How do you explain the tricky topic of Donald Trump to your kids?

Just read them Michael Ian Black's new book -- which aims to break down the bizarre phenomenon that is the presumptive GOP nominee by using language and pictures that even he may understand.

The comedian and actor showed off an advance copy of "A Child's First Book of Trump," which is published next month, to Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show" on Friday.

“This is a field guide to, if you were to see a wild Trump out in the woods, what you should do, how you should behave," said Black.

Check it out in the clip above.

Editor's note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims -- 1.6 billion members of an entire religion -- from entering the U.S.

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Garip Ay's masterpieces sometimes last only seconds. But thanks to the internet, they can now be remembered forever.

The Turkish artist painstakingly recreates two of Vincent van Gogh's iconic pieces on water, in a video has now been seen more than 25 million times:

Ay uses the ancient Ebru technique, also known as paper marbling, to first reimagine the Dutch postimpressionist's masterpiece "The Starry Night."

After mixing carrageenan, a thickening substance, into a bowl of water, he drops different colored oils onto the liquid and manipulates it with a thin metal rod to create the image.

Within minutes, he's finished his first piece -- but then just swirls it all away:

Starting again from scratch, Ay then uses exactly the same method to recreate one of the painter's best-known self-portraits.

Slowly but surely, the well-known image develops before the viewers' eyes:

But after completing this piece, Ay decides that he does want a permanent, physical record of this effort.

So this time, remaining faithful to the traditional art of Ebru, he places paper over the water and waits for the glorious image to be transferred.

Ay told ABC News that the entire process took around 20 minutes, and that it was one of his most complicated projects yet because "the water, in addition to being thickened by carrageenan powder, was colored black for this project."

He now plans to use the same approach to reimagine other famous painters' works. "I want to do more to pay homage to the great artists who have inspired me and whose vision I feel I understand, just as I have done with my recent tribute to van Gogh," he told CNN.

Ay uses the Ebru technique to magnificent effect. For instance, in this equally mesmerizing video, he creates and then rubs out a host of animals, characters and scenes.

Other artists around the world have recreated "The Starry Night," which van Gogh painted in 1889 and which now hangs in New York's Museum of Modern Art, in equally fascinating ways.

Microbiologist Melanie Sullivan used bacteria in a petri dish, YouTuber FlippyCat utilized falling dominoes and hardware store owner David Goldberg reimagined the famous piece with 1,250 doorknobs.

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A 21-year-old Instagram artist is making waves across the Internet for his very convincing and thoroughly executed Disney Princess cosplay.

Richard Schaefer has spent the past five years perfecting his creative craft, using the classic Disney Princess canon as inspiration for his makeup transformations. From Snow White to Pocahontas, these new takes on many of our classic childhood heroines are something that have to been seen to be believed.

"Cosplay is a huge creative outlet for me," Schaefer told The Huffington Post. "I consider it my craft, as well as a way to live out my childhood fantasies. Ever since I was little I would make mermaid tails out of blankets and pretend I was Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid,' so I feel that little Richard would certainly approve."

Check out some of Schaefer's cosplay looks below, as well as our chat with him about his works of art.

Want to see more from Schaefer? Head here to visit his Instagram.

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The French film "Les Cowboys” has enjoyed a bright year since its strong debut at the Cannes Film Festival last May. In January, the drama earned four nominations from the César Awards, France's equivalent of the Oscars. And on Friday, it opens in limited release in the United States. 

Drawing comparisons to the 1956 John Ford film "The Searchers," "Les Cowboys" chronicles a father (François Damiens) who begins a winding quest to find his missing daughter. The Huffington Post has an exclusive clip from the film that shows one of the many pitstops along his arduous pursuit, which takes him to Pakistan and elsewhere. Thomas Bidegain, who wrote "A Prophet," "Rust and Bone" and "Dheepan," makes his directorial debut with a script he penned alongside Noé Debré. Catch the snippet below:

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Nick Deutsch's new single, "Hard To Love A Man," is a folk-pop ballad about men written from a gay man's perspective. Still, the New York singer-songwriter feels the song has a universal message about men, "toxic masculinity" and love, and hopes his fans -- both straight and gay -- are able to see themselves represented in its lyrics. 

"Is it hard for women to love men, or just men to love men? Is it hard for just queer men to love themselves or straight men, too? Obviously with the horror of the past week, I feel it’s all true," the 29-year-old Illinois native said of the song, which can be heard below. "It’s hard for men to love themselves, love other men, and have society accept men loving men."

The song will be featured on Deutsch's forthcoming EP, "Heart Saver," which is the follow-up to his 2014 debut, "Crazy Ride," and slated for a release later this summer. Describing his sound as "heartstring indie pop," Deutsch cites Kacey Musgraves, Sam Smith, Adele and James Blake among his musical influences. 

The singer-songwriter, who came out in 2014, told HuffPost he felt confused and angered by the deadly June 12 shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which killed 49 people and injured 53 more. Ultimately, he sees the tragedy as further proof that openly queer artists need to take the professional risk of presenting themselves authentically in a cutthroat music industry. 

"As long our world needs fixing, we have to do our part," said Deutsch, who hopes to hit the road after the release of "Heart Saver." "If I have a love song about a man, I’m gonna put a man in the video. I’ve never backed away from being honest about my sexuality or my struggles, and I think we need any voices we can get."

He went on to note, "I feel the music business and the fans really just care about being who you are -- gay, straight, bi or fluid."

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Walaa is afraid of her pillow.

That's because night -- when the 5-year-old is supposed to put her head on her pillow -- is when the attacks happened.

Walaa, from Aleppo, Syria, currently lives in the Mar Elias informal settlement in Lebanon. This image of her is part of "Where the Children Sleep," a new photography exhibit opening at the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, later this month. 

Resting her head on the pillow is horrible, she says, because nighttime is horrible. That was when the attacks happened.

The image caption, written by photographer Magnus Wennman and journalist Carina Bergfeldt, reads:

"Walaa wants to go home. She had her own room in Aleppo, Syria, she tells us. There, she never used to cry at bedtime. Here, in the informal settlement, she cries every night. Resting her head on the pillow is horrible, she says, because nighttime is horrible. That was when the attacks happened. By day, Walaa’s mother often builds a little house out of pillows, to teach her that they are nothing to be afraid of." 

The photos are meant to show the story of the Syrian conflict, Wennman told The Huffington Post. 

"It's not just a big group of people. It's millions of individuals with different backgrounds and different stories," he said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Fotografiska -- a center for contemporary photography in Sweden -- partnered with Wennman to help bring the photographs to larger audiences. The images capture something primal -- and essential, Christopher Boian, a public information officer for the UNHCR, told HuffPost.

"The act of sleeping is so essential to life and the fact that these children are forced to sleep in foreign, alien, uncertain, dangerous places -- when they have no blame for being there -- is quite moving," he said. 

Ahmed, 6, falls asleep in the grass.

"It is after midnight when Ahmed falls asleep in the grass. The adults are still awake, formulating plans for how they will continue their journey through Hungary. Ahmed is 6 years old, and he carries his own bag over the long stretches that his family walks by foot. 'He is brave and only cries sometimes in the evenings,'€ says his uncle, who has taken care of Ahmed since his father was killed in their hometown of Deir ez-Zor in northern Syria."

Ahmed currently lives in Horgos, Serbia.

Ralia and Rahaf, 7 and 13, sleep on the street on cardboard boxes.

"Ralia and Rahaf live on the streets of Beirut. They are from Damascus, where a grenade killed their mother and brother. The girls and their father have been sleeping on the street for a year. They huddle close together on their cardboard boxes. Rahaf says she is scared of 'bad boys,€' at which Ralia starts crying."

Ralia and Rahaf currently live in Beirut, Lebanon.

Lamar, 5, sleeps on a blanket in the forest.

"Lamar left her dolls, toy train and ball back home in Baghdad, Iraq. She often talks about these items when home is mentioned. One bomb changed everything. Her family was on its way to buy food when a bomb was dropped close to their house. 'œIt was not possible to live there anymore,' says Lamar'€™s grandmother, Sara. After two attempts to cross the sea from Turkey in a small rubber boat, they have made it to the Hungarian border. Now Lamar sleeps on a blanket in the forest, scared, frozen, and sad."

Lamar currently lives in Horgos, Serbia.

Farah, 2, dreams of soccer balls.

"Farah, who fled Syria, loves soccer. Her dad tries to make soccer balls for her using anything he can find, but they don'€™t last long. Every night, he puts Farah and her big sister Tisam, 9, to bed hoping that tomorrow will bring them a proper soccer ball to play with. All other dreams seem to be beyond his reach, but he is not giving up on this one."

Farah currently lives in Azraq, Jordan.

The free exhibit will be open to the public at the Schwarzman building in New York City from June 27 - July 10. 

Sarah DiGiulio is The Huffington Post’s sleep reporter. You can contact her at sarah.digiulio@huffingtonpost.com.

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Mr. Monopoly has his eyes set on some new property: Broadway.

Plans are underway to lay down the classic board game’s first-ever Broadway production, titled, “Monopoly: The Musical.”

Hasbro toys announced Monday that it's teaming up with theatrical production company Araca Group to produce the live show. Few details about the production have been released, however.

In a joint statement obtained by The Huffington Post, the companies said they are working on finalizing the production’s creative team “and will announce further details shortly.”

“I can tell you this: It’s not going to be a musical about people sitting around playing Monopoly,” Araca Group CEO Matthew Rego told Variety. “What turns us on is creating something that explores the world of Monopoly, kind of like the Lego movies have done with Legos.”

It's no wonder Araca and Hasbro would want to emulate Lego's success.

The Danish toys have amassed a stunning commercial empire, which includes everything from universal Legoland theme parks to the 2014 blockbuster "Lego Movie," the sequel of which is in production. Brand Finance further named Lego the “world’s most powerful brand” last year.

Simon Waters, Hasbro's general manager and senior vice president of entertainment and consumer products, also expressed hope that seeing Monopoly’s name in lights will expand their brands.

“Monopoly is one of the most iconic gaming brands of all time,” he said in a statement. “Hasbro is dedicated to delivering new and exciting ways for consumers to interact with all of our brands, and this stage adaptation will do just that -- offering fans a unique and immersive experience for people of all ages.”

Araca Group’s previous work includes “Urinetown,” “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” “A View from the Bridge” and “Disgraced.” They've additionally co-produced “Wicked,” “Boeing, Boeing,” “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Skylight.”

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A new series of breastfeeding photos is bringing mothers' nursing struggles to life.

Photographer Cheyanne Booker took pictures of six moms, who shared their breastfeeding journeys and challenges -- from bad latches and supply issues to medical conditions and mental health struggles.

Booker told The Huffington Post that her own breastfeeding struggles inspired the series. After giving birth to her now-13-month-old daughter Blyss, the photographer nursed very frequently everyday, but the newborn baby lost weight during those first weeks. 

"I felt like a failure because I thought my body wasn't going to be able to produce enough milk for her, and I desperately wanted to breastfeed her," she said. With the support of her sister-in-law, Booker was able to persevere, and at 3 months, Blyss reached the 97th percentile for weight. 

For the breastfeeding photo series, Booker found subjects by posting a callout in local mom Facebook groups in her home of Mobile, Alabama. In the future, the photographer hopes to find more moms to photograph and add more diversity to the series.

"The main thing that I hope for this project to do is to encourage all breastfeeding mothers who may be going through their own struggles and show them they are not alone in their journeys," Booker told HuffPost. "Breastfeeding can be the hardest thing ever sometimes, but it is so rewarding!"

Keep scrolling to see the breastfeeding photos and read the moms' stories of struggle and perseverance. 

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HuffPost Religion is highlighting the voices of Muslim artists this Ramadan. Every Friday of the holy month, we’ll feature artwork and reflections from artists around the world on our Instagram account. You can follow along at @HuffPostRelig.

Amira Rahim (@amirarahimart) is an artist from New Jersey who is known for experimenting with vibrant color palettes to express her emotions. Although she's been drawing and painting since she was a child, Rahim initially planned to pursue a career in law.

College was a time of awakening for her, Rahim studied abroad and traveled frequently -- visiting Brazil and several countries in Europe. She explored a number of religious traditions before converting to Islam while studying in London, England, during her last year in college. Rahim then spent three years living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where she decided to pursue art full time. 

Rahim took over HuffPost Religion's Instagram account on Friday to share examples of her remarkably vivid artwork. Read on to learn more about this inspiring Muslim artist.  

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Amira Rahim, and I am an artist. I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t call myself an “artist” until three years ago when I moved to the United Arab Emirates. I was newly married, in a new country, and quite excited but also anxious. I figured, “Hey, if I don’t do this now, if I don’t paint full-time, I may never have the chance again.” We all are blessed with God-given talents and skills and it’s up to us to push ourselves to the highest of our abilities, and inspire those around us to do the same.

What does Ramadan mean to you? 

This is my eighth time observing the holy month of Ramadan, and like most Muslims, I feel very fortunate to have made it to yet another year. Ramadan for me is a time of deeper reflection, connection to our families and selves, but also connection to the Creator. I am used to working during Ramadan and this year is no exception. I am currently working on a new body of work inspired by my recent travels to Bali and Italy. Both places were so colorful and invigorating. I am trying to capture that in a collection of abstract paintings on paper.

Tell us about your work.

My work is very colorful and energetic. In the beginning of my art practice, I struggled to find my style. I tried really hard to paint like what I thought “real art” was supposed to look like. Recognizable, realistic, right. After giving myself permission to paint the colors of my soul, I found the act of painting to be so much more liberating. I am completely free at my easel. Time stands still and I no longer have to be anything other than myself. Abstract art is really freeing in that sense.

In addition to abstract work, I enjoy painting whimsical camels and figures. I recently returned home after spending three years in the United Arab Emirates. The Middle East definitely influenced me as an artist. The harsh terrain and monochromatic surroundings inspired me to be more imaginative and daring both in my use of color and my subject matter. Whether I’m painting a funny camel face, or group of colorful ladies in traditional abaya, I want my paintings to evoke a sense of joy and wonder.

What do you hope people take away from your artwork? 

I hope that people find happiness in my work. I believe to create anything is an act of love, and I truly love being an artist. I feel really fortunate to be born into a time where sharing content with millions of people is possible. We live in a world of incredible access and opportunity thanks the internet that just wasn’t available before. This motivates me to get up each day and do something that can uplift and inspire. I’m happy to be back home in the [United] States. It was a bit of a risk for me to leave UAE and come back, because I have such a great fan-base there and collectors who really supported my work. But, I look forward to the challenge of creating gorgeous new paintings and seeing the new beautiful homes here that will house them.

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The women of Afghanistan have been the focus of intense interest and notoriety for decades. Under the Taliban they were seen as oppressed creatures swathed head to toe in burqa blue, publicly stoned to death and forced to live in an unspeakably cruel world where they were not to be educated, make noise or even be seen. When a U.S.-led coalition invaded the country at the beginning of the last decade, first lady Laura Bush portrayed the mission as one that would save Afghan women. The global fascination with their plight has created a smorgasbord of sympathy-driven initiatives and activity: billions of dollars and thousands of hours have been spent on female empowerment programs; Afghan women have appeared as heroines in novels and the subject of countless books; magazine covers have featured their tortured faces; and they have been nominated for Nobel Peace Prizes.

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"Katdashians! The Musical!" is everything you'd want in a completely unauthorized parody musical that combines the reality queens of Calabasas and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats." In one word: it's purrfect.

From the brilliantly twisted minds of Bob and Tobly McSmith, who also penned "Bayside! The Musical!," "Full House! The Musical!" and "Showgirls! The Musical!," the two-hour pop-culture extravaganza follows the Kardashian story from their early years on reality TV through Caitlyn Jenner's transition (called Catlyn in the musical) and lampoons the family in just the right way. 

The Huffington Post caught up with the McSmiths (no relation), who said the inspiration for such a musical kind of "came out of nowhere" after talking with friends Bailey Nolan, who stars as Kris Jenner, and Viva Soudan, who plays Kylie and is the show's choreographer.  

The writers were anything but Kardashian fans when they began writing the musical, which required hours of "mind-numbing" research: watching the family's reality show, Googling them and watching Kim's sex tape -- again.  

"Tobly dragged me kicking and screaming into it. I knew nothing about the Kardashians other than [that] they are so unavoidable as it is. You know things even though you don't want to know them," Bob explained. 

The research paid off, because "Katdashians" is more than hilarious -- it's an insightful and sometimes scathing critique of America's most famous family. Kim's narcissism, Kourtney's lack of a personality and Khloe's penchant for vulgarity are played up for big laughs, while the men in their lives are reduced to mere objects. 

"We wanted Lamar [Odom] to be a basketball, Scott [Disick] to a puppet and Kanye [West] to not actually be there, because the men in their lives are represented and they have a strong presence, but they're also not there. And Scott's a total puppet," Tobly explained of the casting decision. 

While the entire cast is brilliant, the breakout star is Peter Smith, who plays Catlyn, and sings "Meowmeries" after her transition. Casting a transgender performer in the role was paramount for the McSmiths, who held three separate auditions until Smith walked in.

"We couldn't find the perfect person to do it, and Peter Smith walked in, and we all lost our minds. They were made for the role," Tobly said. "I'm trans too, so it was important for me to write Catlyn's story, and a lot of my story goes into into those lines." 

Telling Catlyn's story was the most important part of the musical. According to Tobly, when they decided to create the show, they were insistent that, true to life, Catlyn's family ended up reacting the most to the fact that she chose to spell her name with a C rather than a K after her transition.

"Those were the seeds that got planted and then we just went from there. That was so important to us, that they were mad about the C and not the K," Tobly explained. "And that was the underlining, when Caitlyn said to them, 'I just wanted to be my own person.' Like, such a huge choice."

Keeping up with the Kardashians is no easy task, but the McSmiths have done their best to incorporate the latest family drama into new shows. Last Thursday's performance featured a timely reference about the ongoing Kanye and Taylor Swift drama, but the writers said they have yet to add the storyline of Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna getting their own TV show, for example. 

"Katdashians" is brutally honest at times -- the way a parody musical should be. The writing duo, who'd thus far only taken on fictional TV shows to parody, said they weren't particularly concerned when it came to tackling the lives of real people. 

"I would use the term 'real' loosely," said Bob, while Tobly added that the Kardashians present a public persona, and watching them on the show felt like the Kardashians were actors in their own lives. 

"We aren't seeking to harm them, by any means," Bob explained. "We're taking them down, but we're also building them up at the same time. We wanted to make people relate to the Kardashians, which kind of is hard to do."

When asked if they thought the Kardashians have enough of a sense of humor to see the show, Tobly admitted he had slightly higher goals. 

"We want Kris to be in it. You know, she tried out for 'Chicago,'" he said. "We're hoping Kris will come be in our show. We're hoping Khloe will see it, and we're hoping Scott will bring it to 1 OAK."

"Katdashians! The Musical!" runs through July 17 at the Elektra Theater in Times Square. 

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"Makeup can help people say, 'This is who I am,'" author Autumn Whitefield-Madrano told The Huffington Post over the phone last week.

As someone who has written about beauty for almost two decades at women's magazines, on her own blog, and most recently, for her book Face Value, Whitefield-Madrano is a bonafide expert on the complexities of beauty, self-image and self-love. 

When Whitefield-Madrano spoke with women in her life, she found that many felt an inner conflict about caring about beauty. 

"There was this apology that was riding alongside this entirely human desire to look good," she said. "I wanted to untangle that juxtaposition of wanting to look good, but feeling badly about it." 

So Whitefield-Madrano started interviewing women. She spoke to all types of women -- a nun, a bodybuilder, a burlesque dancer, a little person, a dominatrix, and more. She wanted to know how beauty shapes women's lives, even women who don't necessarily wear makeup everyday or go to the salon weekly.

She wanted to get answers to big questions: Can putting on makeup be considered a feminist act? Do women-only spaces dedicated to beauty routines foster competition or sisterhood? Can beauty routines be about more than just "looking pretty"? And, is wanting to "look pretty" such a bad thing?

HuffPost spoke to Whitefield-Madrano about beauty culture, feminism and how the two intersect with women's everyday lives. 

Why do you think it’s important to discuss the role of beauty in our daily lives?

When I was speaking with women for my book I found that they had this inner conflict and guilt about caring so much about beauty. Certainly there are women who are unabashedly in love with beauty and in love with the products, but I found that a lot of women who consider themselves a little more "serious" -- for lack of a better term -- had guilt about caring about those things. The word that came up a lot was "justify." They would justify why they cared about beauty. There was this apology that was riding alongside this entirely human desire to look good. I wanted to untangle that juxtaposition of wanting to look good, but feeling badly about it. 

Before I started speaking with other women, I thought I was the only one who felt that way. I moved to New York to intern at Ms. Magazine and I was in this hot bed of feminism, and then I worked in women's magazines for most of my career. While women's magazines are feminist in their own way, there was this juxtaposition because I thought, "Well I'm the one in this weird conflicted space about beauty." But it wasn't me, it's a lot of women -- most women I would say. 

If women don’t wear makeup, it’s considered "brave." If we wear too much makeup, we’re asking for too much attention or the wrong type of attention. Why do you think beauty and sexism are so intertwined?

I think it's because most of the people wearing makeup are women. Anything that a lot of women do and most men don't automatically becomes tainted. It automatically becomes frivolous or silly. I don't think we're going to see that change until we have a big historical shift back to when men were also dabbling in these things. It wasn't that long ago that men were wearing makeup -- we're talking Aristocratic men. They used to wear makeup in ways that women are now. At one point, the fashion in Europe was for men to wear very over-the-top makeup and women to have much more subtle makeup. Even then, people thought, "Well at least men are owning that they're wearing makeup, whereas women are so deceptive. They want you to think this is what they look like naturally." There's no way for women to win. Any funnel for sexism to come out, I think it finds a way.

If looking your best -- whatever that might mean for you -- allows you to be able to present yourself to the world in the way that you want to be seen, that's only going to enable you to do better work in the world.
Autumn Whitefield-Madrano

What would you say to people who believe that you can’t be a feminist and love makeup?

I would acknowledge, first of all, that there is to some degree an inherent conflict that I don't want to pretend doesn't exist. The fact is is that beauty and beauty routines do cost a lot of time and money -- and that does take away from the larger goals we might have collectively as women. That said, that's almost an ideological point, because when I talked to feminists for my book that's not what they were personally reporting. It was almost like an intellectual quibbling that they were having with themselves. But it's not like these women were like, "I'm spending three hours a day on my makeup but I can't go out there and work for social justice." Again, it's a human desire to want to look good. We've taken it to this extreme and we've definitely slanted it more towards women which is undeniably problematic. But if looking your best -- whatever that might mean for you -- allows you to be able to present yourself to the world in the way that you want to be seen, that's only going to enable you to do better work in the world. A lot of people spoke about beauty in that way, a much more creative way than just, "Well I have to do this because it's expected of me."

It's also a way to express yourself and that in itself can be empowering.

Absolutely. I'm seeing a lot more creativity and play among millennials. That within itself isn't necessarily a feminist act, but I think that it speaks to the fact that makeup can help people say, "This is who I am."

What role does beauty play in female friendships?

By in large, the women that I spoke with didn't treat beauty as grounds for competition or jealousy -- they saw it as a way to communicate with other women. That's part of why beauty salons have such a historical significance; women created bonds at beauty salons. It really is a woman-only space. The easiest way to break the ice with another woman is to compliment her, for better or worse. I don't know how many times I've walked down the street and a woman will say "Great dress!" and it gives me this little boost and it lets me know that we're kind of in this together. 

It's definitely this secret space that women don't realize is there until we start speaking about it.

Exactly! I'm even thinking of the relationship between beauty consumers and beauty professionals. I open the book mentioning this makeup artist friend of mine. I was interviewing her for my blog when I first met her and at the end of the interview she invited me over to her house so she could give me a makeover, so I could see what the experience was like. It was like a two-and-a-half hour process, and by the end her hands had been on my face, I felt her breath on my cheek, her body has been against mine -- and that's an intimacy that if you're a heterosexual woman you don't often have with other women. Beauty is a real portal to that. There's an intimacy there that I find really touching.

In your interviews, what role did you see beauty culture play in the lives of women who aren't straight and cisgender? 

I interviewed a genderqueer person for my book and she doesn't wear makeup. I don't think she's ever worn makeup but she told me about going to a barbershop with other genderqueer women and what an experience that is, and how it helped her learn to navigate that space. To see her face light up when she was talking about her shared experience with other butch women at the barbershop made me realize, OK this isn't something just for girly-girls. We all can bond in this way. I know that a lot of trans women report in their transition into womanhood that beauty routines and those shared experiences -- and being able to do it openly -- was something they had been looking forward to since they were children. 

You interviewed so many women from all types of backgrounds. What were some of the differences in their perceptions of beauty? Were there any common themes?

I went into it a little naively thinking that women who fit that conventional beauty type would have a different experience than those who were more average-looking, like most people. And I didn't find that to be the case at all. It wasn't a simple relationship. It seemed both very individualistic and very collective, all at once.

What I will say is that women of color talked about how the beauty standard for their race in particular had affected them. As women we all have certain standards that we're "supposed" to reach. And then African-American women have another standard that's an umbrella under this larger standard. And white women have theirs, and Latina women have theirs, and so on and so forth. That was the biggest thing that jumped out at me. 

There were also differences in age groups. Older women I found -- and this is supported by statistics -- tend to become more comfortable with how they look over time. And that was reflected in the embrace of the juxtapositions that go along with beauty. I found that younger women were still really wrestling with these questions.

It's unfortunate that older women almost become "invisible" as they age in our culture. It's even more unfortunate that I look forward to getting older simply to get a reprieve from our harsh beauty standards. 

Yes! And that's what some of the older women I spoke with said. They reported exactly that. That yea it kind of sucks to get older because they didn't even realize the sort of privilege that comes with being a young woman. But there was also a relief that goes along with it. They said to me, "Wait, if I'm finally -- after a lifetime of being judged on how I look -- not being judged on it as much." There's this sense that they can breathe a bit more. 

I think it's wonderful when we see older women being celebrated for being beautiful, but at the same time I don't want to the new standard for older women mean that we all need to look like 85-year-old model Carmen Dell'Orefice. That's not the answer to solving the problem that older women become invisible in our culture. 

The message is not only do we have to look beautiful, but we have to feel beautiful. And I find that really problematic.
Autumn Whitefield-Madrano

In regards to the media’s recent “femvertising,” such as Dove’s Real Beauty ads, how do you think this type of media affects women’s self-esteem and beauty image?

That's a tough one because I think you can argue both sides. When I first saw the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, it was maybe 12 years ago. The women were in white underwear and they were either lightly retouched or not retouched at all and I was like "Finally!" It felt so great. But as it's become more popular I've become a lot more skeptical. Instead it feels like the message is not only do we have to look beautiful, but we have to feel beautiful. And I find that really problematic. There's been a backlash against that which is really a reflection of how women are affected by it. It's like, wait a second, this is not the answer. The answer to broadening the scope of beauty is not simply saying, "Now you have to feel beautiful and look beautiful!" That said, there's also a huge relief in seeing people who look a little more like you represented in media.

What role do you think social media plays in women’s body image and perceptions of themselves?

Surprise, it's complicated! There's two conflicting theories out there. One is that everyone's posting selfies on social media and many people are using the photo-retouching software and everyone's tagging their selfies with #Flawless or "Feeling great!" And of course that means we're just becoming more and more narcissistic. But the other argument is that it's actually making people feel worse about themselves. I would argue that both of those points are right. I think that with social media you can use it and abuse it.

I've seen a lot of creativity when it comes to self-presentation on social media. I find that really encouraging. That said, I've also seen people posting selfie after selfie and to me the message is really clear that they simply want some affirmation. That's not the end of the world, and it's not a terrible thing -- but I don't want us to fool ourselves into thinking that because there is this positive vibe on social media that it means that we totally love ourselves, and we feel great and beautiful and it's that simple. There's definitely a murkier story there for most people. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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Faces are everywhere. You see them pretty much every day for pretty much your entire life. Yet if you were to draw a human face, chances are that you would put the eyes in the wrong place. 

Research going back to at least the 1980s, as well as anecdotal reports from art teachers, suggests that over 95 percent of amateur artists place the eyes too high.

The correct place? In the middle of the face.

This odd error may seem of no consequence, but it's striking because humans are generally endowed with highly sensitive neural mechanisms to process and recognize faces.  And yet we seem to need a ton of training to accurately reproduce them. 

In a new study, published June 6 in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, psychologist Justin Ostrofsky of Stockton University in New Jersey and his colleagues set out to learn why there seems to be a bias for drawing the eyes too high. "Despite its prevalence, the basis of this bias is currently not well understood," Ostrofsky and his colleagues wrote in their study.

Researchers split 75 undergraduates into two groups and asked each to draw a bald face and a nonbald face, which they copied from images shown on a computer screen.

One group was told before they began drawing that the eyes are typically found in the middle of the face, while the other group wasn't told anything.

Most of the participants placed the eyes too far up the face. But those who were given the specific guidance did this to a lesser extent, suggesting that we make this mistake at least partly because we've never noticed the exact position of the eyes.  

But why did some of the participants who were told the correct positioning still draw the eyes in the wrong place? This suggests a general perceptual bias may be at work.

One possibility is that when we're looking at faces, we tend to ignore the forehead and focus on the lower part of the face, which contains more details (a nose, a mouth, a chin, etc.). In other words, we misjudge the length of the forehead area simply because we aren't focused on it.

In the experiments, participants who were not told where the eyes should go were less accurate with eye position when drawing the bald face than the face with hair. The researchers suggest this is because a bald face has an even larger forehead area to ignore, therefore increasing our judgment error.

But the participants who were told about the correct position of the eyes didn’t place those features differently on the bald and nonbald faces -- and remember, they also tended to place the eyes too high. This could mean there's another mechanism underlying their error. One possibility is that they put the eyes up high because humans have a general bias toward the upper half of the visual field.

It’s well known that most people have a leftward bias when they are asked to divide a horizontal line in half (most people mark the midpoint a bit too far toward the left). Multiple studies have shown that a similar problem holds true in vertical space: Most people tend to put the midpoint on a vertical line higher than it actually is, suggesting they focus more attention on the upper half of the visual field.

When the researchers in the new study asked participants to divide a vertical line, they found that errors in line bisection correlated with errors in positioning the eyes when drawing faces.

So what seems to be a simple drawing task appears to be affected by multiple subtle mental quirks. It's also an example of just how bad we are in paying attention to what we see and registering details. Previously, researchers found that people can’t really draw a proper version of the Apple logo, though they've seen it many times. Even when we're great at recognizing certain details, such as the slightest deformations in a circle, we can’t reproduce them.

Not convinced? Just try to draw a perfect circle.

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Nine-year-old Regina Wyllie always had a knack for photography. At age three, the fifth grader from Ayrshire, Scotland picked up one of her photographer dad's cameras and asked how to use it. And on April 15, she shot her very first wedding.

"She first picked up a camera at the age of three when she asked to accompany me to a mountain bike race that I was shooting," Regina's dad Kevin told The Huffington Post. "Since then, she started taking cameras from my bags and asking me to show her how to work them. It just grew from there and I always made sure never to push her for it, preferring to let her ask the questions."

Regina's first official assignment took place on April 15, when she was asked to assist her dad in shooting the nuptials of a close family friend. The couple had seen her past work and wanted their wedding to be her first.

"I really enjoyed the wedding as I had to work quite fast, which was a challenge," Regina told HuffPost. "It was great fun."

It's safe to say Regina's work left a lasting impression.

"[The couple] was delighted," Kevin said. "In fact, they told me that Regina's shots, especially of their own children, had brought tears to their eyes."

Kevin said that several other couples have now requested Regina's services. She'll shoot her next wedding on July 1.

"I have always thought [photography] would be a hobby -- I wanted to be a fashion designer -- but I'm now starting to think that I may become a professional, like my dad," Regina said.

Regina was first discovered at age seven when a photo she took at shoot Kevin was working on was picked by Think Tank Photo for one of their Facebook advertisements. 

Its not just weddings that Regina is interested in shooting. She recently had the opportunity to photograph a Rod Stewart pre-concert party ("My school teacher was jealous!" she said) and a world champion boxer with Kevin.

"I'm just enjoying learning different things about photography and art," Regina said.

Check out more of the photos Regina shot at her first wedding below.

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In a stunning visual reminder of what's at stake, an acclaimed Italian composer and pianist delivered the performance of a lifetime -- playing a baby grand on a small floating platform as a glacier crumbled around him.

Ludovico Einaudi performed "Elegy for the Arctic," a piece he wrote just for the occasion, at the Wahlenbergbreen glacier in Svalbard, Norway. 

"Being here has been a great experience. I could see the purity and fragility of this area with my own eyes and interpret a song I wrote to be played upon the best stage in the world," Einaudi said in a news release from Greenpeace. "It is important that we understand the importance of the Arctic, stop the process of destruction and protect it."

Greenpeace had the piano shipped from Germany to Norway, where it traveled on the Arctic Sunrise, one of the organization's ships, to the glacier.

"The timing of Einaudi’s performance is not by chance," Greenpeace wrote in blog post. "This week, delegates at the OSPAR Commission meeting in Tenerife, Spain, have an opportunity to take an important step in protecting the Arctic. The proposal before them would safeguard 10% of the Arctic ocean, an area roughly the size of the UK."

Greenpeace has set up a website, Voicesforthearctic.org, dedicated to the issue.

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One of the world's most storied shipwrecks is still yielding new discoveries.

More than 60 artifacts were pulled from the famed Antikythera shipwreck during a recent expedition of the vessel, which sank in the Aegean Sea in approximately 65 BC. 

The expedition by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found gold jewelry, glassware, the spear from a statue, marble sculptures and decanters in the past few weeks.

One of the more curious finds appeared to be an ancient weapon known as a dolphin:

The object is a lead and iron artifact that weighs about 220 pounds. Dolphins were defensive weapons that were dropped from the ship's yard -- a spar on the mast -- onto the deck of an attacking ship, such as a pirate vessel. 

The scientists used an autonomous robot to map a 10,500-square-meter (2.6 acres) area of sea floor at a depth of 170 feet, then sent divers down to inspect the site, according to a WHOI news release. 

New lab techniques allowed the team to extract DNA from ceramic jars to determine what food, drinks and medicines were once inside, and test the isotopes of lead objects to determine where they came from. 

"Our new technologies extend capabilities for marine science," marine archaeologist Brendan Foley said in a WHOI news release. "Every new dive on the Antikythera shipwreck delivers gifts from the ancient past. The wreck offers touchstones to the full range of the human experience: from religion, music, and art, to travel, trade and even warfare."

Some objects were brought to the surface while others were left on the sea floor.

The shipwreck, discovered in 1900 by sponge divers, was most known for the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient device that in some ways may have been the world's first computer. The clock-like gadget with interlocking gears was believed to have been used to help predict eclipses and the positions of celestial bodies. 

Over the years, archaeologists have also recovered marble statues and thousands of other artifacts. At least 300 pieces were pulled from the wreck during a 1976 expedition by legendary underwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. 

"In 27 days and despite frequent bad weather, they recovered hundreds of objects: ceramic vessels, components of marble statues, bronze statuettes, bronze coins, gold jewelry and gemstones, fine glassware and human skeletal remains," WHOI wrote about the Cousteau expedition. 

There might be more discoveries to come. The researchers said they also found the wreck of a second ancient cargo ship nearby. 

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Broadway's biggest names came together to sing an emotional tribute to the victims of the Orlando shootings.

A veritable who's who of stage stars united to cover "What The World Needs Now Is Love," in honor of the 49 people shot dead at the Pulse nightclub on June 12.

Whoopi Goldberg, Kristen Bell, Matthew Broderick, Gloria Estefan, Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rosie O'Donnell and Sarah Jessica Parker were among the 60-plus artists to take part.

"All of us in the Broadway community are deeply saddened by the senseless tragedy that occurred in Orlando in the early morning hours of June 12," the stars say, in turn, at the start of the music video posted online Monday.

The track is available to purchase for $1.99 from Broadway Records and iTunes.

All proceeds go to The Center, an LGBT advocacy organization, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Broadway Records President Van Dean joined forces with SiriusXM Radio host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley to organize the "Broadway for Orlando" project, according to the label's press statement. They recorded the song at New York City’s Avatar Studios on June 15.

Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote "What the World Needs Now Is Love" in 1965. It was initially a hit for Jackie DeShannon, but more than 100 artists have recorded it -- Barry Manilow and Judy Garland.

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Some gadgets just grab your eye. Oskar van Deventer's Magic Gears Grid is one of them. Watching the gears turn into each other is tripping out the internet.

"Looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss," one YouTube commenter wrote.

The inventor says in the video that the magic of his gizmo is that "gears are not supposed to mesh in a triangular grid. This is a demonstration that gears can actually turn in a triangular grid."

Whatever you say, Oskar. We're just going to keep watching and fall into a trance.

If you're interested, Van Deventer later breaks down how he built it. However, he admits, "I'm not really sure about the mathematics of this whole contraption but at least it's fun to watch."

 H/T Laughing Squid

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This baby won't let anything kale his vibe.

When Gideon Kauffman was born, his parents decided to document his growth in a creative way. After trying a few different ideas, they landed on "Veggie Portraits" -- a series of photos that show the baby next to seasonal vegetables spelling out his age in months. 

The first and last photos of the 12-month series incorporate garlic scapes; other featured veggies include carrots, peppers and tomatoes.

Gideon's parents, Keren Sachs and Landis Kauffman, told The Huffington Post that once their son started eating solids, they tried to incorporate the seasonal vegetable from each photo into a special meal for him. "Gideon is a good eater, and we were hoping he'd develop a great love for veggies through this experience," they said.

"There are a few vegetables that he hasn't come around to yet and some that he loves that didn't make the cut, like broccoli!" the parents added.

Keren and Landis posted each month's photo on Instagram and Facebook.

"We hope to bring them a smile and a laugh and a view into Gideon's world," they explained. "With friends and family all over the country, this has been a great way for us to keep in touch visually, and we have loved hearing from old acquaintances who have seen the images on social media."

Gideon, who recently celebrated his first birthday, is now walking and trying even more veggies. His parents told HuffPost they look forward to finding "other ways to document his milestones."

Lettuce hope he enjoys looking back on these adorable photos!

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This article originally appeared on artnet News.

With his ever-transforming look, Bowie's chameleon presence was admired by many. And a piece of this presence has been immortalized in a lock of his hair, which is being sold online this week at Heritage Auctions.

A lucky bidder will become the owner of this coveted piece of David Bowie memorabilia, though at no low expense. Currently bidding for $2,000, the lock is expected to double in value throughout the four days left of the auction, which ends on June 25.

Bowie left millions of fans devastated after his death this past January. The English singer, songwriter, artist, and actor was regarded as an innovator and one of the most prominent musical figures in the world.

From costume to choreography, the detail and spectacle included in Bowie's visual presentations left a large impact on the formation of pop music and popular culture.

The lock of hair comes from Wendy Farrier, an employee of Madame Tussauds in London, who collected Bowie's hair in 1983 in order to create a color-matched wig for his wax figure in the museum. After completing the wig, Farrier kept the lock of hair as a souvenir -- until now, as reported by Pitchfork.

Heritage Auctions is offering the two-inch lock of hair tied in a blue ribbon and accompanied by a signed letter from Farrier, describing her acquisition of the hair, as well as some other related documents and photographs.

The winner of the auction will not only become the owner of this historical memento, but will also help some disabled dogs, as part of the proceeds will benefit the Soi Dog Foundation.

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