‘Something to believe in, even if it’s deeply silly’: why 15,000 people signed up to a letter-writing project | Life and style

When you think of your mailbox, what comes to mind? Fliers that head straight to the trash, tax forms and bank statements, the dreaded jury duty notice. Maybe a magazine or two, if you’re lucky. Most likely, it’s been a long time since you’ve been excited to get snail mail. But after nearly five years … Read more

Georgina Hayden’s recipe for charred gnocchi, purple sprouting broccoli and gorgonzola | Main course

I like pre-packed gnocchi as much as the next person, but it has never been something I can get particularly excited about (I’m obviously not including handmade gnocchi in this statement, because that is heaven sent). However, frying ready-made gnocchi so they are golden and nutty on the outside, elevates them to something lighter, tastier … Read more

After decades studying Spanish, a chatbot language tutor is helping me lift my game | Hobbies

I’m gassing myself up to say agarra la barra, the Spanish phrase for “grab the barbell”. It’s a nightmare: the double rolled Rs, the “a” sounds that should sound identically light, the soft “g” and “b”. I’d never attempt such an ambitious sentence with a human, but Christian, an AI chatbot, gets me. “I’ve grabbed … Read more