea where Norah Everhart, the game's heroine, is walking through an otherworldly temple adorned with murals depicting ritual sacrifice. "This place is like a labyrinth," she says aloud, then, looking at one of the murals she gasps, "They were submerged in black ichor!" I giggled to myself when I heard those words because they seemed to perfectly sum up the pulpy tenor of this game which wears its affinity for H.P. Lovecraft and weird, early twentieth-century fiction like a flower on a lapel.

europe after hours

A typical doner kebab at Oz Firat before it is wrapped up for delivery. Unlike some other fast foods, the doner is a complete meal with carbohydrates from the pita bread, protein from the meats and cheese and vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and onions. <br>Slobodan Lekic/Stars and Stripes
A typical doner kebab at Oz Firat before it is wrapped up for delivery. Unlike some other fast foods, the doner is a complete meal with carbohydrates from the pita bread, protein from the meats and cheese and vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and onions. <br>Slobodan Lekic/Stars and Stripes

Humble doner kebab a perfect street food for COVID-19 era hunger

If you’re tired of burger joints, currywurst and German sausages but still want something quick, my recommendation would be to pop by a doner place.

pacific after hours

Cafe Makana Lei, along the picturesque Awase seawall on Okinawa's east coast, is a short drive from both Camp Foster and Kadena Air Base<br>Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes
Cafe Makana Lei, along the picturesque Awase seawall on Okinawa's east coast, is a short drive from both Camp Foster and Kadena Air Base<br>Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes

A visit to Café Makana Lei on Okinawa feels like going home

Home is where the heart is, the saying goes, and while Okinawa’s quaint Café Makana Lei is set up in the tradition of a small, island-themed teashop, it packs in enough heart to feel like home.

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the meat and potatoes of life

Learning to lose now in order to win in the long run

This month, we all bore witness to the horrific extremes that some people will go to in order to avoid losing. Although no one wants to fail, the vast majority of us won’t turn to insurrection, violent assault or malicious destruction of property to win.