WHAT’S INSIDE

Taste » 16

Relics: Four minutes is all it takes for the rarest colors on Earth to fade in front of a pair of human eyes. Han blue and Han purple are made of synthetic barium copper silicate.

Lifestyle » 21

Midlife crisis: The fear of reaching 50 and spiralling into a pit of existential despair that can only be soothed by a fast car, new partner or career change is a timeworn trope.

Culture » 22

Art: The first British retrospective of Basquiat’s work opened recently at the Barbican Art Gallery in London, just four months after his painting Untitled (1982) sold in New York.

Music » 17

Guizhou: Chinese rock band Miserable Faith recorded their latest album in the UK in August, and they are returning to play at The Garage in London on Oct 13.

Health » 23

Fitness: Are fats really that bad for you? Will cutting back on them help you to lose weight? And should you be eating the recommended five-a-day?

Fashion » 24

Dating: First impressions matter. People make snap judgements in a few seconds. The number of seconds is up for debate, and the most common theory seems to be seven seconds.

Trend » 18

Fast food: For a very long time, KFC and McDonald’s were synonymous with Western food and even what we call fine dining, from the price and brand perspective.