This Kickstarter Toy Could Replace LEGOs

Not to be sacrilegious here, but we might have found a toy that is better than LEGOs. Okay, yes, LEGOs are pretty much the most classic toy ever, and no, nothing could truly replace them. But you have to admit, they do have their limitations. They don’t connect on all sides, so you can’t build in just any direction. This is where a new Kickstarter for toy-lovers and game-players everywhere swoops in. Meet the Lini cube.

This new generation toy makes product modeling and building easier than ever before. These little plastic toys are building blocks that have rivets on every side, which allows you to link the cubes together in whatever formation you’d like. Lini cubes come in a set of eleven and cost about $20 a pop. And get this: there are over 105 ways to plug one Lini cube into another.

You could build every letter in the alphabet, create entire panoramas or even build a nifty smartphone stand if you’d like. Pretty much, the world is your oyster. Lini cube still has two days to go on Kickstarter, and it’s already reached $27,592 in support, which far exceeds their original $1,085 goal. People love versatile toys.

Yep, it’s the next generation of building toys.

Check out a video demonstrating the Lini cube below.

What do you think about Lini Cubes? Tweet us @BritandCo!

As an adult, the most common LEGO-related injury you have to deal with is probably a sore foot caused by a stray piece you stumbled on in the dark. But when kids are involved, you might be less worried about the injuries you can see and more concerned about them swallowing one of those plastic pieces — not least because it means spending the next few weeks taking careful note of everything else that comes out of them to make sure the LEGO emerges safely.

In the name of soothing those fears, a new study published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health set out to discover how long it takes for a LEGO head to pass through a digestive system and if any risks are involved. For insight on the research, we spoke to study co-author Dr. Tessa Davis, a consultant in pediatric emergency medicine at the Royal London Hospital, and co-founder of Don’t Forget the Bubbles, a website and conference dedicated to pediatric care whose team conducted the study. Warning: You might want to save this for later if you’re eating lunch (at least if you’re not munching on LEGO bricks).

The Background

Although the researchers applied scientific methodologies, the study itself is not your usual totally serious medical paper. “We were looking for a lighthearted study to do in the run-up to Christmas, but with a serious underlying message,” explains Davis. “Ingested foreign objects are a really common presentation to children’s emergency departments: I probably see around one child a day who has swallowed something they shouldn’t have.” As the authors note, previous research on the subject has mostly covered coins. They cite an earlier study which found that coins take 3.1 to 5.8 days to pass through a digestive system. However, that was from 1971, so it seemed like the time was ripe to revisit the issue with a toy that kids today are more likely to come into contact with.

The main point of the study, Davis tells us, was to set concerned parents’ minds at ease. “Parents often wonder when to worry and when not to bother. The reality is that most objects when swallowed don’t cause any harm — once they make it to your stomach, they will just pass out with no problems. If it gets stuck on the way down, then that’s a problem, or if you develop any symptoms of pain, vomiting, or constipation, that can suggest it’s causing a blockage. Most objects are fine, but something like button batteries or magnets can cause serious issues, and these will very likely need to be removed quickly — so parents must bring their kids to the emergency department.”

The Methodology

Using children as guinea pigs was obviously not an option, so six courageous adult participants stepped up to the task. In the study, the authors acknowledged the possibility that the results might be different in children, but added that “there is little evidence to support this” — if anything, the LEGO piece might make its way through a child quicker. The candidates all worked in pediatric hospital care, and were only considered eligible if they had not previously had gastrointestinal surgery… and were open to ingesting a LEGO head and then searching for it in the days afterward.

In the three days before swallowing the LEGO, each kept a diary monitoring their bowel movements, so the researchers could see if the quality and quantity would affect how long it took to pass the LEGO head. All participants swallowed their individual LEGO heads around the same time, between 7am and 9am, since time of day could affect digestion. They were then tasked with searching for it on its way out, using whatever method they chose. The main factor was how long it took the piece to reappear after swallowing it, a measurement the researchers called the Found and Retrieved Time (FART). (We know.)

It took an average of 1.71 days and an average of two bowel movements for the participants to recover their LEGO heads. The shortest time was 1.14 days (27 h 20 min), while the longest was 3.04 days (72 h 35 min). One unlucky participant had to continue with the experiment for two weeks before the researchers called off the search, assuming he would never find his LEGO head. “Either he missed it,” Davis notes, “or… it’s still up there.”

The Takeaway

As you can tell, the study was done in good humor, but the results do prove a useful point for parents and caretakers who have worried about a piece of LEGO that’s vanished into a kid’s mouth (and beyond). “The aim of the study was to reassure parents that most objects [when swallowed] are fine and that there is no point searching through your child’s poo to find them,” Davis reassures us. “If a respected academic pediatrician can’t find a LEGO head in his own stools, then who can?” That said, she emphasizes again that some objects and reactions are a cause for concern. “If your child swallows a button battery or a magnet, or has symptoms after swallowing an object, then please seek medical assessment.”

As for what’s next for the team, should they return to this subject, in the study, they suggest comparing coins and LEGO, preferably with some participants swallowing both at the same time, and also comparing different parts of LEGO figurines, including legs and bodies. “We’re considering upgrading to Duplo,” Davis adds.

In case you were worried, the brave participants who put their bodies on the line in the name of advancing our understanding of this important medical issue are doing fine. “We are all very proud of our involvement in this study,” says Davis, “and are glad it’s caused so many people to smile, as well as getting our message out there.”

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve known someone to swallow? Share your stories with us @BritandCo.

(Photos via Getty)

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

When Maia Weinstock got the opportunity to design a unique Lego set through the LEGO Ideas program, she decided to create a kit based on one of her biggest passions. As a science writer and deputy editor of MIT News, Weinstock had a stockpile of research on outstanding women in science and engineering. Therefore, she decided to create a LEGO set that highlights several of NASA’s finest women in STEM. But instead of focusing on generic women of science, Weinstock chose to focus on real women who have greatly impacted the NASA program. “This is something I am passionate about,” Weinstock told Space, “which is bringing [science] personalities to light. It was a risk. I mean, nothing like this has ever been posted before, at least in terms of women.”

After Weinstock posted her idea to the LEGO Ideas platform and got picked up on social media by celebrities like Hidden Figures actress Janelle Monáe, the set quickly gained the 10,000 votes it needed to be considered by LEGO executives. With the full support of LEGO behind her, Weinstock’s project is finally ready to hit shelves just before the holiday toy craziness begins. As of November 1, the LEGO Ideas Women of NASA Set ($25) is available to purchase, featuring mini-figures of four famous women of NASA: NASA executive Nancy Grace Roman, computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, physicist Sally Ride, and engineer Mae Jamison. It immediately became the #1 bestselling toy on Amazon.

We love the idea of inspiring our kiddos to dream up grand interstellar goals in the STEM fields, especially considering the fact that the 2017 astronaut class included five awesome new female recruits. Here’s a sneak peek at the figures included in Lego’s new set.

1. Margaret Hamilton: This amazing gal is best known for popularizing the modern concept of software. Her LEGO set displays the iconic scene from 1969 where Hamilton and her team worked with NASA to develop the onboard flight software for the Apollo missions to the moon.

2. Nancy Grace Roman: Nancy Roman, warmly nicknamed the Mother of Hubble, was one of the first female executives at NASA. In her Lego scene, you’ll find her with a posable Hubble Space Telescope (which she is famous for her role in helping create and plan) and a projected image of a planetary nebula.

3. Sally Ride and Mae Jemison: In 1983, physicist Sally ride broke a major glass ceiling by being the first American woman in space onboard the Challenger for mission STS-7. In 1992, medical doctor Mae Jemison pushed the envelope further by becoming the first African-American woman in space for the STS-47 Spacelab-J mission on the Endeavour. In their Lego scene, both women stand near a launchpad with the Space Shuttle Challenger, which blasts off with three removable rocket stages.

Are you planning on picking up LEGO’s new Women of NASA kit? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

(Photos via The LEGO Group)

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.

2017's The Beguiled gave us one of the best groups of people of all time: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, and Kirsten Dunst just to name a few. And we're finally getting an Elle and Nicole reunion thanks to Apple TV+! "THRILLED to bring @rufithorpe genius hysterical heart-wrenching heartwarming book to your TV screens alongside a dream group of people!" Elle says on Instagram. Rather than having to test the success of its pilot, the series has already been ordered — even though the book it's based on isn't even out yet! Here's everything you need to know about the series.

  • Dakota and Elle Fanning will produce the upcoming Apple TV+ show Margo's Got Money Troubles.
  • The series follows Margo, who signs up for OnlyFans after learning she's pregnant.
  • The cast includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

Who's in the Margo's Got Money Troubles cast?

Amy Sussman/Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Margo's Got Money Troubles Cast

We couldn't contain our excitement when we learned Margo's Got Money Troubles will star Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, but knowing Michelle Pfeiffer is also joining the cast is too much to bear! This is the first time the actress will collaborate with her husband, TV creator David E. Kelley, so we can't wait to see the magic they'll create (via Deadline).

Nick Offerman from The Last of Us and Parks and Rec will also star.

When is Margo's Got Money Troubles coming out?

Ron Lach/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles Release Date

We don't have an official release date for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV show yet. I'm thinking if the TV show is in the early stages of planning, we could see it in 2025! Check out all of this year's best New TV Shows to hold you over until then.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles about?

Amazon

Margo's Got Money Troubles Plot

Margo Millet is the daughter of a Hooter's waitress named Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-wrestler (via Deadline). She's always had to make it on her own, even though she's not sure how. When she enrolls in her local junior college, she's totally unprepared to get swept up into a torrid love affair with her English professor — or to get pregnant.

Now at 20 years old, Margo needs an income and fast. She decides to experiment with OnlyFans and ends up taking some of her estranged father's advice from the world of wrestling to create a character users will fall in love with. You can order the book now!

What is Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's new TV show?

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles is coming soon to Apple TV+ thanks to a bunch of different producers. A24 is backing the film, as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company Lewellen Pictures and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, to name a few.

What else has Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in?

Focus Features

Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in 2017's The Beguiled. The movie follows John McBurney, an injured Union soldier, who winds up at a female Southern boarding school after deserting the Civil War. But soon, as the women help him, tensions turn to rivalries and friends turn to enemies.

Are you excited for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV reunion? Let us know what other New TV Shows you're watching in the comments.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.