5 things we learned this week

1 In 1958, women’s advice magazine McCall’s published a list of 129 ways to get a husband. The tips included: ‘Stand in the corner and cry softly. Chances are good that he’ll come over to find out what’s wrong.’

2 Chinese experts have created a levitating car. By placing magnets on the vehicle’s undercarriage and along a five-mile stretch of highway, they made the car ‘float’ more than an inch above the road. It also reportedly reached speeds of 143mph.

3 Merriam-Webster’s latest dictionary update of 370 new words includes several pop culture references. The ‘metaverse’ now has an entry, as does ‘adorkable’ – defined as being ‘socially awkward in an endearing way’.

4 About two billion years ago, the oceans were full of sulphur-eating bacteria. They were entirely toxic to complex life, and coloured purple.

5 French officials have disdained Liz Truss’s aspiration to be like Mrs Thatcher. Rather than the ‘Iron Lady’, they have dubbed her the ‘iron weather vane’.